As we look in the mirror, we might discover that we as individuals and congregations need to go in a different direction. “Repent” is a familiar word to most all church folks. We routinely define repent as to go a different direction. Brian McLean gives the word a slightly different definition. He defines it as “to radically rethink.” I like that definition, because we must radically rethink the direction we are going before we can go a different direction.

It may or may not mean as individuals and congregations we were going in the wrong direction along. It may mean that for individuals our life situation has changed, and we need to radically rethink the future direction for our life. For congregations it doesn’t mean that what we have done before was all wrong, but that as our culture changes, we must radically rethink how we offer ministry to the community and discover we need to go a different direction.

Jesus made the difficult decision to leave Galilee and go to Jerusalem where he would face certain death. He chose to do what was difficult. We most usually attempt to divide our lives in to sacred and secular. Activities that have to do with church like prayer, scripture reading, worship are sacred, but everything else in our lives is secular –family, job, hobbies, community activities. In reality there is no such dualism all of life is sacred. When we look in the mirror, we need to look at every part of our lives. If we give ourselves to a time of intense self-examination, we might discover all kinds of things about our life. We might discover we need to face our addiction or help a friend or family member face their addictions. We might discover we can’t ignore the unethical practice at the office any longer. We might discover we’re trapped in a dead in job and need more education or learn new skills. We might discover we need to be parents and not our children’s best friend. The list of what we might discover is infinite and is as individual as we are. The question becomes do we have the courage to do the difficult task of addressing the issues. A time of looking in the mirror is important for us as individuals but also for congregations. Do we have the courage to do the difficult as a congregation? Can we do the difficult thing of looking at new ways of doing ministry that speaks to culture that is drastically different than just a few years ago.

Jesus made the difficult decision to leave Galilee and go to Jerusalem where he would face certain death. He chose to do what was difficult. We most usually attempt to divide our lives in to sacred and secular. Activities that have to do with church like prayer, scripture reading, worship are sacred, but everything else in our lives is secular –family, job, hobbies, community activities. In reality there is no such dualism all of life is sacred. When we look in the mirror, we need to look at every part of our lives. If we give ourselves to a time of intense self-examination, we might discover all kinds of things about our life. We might discover we need to face our addiction or help a friend or family member face their addictions. We might discover we can’t ignore the unethical practice at the office any longer. We might discover we’re trapped in a dead in job and need more education or learn new skills. We might discover we need to be parents and not our children’s best friend. The list of what we might discover is infinite and is as individual as we are. The question becomes do we have the courage to do the difficult task of addressing the issues. A time of looking in the mirror is important for us as individuals but also for congregations. Do we have the courage to do the difficult as a congregation? Can we do the difficult thing of looking at new ways of doing ministry that speaks to culture that is drastically different than just a few years ago.

Theme: Can you recognize God’s presence or experience God’s Spirit connecting with your spirit? That is call discernment. If you look up the word “discern” or “discernment” in a thesaurus you get words like “distinguish” or “determine” or “detect” or “recognize.”When I talk about discernment, I’m talking about the ability to recognize God’s voice to be able to distinguish God’s voice from among all the noise in our lives. Can we not only detect God’s voice, but also determine what God is saying to us? We can’t force discernment, there is not formula or magic words, but we can find ways of opening ourselves up to it. The capacity to discern arises out of our relationship with God. Our relationship with God is cultivated through spiritual practices. The practice of discernment begins with a prayer of indifference, not indifference as in apathy or not caring. It means I’m indifferent to anything but God’s will which is openness to God where I am free from undue attachment to any particular outcome.

Theme: Can you recognize God’s presence or experience God’s Spirit connecting with your spirit? That is call discernment. If you look up the word “discern” or “discernment” in a thesaurus you get words like “distinguish” or “determine” or “detect” or “recognize.”When I talk about discernment, I’m talking about the ability to recognize God’s voice to be able to distinguish God’s voice from among all the noise in our lives. Can we not only detect God’s voice, but also determine what God is saying to us? We can’t force discernment, there is not formula or magic words, but we can find ways of opening ourselves up to it. The capacity to discern arises out of our relationship with God. Our relationship with God is cultivated through spiritual practices. The practice of discernment begins with a prayer of indifference, not indifference as in apathy or not caring. It means I’m indifferent to anything but God’s will which is openness to God where I am free from undue attachment to any particular outcome.

Theme: Can you recognize God’s presence or experience God’s Spirit connecting with your spirit? That is call discernment. If you look up the word “discern” or “discernment” in a thesaurus you get words like “distinguish” or “determine” or “detect” or “recognize.”When I talk about discernment, I’m talking about the ability to recognize God’s voice to be able to distinguish God’s voice from among all the noise in our lives. Can we not only detect God’s voice, but also determine what God is saying to us? We can’t force discernment, there is not formula or magic words, but we can find ways of opening ourselves up to it. The capacity to discern arises out of our relationship with God. Our relationship with God is cultivated through spiritual practices. The practice of discernment begins with a prayer of indifference, not indifference as in apathy or not caring. It means I’m indifferent to anything but God’s will which is openness to God where I am free from undue attachment to any particular outcome.

Theme: If the deepest desire of our heart is to know God and be in relationship with God, then the Bible is best place for that relationship to begin. The Bible is the story of God desire to be with people. The Bible was not meant to be a history book, it was not meant to be a science book, nor was it meant to just convey information. It is for transformation and simply information. I’m not a fan of reading through the Bible in a Year programs. Besides the goal becomes getting it read in 365 days. The primary goal of reading the Bible should always be a better understanding of God and a deeper relationship with God. Practicing Lectio divina is the best way for us to read scripture. Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:10-17 (NRSV) 10 Now you have observed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11 my persecutions, and my suffering the things that happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12 Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 13 But wicked people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, 15 and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is inspired by God and is[a] useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.

Theme: If the deepest desire of our heart is to know God and be in relationship with God, then the Bible is best place for that relationship to begin. The Bible is the story of God desire to be with people. The Bible was not meant to be a history book, it was not meant to be a science book, nor was it meant to just convey information. It is for transformation and simply information. I’m not a fan of reading through the Bible in a Year programs. Besides the goal becomes getting it read in 365 days. The primary goal of reading the Bible should always be a better understanding of God and a deeper relationship with God. Practicing Lectio divina is the best way for us to read scripture.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:10-17 (NRSV) 10 Now you have observed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11 my persecutions, and my suffering the things that happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12 Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 13 But wicked people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, 15 and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is inspired by God and is[a] useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.

Jesus sets a great example of going off to a deserted place to prayer. Prayer more than anything else is about relationship. Monologue prayers of requests and suggestions do not deepen relationship with God. We must find time to be silent before God so that we might hear from God. Prayer can lead to intimacy with God which is scary for some people. Intimacy requires something of us. It requires we give something to the relationship. Often the way we relate to God is patterned after the way we relate to each other. Cultivating a quieter way of praying greatly increases our opportunity of transformation, a deeper relationship with God and the discovery of the deepest desires of our heart.