In our worship together, we have touched several times on the two-sided nature of growing in faith. We have talked about the mysterious working of God in our lives. Sometimes, certain qualities or characteristics begin to surface and grow in our lives in ways we can’t quite explain. We have also talked about the idea that along with the mysterious work of God, we must bring intention, a willingness, to the work. As best we can, we allow God to shape our lives and we share that life with the world in which we live. If I think of God as a sculptor, I don’t want God finding me to be a stubborn lump of clay resisting God’s vision for what God intends me to be. How can I intentionally keep the clay of my heart, my mind, even my life, in a good condition for the Divine Artist to use?
I would like to offer an opportunity for us to consider and practice some of the ways we can be intentional in keeping our lives, our hearts, and our minds available and open to God. These practices are not at all mysterious. They are not just for “special” Disciples or experts. They are practices any and all of us can and should make use of to better be intentional participants in God’s mysterious work in our lives.
I will be offering sessions at Christ UMC for us to learn about and try various spiritual practices. These sessions will not primarily be book studies. The majority of our time will be spent learning and trying different spiritual disciplines, supporting one another, and learning from one another as we share our experiences with one another. Among other practices, we will try different ways of engaging with scripture, approaches to prayer, variations on fasting, and methods of self-examination.
The first session will be held on Wednesday, October 8th at 7 pm in the Wayne Smith Conference Room. We will meet monthly on every 2nd and 4th Wednesday. I look forward to traveling this journey with you.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Joe