In these difficult days, I thank God for all of you – and your respective local congregations as we together navigate pandemics of various kinds. We thank God for his presence – as he strengthens us all in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:10 – For when I am weak, then I am strong).
God commands us in his word to be strong in the Lord, and he gives us the privilege of communing with Him through prayer and spiritual disciplines. As a denomination, we have recognized our increasing need for God’s presence. In fact, over the past few years as denominational leaders listened to the collective voices of pastors and lay leaders, we have heard a deep desire for a renewed emphasis on these spiritual practices. That is why, as we introduce our new ministry plan - called Our Journey 2025 - the first milestone states:
We desire to be churches and communities that cultivate practices of prayer and spiritual discipline, transforming our lives and communities by the power of the Holy Spirit.
You’ll hear more about Our Journey 2025 in the coming months, and will learn how our various CRCNA ministries will be leaning into these milestones to support congregational efforts. Today, however, I want to specifically highlight how Faith Formation Ministries is providing tools for your use in the area of spiritual practices.
Starting September 2020, Faith Formation Ministries will release resources on a particular faith practice each month as part of their Faith Practices Project. This project is particularly timely as we seek to discern God’s leading while we continue to navigate the COVID–19 pandemic, as well as racial and societal fractures.
I thank God for your continuing faithfulness, your leadership, and your commitment to depend on God for all things. May He bring us to complete unity as we serve Him and each other.
Comments
Thank you for producing the Faith Practices book and supporting resources. Lord willing, our church will be engaging in these faith practices this year. This is a helpful approach, I think, as we need to learn how to get God's Word in our hearts, not just in our heads, which seems to be a Reformed tendency as far as I can tell. I think such faith practices are also a great way to help students own their faith and to equip and empower parents to disciple their children.
I see this post by Colin Watson originally posted in 2020 is currently being featured under the Spiritual formations tab...
We desire to be churches and communities that cultivate practices of prayer and spiritual discipline, transforming our lives and communities by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Hmmmm... One of the things that I have realized over the last number of years is that traditionally we (reformed) have had a tendency to focus on a transactional more than a relational faith.
That tendency has carried over into our structures and systems as well. We have emphasized a hierarchical authority and power of leadership over others/power differentials, instead of a mutual, relational LOVING and SERVING ONE ANOTHER! (let alone the other 40+ ONE ANOTHER commands). That is one of the transformations needed in our lives, communities and denomination with the help of the Holy Spirit.
https://network.crcna.org/topic/spiritual-formation/lets-talk-about/case-one-another-see-these-59-commands-bible
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