Have you heard of the book, The Sacred Slow, with Alicia Britt Chole?
I didn’t until last night. TBN interviewed her (and, as far as I could tell, only her) on the show Praise. I’m still not sure how I landed there to watch Dr. Chole’s interview. Let me tell you how it all went down.
It was late at night, and somehow, I switched to TBN instead of watching one of my favorite old-time seventies sitcoms, Barney Miller.
I am sort of an “old school” TV show aficionado (i.e., a dork) because I habitually record all sorts of classic television shows so I can watch them over and over again. Here’s the kicker: Each time I watch, I crack up as though it was the first time I’d seen it. My kids usually shake their heads in a baffling confusion that closely resembles pity.
My husband calls our house a time-warp, because at any given time, you can come over and see shows like Good Times, All in the Family, Mary Tyler Moore, or the Jeffersons playing on the television. Barney Miller or Bob Newhart are usually my “go to” late night relaxation shows.
Not tonight. The Lord interrupted my routine.
For some reason (as if we didn’t really know Who was behind it), I turned to TBN and discovered this incredibly beautiful, smiling, anointed woman talking about the Lord in such a personal and profound way the tiny hairs on the back of my neck stood straight up.
In case you aren’t familiar with the word “anointed”, it denotes God’s presence or appointment on a person or thing. I’m not a theologian, but that’s how I understand it.
Well, as I listened, I discovered her name is Dr. Alicia Britt Chole. With each Word she spoke, God’s presence seemed to grow stronger and stronger on her. Almost effortlessly, this woman delivered one profound concept after another in such easy-to-digest analogies that one couldn’t help but learn and be transformed.
Remember this book and its name: The Sacred Slow with Alicia Britt Chole. I have a feeling it will turn earth on its heel with its God-inspired perspective on slowing down and acknowledging Jesus in our daily lives.
Who wouldn’t be changed doing either one?
She and her husband call themselves People Growers.
Her passion for the Lord and intentional living captivated me. I hope this will not offend her, but she reminded me a little of Katherine Kuhlman. Not by appearance but by her anointing. It was something incredibly “other-wordly” about her. It was/is the Lord.
Once I committed to watching (and put down the remote), I knew I wouldn’t be precisely the same after this broadcast.
I listened intently as she began talking about how Jesus is more about developing us than about rushing us through our lives. I think the goal of that development process is to conform us into Christ’s image, don’t you?
She mentioned how fast the world moves nowadays and how accustomed we have become to getting what we want when we want it. We want things fast! Jesus is not about fast; He is about feeding. Feeding our spirits.
I took so much from her interview. It was like a gift from Matt and Laurie Crouch. I couldn’t wait to share it with you! Let me tell you more.
Living attentively to Jesus
As she talked about the presence of God, I literally sat up in my bed with absolutely no interest in Barney Miller or Bob Newhart.
He is with us every single moment.
He’s part of our daily lives and never leaves us.
He is always there.
She gave a series of practical examples similar to Him being with us at gas stations, the McDonald’s, the CVS, and anywhere we are. Those were my examples, not her’s. :)
I’ve known about “practicing the presence of God” for years. My pastor (before I married my husband) stressed the necessity of living life fully, understanding that Jesus is with us in everything we do. He doesn’t leave. That’s why we should be conscientious and discriminating about where we go. We can grieve Him through the Holy Spirit.
Stop trying to “pump” people up in worship
Dr. Chole gave a stellar example when she said, “Jesus isn’t hiding behind a curtain waiting for our worship to hit a certain decibel before He comes out”.
I so agree! That’s what rock stars (in the natural sense) do. Not Jesus! He’s already there to love on us!
When worship leaders “force” praise, it irritates me. Sometimes, I believe they can make some people feel badly if their worship style is not as demonstrative as others. Some of that is personality, some is lack of revelation—either way, it’s not our job to convict people. Besides, God is already present, Dr. Chole said. We don’t need to pump Him up to show up.
“He’s already here because I brought Him with me“, she chimed.
Please remember that the next time people try to get you to be demonstrative in order to “usher in the presence of God”.
Her next point totally floored me in its simplicity: “Jesus is with us because He promised to be.” And there it is. We don’t have to do anything. He will never leave. Acknowledge Him. Cultivate intimacy with Him and remain in His love—not just on Sundays but all the time.
Dr. Chole’s Story – Living in the “We”
She said she began living a “duet” in life years ago. She calls her and Jesus “plural” living because we live in perfect step with Him. So many of us live “singular” lives and don’t “harmonize” with His melody except on Sundays and during our own personal time with the Lord. I think not doing so ensures we will live “off-key”. We must be in “lock step” with the Master.
She also refers to it as plural living. It can take on these form(s) in our lives:
Jesus and I are in the meeting together.
Jesus and I are thinking of a response to share with a child.
Jesus and I are combing my hair together.
She gives the best explanations!
The best byproduct of living in “with-ship” (with Him) is it changes our attitude. With so much negativity in the world, practicing God’s presence will change how we view the world and ourselves too.
I love her revelation about living this way. Think about it. Full awareness that Jesus is with us will impact how we speak to and interact with ourselves. I giggled when she said living this way means “we can NEVER wake up in the morning and say “Jesus we are so uggggly.”
So true! So beautifully true. Our “one-ness” with Him can change everything!
The Sacred Slow
Last night, I tweeted the following comment she shared:
“So many things in life grow slowly”.
There are some things we can only learn in time.”
OUCH! This statement convicted me by the Holy Spirit.
Time is precious, and we should not flippantly rush through it. I must admit, I do that all the time. *sigh*
Check out what else she said:
“Now is precious because God is here…now.” That isn’t her exact quote, but close.
Do you rush through life as I often do? My entire childhood seemed peppered with my father saying, “Slow down, Teri, slow down”. Part of it is my personality.
Rushing to finish things is my normal behavior. Nevertheless, that’s not always God’s plan, and I know it.
Remember when the woman was about to be stoned for the crime of adultery? Every time I read that story, I admit I wonder why Jesus took so long in the dirt.
He was just over there drawing in the dirt while all that craziness was going on. I can imagine there was all yelling, crying and finger-pointing.
Some theologians say He was listing (in dirt) the names of the accuser’s mistresses. Who knows. Bottom line is Jesus was patient. He ceased every moment and was aware of every second.
Remember how He often said things like “My time is short”? He was sensitive to time.
No room for low self-image
Anyhoo, I actually rose from my bed and stood to my feet when Dr. Chole said the following statement or something similar:
“We have to agree with God about who He says we are.”
I hope I got the quote right. I was so excited!
She was referring to the incongruence many Christians (especially women) struggle with as we declare love for God, but at the same time we “nurture self-hatred” for ourselves.
I think this explains that a weak self-identity is abnormal for a Christian who really loves God. It’s a joke.
Lord, help us come to the peace of loving you while embracing ourselves as who You ordained us to be.
Wilderness Seasons – we all have ’em
Just when I was going to end this blog post, Dr. Alicia Britt Chole began talking about the wilderness seasons of life. I’ve talked and blogged about those spiritually dry times, too.
You know what I mean. It’s when you feel God is far, far away, and your prayers are floating into the air and fading like a puff of smoke—gone forever, never reaching heaven.
I love, love, love that she said everyone, even the greatest of God’s people, has felt the same way at one time or another. To a person going through a “dry” season, she said she would tell you: “You’re in good company. World-changers have gone through the same.”
Dr. Chole said, “Those desert seasons purify our love”. Wow, right?
Are you in love with her ministry yet?
I absolutely can’t wait for this new television series! This woman couples the anointing of the Holy Spirit with an earned doctorate to make learning meaningful and life-changing.
I haven’t read The Sacred Slow: A Holy Departure From Fast Faith yet. But, it’s on its way! I’ve already ordered it!
Please visit her website and get this book soon! Her site is www.aliciachole.com. Follow her on Twitter. Instagram
Want to know the best news ever?
Again, I cannot wait for this show to air! I’ll invite friends over to watch it. Maybe pizza will be involved.
