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A Path for Lenten Reflection

Spiritual leaders possess more than skills. They are people others turn to discover what it means to be a disciple. Their faith, intentions and vision runs deep. They revel in reflection and growth.

This Lent, we offer this sacred path for you to trace, travel and ponder upon . . .

What things has God given you to celebrate today? How will you honor those things? In your imagination, plan a fantastic celebration that glorifies how you see God at work in the world. Who would you invite? What food would you serve, where would the celebration take place, and how would the location be decorated? What would the festivities include? Go ahead. Rejoice.

Make a list of all the things you?ve always wanted to do, but never got around to doing. Be audacious as you think about things that could feed your spirit and enrich your life. How does your faith figure into this list? Is there a spiritual adventure you?re putting off for one reason or another? Take a leap of faith - begin to live your list

What do people see when they look at you? How do you reflect God as you move through the motions of your day? What three words would loved ones use to describe you? How is this description the same or different from observations you believe God might make about your life? After considering these definitions, is there anything you?d like to alter or commend yourself for? What does it mean that you are created in the image of God?

Who was your favorite teacher? What things did you learn from that person that are of value today? What one faith lesson do you still want to learn? What one piece of your wisdom would you like to pass on to the people around you? In your mind, compose a letter to loved ones that shares the important things about life and faith that you would like them to know. Write it.

When you were a child, what was your favorite game? What game do you like to play now? When was the last time you let your soul do cartwheels and skip? What can make you laugh with abandon? Design an afternoon or evening filled with your absolute favorite things. Where does your faith and church life fit into your idea of fun? What one thing could you do to make church a more genuinely joy-full experience?

Cast aside all limits. If time and money were no object, how would you spend your time today? If fear was not a factor, what would you accomplish? What is your greatest challenge? What is truly keeping you from the ideal life God wants for you? Look at these questions again from the perspective of your church. What stumbling blocks are holding it back? What can you do to remove them?

When was the last time your leadership made a difference? What kind of leader are you? Do you consider yourself a servant leader? Why or why not? Where do you want your church to be headed? How will you help it to get there?

What do you want to create?

How to make God alive in the world
By Rabbi Martin Siegel

In seeking to understand how we can make God?s presence more real in our world, we should remind ourselves that the Bible teaches that there once was a place where God?s presence dwelled: the mishkon - or tabernacle in the desert - and their successors, the temples of Jerusalem.

We are told that the first temple was destroyed because of idolatry and the second temple because of baseless hatred, and God?s presence removed from the world.

This should be understood in the context of God?s command, 'Make me a mishkon - a sanctuary - and I will dwell among you.'

This teaches that we must build a place for God before God can dwell among us. The teachings about the temples suggest that our moral behavior plays a key role if God is going to dwell among us.

Surely, if our conduct drove God from the world it can bring God back. And if we wish to make God?s presence be among us, we need to look at our behavior. Let us look at the two activities that drove God?s presence from the world and how they can be reversed.

Jesus said, 'Love one another, even your enemies.' This is a way to achieve the opposite of baseless hatred. If we feel we cannot reach the ideal of loving our enemies, at least we can avoid hatred without cause.

This reasoning suggests that sometimes, under some circumstances, we should be against some things and oppose some people. However, we should be very careful that that opposition or difference does not lead to hatred; for it is in our hatred that we destroy the presence of God.

As long as opposition does not turn into baseless hatred, there is always a possibility that God?s presence can return to the world.

The other way of bringing God?s presence back into the world is avoiding idolatry. Idolatry is more than worshiping things that the Bible tells us have ears but cannot hear; have eyes but cannot see, have mouths but cannot speak.

Idolatry in our time is making ultimate anything that humans can create or destroy. To avoid idolatry and so allow God?s presence into the world, we need to ensure that our ultimate commitment is never to worship anything of our own creation.

By avoiding the worship of our own creations, we leave space for God, the Creator of all things, to return to the world.

Not worshiping ourselves or our indulgences and not hating others - rejecting these negative attitudes - can lead to the ultimate positive activity: the return of our Creator to our world.

Is anything more important?

Traveling a Disciple's Path

The Discipleship Adventure provides continual opportunities for rejuvenation and regeneration.

Like a dance with Spirit, one moves in shifting rhythms through this cycle of opportunity and spiritual growth.

Spiritual leaders travel a sacred path of discipleship that draws them into the presence of God and enables them to reflect that presence in a way that transforms the world.

Every person, and every church, travels differently along this path. But there are common steps and stops along the way.