With Lent approaching, the time is ideal for providing instruction on the classic spiritual disciplines and to show possible ways and examples from life.
In addition, congregations should offer opportunities to act, such as mission work and prayer vigils.
Doing and learning need to go hand in hand. Otherwise, the doing loses its foundation, or the learning becomes sterile and precious.
The point isn’t to promote a single way, but several ways that work together to promote spiritual wellbeing. For example:
“¢ Confession opens one’s eyes and heart to distance from God
“¢ Prayer seeks to bridge that distance
“¢ Mission follows as a way to express gratitude for feeling closer to God
“¢ Stewardship follows as a way to act out Christian values in one’s personal life
“¢ Fasting follows as a way to rethink one’s life in basic ways
Clergy should offer spiritual direction focused on:
“¢ Getting beyond obstacles
“¢ Developing a personal plan for spiritual discipline
“¢ Establishing a healthy relationship between pastor and congregant (better than the usual power-based relationship)
It is especially important that clergy offer spiritual direction to all key leaders. It will establish a proper relationship between clergy and leadership, and it will build trust.
Spiritual direction will shift the focus of leadership from organizational management to mission and servanthood.
The congregation should steadily expand a core leadership cadre that understands spiritual vitality as essential.
To learn more about Spiritual Development, go to https://www.churchwellness .com.
Tom Ehrich is a writer, consultant, and leader of workshops. An Episcopal priest, he lives in Durham, N.C. The church wellness project may be found at https://www.churchwellness .com.
