Eight Ways To Fuel Your Inspiration

by Rev. Mark E. Tidsworth, Founder and Team Leader

How’s this Lenten season going for you ministry leaders? Here we are looking across this week toward Palm Sunday, followed by Holy Week. For those of you who are preaching and designing worship gatherings during these days, how are your inspiration levels by now? Full, medium, low, tanked?

Whatever the inspiration meter is on your tank, don’t be a harsh task-master with yourself if it’s lower than you want. Lent is often like that. Furthermore, please recognize that’s not the end of the story, since we follow a God who’s prone to regularly resurrect people from all kinds of circumstances. This means we can trust God to supply whatever level of inspiration we need to serve faithfully and effectively in God’s vineyard.

Even so, we can personally influence the likelihood that inspiration will find us. Here is my top eight list of ways to position ourselves for inspiration gifts. These are the activities during which I notice inspiration rising in my soul. Perhaps they can help you position yourself for receiving energy for your ministry in this sacred season.

Surrender

By far, this is the most effective way toward receiving inspiration. In fact, surrender is at the heart of our faith anyway. Perhaps a prayer of surrender during this particular season sounds like, “O God, the task of preaching and worship designing in this season seems beyond my ability and beyond my inspiration levels. What’s needed seems so much larger than my few loaves and fishes. So therefore I release my control efforts, trusting what is to come into your hands. Rather than work up the energy for everything myself, I am casting myself on you, knowing you care for me. I’m trusting myself as your servant into your capable hands, willing to serve as you see fit. Not my will, but thy will be done O Lord.” Every time I pray this kind of prayer, sincerely and without reservation, I am amazed at God’s steady faithfulness in filling the inspiration tank commensurate with the tasks at hand.

Rest

It’s funny when we gather church leaders on retreats, creating environments wherein they can let down, drop defenses, and relax into the moment. Sometimes what they discover is fatigue, falling into deep sleep. I’m glad when this happens, recognizing people are getting in touch with their bodies. Making the time to rest during this season will bless you and those you lead.

Solitude

Yes, I know this takes time… which is in short supply right now. I also know that we are able to make time for what’s really important. Whether a day long retreat, a half day hike, or a one hour walk… solitude positions many of us for receiving from the Lord our God.

Moving

No, not moving from your community to another. Moving in the sense of getting up and putting your body into motion. At my house, mowing the lawn takes forever, and since that’s when inspiration often strikes I have to stop to write down the insights before they vanish. For those of us who are movement oriented, making the time and space for getting in motion yields high dividends when it comes to inspiration.

Engaging

It’s amazing how this works… connecting with invigorated people who are fully alive. Being around them, engaging in dialogue, talking over faith or just life itself, can be so invigorating. I’ve never regretted engaging with these kinds of people, but rather walk away with insights flashing and my heart encouraged.

Worship

Go to another service with another church when you can… perhaps a colleague and friend’s church. But when you can’t, we can worship anytime, anywhere. Sing out loud, pray written prayers provided by others, take in devotionals… worshipping any way you can. Then, for many of us, when we give ourselves permission, we are able to worship along with our congregations even while leading worship. Allow the mystery and magnificence of God almighty to find you and fill you as you worship this season.

Reading

I’m reading through Howard Thurman’s Meditations Of The Heart, first published in 1953. The language is old and dated, written in the masculine voice. Yet, the wisdom and insights flow from these pages. Rarely do I quote Thurman, but regularly I am blessed by him through this book. Pull that book off your shelf that functions this way, receiving the inspiration from current saints or those gone by.

Serving

So very often I have a hard time sitting still after presentations or consultations which connect and make a difference. I’m energized by the experience, writing down the insight flashes as they happen so I can develop them into content later. Sure serving is tiring, yet also can elicit inspiration that fills our tanks again.

These are my big eight activities for positioning myself for inspiration. Please use them as they are fitting, while employing your activities that open you to God’s inspiration.

And remember friends, even with all this positioning for inspiration, the story itself is what’s inspiring, as the following prayer poem suggests.

Just tell the story

This year you may not have the most poignant illustration ever

You may not feel wonderfully inspired

But no worries, because it's not about you anyway

The power is in the story

The power was always in the story

Jesus died, buried, resurrected

Just tell the story and trust God

More than enough

A banquet for we hungry pilgrims

Just tell us that story again

Trusting God as we go

Amen

Blessings to you and your worshiping communities in this sacred season.