Pastor's Page

 One of my teachers used to talk about our need for spiritual food. To have a well balanced spiritual life we need to make sure we get something from each of the four major “food groups”: Worship, Prayer, Study, and Service. But, just as in our eating habits, we all have different styles and enjoy different “flavors.” Here are four styles or flavors of the spiritual life. They are named for four figures from the New Testament that seem to be examples of those styles: Paul, Peter, Mary and Martha.

¨ The “Paul” style appeals to the mind. These folks appreciate a well structured worship service, an intellectually sound sermon, well thought out theology, and words to hymns that have a message. They enjoy in-depth Bible study and prayers that are thought out     before being spoken. They enjoy planning service projects but not  necessarily swinging the hammer.

¨ The “Peter” style appeals to the heart. These people appreciate worship that is uplifting and inspiring and they are touched more by the music than by the spoken word. Bible study is for inspiration and not so much for information. They prefer prayer that is spontaneous and seeing the smile on the face of someone they have helped.

¨ The “Mary” style appeals to the spirit. These folks want to experience the presence of God who is within. They appreciate worship that gives them space to look inward and don’t mind long periods of silence and meditation. Bible reading is not for study as much as for hearing the voice of God behind the actual words. The best way to serve the world is through prayer.

¨ The “Martha” style appeals to a sense of service. Worship should
inspire to service, and going out into the world to do good is more important that being in church. The Bible is the source of the mandate to love God and neighbor. They are the engines that make important service projects, like building with Habitat or feeding the hungry at Safe Harbor, really work. Serving others is serving God, and the goal is to realize the Kingdom here and now.

No one style or flavor is better than the others. And remember that we all need all four elements of the spiritual life in our diet—worship, study, prayer, and service.

Pastor L. Timothy Doty