º Introduction
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Alarm didn't work, kids are screaming Staying balanced up against the stresses and demands of contemporary living sometimes seems precarious and elusive. It would all be fine, we reason, if we lived in the peaceable confines of a monastery. But with families, community needs and workplaces burdens we more likely feel like a child’s rubber ducky in the middle of the perfect storm. Spiritual balance and grounding takes an act of will…it takes intentionality. For a life lived without intention – without planning, without purpose – is a life that is swept away by any number of agendas. This Intentional Living Program will give you the opportunity to stop the rush and silence the clatter and begin a process of thoughtful planning. The program is divided into six parts: Discernment, Prayer, Our Bodies (leisure and health), Finance and Caring for Others. During this time you will have a chance to reflect on how you are presently living and explore how we might find more contentment, purpose and more connection with the Divine. It is good to remind ourselves that even Jesus, who lived a short and busy life, took time for prayer and to reconnect with family and friends. The early Christians were intentional about their activities and became known as the ‘people of the Way’. As contemporary followers, we too strive to pattern our lives after Christ and walk in His footsteps. Blessings as you engage in this program and make intentional and abundant living. There's got to be a better way You said to me, I was here all along
The process we will be going through is, in fact, borrowed from the spiritual treasure chest of the monastic life, and it is called a Rule of Life. Every religious order insists its adherents set goals and targets that will help them live godly lives. We are going to unearth this Rule of Life, bring it into our contemporary setting and make it available to you, the every day people of God, saints of light, trying to make your way in this journey of faith. You might be surprised to know that you already have a Rule of Life, it just might not be formally written down and located in one place for reference. For example, the desire to ‘attend church regularly’ (whatever regular means) is a target or goal you have set for your spiritual life. So you won’t be starting from scratch. In fact, a good way to begin is to take stock of the good things you are already doing which bring health, balance and faithfulness into your life.
At our very beginning there was something woven into our souls, a little something from God. We were created in the likeness and image of God and therefore deep within us there is a yearning for a relationship with the Divine. When we ask, why am I here? Why, when I have so much, do I feel discontented? Am I doing what I should be doing with my life? That is all about drawing closer to that which gave us life in the first place. If we don’t take the time to get connected with God and be intentional about how we use our time, then we will always feel that gnawing sense of restlessness, confusion and discontent. As Augustine of Hippo, a great Christian thinker of the 5th century, said, "Our heart is restless until we rest in you, O God." This program is about helping ourselves put God at the centre and our lives on a divine path.
It might surprise you but, you can not do anything that is going to make it alright with God. You are already loved beyond measure, beyond understanding. In fact, God’s love is too great for us. God’s loves for each one of us is reckless, abundant and unconditional. "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son." John 3:16 What do we call this? We call this grace. That is what we mean when we sing ‘Amazing Grace!’ So, Christian programs like Intentional Living are not promising to get you on God’s good side. We are already there, lovingly tucked in under God’s wing. When we were children we learned that if we were good little girls and boys, we would please our teachers and parents and then things would go well for us. This program will not guarantee a perfect life. It will simply help you plan to use your time, talents and treasure responsibly and faithfully so that God is intentionally in the centre of all that you are. If you are having a difficult time truly grasping the depth of God’s love for you then this might be something to explore in this program. A young fighter asked O Sensei, the founder of Aikido, "You never lose your balance. What is your secret?" "You are wrong." O Sensei replied. "I am constantly losing my balance. My skill lies in my ability to regain it." We are doing this program because we believe a balanced life of faith is always a work in progress. An intentional life is one where there is an active, ongoing effort to regain equilibrium and a sense of peace. Somewhere in all that rush and clutter, or hum drum of life there is a hand reaching out and a voice saying, "Hang on and keep hanging on. You are well loved! Now stay close as this ride is going to get interesting!"
Each week, for six weeks, we will focus on one part of our lives: discernment, prayer life, health and leisure, finances, reaching out to those in need. Each week you will be given a different Intentional Living Chart that you can use to record your intensions. You can contact a member of the pastoral team if you want help focusing on a specific matter. Also, there will be a small group offered twice, at 11:00 Sunday morning and Monday evening, which will allow you to go even deeper with the topic. These small groups also have the added advantage of community support and accountability.
It would be unwise for you to expect to set significant goals in all six areas of your life. No one has it all together so just plan for two or three important adjustments that will best leverage your life toward God. Keep in mind a total-life-makeover takes a lot energy and emotional strength. Big Hairy Audacious Goals, BHAGs, as they call them, sound seductively hip but they are guaranteed to introduce a lot more stress into your life. If you do feel God is calling you to make a radical change in your life then make sure you and those around you, have compensated for the drastic adjustment required.
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