March 21, 2017 SHARE: Reading time: two minutes MAX! (It’s Lent) When I get stuck inside my own little world of my own private thoughts (which is far too often) I Dr Won Yong Ji miss out on so much wisdom, joy and insight. I think too much and listen too little. I read Dr. Won Yong Ji’s autobiography this week. He was my advisor at seminary, and, I realize now, a more amazing Christian leader than I ever realized. I regret not getting to know him better before he died. Intellectual wellbeing is curiosity about those around us. I listened and learned from many wonderful people in my parish ministry life, but I didn’t listen near enough. Why not give yourself the refreshment and joy of learning something wondrous from someone else this Lent? I’ll suggest three questions to ask some folks, knowing you could think of even better ones, but hoping these will stir some thoughts! How has God spoken to you so far this Lent? We put in extra effort during this season so that the Lord’s people would reflect, ponder, learn and grow from time in the Word. Why not receive the benefit of what the Spirit of the Lord is doing in the lives of others by asking, “What is the Spirit of the Lord doing in your life?” I bet you’d get a number of pleasant surprises if you took time to ask! What do you love best about our Easter Sunday celebration? We do our best to point people back to the cross and the empty tomb during this season. That’s the purpose of Lent. We aren’t spoiling Easter by talking about it during this time of remembering our Lord’s Passion. We all know Easter is coming. It might be a good experience for people to talk about their Easter Sunday expectations as a way of preparing. I expect your Easter worship plans are pretty well set by now, but you might benefit from hearing what people love most about Easter Sunday. What brings you joy? Mary and her girlfriends: Easter joy! Peter and John: Easter joy! Emmaus hikers: Easter joy! The fruit of the Spirit is JOY and joy is one of the most important indicators of a Spirit-filled Christian life. There is a time for Lent and sorrowful reflection, and there is a time for Easter and the joy of salvation, even in the midst of the cares and sadness of this life of cross bearing. Do yourself a favor. Be curious about the joy that God gives to others. You might be refreshed as He gives you a little too! Thanks for reading.