| | Community ConNEXTion Theme: Spiritual Grounding | | | Rev. Elder Lillie Brock
 Coordinating Ministry in Region 7
Nebraska, Colorado, Oklahoma, Northern Texas, Florida and Western Canada
Directing Denominational Initiatives in Resourcing, Interim Ministry Training and Placement, Church Revitalization, Large Churches, The Virtual Church, Strategic Planning
Contact Information:
Skype: revlillie to Region 7 Elder and Staff 
King of Peace MCC St. Petersburg, FL 
Resurrection MCC Houston, TX | | | Center, Focus, Meditate, Contemplate
Spiritual Grounding activities are those things done to center, focus, meditate, and contemplate, on that which is spiritual. These activities are performed to foster, grow, and build a relationship with God. Spiritual Grounding seems often to be left to the individual to discover, work out, and perform. Churches however can offer Spiritual Grounding activities, and do! | | At King of Peace MCC in St. Petersburg, FL, regular offerings seek to aid people in being spiritually grounded. For the last three years, Associate Pastor Rev. Lorraine Brock has written and published an Advent booklet. The booklet provides a short reading for each day of the Advent season, taken from a variety of sources. The reader is urged to read the provided passage and reflect on it during a morning prayer time. The hope is that the passage will return to the reader throughout the day, keeping the reader centered. The purpose of the booklet is to assist the reader in keeping focused on the Advent season, and prepare the reader for the celebration of Christmas. The booklet is made available to the congregation at no charge.
A similar booklet has been prepared and used for the Lenten Season as well. For 2009, the booklet will take the form of cards, with one card for each day of the Lenten Season. The cards can be easily carried in a pocket or slipped into a day timer or book, for easy access throughout the day. Each card will have a short reading on the front of it, followed by a question for reflection based on the reading. On the back of the card, space will be provided for writing or journaling reflections or thoughts. The purpose of the cards, as is the purpose of the booklet each year, is to help the user focus on the season of Lent, and prepare for the upcoming celebration of Easter.
Another Spiritual Grounding activity King of Peace offers is a Creative Journaling Class. This 1.5 hour class includes several writing activities all geared toward helping the participant focus on God, and grow spiritually. Writing Your Own Psalm is one of the activities of the class. After looking at Psalm 103 or 104, one of the nature psalms, each participant selects a photograph from a group provided, spends some time with the image, and prays with it, then writes about it, resulting in their own Psalm. A second writing activity of the class is writing an Ethical Will. This Biblically based Jewish tradition asks the participant to write a will, expressing what they will leave behind in regard to what they stand for, what their dreams are. The third writing activity of the class is writing from Abiding Memories. Each participant completes a sentence about each of the five senses: "The sound/sight/smell/touch/taste that I remember is...". They then determine which sentence they are most drawn to, and write the story of this memory. Then they take this story and break it down, until only the minimal amount of facts and feelings remain, and what is left is a poem that they have written. The purpose of the Creative Journaling Class is to help participants focus, or get grounded, on their selves, and their spiritual lives.
Other Spiritual Grounding activities offered by King of Peace include an occasional Taizé worship service. The Taizé community in France is an ecumenical religious community that hosts thousands of visitors weekly, particularly young adults. Taizé worship has a unique style that reflects the meditative nature of the community. Taizé music emphasizes simple phrases, usually lines from Psalms or other pieces of Scripture, repeated and sometimes also sung in canon. The repetition is intended to aid meditation and prayer. The characteristics of Taizé worship make it a spiritual grounding activity. Another spiritual grounding activity offered has been a book club. Participants read a popular, best-selling book with a spiritual component, and gather regularly at a local restaurant to share a meal and discuss the assigned chapter(s) in the book. Again, this focused activity helps people concentrate on the Spiritual, providing much needed grounding.
Resurrection MCC in Houston, TX offers Spiritual Grounding activities, also. The Chalice is a weekly Wednesday evening congregational event. Supper is offered at the church for a nominal fee at 6:00pm. At 6:30pm, a 30 minute worship service is held. This service is meditative in nature, providing an opportunity to experience different forms of prayer each month, such as body prayer, Taizé, and beaded prayer. A short instruction allows the participant to engage in the prayer form, done communally but silently, for about 10 minutes. The worship space is set to encourage meditation, connection, and focus on Spirit, with a central "altar" space designed in the center of gathered chairs set in a circular form. The altar is on the floor, designed with earth elements like rocks, wood, rope, and water/fountains, and set with candles in a very low light setting. Music is simple choruses, easily repeated, or instrumental by a cello or piano or keyboard or organ. The service format includes introduction of the prayer form, scripture and/or poetry reading, practice of the prayer form, and dismissal or sending forth. The service allows each participant space for spiritual grounding, in community, on a weekly basis. To complete the evening experience, the service is followed by several options for spiritual growth including a Creating a Life that Matters class, a NOOMA discussion, and a book discussion.
Another spiritual grounding practice offered at Resurrection MCC is the daily reading activity, prepared by the pastoral staff. Printed in the bulletin each Sunday and posted on the church website, a reading is provided for each day of the upcoming week. The reading is a short exert from scripture or another spiritual book. In addition, reflective questions and/or activities are provided that accompany the reading. The activity is provided as a means of spiritual grounding, a way of meditating and focusing on God, throughout the week.
Spiritual Grounding activities are essential for spiritual growth. Thanks to Resurrection MCC and King of Peace MCC, particularly Rev. Lorraine Brock, for sharing your Spiritual Grounding practices with us!
Compiled by Rev. Dr. Sharon Bezner
RevSharonBezner@MCCchurch.net | | | | | Creating a Life That Matters Creating a Life that Matters is all about relationships: intentional, authentic relationships - with the Sacred, our Self, and our Passion. CLM transforms lives and inspires people to more directed, clear, passionate involvement in their life and in the life of the planet, through the support of their local MCC. Certification is required to teach the CLM Program in a local church or community and two train-the-trainer sessions are already planned for 2009. Participants who attend one of these sessions and demonstrate competency in facilitation of the curriculum will receive certification to teach this transformational course. Click on the links below to register: Online Registration Tutorial March 2-5, 2009 in Dallas, Texas August 3-6, 2009 in Dallas, Texas | | | |
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