Weary Souls and Crazy Laughter

“For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.” (Jeremiah 31:25)

I am coming off three truly wonderful Psalm One Soul Care retreats. I am blown away by how the Lord shows up to encourage, challenge, and strengthen us.  People came eager to seek God as well as come alongside one another. Jesus met each of us exactly where we were, and gently replenished weary souls through the Word, prayer, friendship, beauty, rest, a few tears, and quite a bit of laughter.

Everyone is processing the fallout of the last several years. Grief and conflict. The whack-a-mole. The “should-have-beens”. We have all lost something or someone. We are not built to handle that much relentless bad news, disappointment, conflict, change, and heartache all at the same time.

HALT is an acronym that stands for pausing to assess the damaging stressors of becoming too hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. And yowza, are people ever hungry, angry, lonely, and tired! Can you relate to any of these?

• Hungry: Unsatisfied, yearning for something, but nothing fills the void. Maybe you’ve tried to quiet the longing with less than healthy things. Or you’ve totally lost all hunger. You are running on empty and stuck out in a spiritual desert. Your “give a ____” is broken. You’ve lost your vision, passion, and interest in the things that once brought joy. You may be incredibly hungry to experience genuine connection with God, but you feel miles away.

Where do your mind and heart go when you don’t feel loved? Where do your feet go? How do you fill the emptiness?

• Angry: Resentful, irritable, bitter, prickly, depressed. We sometimes don’t notice or acknowledge the anger hidden right beneath the surface until it comes out at inappropriate moments often aimed at undeserving targets. I was shocked to experience how people were driving when I returned to the US last year. So much anger coming at us from every direction. Conflicting opinions and perspectives. Seething frustration with so many issues. Us vs. Them. And obviously, we are right and they are wrong.

• Lonely: Isolated, disconnected, unmoored. Broken relationships. Distance. Lack of intimacy. We may feel intimidated or that we don't measure up to others. We are desperate for genuine connection, but our trust level is quite low. You may miss the closeness you once felt in your church or circle of friends. Community isn't being with lots of bodies in the same space. It's having vital companionship and friendship with other human beings. It's experiencing authentic fellowship and love in the “one anothers” and “one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:4-6) of Scripture.

Satan’s main strategy to take us down is “Divide and Conquer”. There's a huge difference between life-giving solitude (which is savoring quiet, rest, and peace with God) and life-draining isolation (which is separating the vulnerable one from the herd).

• Tired: The #1 description I hear nowadays when people assess their life is exhausted. Weary, drained, worn out. Not sleepy tired, the good kind of tired--when you’ve worked or played hard and look forward to a good night’s rest, but the kind of weariness that sleep does not cure. Mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically depleted. “Ridden hard and put away wet”, as we say in Kentucky.

What do we need? What do people want?

• Time away

• Peace

• Space to breathe

• Being fed from the Word

• Deep, Rich friendships

• Laughter

• Deeper conversations

• Hugs

• Quiet

• Renewal

• Joy

• Healing

• Connection

• A place to serve

• Community

• Friendship

• Encouragement

• Authenticity

• Jesus

My question for the last year has been, “What is my voice?” What can I possibly bring to the table that will help to heal and replenish weary souls? There is a well-known meme (attributed to many people): “Be the person you needed when you were younger.” I do the ministry that I myself need, and that I have needed in the past. I pray that God would use my teaching, discipleship, writing, speaking, counseling, preaching, and consulting—but also that He might use the beauty, humor, travel, photography, adventures, and constant divine appointments with two-legged and four-legged friends (maybe even friends with fur, feathers, flippers, fins and fangs?)

God seems to be confirming that He can use any and all of these. One retreat response from last week:

“For me, being at the Refocus and Refuel Retreat was like stepping out of the jungle into an oasis! It was a place where I was nourished, refreshed, lovingly challenged, and encouraged by God as I quietly meditated on His Word, prayed and worshiped through nature walks with Him. God has uniquely gifted Linda Kline with the ability to greet pilgrims right where they are and provide an atmosphere that shepherds weary pilgrims towards increased faith in God, through well studied biblical teaching, powerful photography, and crazy laughter! “

Could God possibly use “crazy laughter” to heal, encourage, strengthen, and mold us? I certainly hope so.

O magnify the LORD with me,

And let us exalt His name together.

Ps 34:3

Much love,

Linda

Opportunities for Bible studies, retreats, soul care, encouragement, and community—some online, some in person. “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

• The Psalm One Tuesday Night Bible Study--for Men and Women. We just celebrated our 23rd Anniversary! We are currently learning from Jesus in Matthew and anyone is welcome to join us online at 7:30pm Eastern Time. To stay in the loop, sign up: https://www.psalmone.org/tuesday-night-bible-study 

The Bible study locals will be gathering occasionally in person for dinner, so let me know if you want to stay in that loop!

• Registration is open for the next Refocus and Refuel Retreat for Men and Women.  Join us as we pull away for a weekend to reboot, reprioritize, rest, reevaluate, receive, rejoice, release, remember, return, and recover. This semi-silent retreat in Cincinnati is open to anyone, but it’s an especially good place for men and women on the front lines of ministry to pull away and let the dust settle. To register: https://www.psalmone.org/refocus-and-refuel

• May 19-21, 2023

• September 22-24, 2023

• November 17-19, 2023

I may also be doing some Refocus and Refuel Retreats in other locations, so pay attention. One never knows where I might pop up.

• Thursday night “Sisterhood of the Fishbowl” just for Pastors’ Wives. This group has been a joyful lifeline for so many. An oasis in the week where we can gather with friends, share our roller coaster lives, laugh quite a bit, and receive a spiritual boost. Thursdays, 7:30pm Eastern Standard Time. To stay in the loop for these online gatherings, resources, and encouragement, sign up at the top of this page: https://www.psalmone.org/pastors-wives 

• If you would like to join the Psalm One Ministries Prayer Team, please reply with “Prayer Team”. I need a community of people who will pray for the ministry and for me--especially when I wander away from home to minister and explore. Did I mention that some of my adventures include friends with fangs?

As we look at 2023…

As we look at 2023…

“Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:1-6)

After the last several years, a lot of us are tired, discouraged, disconnected, or bewildered as to how to navigate the Church in the midst of all of the arguments, deconstruction, and reconstruction. So many great people who love Jesus are struggling to gather and worship God in Spirit and truth in the current atmosphere. Many believers feel homeless and rudderless. Many are in a spiritual desert, looking for ways to prime the pump with fresh water.

How do we gather as believers, study and apply the Word, filter information through a biblical worldview, become more like Christ, and love one another when there is so much division? Some see everything in black and white. Some see everything in gray. Some see white, gray, and black. How do we find unity on cardinal issues and diversity on non-cardinal issues? And who decides what is cardinal?

How do we let go of the toxicity without throwing out the baby with the bathwater? How do we pursue love and unity when we have such divergent views on so many topics?

I keep asking God: What is my voice to be in the midst of the 2023? The same as always: To put your hand in the hand of Jesus and let Him do his thing. What can I bring to the table?  I am a pastor/teacher, and my two primary gifts are Bible teaching and spiritual formation: opening the Word and fostering transformation in Jesus.

We all need communities of friends who may be diverse on many issues but of one heart on centrality of Christ. Men and women who participate in Psalm One gatherings attend different churches, have different politics, embrace different cultures, hold different viewpoints, but what we offer are growth opportunities for people who love God and want to know Him and walk according to his Word. Call me a wimp, but at Psalm One events I ask people to leave politics, denominations, and other divisive topics at the door. That’s not my gig.

In His Farewell Discourse (John 13-17), Jesus prays that we will have love and unity. "I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. (John 17:11) Sometimes we see much love and unity.

“Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:1-11)

Yowza. Lofty goals. Easier said than done. How do we pursue love and unity in such a splintered time? The only solution I know: Fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. He’s the only one who knows how to proceed.

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:1-3)

If you’re looking for a place to debate controversial issues, Psalm One is probably not for you. You may be a part of a church or community that finds its calling in taking a bold stand on controversial issues. I am glad there are people whose gifting is to speak up, take a stand, and wrestle with some very complicated issues.

If you long to draw near, seek Jesus, walk with Jesus, and lift up one another as we lift up Jesus, that’s what we offer. May Psalm One continue to be a community of brothers and sisters who want to learn, grow, and fix our eyes on Jesus.

Grace and peace,

Linda

Psalm One Gatherings and Events: Join us for community and encouragement. I look forward to sharing much of what God has given me during the life-giving sabbatical. Please be praying as doors of ministry open. God alone knows where I might show up!

• Tuesday Night Bible Study: Come and be fed from the Word with a great group of friends. This is for men and women from anywhere. We meet via Zoom at 7:30pm Eastern Time (Cincinnati/New York). For those of you Down Under, this is Wednesday morning. (Those who live locally may be meeting in face-to-face if we find the right location. But so many people would not be able to attend due to geography or other hurdles if we are restricted to Southwest Ohio.)

You are always welcome whether you never miss a week or drop in occasionally. Sign up to stay in the loop with links and resources: https://www.psalmone.org/tuesday-night-bible-study

• Refocus and Refuel Retreat: Registration is open for the first of four 2023 Psalm One Refocus and Refuel Retreats! For men and women. Could you use some extended time of peace and quiet at Jesus' feet with the encouragement of others who also seek a closer walk with God? Could your heart, mind, and soul use a good cleansing and jump-start? How we love these life-giving getaways! Space is limited, so don’t wait to register.

• March 10-12, 2023

• May 19-21, 2023

• September 22-24, 2023

• November 17-19, 2023

For more information and registration: https://www.psalmone.org/refocus-and-refuel

• Soul Care Retreats for Pastors’ Wives:

There’s no such thing as a “typical pastor’s wife”. You may be a pastor, accountant, stay-at-home mom, worship leader, butcher, baker, or candlestick maker. But you are invited to a fun and encouraging getaway with others who understand life on the front lines of ministry.

• Cincinnati, Ohio: February 3-5, 2023

• Green Lake, Wisconsin: February 24-26, 2023

For more information and to register: Scroll down on https://www.psalmone.org/pastors-wives 

• Sisterhood of the Fishbowl Weekly Oasis: Where pastors’ wives can gather with friends to share our roller coaster lives, laugh quite a bit, and receive a spiritual boost. What a wonderful, encouraging, supportive community this has become! Thursdays, 7:30pm Eastern Standard Time. To stay in the loop for these online gatherings, resources, and encouragement, sign up for Thursday nights with the Sisterhood of the Fishbowl at the top of this page: https://www.psalmone.org/pastors-wives  

He Appeared and the Soul Felt its Worth

    O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,

    It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth.

    Long lay the world in sin and error pining,

    ’Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth.

    A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,

    For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

    Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!

    O night divine, O night when Christ was born;

    O night divine, O night, O night Divine.

One of my favorite titles of God is El Roi, the God Who Sees. In Exodus 3:7-8, God declares He

1. has seen the affliction

2. has given heed to their cry 

3. is aware of their sufferings.

“So I have come down to deliver them.”

    Long lay the world in sin and error pining,

    ’Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth.

He sees us, He hears us, He is aware, and He has come down to deliver us. Jesus’ birth demonstrates definitively for the world that the soul has found its worth, that with his birth the soul is seen, acknowledged, valued, and feels its worth. 

2022 was the first time in decades of ministry I wanted to quit. Stop reaching out. Give up teaching the Word, speaking, spiritual direction, facilitating, counseling, consulting. Shut down Psalm One. It shocked me but I wanted to give up multiple times, sometimes multiple times a day. Has anyone felt that depleted, dejected, or defeated in the last few years?

But God saw my affliction, He heard my cry, He was aware of my suffering. He kept inviting me away on sabbatical, extended time alone with Jesus to rest, recover, decompress, receive, and re-enter with renewed healing, vision, and freedom. He miraculously orchestrated a prayer pilgrimage that would take me back to the places I dearly loved, give me time with friends who are very much family, love me though an intimately personalized journey. He gave me so many opportunities to minister from a healthy place. He released me from burdens that He had not put on my back. He sprinkled the journey with divine appointments with diverse people from around the world. He restored my joy and laughter. He brought endless close encounters with life-giving creation and amazing creatures, because He knows my love language.    

If it had not been for this sabbatical, I would have been collateral damage. I would have been down for the count. But I am here, still in love with Jesus, still committed to serving the Lord and loving people. Jesus thought my soul was worth saving. He thought my ministry of soul care was worth saving. The soul felt its worth.

Ministry has increasingly complex challenges nowadays. How do we even begin to meet the needs? How do we release the toxicity yet not throw the baby out with the bathwater? How do we cooperate with the Holy Spirit as He heals and leads the Church? How do we come alongside our friends and family who are struggling with faith issues of various kinds? How do we hold together truth and love? How do we maneuver through the minefields of people who see things differently—and may be more eager to attack than dialogue? How do we hold onto peace in the splintered community? How do we tend our own exhausted, conflicted and isolated souls? How do we love well?

    A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,

    For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

The word “weary” sums it up for a lot of us in the last few years. But the Word is still all about life breaking forth where death has been. I certainly do not have all the answers, but in 2023, I hope to share some of the gifts of the sabbatical with others as we seek to rejoice in a new and glorious morn, to love as Jesus loves, and to rest in our dear Savior. Could you use a shot of hope and new life? May the soul feel its worth and may we draw near.

    O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,

    It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth.

“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

    Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!

    O night divine, O night when Christ was born;

    O night divine, O night, O night Divine.

Grace and peace,

Linda