Spirituality and Interim Ministry Resources

Interim Spirituality

Small Groups

Small groups are opportunities to incorporate spirituality into the life of interim congregations. I recently led a small group in a study of spiritual disciplines. We used Richard Foster’s book Celebration of Discipline. The study corresponded in part with the sermon series on spiritual disciplines.

Leadership Groups

In congregations I serve, I use spirituality in my ministry with staff and leaders (elders, deacons). Board meetings (elders) have agendas modified along the Worshipful Work model. Elements of spirituality there include agendas that look more like worship bulletins than business agendas, prayer opportunities other than book-end prayers, affirmation of faith or period of silence, time for the sharing of stories of life and faith, and a time of leader-led scripture reading, prayer and singing. Staff meetings include contemplative readings from the literature of spirituality and interim ministry. I talk with the staff about how true it is that we cannot ‘fake it. If we are ‘faking it,’ people will know and recognize it in an instant. The disconnect between ideal and reality will turn people off. It is vital that we not only appear to be people of faith, but that we are in fact walking the walk ourselves. When people see their congregational staff going through both successes and struggles, and when they see all that expressed and lived out within the safe, trusting environment of the community of faith, they will have reason to be heartened in their own attempts to live with integrity and honesty.

Sermons

Preaching is and always has been an opportunity to assist people in growing deeper in their experience with God. When the Word of God intersects with the decisions, dreams and desires of people, exciting things happen. Sermons during the in-between time are opportunities to assist people to grow deeper in the things of God and to have raised awareness of the Sacred Presence of Christ in their lives.

I preach a sermon series on the classic spiritual disciplines. Richard J. Foster (Celebration of Discipline) describes twelve disciplines in three groupings. My view is they preach pretty well, following this outline:

Inward Disciplines

Meditation

Prayer

Fasting

Study

Outward Disciplines

Simplicity

Solitude

Submission

Service

Corporate Disciplines

Confession

Worship

Guidance

Celebration

It’s a long series, but a good one.

Retreats

Retreats can be helpful to aid in one’s openness to, and awareness of, the life of the Spirit. Here is how or why:

· A retreat helps you to de-compress from an over-stressed lifestyle

· A retreat helps you to stop multi-tasking for a time and to be able to focus on the one needful thing

· A retreat (if not an individual, solo retreat) puts you in touch with other like-minded pilgrims who also are on a spiritual journey

· A retreat helps you to “be still and know that God is God.”

· A retreat is a way to do as Jesus taught and modeled, to get away and withdraw for a time and find rest for body and soul

· A retreat is a way to discern God’s will

· A retreat is a time to pray

· A retreat that includes some silence is a time to learn again that one’s words are not the most important thing

A retreat (especially if in a new or different location) opens you to new and different sacred influences

Most communities have a retreat center in the general vicinity. Many retreat centers are provided or hosted through a particular tradition or denomination, but have an ecumenical, multi-faith, or non-denominational atmosphere. Some provide programming and spiritual direction, if requested. Fees vary.

Pastor’s Study

In the Pastor’s Study, I do the following to integrate my interim ministry with spirituality.

Have a Christ candle lit while working, reminding me and others of the Sacred Presence of Christ always with us by faith

Maintain a relatively cleared desk and study. Provide uncluttered appearance.

Provide comfortable seating for visitors, counselees, and directees. I want there to be a message of hospitality and that I am always ready to meet others.

When engaged in pastoral counseling, I let the essentials of spiritual direction guide my role. These days, I offer fewer answers or ‘fixes.’ Instead, I tend to ask questions and just generally do a lot of listening. As in formal spiritual direction, I recognize that I am dependent on the Holy Spirit, who is the real Director of souls.

Prayers

To Reformer John Calvin, prayer was the chief expression of faith.

The Apostle Paul wrote to Christians in Thessalonica to pray without ceasing (5:17).

I include spirituality in interim ministry through the practice of prayer, spoken prayers by the Interim Pastor in worship, prayers during meetings, printed prayers in worship, printed or spoken prayers in meetings, prayers in newsletters, and prayers in weekly e-votional sent out to a congregation’s e-mail listing. An emphasis in spirituality in prayer means encouraging the life of prayer in the following ways:

· Including prayers that connect modern people with the faith of the ages

· Including prayers from denominational resources which include such sources as the Prayer of Francis of Assisi (Lord, make me an instrument of your peace …), the Prayers of Augustine, Patrick of Ireland, Teresa of Lisieux, and others.

· Teaching and modeling how to pray the scriptures

· Teaching and modeling that prayer is more than words and more than something we ‘do’

Teaching and modeling the call to ‘be’ a prayer – how to live out a prayer in your actions, decisions, and relationships

Prayer can be with or without words. When words are used, the words may be vocalized or may be in silence. Entering the silence of prayer is itself a discipline. We need not feel anxious about silence and prayer. We need not become obsessed with finding the right words, the right sentences, the right tone, and the right length of prayer.

The main thing is ‘showing up’ to pray. Showing up means setting aside other things to become still, quiet, and aware of the Sacred Presence in your life. God is waiting for fellowship with you, and for your full attention to be in God’s direction. Christ is within you. Get in touch with That Presence.

Prayer forms include (not an exhaustive list):

ACTS - Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication (Requests)

Simple, unscripted prayers and yearnings of the heart

Praying the prayers of Jesus - such as The Lord’s Prayer and John 17

Praying the prayers of the Bible (Psalm 51, Psalm 103, Psalm 136)

Praying the scriptures - Lectio Divina

The Jesus Prayer (Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner)

Praying collected and historic prayers of the Church

I like visualization in prayer, probably because it utilizes both sides of the brain rather than one side, as in word-oriented prayer. I like to shoot landscape pictures with my camera. Scripture texts may be selected that speak to those images, and these scripture selections and images may be useful in prayer visualization to grow closer to the Creator.

For the use of centering prayer or labyrinth prayer (walking meditative device) by someone in the Reformed tradition, I believe the individual should probably link the prayer experience with Christian scriptures. The focusing on a word, phrase or text from holy scripture maintains a helpful connection to the center of our tradition, God’s Word.

I recommend the so-called Sinner’s Prayer to anyone who has never prayed it. I recommend it because, as seen through the lens of spirituality, the Sinner’s Prayer is a prayer of foundational submission to the living God known to us through the God/Man Jesus Christ. It is a way of responding to the Jesus of the gospels who said to prospective disciples, “Come, follow me.” One, in turn, fell to his knees and said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man.” From the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, I commend the Sinner’s Prayer to you: “Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness. I believe that You died for my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I now invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name. Amen.”

Paul’s Prayer

I was on a bus in March 2005 when I wrote the following prayer which I call Paul’s Prayer. This is largely an acrostic prayer form. For much of the prayer, the first letter of each line will spell SACRED PRESENCE in a vertical orientation.

Prayer:

O Lord Jesus Christ,

Your Sacred Presence is . . .

S ustaining my soul

A biding deep within

C alming every storm

R est for my weariness

E nlightening the darkness

D evouring my sadness

P reserving all the faithful

R estoring the wayward

E asing suffering

S triking down injustice

E nding Evil's rule

N ewness in Christ daily

C harisms of the Spirit

E verlasting Word and Wisdom

O Sacred Presence of the living God, reign in me, and in all the worlds that you have made.

Help me to love you, and to love others with sacrificial love, just as Jesus taught.

Come, Lord Jesus.

May my sin be forgiven, through the cross of Christ.

By your grace, unite me with Christ and with all believers. Save me in this hour and at the hour of my death.

Through Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

Communication

Spirituality and interim ministry belong in the communication system of the congregation. I include elements of spirituality in my communication with the congregation.

Worship bulletin

Worship projection screen content

Congregation’s newsletter Pastor’s Column

Weekly e-votional with news, calendar items, blessings, prayers, & scriptures

My portion of preparation of official board agendas, meetings, dockets