Probably the most-asked question is “How are you?” It’s more of a greeting than a true inquiry. And is answered simply like, “Great, and you?” But how do you answer the question “How are you doing spiritually?” That question implies something deeper, and we should be able to respond in a meaningful, appropriate way.
Most Christ-followers lack two important skills: the ability to measure where we are spiritually—we don’t have a gauge or reference system to evaluate the state of our soul—and we lack language to express where we are spiritually. Our September series “Soul Search” will address these two things.
Several years ago, I became aware of this idea through my work with Kaleo Ministries. Some of the leaders had been trained using material developed by John & Charles Wesley during the revival that birthed the Methodist church. It was the biggest revival there had ever been, and it significantly shaped the culture of both England and the early USA. The Wesley brothers held massive revival meetings where tens of thousands were saved, healed, and transformed. But they credited the lasting transformation of individuals and communities to the development of small groups and a simple discipleship practice that helped individuals measure and communicate their spiritual condition.
I was challenged by this testimony. For over two years, I have been prayerfully determining a way we can implement a similar way to measure and communicate the condition of our souls. It has to be simple and memorable, something that we all can use without having to read a book or take a test.
Over the next four weeks, in services and in our new Community Groups, we will be introducing this idea. My hope is to create a shared understanding and language so that when we ask one another “How is your soul?” we will know how to respond in an appropriate and meaningful way. In doing so, we will create a deeper level of community and support for one another. Keep in mind that this question isn’t meant to open up a long, probing discussion into our spiritual lives. It’s meant to briefly communicate some aspect of our spiritual state in the present or recent past. It gives us a way to keep tabs on one another, not counsel one another or overexpose our hearts. Additionally, we will share other guidelines that help keep this functional, meaningful, and sustainable.
As we teach through this, please attend our services—by coming on Sunday, tuning into the livestream, or watching on YouTube. I truly believe that this has the potential to help us grow spiritually and better reach our community with the Gospel of Jesus our Lord!