Intentionality as a Spiritual Practice

I recently came across the term "pre-mortem," which intrigued me. I knew what a post-mortem is - an evaluation of what went wrong after a failure.  It turns out the a pre-mortem is the practice of flipping that idea to ask, "If we implement this plan or project, why might it fail?" The exercise then looks back from a possible failure to see what weak points there might be in the planning. Finding them beforehand leads to a greater chance of a successful outcome.

I then read a story about a person who applied the practice of a pre-mortem to their life. They would take a couple of days at the start of each year to ask themselves, "What do I want to look back on in a year's (or two- or five-year's) time and be proud of?  What mistakes might I make that would disappoint me or others? If I died this year, what would I others to be able to say in my eulogy?"

That struck me as a profoundly wise spiritual practice - one that I would call living with intentionality. Instead of going through the motions of daily life, life becomes focused on our purpose and opportunities in the year ahead. Where might there be pitfalls?  In what ways can I stay true to my value or my calling as I navigate the year ahead. How might other people or other events try to knock me off my purpose?

Our baptismal promises give us a structure for living with intentionality by centering worship, self-examination and amendment of life, respect for others and loving service at the core of what we do. Our weekly worship and the actions we take as Christ's hands and heart reinforce our sense of purpose.

Jesus had a statement of intentionality. It was in John 10:10 - "I came that you might have life, and might have it abundantly." Everything Jesus did was about creating space for us to experience the abundance of life.  (This is different from a life of abundance, which usually reduces the focus to material things.) God did not create us to meander through life, but to know the fullness of love, relationship, participation, generosity, and compassion.  

I think the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. also practiced a life of amazing intentionality that kept him rooted in his purpose and shielded him from succumbing to pressures to become more radical or violent or more passive and disengaged. His intentionality was rooted in his vision of all people as the beloved of God, called to experience the abundance of life. His work sought to free the chains of those structures and beliefs that diminished life for individuals and communities as a whole. He stayed firm to his commitment to non-violence and kept God at the center of his vision. 

This is a year for us at St. Peter's to do our own pre-mortems, to practice our own intentionality. Where do we want to be in five years? What might prevent us from getting there? How do we stay intentional to our identity as a faith-based community called by God to worship, grow, and serve with Christ?

As individual parishioners and practicing Christians, what might God say about us at the end of the year? What might others say about how Christ shone through us? 

And, finally, how can we walk with one another to offer encouragement, prayer, and support in our individual growth journeys? 

All of these questions are part of fruit pre-mortem and following them can give greater meaning, focus, and intentionality - and abundance - the life that lies ahead.