What a fascinating discussion that came from last week’s newsletter message.
Many agree that modern technology can do a lot to coordinate details and administrative tasks; however, there is no doubt something powerful about coming together in an in-person council setting and petitioning the will of the Lord through a revelatory experience.
Here’s where my mind is stuck…
How do we do this without remaining in the “shallows”?
Or, in other words, how do we get to a place mentally where revelation can be received?
Naturally, we start each council meeting with a prayer, but we often do so with the passion of dialing the dentist’s office on your phone.
It feels like the first step to get out of the way so we can “get to the business.”
What if we could somehow push past the “shallows” of spirituality and reach the “depths” of it?
Consider the state of mind you are in as you walk into the Celestial room after an endowment session.
That’s the aim.
My fear is that we are simply changing the name of our “meeting” to “council,” but it remains a “meeting.”
A simple prayer is said, and then the agenda starts to roll down the hill with the momentum of gravity.
Ideas have been passed back and forth.
Action items are set.
Names are discussed.
Until all that remains is a long list of tasks to do rather than a revelation to process to guide.
How do we do this right?
Off the top of my head, here are some ideas to get to the depths of council meetings:
- A 5-minute pause of silence to begin while we invite the Lord to speak to our minds.
- A temple attendance rotation so that one member of the presidency is in the celestial room once a week, petitioning for further revelation.
- A silent meeting intermission at the midpoint to reflect and ask God if we are on the right path.
Maybe I connect revelation too much with silence; however, I have rarely talked my way into deep revelation.
With all this said, how do we REALLY make a meeting a revelatory experience?
See what others think about this message HERE.
Sincerely,
Kurt Francom
Executive Director
Leading Saints
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