The turning of the calendar page from one year to the next
is often viewed by many of us as an opportunity for a fresh start. In addition
to the standard Christmas cookie-fueled resolutions to eat better, exercise
more, and drink more water, many people make commitments to grow in their life
of faith and discipleship. These are all very noble goals, but a goal without a
plan is just a dream. That’s one of the reasons so many resolutions are
forgotten by the end of January.
As we begin the new year, let me offer you a few practical
steps you can take to grow in your life of discipleship this year.
· Daily
prayer. I recently had one of the young people at Holy Cross ask me why we fold
our hands and close our eyes when we pray. My hunch is that folded hands keep
you from hitting your sister and closed eyes keep your attention on God. In
seminary we were taught to raise our outstretched arms in prayer in a position
of offering and reception. I do my best praying while on the move. When I’m
running in the early morning hours or driving from place to place, I’m engaged
in an ongoing conversation/argument/bitch session. The point being, prayer is
less a matter of formality and more like having a beer with a good friend.
· Daily
devotion. Some people do much better with regularly appointed times and
texts when it comes to their spiritual life. There are many resources to assist
you in making this happen. In 2015, I’m going to use the Bread for the Day resource to guide me in my daily prayer and scripture reading. At Holy Cross,
we have some free resources available for you to use.
- Christ in Our Home is an easily accessible devotional that includes a daily scripture text, a brief reflection, a prayer, and a prayer concern. The little booklets are published quarterly and can be picked up at the Welcome Center at the church entrance.
- Daily Discipleship is a weekly another resource that you’ll find at the Welcome Center. Published weekly, this tool dives a little deeper into the Sunday Gospel text and offers questions for individual or small group discussion.
- The Daily Lectionary is an organized series of daily Bible readings that include a psalm and two scripture readings each day. While Christ in Our Home can be consumed with your corn flakes, the daily lectionary will best be accompanied by a hot cup of coffee and ample time and space to encounter the Holy Spirit in and through your reading.
Find something that works for you and give
it a try. Studies show that it takes about 21 days for something to become a
habit.
· Serve. Our
life of faith and discipleship isn’t just a head trip. Our faith gets real when
we serve others and make the love of God a reality for them. In 2015, participate
in one of the many opportunities to serve in and through our congregation. We’ve
got some awesome ministry partners that could really use your help. For instance,
Metro Lutheran Ministry (MLM) serves breakfast to nearly 200 of their neighbors
at the True Light Family Outreach. Holy Cross will help serve on January 17.
Participate in this event, get to know some new folks, and you’ll never ask God
to “give us this day our daily bread” in the same way again. Trust me.
· Give. But
do so in a way that honors God by making an intentional matter of first priority
and generosity. At the start of this
year, determine the percentage of your household income that you’re currently
sharing with the church and other organizations. Set the percentage that you
want to give – working toward the traditional guideline of 10%.
These are just a few suggestions for you as you seek to grow
in your life of faith and discipleship. God's blessings!
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| Michael Peck, Sr. Pastor |
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