It's great to be reminded year after year that the learning postures (listening, submerging, inviting, contending, imagining and entrusting) are just as much for me as they are for our apprentices. "Apprentices of Jesus" was actually the theme of our recent NieuCommunities' worldwide staff conference that was held in South Africa (see photo).
We recently began our second learning posture of the year - Submerging. As we begin this posture I find myself asking the question, "What does it mean for me to surbmerge after living in South Africa for nearly 10 years?" In so many ways I have sunk roots in South Africa -we are surrounded by Daleen's extended family, our kids go to a local Afrikaans school, I own a house, we have some deep relationships, I know people in the local community, I am part of a staff team that has been together for years, etc. So, where is God calling me to submerge?
During our NieuCommunities' conference, God impressed on my heart to "go deeper with fewer." Thus began the process of examining my life and asking God who those "few" might be. Then I noticed that as I wrote my personal covenant for the year that I was tempted to ambitiously pursue more than Christ might be calling me to. I wanted to add more people and opportunities without necessarily listening for God's leading. Why? To prove that I am doing worthwhile ministry? Is "more" better? As my wife likes to say, "Sometimes less is more."
I also sense that he is calling me to go deeper with our staff team. I find that living in intentional community doesn't necessarily mean that we all have deep relationships. And while I know that I can't know everyone to the same depth, I also know that I need to pursue our staff team more deeply. They are the ones who are travelling with me long-term.
Submerging isn't just related to others. There are things of the heart that God is walking me through and asking me to engage at a deeper level. There are also parts of my personality, as well as skills and knowledge that I want to grow in, especially in the areas of spiritual formation, coaching/mentoring and creative worship experiences. And finally, I desire to identify more deeply with Jesus and love Him more fully.
Obviously all of this won't happen at once. This is what I want to work into the fabric of my life - my days, weeks and months. As I move forward I will continue to listen, be intentional, take time to examine my life and, perhaps most importantly, give myself some grace. I invite you into this journey with me - where is God calling you to submerge more deeply?
