Ben’s September Letter
Dear Friends in Christ,
What is spirituality? For some people it evokes crystals and meditation. For others, it is a relationship to God without the baggage of religion. For others still, it how they conceptualize the meaning of their life, with or without a deity. But for Christians, spirituality has a distinct meaning and an important place. For us, spirituality is a deep, experiential relationship to God that changes us, and helps us to change the world around us.
Presbyterians sometimes shrug at the idea of spirituality. It seems emotional, unserious, or chaotic. For many of us, faith is something we think, not something we feel. I wonder what might happen for us if it were both. I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. A few weeks ago, motivated by feedback from Evergreen 2030 listening sessions, I took my first course in a spiritual formation certificate program at the Earlham School of Religion in Indiana. I’ll be learning for the next year or so about how I can help you grow into a deeper relationship with God, so that you might be changed, and that you might change the world.
I’ve also been preaching through the persons of the Trinity, and on September 1, I will conclude by preaching on the Holy Spirit. And as I prepare for that—I am struck that Jesus promises it to his followers as their guide and advocate in his place. The Spirit will help us make decisions that Jesus doesn’t specifically tell us. But it also moves around like wind and fire, refusing to be bound by walls or traditions. The Holy Spirit is God guiding us—but it is also God refusing to let us stay exactly as we are.
You will be hearing a lot about spirituality in the weeks and months ahead. You will come to know how a deep, experiential relationship to God can give you more meaningful relationships, or how it can sustain your work on issues that matter. You will see how Evergreen can be a place where people learn how to live more fully through old practices of faith, or how beloved community can blossom when the Spirit pushes strangers together. Perhaps you will come to be as excited as I am about who we can be when Christian spirituality changes lives and changes the world…
This month, and always, may the Holy Spirit be in your midst—guiding you, and transforming you.
Rev. Ben