Photo courtesy of V. Isenhower Photography

Pentecost calls for renewal in our personal spiritual lives and the life of our churches.  The church was created because the followers of Jesus were open to the movement of the Spirit.  Pentecost becomes a good time to open ourselves to God's call to renew and deepen our relationship with God.  Celebrating the birth of the Church provides an opportunity to place God in the center of everything the church does including on-going business and decision-making. 

Ideas for renewing your personal faith:

• Set aside time each day to be alone with God to read your Bible, pray and be silent in God's presence.
• Celebrate Sabbath each week -- one day set aside without work to renew yourself in God's Spirit
  • turn off your cell phone and computer
  • spend time with family
  • take a walk
  • be creative
  • begin the time with a relaxed Sabbath meal
  • play
  • treat yourself to a nap
  • Read Wayne Muller's book Sabbath:Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in Our Busy Lives, Bantam Books, 2000 for a more thorough discussion on the importance of Sabbath.
• Read a book on spiritual renewal and practice what you learn.  Our Reading List has several suggestions.
• Read and work through the exercises in Living into the Answers: A Workbook for Personal Spiritual Discernment. (available on this site)
• Invite God into all you do-- washing the dishes, mowing the lawn, shopping, working, playing and resting.  Reading a book on Celtic Christian spirituality will offer more ideas in finding God in the ordinary activities of life.
• Find a spiritual director who will act as a companion on your spiritual journey.
• Live with a Biblical story -- pick a story in the Bible and read it every morning for 7 days.  Each day focus on a different angle in the story.  Pay attention to how the story comes up in your mind throughout the day.
• Begin a practice of ending your day by acknowledging all the places you saw God acting during the day.
• Set an alarm on your watch or in your computer to chime every hour to remind you to stop and center yourself on God. 

Read on for ideas on renewing your congregation--