Park Bench and Pardons Psalm 46:10

Park Bench and Pardons Psalm 46:10

What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol? Sometimes it starts with something as simple as sitting down on a park bench. This short, reflective episode of The Recovery Pastor Podcast paints a vivid picture of modern life as a constant loop around the track—earbuds in, to-do lists ruling the day, and hearts weighed down by guilt, shame, grief, stress, and anxiety.

Shannon, the Celebrate Recovery pastor at Trussville First United Methodist Church, talks about how many people might be chatting to Jesus as they walk or run, yet rush straight past the moment of real connection. He imagines Jesus sitting on a park bench, quietly saying, "Hey, I hear you. I'm listening. I'm right here.

Could you just stop and talk to me for a minute?" That image anchors the whole message: step off the track, step out of the chaos, and sit for a while with the One who already knows what's going on in your heart. Grounded in Psalm 46:10, "be still and know", Shannon explains that this knowing is an intimate knowing—one that opens the way to confession, forgiveness, and freedom.

As he puts it, when you sit face to face with the eternal judge, "he can pardon us from those sins when we go to him and let him cleanse us." Aimed at people in recovery and anyone who feels caught in the rat race, the episode blends faith, encouragement, and everyday imagery. It’s especially relatable if your recovery journey includes spiritual questions, or if you’re trying to slow down enough to actually hear God’s voice.

Next time you’re circling a park track—physically or metaphorically—will you keep running, or will you sit down on that bench and be still for a moment?