Your Rule of Life

During Leadership Transformations recent celebration of our 8th Anniversary, we held an event entitled “Re-Ignited: Kindling Our Inner Fire for God.” During one of the plenary sessions I spoke about “Feeding the Neglected Soul,” and suggested five inviting ways we can nurture our souls.

The first way we feed our neglected soul is to open ourselves fully to receive the abundance of our Heavenly Father’s loving embrace (blog entry 11.18.11).

The second way I suggested is to trust in the Spirit to create from deep within us a transformative walk of faith (blog entry 11.28.11).

Thirdly, we feed our soul by leaning fully into the manifold gifts of Sabbath (blog entry 12.12.11).

Fourthly, we feed our soul by practicing life-giving spiritual disciplines in order to become more spaciously attentive to God (blog entry 12.19.11).

And fifthly, our soul is fed by discerning and fulfilling our Personal Rule of Life – defined by yours truly as “a holistic description of the Spirit-empowered rhythms and relationships that create, redeem, sustain and transform the life God invites you to humbly fulfill for Christ’s glory.”

Over this past weekend we’ve recounted new chapters of the Advent and Christmas journey, found in storybook fashion through the pages of Luke 1 and 2. Here in the biblical text we see with clarity the radical availability of the various characters who surrounded the baby Jesus. Zechariah and Elizabeth, Mary and Joseph, the Shepherds, Simeon and Anna. Each received a divine touch and specific invitation to respond to the loving initiatives of God. When they answered with a “Yes!” they were empowered by the Holy Spirit to be and become all that God intended. Their delightful stories have been recounted ever since that first Christmas.

When we too hear, understand and affirm God’s unique invitation for our own life – in all its beauty, creativity, and authenticity – we see and sense firsthand the touch of Almighty God. Our path of life (Psalm 16) is to be followed humbly, generously, and intentionally in service to others. When we share the fullness of God in and through us, and in the context of Christian community, we do so for the honor and pleasure of the Lord Jesus.

As we turn the page into 2012, I’ll be devoting my weekly blogs to Rule of Life concepts. Your personal Rule of Life is about both being and doing. We’ll explore multiple topics with broad brush strokes and with specific granularity. The desired outcome is a life well lived for the glory of God. It is my hope and prayer that you will find great joy in all the visitations of God’s Spirit inviting you into the well-ordered way of faithful love and service.

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Steve Macchia

Founder & President

The Rev. Dr. Stephen A. Macchia is founder and president of Leadership Transformations, Inc. (LTI), a ministry serving the spiritual formation, discernment, and renewal of leaders and learners since 2003. For more than 20 years he has been the Director of the Pierce Center for Disciple-Building at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he also serves as an adjunct faculty member in the Doctor of Ministry Program. From 1989-2003 he was the president of Vision New England, the largest regional church renewal association in the country. Earlier in his ministry life, Steve was a member of the pastoral staff of Grace Chapel in Lexington, Massachusetts for 11 years. He is the author or co-author of 17 books, including The Discerning Life (Zondervan Reflective), and Crafting a Rule of Life, Becoming A Healthy Church (LTI), and Broken and Whole (IVP).  He and his wife Ruth live in the Boston (MA) area and are the proud parents of two married children and grandparents to three adorable grandchildren. Steve’s personal website is www.SteveMacchia.com.

My soul comes alive singing the great hymns of the church and enjoying the beauty of God’s creation. I’m in awe of God for fulfilling the dream for LTI that he birthed in my heart, for the team he has assembled, and the transformational impact experienced in the leaders and teams we serve.

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Mitzi Mak

Selah-West Faculty & Emmaus Faculty

Mitzi started her professional life as a high school social studies teacher. She and her husband Jerry then served cross-culturally for ten+ years, living abroad first in India and then Kurdistan, N. Iraq. In addition to being a Spiritual Director, she now serves as a Formation and Care pastor in her local church in Houston, TX. She has graduated from LTI’s Selah Spiritual Direction training as well as LTI’s Emmaus Formational Leadership Program.

Mitzi enjoys engaging conversation, reading fiction, doing jigsaw/crossword puzzles, ocean gazing and exploring the world with Jerry through food and travel.

God has two main callings in Mitzi’s life: to care for those who care for others and to be a guide in helping others have a healthy relationship with the Trinity – recognizing God’s loving presence and activity in their lives and how to faithfully respond.

Selah was a transformative experience for me – allowing the contemplative within to emerge and to beautifully co-exist with my extraverted personality.