I have spent the last week or so reflecting back over the last year. I am in the process of writing it up now to share with my wife, friend, and spiritual director. I won't bore you with all the details but I would like to share with you the highlights and then direct you back to a few blog posting from the past year that I think are worth a second look.
The process I follow for my reflections is call a grand examen. This is an old spiritual practice where you look back, look through, look forward, and look around.
Looking back there were a number of key events - a doctoral class' discussion on 2 John 12, thoughts about an encore career, scripture about being a new creation, love, practical faith, and my rather lengthy relationship with my old friend depression.
Now looking through these things the themes that came up were personal transformation, soul care, and the idea of coming along side others. The verse 2 John 12 really impacted me and caused a significant change in me - I can't really explain it any better than that. My dance with depression really brought into focus the need for soul care, relying on others (my counselor has been a real blessing), having spiritual practices you can do even when you don't feel like (lectio divina) and turning to my scriptural comfort food (James, 1 John, Haggai). A lot of things came together that made me realize that my ministry is focused on coming along side others and helping them move.... Where they move is base on the context of ministry - at work it helping with teaching and technology, at church its about helping people discover their gifts and listen to their stories, at Lino its coming along side guys helping them look at their beliefs and values and making sure they are ground in the Bible.
Looking forward is the tough part of this. One think I did was get involved with the HopeLink ministry at my church. I also jumped in with both feet as a GPS consultant (gifts and passion for serving). I have continued to work with the offenders at Lino's IFI program. I have also put out a number of feelers for adjunct teaching opportunities.
Looking around I have a spiritual director how helps me discern God's voice, I have a wife who tolerates my eclectic life, I have a great friend who listens as I ramble and I take the time to listen to God's still small voice to discern what is next.
I invite you to take a little time to do a grand examen and see where it is that God is leading you. If you need a hand let me know - my spiritual director shingle has been hung.
Now for some blog posts that you might want to reread:
Lost but also read Found, Knowing God Is In It, A Journey of Transformation, Position Desired: Soul Care Pastor, Becoming Who God Wants Me To Be (4 parts), and the transcript of a sermon The Praxis of Love (4 parts).
See you in 2012.
30 December 2011
20 December 2011
Random Thought on Transformation
I have been in a desert place the last month or so. I have been unable to put together cohessive thoughts on things I have been reading and pondering. For me, in reality for all of us, I don't think this is uncommon. There are times when I feel close to God, thoughts come and I can articulate them well, and life goes on. These are productive times in one sense, but to be honest there is less transformation of me personally.
For me, transformation comes when I am stretched and tested. It is in these refining fires that I am open to deep transformation. Transformation that seems to create some of my life altering changes. I hope that this makes sense to you. It's not that either of these positions are better than the other - we need both times of rest and times of refining. A couple of my former seminary profs called this cycle a transformations crucible. In the center we can find rest, but around the edges we get our impurities burned away.
Our current message series at my church is called Inked (click here if you want to view) has been great because they have been focusing on the promises that God has given us in His Word. You see it are these promises that I turn to, that we all should turn to when we are in the desert places. As one of the Jasons said this last weekend (and I paraphrase), when you feel alone add 1 because God is there.
Don't run from times of trial, struggle, hurt or aloneness - rather lean into the promises of God, seek out others for support, open yourself up to the Holy Spirit's transformational work and see where God brings you.
For me, transformation comes when I am stretched and tested. It is in these refining fires that I am open to deep transformation. Transformation that seems to create some of my life altering changes. I hope that this makes sense to you. It's not that either of these positions are better than the other - we need both times of rest and times of refining. A couple of my former seminary profs called this cycle a transformations crucible. In the center we can find rest, but around the edges we get our impurities burned away.
Our current message series at my church is called Inked (click here if you want to view) has been great because they have been focusing on the promises that God has given us in His Word. You see it are these promises that I turn to, that we all should turn to when we are in the desert places. As one of the Jasons said this last weekend (and I paraphrase), when you feel alone add 1 because God is there.
Don't run from times of trial, struggle, hurt or aloneness - rather lean into the promises of God, seek out others for support, open yourself up to the Holy Spirit's transformational work and see where God brings you.
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