As many of you know, I am not a great fan of all the forwarded mail and various list postings that come to me via email.  However, now and then the Internet yields up some gems.

This list of suggestions of what constitutes spiritual health came to me via a column by a colleague in Tampa, the Reverend Marjorie Bowens-Wheatly. Marjorie wrote the column back when she was serving Community Church in New York. It had come to her via an email from a friend living and working in Rumania. So the connections of the global village go on.

TWELVE ELEMENTS OF SPIRITUAL HEALTH

LOVE: the commitment to invest in others, rather than be concerned only with yourself. How well does the Divine in you recognize the Divine in others? How well do you care for the Divine in yourself?

INTIMACY: the choice to abandon isolation and alienation in favor of real honesty, heartfelt sharing, mutual support and interdependence. Are there people in your life that are allowed to see behind your mask? How willing are you to let others know you deeply? How much work are you willing to do to know others at a deep level?

TRUST: the willingness to be vulnerable instead of cautious, suspicious, and cynical. Are there people and places in your life that you trust?

MEANING: a clear sense of your life and faith's direction, no longer simply drifting without purpose, or letting the forces in your life push you in directions that are unhealthy for you. Do you check your life occasionally for a feeling of direction or intention?

HOPE: the vision of a desirable future, a present pregnant with promise, eager to be born. Do you hope? Are there people or things in you life that help you to feel hope?

FAITH; the unquestioning leap of faith, relinquishing fear to affirm the not-yet-proven. Do you pursue only that which is safe, or do you dare to grow into areas that are mysterious and challenging?

COMMITMENT: the decision to invest yourself in life rather than straddle the fence. Are there goals or causes in our life that you are willing to commit yourself to? Are there communities or individuals or causes that you are willing to commit to?

PATIENCE: the ability to wait for what is important, allowing the future its own chance to emerge, no longer pushing against the river to make life happen. Can you take a deep breath and wait until the moment feels right?

JOY: the rush to delight that fills an empty shell. Are there people and experiences in your life that will help you know joy? Do you actively search for joy in life for yourself and others?

IMAGINATION: the new view, the creative spark that challenges habit and boredom. Do you let yourself dream and do you listen to these dreams? Do you allow your rules to be broken when something wonderful tries to be born?

COURAGE: the willingness to acknowledge our own limitations and the choice to risk danger when a greater cause is threatened. Do you encounter life face-to-face and accept the dangers of a life well lived?

GRATITUDE: letting go of the myth of self-sufficiency and replacing it with a gratefulness for the gifts of life. Do you acknowledge the gifts that you receive from the universe and others and give thanks regularly? 

How do you think you measure up? What are experiences we in the church community can provide to help you hone your spiritual health?

Blessings on our ongoing struggle to grow together and individually despite all the obstacles.