Dear Friends,
I am writing this during the last week of my spiritual renewal. Pastors are to take one week of spiritual renewal (which is not vacation) each year. I confess that I have never taken an entire week. The Book of Discipline also allows for four weeks of spiritual renewal every four years. Bishops are required to take three months every four years and district superintendents are required to take six weeks. In January the Staff-Parish Relations Committee approved my taking four weeks of spiritual renewal in July.
Spiritual renewal, what does that mean? I have been asking myself that question these last three weeks. I know it’s something God has to do in me, something I cannot do for myself. But I have discovered that it helps if I put myself in the right situation to receive God’s grace. For example, every week we have worshipped with a growing church that is spiritually alive-and they have all been United Methodist churches! During the week I have been reading books about spirituality and leading the church in transformation. I have been praying for our church and for specific needs while absent from you. I have even been reading the Bible. We drove to Tallahassee for a funeral of a friend, who had attended Rebekah Joy and Victor’s recent wedding and who had lived his life as a good Christian example. All these things have helped me focus my attention on God.
Spiritual Renewal is about focus, putting our focus on God. Our church will be entering a new program called “Re-Focus.” The purpose of this program is to help churches refocus on God and what God is calling us to do in our particular community. That’s what I have been doing personally and I hope that this process will help me be a better person and a more effective pastor.
In God’s amazing grace,
Sam
Read the entire newsletter online: The Holy Post - Aug 07 [PDF]
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