{"id":407,"date":"2008-04-09T01:01:32","date_gmt":"2008-04-09T01:01:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2008\/04\/what-can-we-do-to-make-room-for-the-holy-spirit-in-strategic-planning-and-goal-setting-section-e.html"},"modified":"2008-04-09T01:01:32","modified_gmt":"2008-04-09T01:01:32","slug":"what-can-we-do-to-make-room-for-the-holy-spirit-in-strategic-planning-and-goal-setting-section-e","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/04\/what-can-we-do-to-make-room-for-the-holy-spirit-in-strategic-planning-and-goal-setting-section-e.html","title":{"rendered":"What Can We Do to Make Room for the Holy Spirit in Strategic Planning and Goal Setting: Section E"},"content":{"rendered":"

Part 6 of series: Planning and Goals: Is There Room for the Holy Spirit?
\n<\/em>Permalink for this post<\/a> \/ Permalink for this series<\/a>
\nWhat We Can Do to Make Room for the Holy Spirit in Strategic Planning and Goal Setting: Section E<\/strong>
\nSo far I’ve outlined six attitudes and\/or actions will help us be open to the Spirit’s guidance in the midst of our strategic planning and goal setting:<\/p>\n

1. Acknowledge the sovereignty of God.
\n2. Listen for the “bass note” of biblical theology.
\n3. Respect the ways God has led in the past.
\n4. Recognize that God’s new wine requires new wineskins.
\n5. Acknowledge that God uses all we are for his purposes.
\n6. Be open to the supernatural gifts of the Spirit.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Today I’ll add yet another item to the list.
\n7. Recognize that the gifting and discernment of the Holy Spirit happens primarily in Christian community.<\/strong>
\nIn the period of the Old Testament, God spoke to Israel primarily through inspired individuals. Moses was the singular lawgiver (with Aaron as his spokesman). Similarly, the prophets delivered God’s word in what was often a solitary, lonely occupation. (Photo: Charlton Heston, who provided on of the great cinematic portrayals of Moses, died two days ago.)
\nTo be sure, God continues to speak to and through inspired individuals. But, in the New Testament era, the context in which the Spirit of God speaks and leads is the community of gathered Christians. This point is assumed throughout much of the New Testament, and made explicit in several places, most obviously in 1 Corinthians 12-14. There, the gifts of the Spirit are given through individuals for the community. The community discerns what is authentically from the Spirit.
\nPractically speaking, the communal context for the Spirit’s guidance means that if a planning process is going to be successful in the effort to clarify God’s will, then each person involved needs to be willing to participate, both in giving and receiving. Ideally, each individual will own the possibility of being a channel of the Spirit’s guidance. And, each individual will be open to hear and to discern what the Spirit says through others.
\nThe willingness both to speak and to listen doesn’t come naturally to most people, in my experience. Some folks are comfortable with speaking but not very good at listening. Others are great listeners, but reticent to speak out. To some extent this is fine. But extremes are to be avoided. Those who are more inclined to speak must learn to quiet down and listen attentively. Those who are afraid to speak must develop the courage to let others know what God might be putting on their hearts.
\nThe fact that every person can contribute to the building up of the body of Christ, whether in a worship setting or a planning meeting, is suggested by Paul’s instructions in 1 Corinthians 14:26:<\/p>\n

What should be done then, my friends? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Actually, the original Greek of this verse lacks the telltale word “or” in “or an interpretation.” In Paul’s view, every person can add one or more gifts, according to the leading of the Spirit.
\nThis verse also suggests the attitude that is necessary for such a group process to be successful. Those who participate, either in speaking or in listening, must seek to “build up” the body. If they’re too wrapped up in themselves, seeking either their own glory or their own safety, then the process will be impoverished. When Christians gather in unity, seeking most of all to build up the body of Christ, then the planning process can be an effective vehicle of the Spirit’s guidance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Part 6 of series: Planning and Goals: Is There Room for the Holy Spirit? Permalink for this post \/ Permalink for this series What We Can Do to Make Room for the Holy Spirit in Strategic Planning and Goal Setting: Section E So far I’ve outlined six attitudes and\/or actions will help us be open…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-407","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-planning-goals-the-spirit"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat Can We Do to Make Room for the Holy Spirit in Strategic Planning and Goal Setting: Section E - Mark D. 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Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/407","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=407"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/407\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=407"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=407"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=407"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}