a poverty-stricken spiritual life?

Spiritually poor?

This week I read:

Years ago I was consulting with a congregation about their future. In a large gathering of members, a question was raised, “what would you most like your congregation to do for you?”
Much to everyone’s surprise, the answer from one person was, “teach me to pray.
This older adult said she had been baptized, married, saw her own children baptized…held her husband’s memorial service in the church; yet in all those years and experiences, no one ever taught her to pray.....
The inheritance that belongs to every Christian is frequently left unclaimed. So many of us live a poverty-stricken spiritual life. (Reuben Job)

The cheque that was never drawn.

The gift that was never fully opened.

The meal that’s left only hastily eaten in portions.

The words we fail to hear.

The wholeness we miss….

It happens.

Joyless Christainity.

Cold orthodoxy.

Self-righteous convictions.

It shows up  perhaps --

Aversion to spiritual conversations.

Excuses from commitment.

Escape from community

Someone wisely said, ‘we need to preach the Gospel to ourselves everyday!’(and I suggest we do it in church too!)

It is easy to forget what it’s all about.

Life gets busy, We get hurt. Things get too much (pink dot, library books, wars and rumours of wars..)

In my soon-to-be-released book, Shed Those Leaves, I probe this.

It traces back to a Self that is basically far too alive still – where we continue to run on an operating system called performance, strife and competition. Naturally, the spiritual life becomes one more piece of work; and who needs more work?

Kinda like this?

The Word declares,

“How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He’s the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, 

and takes us to high places of blessing in him..

he had us in mind, had settle down on us as the focus of his love, 

to be made whole and holy  by his love.”

~ Ephesians 1 (the Message)

There is here a different plane to live from where we find ourselves blessed.

There is a different person to become where we find ourselves becoming whole and holy.

And it takes this:

“live by the Spirit” 

“led by the Spirit”

“keep in step with the Spirit” ~ Galatians 5 (NIV)

So this week soul friends, how about we confess ~

“blessed are the poor in spirit” {Matthew 5v3}

– and wait -- for Mighty Grace to swoop down and fasten us to the right winds that blow. Not to be tossed, thirsty and tired; but to be trussed and trusting as we live led and walk our baby steps each day.