Developing a Spiritual Plan

During Lent I have been serving Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Prairie du Chien which is just west of us on the Mississippi River.  The book we are reading during Lent is John Ortberg's, "The Life You've Always Wanted: Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People."  John does a great job in making spiritual exercises (training) simple and understandable.

He gives us some questions we should ask ourselves in developing our own spiritual plan:

1. How and when shall we pray?

2. How are we going to handle our money in a way that draws us closer to God.

3. How are we going to approach our work in a way that will help Christ to be formed in us?

4. How are we going to be involved in Christian community?

5. How are we going to fill our daily tasks with a sense of God's presence?

I think these are the basic questions we need to ask ourselves -- a good checklist through the year.  We all need a "rule of life;" a plan as to how we are going to live this precious life that God has given us.

As Paul wrote to the Galatians, "All that matters is that one is created anew" (6:15).  Spiritual development is all about being created anew!