TENNESSEE CONFERENCE REVIEW February 20, 2009
Articles in this special Spiritual Formation edition of the Tennessee Conference Review
1. South African Pastor Trevor Hudson to Lead Lenten Retreat Examining Questions God Asks Us, March 7, 2009, Brentwood United Methodist Church
2. Spiritual Formation and the Local Church: The Ins and Outs
3. A Day Apart, a look at the Cumberland District vision for prayer and renewal in partnership with Aldersgate Renewal Ministries.
4. Asking, Seeking, Knocking – Prayer room established in Tennessee Conference Center
5. The Academy for Spiritual Formation
6. Preach Good News! Evangelist Cinde Lucas reflects on Matthew 28:18-19
7. What might a Spiritual Director Offer a Church?,
8. Spiritual Formation Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow: Celebrating 200 Years of Methodism in Smith County Part of the Cookeville District – Carthage United Methodist Church involves all Smith County United Methodist Churches in celebration.
9. Glendale United Methodist Church Retreat House Ministry
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South African Pastor Trevor Hudson to Lead Lenten Retreat Examining Questions God Asks Us
By Sherry Elliott, The Upper Room
Trevor Hudson’s new book Questions God Asks us
The Rev. Trevor Hudson, noted South African pastor, will lead a mini-retreat on Saturday, March 7, at Brentwood United Methodist in Nashville. Open to all, the half-day event will include Bible study, worship, periods of silent reflection, and holy conversation to help attendees draw deep from Christ’s well during the reflective season of Lent.
Based on his new book, Questions God Asks Us, Hudson will help participants examine and wrestle with a few of the questions God posed in the Old and New Testament. “I thought the Bible was a just a book of answers and existed to give me solutions to my everyday concerns and dilemmas,” says Hudson. “Then one day, several years ago, I realized I might be approaching God and the Bible from the wrong direction. It was as if God said to me, Trevor, rather than you always asking questions of me, start listening to the questions I have for you.” This realization was a critical turning point in my journey with God, adds Hudson.
“God wants to enter into a conversational relationship with each of us and one way God shows this deep desire is by asking questions. When we start hearing them as addressed to us, we receive a glimpse into those things that God wants to talk about with us”, writes Hudson in his latest book. The book published in January by Upper Room Books, addresses 10 questions including Where are you?, Who do you say I am?, and Do you understand what I have done for you?
Internationally known speaker and retreat leader Trevor Hudson
Hudson believes God gives us greater dignity by allowing us to wrestle with the questions rather than simply giving straightforward answers. Questions have greater power to transform us, especially when they come from God who knows exactly what questions to ask.
“The questions that God has asked over the ages have invited me to look deeply and honestly into my heart. They have challenged me in my relationships with God and others. They have engaged me more realistically with the pain and suffering of our society. Somehow they have a way of getting inside my life with a power to change me from the inside out”, continues Hudson.
Hudson is also a leading a retreat designed for clergy on Friday, March 6, at Brentwood UMC from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. “Living the Cycle of Grace” will explore patterns found in Jesus’ life and ministry and how he lived in a cycle of grace that was the source of his fruitful existence. A pastor for more than 30 years, Hudson knows the frustration, exhaustion, and dissatisfaction his colleagues face daily and will present a model that he hopes will address it.
Hudson affirms “Most of our discipleship is lived out in the mundane and the ordinary. We do need to set aside moments when we can gather together in worship and learning. Often these times enable us to re-enter the mundane and ordinary in fresh and more faithful ways. I trust, these retreats, will serve this purpose in the lives of those who come.”
Currently serving on the pastoral team at Northfield Methodist in Benoni, South Africa, Hudson is an international speaker, retreat leader, and the author of numerous books including A Mile in My Shoes, The Way of Transforming Discipleship, and Journey of the Spirit, awarded Best Christian Book of the Year in 2003 in South Africa. Upper Room Publisher Stephen Bryant says, “Trevor Hudson is one of God's great gifts to the ecumenical church. Like Desmond Tutu, Peter Storey, and others, his leadership in the church has been shaped in the crucible of the South African experience in recent years.” Hudson will be in the states for two weeks to lead retreats in Atlanta, Houston, and Nashville. Hudson connected with The Upper Room when Bryant invited him to preach at SOULfeast, The Upper Room’s annual spiritual formation conference at Lake Junaluska. He has led SOULfeast twice now, and will be keynoting again this summer. SOULfeast is scheduled for July 12-16, 2009, and will focus on the theme Show Me Your Ways, O Lord.
To register or to download a brochure about both retreats, visit http://www.tnumc.org/ under Upcoming Events – Lenten retreats. The two retreats provide an opportunity to spend a day apart from our busy schedules and focus on our lives in Christ. The retreats are sponsored by the Spiritual Formation Committee of the Tennessee Annual Conference, the Board of Laity, the Tennessee Conference Orders of Deacons and Elders, The Fellowship of Local Pastors and Associate Members, and The Upper Room, a division of the General Board of Discipleship.
Both retreats are from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Brentwood United Methodist Church. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. Each retreat is $21.00 per person and includes lunch. For more information, contact Sherry Elliott at selliott@gbod.org or 615-340-7250.
Spiritual Formation and the Local Church: The Ins and Outs
Submitted by Suzanne Clement*
Spiritual Formation should be the result of everything that is done in, by or in the name of the Body of Christ-- a sweeping statement indeed, but I stand my ground.
“Spiritual Formation is the process by which a person is conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of others.” Robert Mulholland’s definition of “spiritual formation” in Invitation to a Journey: A Road Map for Spiritual Formation (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993, 16) embodies that often elusive goal of spiritual development that not only grounds a person in the Spirit, but fills that same person to overflowing with Christ-love for others to the point where he or she must act out that love. Christ-love compels individuals to share personal stories of redemption and healing, propels persons and groups toward action to alleviate suffering and requires them to take a stand for justice.
“Spiritual Formation is the process by which a person is conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of others.” Photo from special Human Relations Day worship service.
How does this overpowering commitment develop? It is through what John Wesley called the “means of grace,” habitual spiritual practices which are the necessary building blocks for growing toward perfection in love: corporate worship, participation in the sacrament, prayer, searching the scriptures, Christian conferencing (for accountability). Disciplined spiritual practice opens our spirits to the teaching, healing, and compelling presence of God.
When we consider spiritual formation ministries in local context, it is easy to become focused on sets of tasks or events that generally resemble an occasional sampling of contemplative prayer forms or slightly different styles of worship. Whatever the practices, they are not ends in themselves. They are means--just as going on mission trips and corporate worship are means--for us to offer ourselves to God, to turn our attention and intention toward God so completely that we become instruments of God’s will .
The Church is given two tasks: to share the Good News of salvation for all through Christ; and to make disciples of Christ (which includes teaching and reinforcing ever deepening discipleship). In determining a course of action, whether that is for a class to be given, the use of the church gym, or going on a mission trip across the world or down the street, we should be asking ourselves questions. “How does this share the Gospel of Christ?” “How does this help us grow spiritually in order to become better disciples?” If we cannot discern the answer to at least one of those questions within our grand plans, then chances are there is something very important missing—God’s Will!
To John Wesley participating in the Sacrament was a means of grace. Photo from 2009 Quad Training event, “Living the United Methodist Way: Turning Worlds Upside Down.”
Spiritual formation happens through different vehicles according to individual temperaments. There is an inward path and an outward path. Some people find their vocation for service through practices of reflection. Others will find that they act and then find their points for reflection within their experiences. These are both valid. Those responsible for planning spiritual formation ministries should ensure that opportunities and experiences geared to both personality types are offered.
For programming purposes, in those activities that focus on contemplative practices, we continue to invite participants to listen for God’s Word. Then we follow through, asking what change that Word requires of them and what action does that same Word call them to take?
For activities that focus on doing or serving, the process requires surrendering the task to God and asking for wisdom and guidance. Lift up all efforts to God that participants may do and accomplish God’s will, recognizing that all power and means to do the works are gifts from God. Pray that participants be willing to be taught and changed through serving. After working together, it is useful to share together as well, answering questions such as: “What change is God calling forth in me?” “Am I being drawn into a new discipline of devotion?” “Is there clear guidance toward additional action?” Surrender what you have received in either setting to God in prayer.
Persons responsible for program planning need to be well grounded, faithful and accountable in their own devotional practice, educated and able to teach spiritual disciplines, ways of prayer, discernment and spiritual reading of scripture and other materials. They must attend to the ins as well as the outs -- the being and the doing aspects of ministry-- as equally formative paths and create methods so that neither approach can become isolated or distinct from the other.
Note: http://gbod.org/ is loaded with resources for integrating individual and corporate devotional practice into lives –and programs—that flow into and are interdependent with love and justice ministries, evangelism, and stewardship.
*Suzanne Clement is a Steward of Spiritual Formation at Bethlehem UMC in Franklin, TN. She is a spiritual director and a UM Certification Student at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, IL. Contact information: SuzC2@aol.com or 615-595-7126.
A Day Apart
By Sue Pedigo*
The Cumberland District has an exciting vision for prayer and renewal. In partnership with Aldersgate Renewal Ministries, District Superintendent Ron Lowry has laid out a strategy to facilitate four days of targeted prayer around the celebrations of the church year. Four locations have been chosen that, if plotted out on a map, would form a cross over the district. ARM has created a new resource specifically for this emphasis entitled "Concerts of Prayer for the Church Year". The concerts of prayer will be held for Advent, Lent, Pentecost, and Kingdomtide. Participants will take part in a model of Corporate and Soaking Prayer. During the model for Corporate Prayer, the people pray corporately, in small groups and individually, through both spoken and sung prayers. There will also be a time of Soaking Prayer, during which the participants will rest quietly with soft music while they are silently prayed over by a small team of people. Persons who have experienced soaking prayer testify of feelings of great peace and significant encounters with Jesus.
Discussion during the Advent Concerts of Prayer for the Church Year. Photo courtesy of Aldersgate Renewal Ministries.
The Advent "A Day Apart" was held in November at Bethlehem United Methodist Church in Lebanon. The Lent "A Day Apart" will be held February 21, 2009 at McKendree Memorial UMC in Portland. The Pentecost "A Day Apart" will be held May 16, 2009 at Hartsville UMC in Hartsville and the Kingdomtide "A Day Apart" will be held at Greenville UMC in Joelton on August 29, 2009.
Those who have participated in this special time apart from the world to pray for their District, its pastors, its churches and its people have found it to be a great time of spiritual renewal and refreshment. You may obtain more information on "Concerts of Prayer for the Church Year" at http://www.aldersgaterenewal.org/.
*Sue Pedigo is the Cumberland District Spiritual Formation Chairperson
Asking, Seeking, Knocking
By the Rev. Bettye Lewis*
“Ask, and it shall be given to you, seek, and you shall find, knock, and it shall be opened to you. For every one who asks receives, and they who seek find, and to them who knock it shall be opened.” (Matthew 7: 7-8)
Prayer center, Tennessee Conference Office of Connectional Ministries
What powerful words: “ask…seek…knock” - three monosyllabic words, all commands, urging us not to cave in with discouragement when facing the difficult or the unknown. They are “present imperatives” in the language Matthew wrote them: “Keep on asking! Keep on seeking! Keep on knocking!”
It is out of this command of asking, seeking, and knocking that the Tennessee Conference Committees on Worship and Spiritual Formation have set up a PRAYER ROOM in the Office of Connectional Ministries located at 304 South Perimeter Park Drive. The implication is that there is power through persistence in “whatever you do, therefore, don’t quit; keep it up!” In childlike innocence we are called to turn to our heavenly God who has come among us in the flesh, whose Spirit speaks to our hearts, and who abides with us forever, as promised. Whoever said we are to ask only once has not understood the Savior’ words: “keep on asking…..seeking…..knocking.”
The Apostle Paul later wrote, “Pray without ceasing” and demonstrated it by returning to the Lord again and yet again for relief from his “thorn in the flesh” (2 Cor. 12:8). Therefore, we can take Jesus at His word. We can become like little children and constantly seek the Lord in all things.
Having reared two daughters, I have witnessed how our children do this very thing. If I were nearby, they asked and kept asking. If I happened to be out of the room, they would seek me and kept seeking. If I needed a few moments of peace and quiet, I occasionally would go to my bedroom and close the door to rest or read. Do you think the kids gave up? Of course not; they knocked…and knocked…and knocked…and kept knocking!
The same is often true with us. We are invited to persist in our quest for God’s presence, God’s assistance. And let us not miss the three fold promise that accompanies the commands. What happens when we ask, seek, and knock?
“…it shall be given to you;”
“…you shall find;”
“…it shall be opened to you.”
Because of the power of persistence, the Committees on Worship and Spiritual Formation invite the members and friends of the Tennessee Conference to come and visit the PRAYER ROOM often. Indeed as the People of God we are called to be in a continual Spirit of prayer. We need times alone in prayer. We need times together in prayer. We are called to open our hearts to Jesus Christ and allow Him to replace our weakness in His power, to cover our sin with His healing, to lift our despair with His joy, to cleanse our mistakes with His truth, to relieve our fear through His courage, to take away our pride by His grace, to inspire our lethargic spirits with His loving Spirit, and to replace our feeble efforts to serve others with His joyful gift of servant ministry.
Persistence then must characterize our prayers. In addition, asking, seeking, and knocking call for simple faith. There is no need to bargain or to pay penance….no need for incantation, no secret password. We only need to ask in simple faith.
Do we have a need? Then do the simple thing and the best thing first: Ask in simple faith. And by the power of God’s promise, we will receive according to the will and purposes of God in Christ Jesus.
*Rev. Bettye Lewis is Associate Director, Office of Connectional Ministries, Tennessee Annual Conference.
The Academy for Spiritual Formation
By Diane Luton Blum*
Whether you consider participation in the 5 Day Academy or the 2 Year Academy, each provides an invitation from God to grow, to listen, to learn, to share and to serve from the deepest well of living water in Christ (John 4).
Pastors:
Consider the Academy for Spiritual Formation as an adjunct to your course of study or master of divinity degree. I studied for my M. Div. in the late 1970’s and later realized that I had no courses that directly addressed the ministry of prayer and spirituality for Christian discipleship, so critical to congregational vitality. When I began participation in the 2 Year Academy for Spiritual Formation in 1995, I was hungry to grow in my own spiritual grounding for long term pastoral ministry. I was faced with the spiritual quests that brought most newcomers into my congregations. They were coming, not just to be a member of a church, but more and more to have a living relationship with the Holy One in our midst. The Academy for Spiritual Formation became a transformative school for my ministry and my life.
Moms:
In 1998, Danny Morris (who helped to found both the Academy for Spiritual Formation and the Walk to Emmaus through The Upper Room) called me to ask if I would be willing to be part of a 5 Day Academy leadership team in Vermont the following summer. As always, I told him I would have to take significant time with my husband to decide if I could take this time away from our family (our sons were still young teens at home). I called my husband right away and told him of the request. He immediately replied that I should do this. I was so surprised at his response. We had not even opened our calendars! I asked him why his response was so strong and supportive. He answered, “You know that it’s not my style to go away on any quiet retreat, and I don’t really know what you do in those academy sessions (there had been 8 of these 5 day sessions in the 2 year academy), all I know is that for the boys and myself, it is always a good thing—the way you are when you come home from these experiences.” To this day, this story is my favorite definition of “spiritual formation.”
Laity and Clergy together:
The Academy experience places participants on a level playing field as we discover together our “equal” access to God’s living presence in the community. Praying and singing together three times each day forms a body of Christ that has the power to provide healing and guidance, trust and hope. Keeping silence for three extended periods each day, as a community, supports our individual capacity to listen to and notice God’s word and spirit. Sharing from these experiences reminds us of the uniqueness of each life and the common well of grace poured out for all. When I return from an academy I am more able to notice the many “spiritual giants” already serving from within our congregations—privately and publicly—through prayer and spiritual guidance. Pastors have no monopoly on this gift of the spirit.
Younger and older persons together:
In my 2 year academy, both the senior pastor (in his 50’s) and the associate pastor (in his 20’s) of a large membership UM congregation participated in all the sessions. The younger man was in my covenant group—we shared 1 ½ hours in our group each night (5 days X 8 sessions= 40 meetings). After our academy he and I kept in touch by e-mail for several years as he got another degree and returned to their city to found a new congregation that now counts and serves thousands of members. When I see the fruitfulness of his pastoral ministry, I give thanks to God for providing the additional spiritual grounding of his academy journey, while he was still so young. I thank God for the wisdom of his senior pastor, who mentored and modeled for him the priority of self care, renewal, and time apart to meet, hear and obey the Holy Spirit.
No two Academy sessions are alike.
Two leaders provide specific courses from their own training, experience and spiritual practice. These “experts” are chosen not just because they have published books or teach at theology schools, but because they are able to powerfully embody what they teach. From Glenn Hinson and Bob Mulholland to Hazelyn McComas and Kathryn Damiano, Academies call forth loving leaders whose chief task is to help every participant to experience the living God among us all. And of course, that is the task of every participant as we return to our homes and our work after an academy. Blessed to become the blessing for which our world is thirsting: A well of living water in Jesus the Christ.
*Rev. Diane Luton Blum, pastor of East End UMC in Nashville, has served with 5 Day Academy leadership teams in TN, VT, NY, and OH
Preach Good News!
By Cinde Lucas*
Scripture Matthew 28:18-19 Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
In a world where it seems that the darkness is getting darker, Christians have an awesome opportunity to shine! I can think of no better time for the LIGHT to be turned on than in darkness. God is calling us to step up and speak out the Good News of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 61:1 says “Arise and shine for the Glory of the Lord has risen upon you. Deep darkness covers the earth, but the Lord will shine upon you.” That, my friends is Good News! That is the message that we need to proclaiming (preaching) because that is the message that Jesus Himself was anointed to preach. He came that we might have life more abundantly (John 10:10) in order that we could share that life and light with others.
“Arise and shine for the Glory of the Lord has risen upon you. Deep darkness covers the earth, but the Lord will shine upon you.” Photo from Living the United Methodist Way: Turning Worlds Upside Down, Jacksonville, Florida, Jan. 29-Feb. 1, 2009.
Jesus told His disciples (by the way, that included women) to go to Jerusalem and wait for the Promise of the Spirit that would empower (anoint) them to BE WITNESSES. Jesus did not say to DO Witnessing; He said that we were to BE WITNESSES. There is a huge difference in being and doing.
Being refers to something that you are all the time; doing is something you may only do part of the time. Going door to door, sending cards, block parties, even worship services might fall into the doing category ( not that these are bad, they’re just not all that we need to do). Jesus wants us to know that because we are empowered by God, everything we do is part of sharing the good news of Christ.
Consider Romans 12:2 in the Message Bible; Take your everyday, ordinary life, your eating, sleeping, working, getting up, going to bed and walking around, and offer it to God as a living sacrifice. That tells me that everything I do from grocery shopping and cooking supper to going to work and putting gas in my car should be a lifestyle of witnessing the power of Jesus in my life. That’s an awesome responsibility and one that Christians should not take lightly. There is no such thing as a private faith!
We live in a time where people are not interested in programs that they haven’t yet seen produce good results in others. They are in need of real people that have lives that show that Jesus has and is making a difference in their daily lives. They need to see people who are in the middle of trials that are full of joy and peace. They need to see people that have faith and confidence that no matter what comes, God is good and He is on our side. People are hungry for the Gospel of Good News that Jesus wants us to preach by living a life wholly devoted to God. You may not have a seminary degree, teach a Sunday school class, or sing in the choir, but you do have a ministry and a mission field. You have an opportunity everyday to be a witness for Jesus and someone somewhere needs your message “preached” to them.
Deep darkness is trying to cover the earth, but God’s Light through His people will overcome the darkness. As the song Pass It On says, “It only takes a spark to get a fire going.” I pray that you will allow the Lord to use you as a spark of Good News in a dry and thirsty land. The fire of God is rising in His People. Preach Good News so that they will hear, repent, and begin their journey of shining for God. Go into all the world (that includes Wal-Mart, Kroger, your work place, your school and your home) and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and Lo I am with you always!
*Cinde Lucas is chairperson of the Conference Evangelism Committee and director of Cinde Lucas Overflow Ministries, 273 Henryville Rd., Ethridge, TN 38456. www.CindeLucas.com
What might a Spiritual Director Offer a Church?
By Kasey Hitt*
Working on or with a church staff once seemed a thing of the past for me. In 2003, when my burn-out as a youth pastor became unbearable, I escaped from being in ministry by going to…seminary! A much-needed taste of spiritual direction had come a year before during a week-long contemplative retreat. Burn-out seemed the perfect time to get a Certificate of Spiritual Direction along with a Masters in Divinity and hopefully my soul could “recover” from the church.
Russ and Kasey Hitt with daughter Alaina
My husband and I loaded our belongings and began the trek from southeast Missouri to Washington. Five break-downs and three U-Hauls later, we arrived in the Seattle-area where I immediately began seminary with burn-out induced anger toward the church! By my last year, however, I was amazed how in the throes of school God had offered me needed soul care while also restoring my love for the church and those in ministry.
I wondered how spiritual direction could be integrated into the life of a church and picked that as my thesis topic. Surprisingly, the first church I talked to embraced my proposal and offered me a paid position as their Spiritual Direction Consultant. At Cedar Cross United Methodist Church in Mill Creek, WA, over the course of a year, I
.offered direction to a dozen staff and lay leaders
.led a “listening” staff retreat
.facilitated a discussion on discernment for Church Council
.taught a prayer seminar for the congregation followed by a contemplative prayer day-retreat
.began a spiritual direction group, and
.gave the pastor a break by preaching a few times
To see this church’s desire to intentionally create space to hear God’s voice was thrilling and strengthened my desire to continue bringing spiritual direction to churches.
A communal journey toward listening, caring and wholeness begins with the leadership of the church. Photo from the national leadership conference “Living the United Methodist Way: Turning Worlds Upside Down,” Jacksonville, FL, Jan. 29 – Feb 1, 2009.
Since moving to the Nashville-area in June 2008, I have met several spiritual directors and people participating in contemplative-type ministries, many within the United Methodist Church. Yet spiritual direction still remains largely unknown, so I want to give a glimpse of what it is and what a spiritual director could offer a church.
Spiritual direction is the ancient art of accompanying people along their spiritual journeys. Like the story of Eli and Samuel found in I Samuel 3, a spiritual director creates a safe place so people can recognize and respond to God’s “voice” in their ordinary lives. Individual direction is usually held for one hour once a month. It offers a quiet space in which to be silent, be guided in prayer, reflect on a Scripture passage, and/or have a “soul-shaping conversation.” The silent part can be challenging! When the external voices stop, internal voices can clamor for our attention and some come “spiritually” clothed like, “I know I’m working long hours, but I’m doing God’s work.” Spiritual directors can provide soul care for pastors and staffs by offering a place to discern whether or not such sentences are from God.
When I was a youth pastor, I worked long hours (many times ministry workaholism is seen as a spiritual gift). I read the Bible in order to write youth talks and did not know how to read it without thinking of them! I also found it difficult to confide in anyone else on staff, for they, too, were ministry workaholics. Spiritual direction offered me a different environment where I felt invited to “be” with God rather than constantly “do” for God. When I returned to ministry as a spiritual director, I was a healthier person. Spiritual direction can help pastors, church staffs and lay leaders, especially, care for their own souls and this will always help the people they are ministering to.
Besides a referral for individual direction, spiritual directors can help churches become “listening congregations,” which is a lifestyle of intentionally listening to each other and to the Holy Spirit. How this looks varies, but many directors offer seminars, retreats and group spiritual direction to assist congregations. For instance, what might the impact be if Finance Committee or the Youth Ministry focused on ways of discernment in regard to their particular ministry? If staff members attended to how they are listening to each other, would the temptation to co-exist or see the other as competition over budget money decrease? A communal journey toward listening, caring and wholeness begins with the leadership of the church.
After ten years in youth ministry as a volunteer, intern and full-time Youth Pastor, followed by a season of burn-out, I cannot help but offer those in ministry that which has so deeply impacted me. I hope pastors might consider how a spiritual director could be a part of their own and even their church’s spiritual journey.
*Kasey Hitt lives in Mount Juliet, is a member of Providence United Methodist Church, and has been a spiritual director for 5 1/2 years. She is married to Russ Hitt and the couple has one daughter, 2 ½ year-old, Alaina.
Spiritual Formation Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow: Celebrating 200 Years of Methodism in Smith County Part of the Cookeville District
by Jamie Shelby Wallace
How do we define spiritual formation? Some would say that spiritual formation is to know Christ, encounter Christ, worship Christ, grow in Christ, and make Christ known in the world around us. In 2008, Smith County celebrated 200 years of Methodism. A committee from the Carthage United Methodist Church made plans to include all the United Methodist Churches of Smith County, Cookeville District Superintendent Jay Archer, and Bishop William Morris in a county wide celebration. Lead by dedicated CUMC member James Bass, the committee worked with Pastor Jerry Wallace to celebrate the deep and rich history of Methodism in the spiritual formation of the region.
Carthage-Cedar Point pastor Jerry K. Wallace
An old fashioned dinner on the ground potluck was held during the summer at the Smith County Agriculture Center to accommodate all the attending United Methodist congregations. Each church was encouraged to join in offering praise and worship through song and prayer. The event raised a total of $800. Four hundred dollars went to benefit the Smith County Help Center. The Center gives support to families experiencing financial difficulty providing life necessities such as food and clothing. The other four hundred dollars raised went to Emmanuel House, a shelter in Smith County for women and children starting over after leaving domestic violence situations.
Pastor Wallace encouraged all who where available to attend a six week study which included the history of the Methodist Church in Smith County, John Wesley, the structure, beliefs, and the emphasis of grace in the United Methodist Church. The study began in September and was completed in early October at the Carthage United Methodist Church. On October 12, 2008, former pastors, families, District Superintendent Jay Archer, and Bishop William Morris were invited to attend the last event of the 200 year celebration to honor their dedication to the spiritual formation of the congregations of Smith County.
Bishop William Morris, “What the World Needs Now is the church of Jesus Christ.”
Bishop William Morris provided an energizing message titled “What the World Needs Now is the church of Jesus Christ.” The Bishop eloquently tied together the spiritual formation of yesterday, today, and tomorrow of the United Methodist Church and its members. In his message, Bishop Morris explained the church helps people to know Christ, encounter Christ, worship Christ, grow in Christ, and make Christ known in the world around us. Bishop Morris related the need to be an active part of church practices such as weekly worship, Sunday school, Bible Study, and the all important prayers which are essentials in our spiritual formation.
Founders of the Methodist churches in Smith County and the Cookeville District knew that spiritual formation was an important part of abundant living as God intended. Today the Cookeville District has a vital Lay Speaking Ministry lead by devoted Crossville FUMC member Holly Neal. The Upper Cumberland Emmaus (Spiritual Director Craig Green) and Chrysalis(Spiritual Director Keith Long) Communities provide spiritual renewal weekends for those seeking to go deeper in their relationship with Christ our Lord and encourages seekers to become servant leaders in their local church and community. Cookeville District Superintendent Jay Archer sends a monthly devotional titled “Thoughts on Holiness” to church leaders which provides much needed encouragement and support in leading our congregations in spiritual formation. Churches across the district provide those essentials of prayer, study, worship, and service to their congregation and communities. The hope of spiritual formation for tomorrow is found in the one we seek to know, encounter, worship, grow in love, and make known in the world around us “Jesus Christ our Savior”!!
Glendale United Methodist Church retreat house ministry offers spiritual renewal
“Enter in Peace, Stay in Love, Leave with Hope.” These words welcome visitors to Glendale United Methodist Church’s Retreat House Ministry.
Jesus said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” (Mark 6:31)
“Enter in Peace, Stay in Love, Leave with Hope”
The Glendale United Methodist family invites guests from across the Tennessee Conference to experience retreat. The Retreat House is located next to the church at 902 Glendale Lane in Nashville. It is fully equipped and offers quiet space for individuals or small groups to spend some time apart with God. No phone, no internet, no TV—just a quiet space in a quiet Nashville neighborhood. You can dig in the soil of our community garden, sit in the benches around the labyrinth, or rock in the rocking chairs on the church’s porch. Glendale is located minutes from Green Hills, Melrose or Brentwood in the David Lipscomb neighborhood.
The first guests for day retreat and ministry planning came in November 2006. Since that time Glendale has offered hospitality to students participating in local mission work, church staff retreats, Christian Education Incubator, Clergy Sabbath Groups, Christian Educator Fellowship, chaplains, clergywomen on retreat, pastors having early hospital visits in Nashville, writers working on devotional materials, students writing for the Board of Ministry, leadership training, clergy family retreats, personal spiritual retreats, mission groups traveling through Nashville, and a small Sunday School class on retreat.
The retreat experience is a journey into the heart of God where one is strengthened for the work of God in the world. A time apart on retreat renews our energy so that we may return to our friends, our family our work in God’s world. Is God calling you away to a quiet place to renew your hope? The Glendale Retreat House may be just what God has planned for you . . . “Enter in Peace, Stay in Love, Leave with Hope.” If you would like more information or wish to schedule some retreat time contact Rev. Sandra Griggs, 615-297-6233, email: pastorgriggs@comcast.net
1. South African Pastor Trevor Hudson to Lead Lenten Retreat Examining Questions God Asks Us, March 7, 2009, Brentwood United Methodist Church
2. Spiritual Formation and the Local Church: The Ins and Outs
3. A Day Apart, a look at the Cumberland District vision for prayer and renewal in partnership with Aldersgate Renewal Ministries.
4. Asking, Seeking, Knocking – Prayer room established in Tennessee Conference Center
5. The Academy for Spiritual Formation
6. Preach Good News! Evangelist Cinde Lucas reflects on Matthew 28:18-19
7. What might a Spiritual Director Offer a Church?,
8. Spiritual Formation Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow: Celebrating 200 Years of Methodism in Smith County Part of the Cookeville District – Carthage United Methodist Church involves all Smith County United Methodist Churches in celebration.
9. Glendale United Methodist Church Retreat House Ministry
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South African Pastor Trevor Hudson to Lead Lenten Retreat Examining Questions God Asks Us
By Sherry Elliott, The Upper Room
Trevor Hudson’s new book Questions God Asks usThe Rev. Trevor Hudson, noted South African pastor, will lead a mini-retreat on Saturday, March 7, at Brentwood United Methodist in Nashville. Open to all, the half-day event will include Bible study, worship, periods of silent reflection, and holy conversation to help attendees draw deep from Christ’s well during the reflective season of Lent.
Based on his new book, Questions God Asks Us, Hudson will help participants examine and wrestle with a few of the questions God posed in the Old and New Testament. “I thought the Bible was a just a book of answers and existed to give me solutions to my everyday concerns and dilemmas,” says Hudson. “Then one day, several years ago, I realized I might be approaching God and the Bible from the wrong direction. It was as if God said to me, Trevor, rather than you always asking questions of me, start listening to the questions I have for you.” This realization was a critical turning point in my journey with God, adds Hudson.
“God wants to enter into a conversational relationship with each of us and one way God shows this deep desire is by asking questions. When we start hearing them as addressed to us, we receive a glimpse into those things that God wants to talk about with us”, writes Hudson in his latest book. The book published in January by Upper Room Books, addresses 10 questions including Where are you?, Who do you say I am?, and Do you understand what I have done for you?
Internationally known speaker and retreat leader Trevor Hudson
Hudson believes God gives us greater dignity by allowing us to wrestle with the questions rather than simply giving straightforward answers. Questions have greater power to transform us, especially when they come from God who knows exactly what questions to ask.
“The questions that God has asked over the ages have invited me to look deeply and honestly into my heart. They have challenged me in my relationships with God and others. They have engaged me more realistically with the pain and suffering of our society. Somehow they have a way of getting inside my life with a power to change me from the inside out”, continues Hudson.
Hudson is also a leading a retreat designed for clergy on Friday, March 6, at Brentwood UMC from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. “Living the Cycle of Grace” will explore patterns found in Jesus’ life and ministry and how he lived in a cycle of grace that was the source of his fruitful existence. A pastor for more than 30 years, Hudson knows the frustration, exhaustion, and dissatisfaction his colleagues face daily and will present a model that he hopes will address it.
Hudson affirms “Most of our discipleship is lived out in the mundane and the ordinary. We do need to set aside moments when we can gather together in worship and learning. Often these times enable us to re-enter the mundane and ordinary in fresh and more faithful ways. I trust, these retreats, will serve this purpose in the lives of those who come.”
Currently serving on the pastoral team at Northfield Methodist in Benoni, South Africa, Hudson is an international speaker, retreat leader, and the author of numerous books including A Mile in My Shoes, The Way of Transforming Discipleship, and Journey of the Spirit, awarded Best Christian Book of the Year in 2003 in South Africa. Upper Room Publisher Stephen Bryant says, “Trevor Hudson is one of God's great gifts to the ecumenical church. Like Desmond Tutu, Peter Storey, and others, his leadership in the church has been shaped in the crucible of the South African experience in recent years.” Hudson will be in the states for two weeks to lead retreats in Atlanta, Houston, and Nashville. Hudson connected with The Upper Room when Bryant invited him to preach at SOULfeast, The Upper Room’s annual spiritual formation conference at Lake Junaluska. He has led SOULfeast twice now, and will be keynoting again this summer. SOULfeast is scheduled for July 12-16, 2009, and will focus on the theme Show Me Your Ways, O Lord.
To register or to download a brochure about both retreats, visit http://www.tnumc.org/ under Upcoming Events – Lenten retreats. The two retreats provide an opportunity to spend a day apart from our busy schedules and focus on our lives in Christ. The retreats are sponsored by the Spiritual Formation Committee of the Tennessee Annual Conference, the Board of Laity, the Tennessee Conference Orders of Deacons and Elders, The Fellowship of Local Pastors and Associate Members, and The Upper Room, a division of the General Board of Discipleship.
Both retreats are from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Brentwood United Methodist Church. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. Each retreat is $21.00 per person and includes lunch. For more information, contact Sherry Elliott at selliott@gbod.org or 615-340-7250.
Spiritual Formation and the Local Church: The Ins and Outs
Submitted by Suzanne Clement*
Spiritual Formation should be the result of everything that is done in, by or in the name of the Body of Christ-- a sweeping statement indeed, but I stand my ground.
“Spiritual Formation is the process by which a person is conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of others.” Robert Mulholland’s definition of “spiritual formation” in Invitation to a Journey: A Road Map for Spiritual Formation (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993, 16) embodies that often elusive goal of spiritual development that not only grounds a person in the Spirit, but fills that same person to overflowing with Christ-love for others to the point where he or she must act out that love. Christ-love compels individuals to share personal stories of redemption and healing, propels persons and groups toward action to alleviate suffering and requires them to take a stand for justice.
“Spiritual Formation is the process by which a person is conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of others.” Photo from special Human Relations Day worship service.How does this overpowering commitment develop? It is through what John Wesley called the “means of grace,” habitual spiritual practices which are the necessary building blocks for growing toward perfection in love: corporate worship, participation in the sacrament, prayer, searching the scriptures, Christian conferencing (for accountability). Disciplined spiritual practice opens our spirits to the teaching, healing, and compelling presence of God.
When we consider spiritual formation ministries in local context, it is easy to become focused on sets of tasks or events that generally resemble an occasional sampling of contemplative prayer forms or slightly different styles of worship. Whatever the practices, they are not ends in themselves. They are means--just as going on mission trips and corporate worship are means--for us to offer ourselves to God, to turn our attention and intention toward God so completely that we become instruments of God’s will .
The Church is given two tasks: to share the Good News of salvation for all through Christ; and to make disciples of Christ (which includes teaching and reinforcing ever deepening discipleship). In determining a course of action, whether that is for a class to be given, the use of the church gym, or going on a mission trip across the world or down the street, we should be asking ourselves questions. “How does this share the Gospel of Christ?” “How does this help us grow spiritually in order to become better disciples?” If we cannot discern the answer to at least one of those questions within our grand plans, then chances are there is something very important missing—God’s Will!
To John Wesley participating in the Sacrament was a means of grace. Photo from 2009 Quad Training event, “Living the United Methodist Way: Turning Worlds Upside Down.”Spiritual formation happens through different vehicles according to individual temperaments. There is an inward path and an outward path. Some people find their vocation for service through practices of reflection. Others will find that they act and then find their points for reflection within their experiences. These are both valid. Those responsible for planning spiritual formation ministries should ensure that opportunities and experiences geared to both personality types are offered.
For programming purposes, in those activities that focus on contemplative practices, we continue to invite participants to listen for God’s Word. Then we follow through, asking what change that Word requires of them and what action does that same Word call them to take?
For activities that focus on doing or serving, the process requires surrendering the task to God and asking for wisdom and guidance. Lift up all efforts to God that participants may do and accomplish God’s will, recognizing that all power and means to do the works are gifts from God. Pray that participants be willing to be taught and changed through serving. After working together, it is useful to share together as well, answering questions such as: “What change is God calling forth in me?” “Am I being drawn into a new discipline of devotion?” “Is there clear guidance toward additional action?” Surrender what you have received in either setting to God in prayer.
Persons responsible for program planning need to be well grounded, faithful and accountable in their own devotional practice, educated and able to teach spiritual disciplines, ways of prayer, discernment and spiritual reading of scripture and other materials. They must attend to the ins as well as the outs -- the being and the doing aspects of ministry-- as equally formative paths and create methods so that neither approach can become isolated or distinct from the other.
Note: http://gbod.org/ is loaded with resources for integrating individual and corporate devotional practice into lives –and programs—that flow into and are interdependent with love and justice ministries, evangelism, and stewardship.
*Suzanne Clement is a Steward of Spiritual Formation at Bethlehem UMC in Franklin, TN. She is a spiritual director and a UM Certification Student at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, IL. Contact information: SuzC2@aol.com or 615-595-7126.
A Day Apart
By Sue Pedigo*
The Cumberland District has an exciting vision for prayer and renewal. In partnership with Aldersgate Renewal Ministries, District Superintendent Ron Lowry has laid out a strategy to facilitate four days of targeted prayer around the celebrations of the church year. Four locations have been chosen that, if plotted out on a map, would form a cross over the district. ARM has created a new resource specifically for this emphasis entitled "Concerts of Prayer for the Church Year". The concerts of prayer will be held for Advent, Lent, Pentecost, and Kingdomtide. Participants will take part in a model of Corporate and Soaking Prayer. During the model for Corporate Prayer, the people pray corporately, in small groups and individually, through both spoken and sung prayers. There will also be a time of Soaking Prayer, during which the participants will rest quietly with soft music while they are silently prayed over by a small team of people. Persons who have experienced soaking prayer testify of feelings of great peace and significant encounters with Jesus.
Discussion during the Advent Concerts of Prayer for the Church Year. Photo courtesy of Aldersgate Renewal Ministries.The Advent "A Day Apart" was held in November at Bethlehem United Methodist Church in Lebanon. The Lent "A Day Apart" will be held February 21, 2009 at McKendree Memorial UMC in Portland. The Pentecost "A Day Apart" will be held May 16, 2009 at Hartsville UMC in Hartsville and the Kingdomtide "A Day Apart" will be held at Greenville UMC in Joelton on August 29, 2009.
Those who have participated in this special time apart from the world to pray for their District, its pastors, its churches and its people have found it to be a great time of spiritual renewal and refreshment. You may obtain more information on "Concerts of Prayer for the Church Year" at http://www.aldersgaterenewal.org/.
*Sue Pedigo is the Cumberland District Spiritual Formation Chairperson
Asking, Seeking, Knocking
By the Rev. Bettye Lewis*
“Ask, and it shall be given to you, seek, and you shall find, knock, and it shall be opened to you. For every one who asks receives, and they who seek find, and to them who knock it shall be opened.” (Matthew 7: 7-8)
Prayer center, Tennessee Conference Office of Connectional MinistriesWhat powerful words: “ask…seek…knock” - three monosyllabic words, all commands, urging us not to cave in with discouragement when facing the difficult or the unknown. They are “present imperatives” in the language Matthew wrote them: “Keep on asking! Keep on seeking! Keep on knocking!”
It is out of this command of asking, seeking, and knocking that the Tennessee Conference Committees on Worship and Spiritual Formation have set up a PRAYER ROOM in the Office of Connectional Ministries located at 304 South Perimeter Park Drive. The implication is that there is power through persistence in “whatever you do, therefore, don’t quit; keep it up!” In childlike innocence we are called to turn to our heavenly God who has come among us in the flesh, whose Spirit speaks to our hearts, and who abides with us forever, as promised. Whoever said we are to ask only once has not understood the Savior’ words: “keep on asking…..seeking…..knocking.”
The Apostle Paul later wrote, “Pray without ceasing” and demonstrated it by returning to the Lord again and yet again for relief from his “thorn in the flesh” (2 Cor. 12:8). Therefore, we can take Jesus at His word. We can become like little children and constantly seek the Lord in all things.
Having reared two daughters, I have witnessed how our children do this very thing. If I were nearby, they asked and kept asking. If I happened to be out of the room, they would seek me and kept seeking. If I needed a few moments of peace and quiet, I occasionally would go to my bedroom and close the door to rest or read. Do you think the kids gave up? Of course not; they knocked…and knocked…and knocked…and kept knocking!
The same is often true with us. We are invited to persist in our quest for God’s presence, God’s assistance. And let us not miss the three fold promise that accompanies the commands. What happens when we ask, seek, and knock?
“…it shall be given to you;”
“…you shall find;”
“…it shall be opened to you.”
Because of the power of persistence, the Committees on Worship and Spiritual Formation invite the members and friends of the Tennessee Conference to come and visit the PRAYER ROOM often. Indeed as the People of God we are called to be in a continual Spirit of prayer. We need times alone in prayer. We need times together in prayer. We are called to open our hearts to Jesus Christ and allow Him to replace our weakness in His power, to cover our sin with His healing, to lift our despair with His joy, to cleanse our mistakes with His truth, to relieve our fear through His courage, to take away our pride by His grace, to inspire our lethargic spirits with His loving Spirit, and to replace our feeble efforts to serve others with His joyful gift of servant ministry.
Persistence then must characterize our prayers. In addition, asking, seeking, and knocking call for simple faith. There is no need to bargain or to pay penance….no need for incantation, no secret password. We only need to ask in simple faith.
Do we have a need? Then do the simple thing and the best thing first: Ask in simple faith. And by the power of God’s promise, we will receive according to the will and purposes of God in Christ Jesus.
*Rev. Bettye Lewis is Associate Director, Office of Connectional Ministries, Tennessee Annual Conference.
The Academy for Spiritual Formation
By Diane Luton Blum*
Whether you consider participation in the 5 Day Academy or the 2 Year Academy, each provides an invitation from God to grow, to listen, to learn, to share and to serve from the deepest well of living water in Christ (John 4).Pastors:
Consider the Academy for Spiritual Formation as an adjunct to your course of study or master of divinity degree. I studied for my M. Div. in the late 1970’s and later realized that I had no courses that directly addressed the ministry of prayer and spirituality for Christian discipleship, so critical to congregational vitality. When I began participation in the 2 Year Academy for Spiritual Formation in 1995, I was hungry to grow in my own spiritual grounding for long term pastoral ministry. I was faced with the spiritual quests that brought most newcomers into my congregations. They were coming, not just to be a member of a church, but more and more to have a living relationship with the Holy One in our midst. The Academy for Spiritual Formation became a transformative school for my ministry and my life.
Moms:
In 1998, Danny Morris (who helped to found both the Academy for Spiritual Formation and the Walk to Emmaus through The Upper Room) called me to ask if I would be willing to be part of a 5 Day Academy leadership team in Vermont the following summer. As always, I told him I would have to take significant time with my husband to decide if I could take this time away from our family (our sons were still young teens at home). I called my husband right away and told him of the request. He immediately replied that I should do this. I was so surprised at his response. We had not even opened our calendars! I asked him why his response was so strong and supportive. He answered, “You know that it’s not my style to go away on any quiet retreat, and I don’t really know what you do in those academy sessions (there had been 8 of these 5 day sessions in the 2 year academy), all I know is that for the boys and myself, it is always a good thing—the way you are when you come home from these experiences.” To this day, this story is my favorite definition of “spiritual formation.”
Laity and Clergy together:
The Academy experience places participants on a level playing field as we discover together our “equal” access to God’s living presence in the community. Praying and singing together three times each day forms a body of Christ that has the power to provide healing and guidance, trust and hope. Keeping silence for three extended periods each day, as a community, supports our individual capacity to listen to and notice God’s word and spirit. Sharing from these experiences reminds us of the uniqueness of each life and the common well of grace poured out for all. When I return from an academy I am more able to notice the many “spiritual giants” already serving from within our congregations—privately and publicly—through prayer and spiritual guidance. Pastors have no monopoly on this gift of the spirit.
Younger and older persons together:
In my 2 year academy, both the senior pastor (in his 50’s) and the associate pastor (in his 20’s) of a large membership UM congregation participated in all the sessions. The younger man was in my covenant group—we shared 1 ½ hours in our group each night (5 days X 8 sessions= 40 meetings). After our academy he and I kept in touch by e-mail for several years as he got another degree and returned to their city to found a new congregation that now counts and serves thousands of members. When I see the fruitfulness of his pastoral ministry, I give thanks to God for providing the additional spiritual grounding of his academy journey, while he was still so young. I thank God for the wisdom of his senior pastor, who mentored and modeled for him the priority of self care, renewal, and time apart to meet, hear and obey the Holy Spirit.
No two Academy sessions are alike.
Two leaders provide specific courses from their own training, experience and spiritual practice. These “experts” are chosen not just because they have published books or teach at theology schools, but because they are able to powerfully embody what they teach. From Glenn Hinson and Bob Mulholland to Hazelyn McComas and Kathryn Damiano, Academies call forth loving leaders whose chief task is to help every participant to experience the living God among us all. And of course, that is the task of every participant as we return to our homes and our work after an academy. Blessed to become the blessing for which our world is thirsting: A well of living water in Jesus the Christ.
*Rev. Diane Luton Blum, pastor of East End UMC in Nashville, has served with 5 Day Academy leadership teams in TN, VT, NY, and OH
Preach Good News!
By Cinde Lucas*
Scripture Matthew 28:18-19 Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
In a world where it seems that the darkness is getting darker, Christians have an awesome opportunity to shine! I can think of no better time for the LIGHT to be turned on than in darkness. God is calling us to step up and speak out the Good News of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 61:1 says “Arise and shine for the Glory of the Lord has risen upon you. Deep darkness covers the earth, but the Lord will shine upon you.” That, my friends is Good News! That is the message that we need to proclaiming (preaching) because that is the message that Jesus Himself was anointed to preach. He came that we might have life more abundantly (John 10:10) in order that we could share that life and light with others.
“Arise and shine for the Glory of the Lord has risen upon you. Deep darkness covers the earth, but the Lord will shine upon you.” Photo from Living the United Methodist Way: Turning Worlds Upside Down, Jacksonville, Florida, Jan. 29-Feb. 1, 2009.Jesus told His disciples (by the way, that included women) to go to Jerusalem and wait for the Promise of the Spirit that would empower (anoint) them to BE WITNESSES. Jesus did not say to DO Witnessing; He said that we were to BE WITNESSES. There is a huge difference in being and doing.
Being refers to something that you are all the time; doing is something you may only do part of the time. Going door to door, sending cards, block parties, even worship services might fall into the doing category ( not that these are bad, they’re just not all that we need to do). Jesus wants us to know that because we are empowered by God, everything we do is part of sharing the good news of Christ.
Consider Romans 12:2 in the Message Bible; Take your everyday, ordinary life, your eating, sleeping, working, getting up, going to bed and walking around, and offer it to God as a living sacrifice. That tells me that everything I do from grocery shopping and cooking supper to going to work and putting gas in my car should be a lifestyle of witnessing the power of Jesus in my life. That’s an awesome responsibility and one that Christians should not take lightly. There is no such thing as a private faith!
We live in a time where people are not interested in programs that they haven’t yet seen produce good results in others. They are in need of real people that have lives that show that Jesus has and is making a difference in their daily lives. They need to see people who are in the middle of trials that are full of joy and peace. They need to see people that have faith and confidence that no matter what comes, God is good and He is on our side. People are hungry for the Gospel of Good News that Jesus wants us to preach by living a life wholly devoted to God. You may not have a seminary degree, teach a Sunday school class, or sing in the choir, but you do have a ministry and a mission field. You have an opportunity everyday to be a witness for Jesus and someone somewhere needs your message “preached” to them.
Deep darkness is trying to cover the earth, but God’s Light through His people will overcome the darkness. As the song Pass It On says, “It only takes a spark to get a fire going.” I pray that you will allow the Lord to use you as a spark of Good News in a dry and thirsty land. The fire of God is rising in His People. Preach Good News so that they will hear, repent, and begin their journey of shining for God. Go into all the world (that includes Wal-Mart, Kroger, your work place, your school and your home) and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and Lo I am with you always!
*Cinde Lucas is chairperson of the Conference Evangelism Committee and director of Cinde Lucas Overflow Ministries, 273 Henryville Rd., Ethridge, TN 38456. www.CindeLucas.com
What might a Spiritual Director Offer a Church?
By Kasey Hitt*
Working on or with a church staff once seemed a thing of the past for me. In 2003, when my burn-out as a youth pastor became unbearable, I escaped from being in ministry by going to…seminary! A much-needed taste of spiritual direction had come a year before during a week-long contemplative retreat. Burn-out seemed the perfect time to get a Certificate of Spiritual Direction along with a Masters in Divinity and hopefully my soul could “recover” from the church.
Russ and Kasey Hitt with daughter AlainaMy husband and I loaded our belongings and began the trek from southeast Missouri to Washington. Five break-downs and three U-Hauls later, we arrived in the Seattle-area where I immediately began seminary with burn-out induced anger toward the church! By my last year, however, I was amazed how in the throes of school God had offered me needed soul care while also restoring my love for the church and those in ministry.
I wondered how spiritual direction could be integrated into the life of a church and picked that as my thesis topic. Surprisingly, the first church I talked to embraced my proposal and offered me a paid position as their Spiritual Direction Consultant. At Cedar Cross United Methodist Church in Mill Creek, WA, over the course of a year, I
.offered direction to a dozen staff and lay leaders
.led a “listening” staff retreat
.facilitated a discussion on discernment for Church Council
.taught a prayer seminar for the congregation followed by a contemplative prayer day-retreat
.began a spiritual direction group, and
.gave the pastor a break by preaching a few times
To see this church’s desire to intentionally create space to hear God’s voice was thrilling and strengthened my desire to continue bringing spiritual direction to churches.
A communal journey toward listening, caring and wholeness begins with the leadership of the church. Photo from the national leadership conference “Living the United Methodist Way: Turning Worlds Upside Down,” Jacksonville, FL, Jan. 29 – Feb 1, 2009.Since moving to the Nashville-area in June 2008, I have met several spiritual directors and people participating in contemplative-type ministries, many within the United Methodist Church. Yet spiritual direction still remains largely unknown, so I want to give a glimpse of what it is and what a spiritual director could offer a church.
Spiritual direction is the ancient art of accompanying people along their spiritual journeys. Like the story of Eli and Samuel found in I Samuel 3, a spiritual director creates a safe place so people can recognize and respond to God’s “voice” in their ordinary lives. Individual direction is usually held for one hour once a month. It offers a quiet space in which to be silent, be guided in prayer, reflect on a Scripture passage, and/or have a “soul-shaping conversation.” The silent part can be challenging! When the external voices stop, internal voices can clamor for our attention and some come “spiritually” clothed like, “I know I’m working long hours, but I’m doing God’s work.” Spiritual directors can provide soul care for pastors and staffs by offering a place to discern whether or not such sentences are from God.
When I was a youth pastor, I worked long hours (many times ministry workaholism is seen as a spiritual gift). I read the Bible in order to write youth talks and did not know how to read it without thinking of them! I also found it difficult to confide in anyone else on staff, for they, too, were ministry workaholics. Spiritual direction offered me a different environment where I felt invited to “be” with God rather than constantly “do” for God. When I returned to ministry as a spiritual director, I was a healthier person. Spiritual direction can help pastors, church staffs and lay leaders, especially, care for their own souls and this will always help the people they are ministering to.
Besides a referral for individual direction, spiritual directors can help churches become “listening congregations,” which is a lifestyle of intentionally listening to each other and to the Holy Spirit. How this looks varies, but many directors offer seminars, retreats and group spiritual direction to assist congregations. For instance, what might the impact be if Finance Committee or the Youth Ministry focused on ways of discernment in regard to their particular ministry? If staff members attended to how they are listening to each other, would the temptation to co-exist or see the other as competition over budget money decrease? A communal journey toward listening, caring and wholeness begins with the leadership of the church.
After ten years in youth ministry as a volunteer, intern and full-time Youth Pastor, followed by a season of burn-out, I cannot help but offer those in ministry that which has so deeply impacted me. I hope pastors might consider how a spiritual director could be a part of their own and even their church’s spiritual journey.
*Kasey Hitt lives in Mount Juliet, is a member of Providence United Methodist Church, and has been a spiritual director for 5 1/2 years. She is married to Russ Hitt and the couple has one daughter, 2 ½ year-old, Alaina.
Spiritual Formation Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow: Celebrating 200 Years of Methodism in Smith County Part of the Cookeville District
by Jamie Shelby Wallace
How do we define spiritual formation? Some would say that spiritual formation is to know Christ, encounter Christ, worship Christ, grow in Christ, and make Christ known in the world around us. In 2008, Smith County celebrated 200 years of Methodism. A committee from the Carthage United Methodist Church made plans to include all the United Methodist Churches of Smith County, Cookeville District Superintendent Jay Archer, and Bishop William Morris in a county wide celebration. Lead by dedicated CUMC member James Bass, the committee worked with Pastor Jerry Wallace to celebrate the deep and rich history of Methodism in the spiritual formation of the region.
Carthage-Cedar Point pastor Jerry K. WallaceAn old fashioned dinner on the ground potluck was held during the summer at the Smith County Agriculture Center to accommodate all the attending United Methodist congregations. Each church was encouraged to join in offering praise and worship through song and prayer. The event raised a total of $800. Four hundred dollars went to benefit the Smith County Help Center. The Center gives support to families experiencing financial difficulty providing life necessities such as food and clothing. The other four hundred dollars raised went to Emmanuel House, a shelter in Smith County for women and children starting over after leaving domestic violence situations.
Pastor Wallace encouraged all who where available to attend a six week study which included the history of the Methodist Church in Smith County, John Wesley, the structure, beliefs, and the emphasis of grace in the United Methodist Church. The study began in September and was completed in early October at the Carthage United Methodist Church. On October 12, 2008, former pastors, families, District Superintendent Jay Archer, and Bishop William Morris were invited to attend the last event of the 200 year celebration to honor their dedication to the spiritual formation of the congregations of Smith County.
Bishop William Morris, “What the World Needs Now is the church of Jesus Christ.”Bishop William Morris provided an energizing message titled “What the World Needs Now is the church of Jesus Christ.” The Bishop eloquently tied together the spiritual formation of yesterday, today, and tomorrow of the United Methodist Church and its members. In his message, Bishop Morris explained the church helps people to know Christ, encounter Christ, worship Christ, grow in Christ, and make Christ known in the world around us. Bishop Morris related the need to be an active part of church practices such as weekly worship, Sunday school, Bible Study, and the all important prayers which are essentials in our spiritual formation.
Founders of the Methodist churches in Smith County and the Cookeville District knew that spiritual formation was an important part of abundant living as God intended. Today the Cookeville District has a vital Lay Speaking Ministry lead by devoted Crossville FUMC member Holly Neal. The Upper Cumberland Emmaus (Spiritual Director Craig Green) and Chrysalis(Spiritual Director Keith Long) Communities provide spiritual renewal weekends for those seeking to go deeper in their relationship with Christ our Lord and encourages seekers to become servant leaders in their local church and community. Cookeville District Superintendent Jay Archer sends a monthly devotional titled “Thoughts on Holiness” to church leaders which provides much needed encouragement and support in leading our congregations in spiritual formation. Churches across the district provide those essentials of prayer, study, worship, and service to their congregation and communities. The hope of spiritual formation for tomorrow is found in the one we seek to know, encounter, worship, grow in love, and make known in the world around us “Jesus Christ our Savior”!!
Glendale United Methodist Church retreat house ministry offers spiritual renewal
“Enter in Peace, Stay in Love, Leave with Hope.” These words welcome visitors to Glendale United Methodist Church’s Retreat House Ministry.
Jesus said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” (Mark 6:31)
“Enter in Peace, Stay in Love, Leave with Hope”The Glendale United Methodist family invites guests from across the Tennessee Conference to experience retreat. The Retreat House is located next to the church at 902 Glendale Lane in Nashville. It is fully equipped and offers quiet space for individuals or small groups to spend some time apart with God. No phone, no internet, no TV—just a quiet space in a quiet Nashville neighborhood. You can dig in the soil of our community garden, sit in the benches around the labyrinth, or rock in the rocking chairs on the church’s porch. Glendale is located minutes from Green Hills, Melrose or Brentwood in the David Lipscomb neighborhood.
The first guests for day retreat and ministry planning came in November 2006. Since that time Glendale has offered hospitality to students participating in local mission work, church staff retreats, Christian Education Incubator, Clergy Sabbath Groups, Christian Educator Fellowship, chaplains, clergywomen on retreat, pastors having early hospital visits in Nashville, writers working on devotional materials, students writing for the Board of Ministry, leadership training, clergy family retreats, personal spiritual retreats, mission groups traveling through Nashville, and a small Sunday School class on retreat.
The retreat experience is a journey into the heart of God where one is strengthened for the work of God in the world. A time apart on retreat renews our energy so that we may return to our friends, our family our work in God’s world. Is God calling you away to a quiet place to renew your hope? The Glendale Retreat House may be just what God has planned for you . . . “Enter in Peace, Stay in Love, Leave with Hope.” If you would like more information or wish to schedule some retreat time contact Rev. Sandra Griggs, 615-297-6233, email: pastorgriggs@comcast.net
posted by TN Conference UMC @ 6:52 AM
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