I met Alex and Chelsea Workman at the YoungPastors conference in Dallas last year. Since then, we’ve been dreaming together of how I can grow in stewardship of God’s calling on my life. This first letter reflects some of our discussions. My hope is that these q&a’s will refresh your love for Jesus.
P.S. For future letters, I hope to add some questions from you! (you can email them to grow@aliciachole.com or send me a tweet @aliciachole!) I’d love to hear your thoughts, so each month I’ll be giving a gift to someone who comments on the Q&A!
ALEX & CHELSEA :: Alicia, 2015 is a big year for you! What is God speaking to you in this new season?
ALICIA :: This year is filled with milestones for me and for my family. My doctorate has been completed and we’ll celebrate in Portland in a few weeks. Barry completes his certification as a spiritual director the end of May. Jonathan will graduate from high school and turn 18 this summer. Barry and I celebrate our 25th Anniversary in June. And I turn 50 in October. It’s a really big year!
Personally, I expected 2015 to feel like a year of closure and it does, but it seems even more so a year of commissioning. Completing the DMin was far more meaningful than I anticipated. I can’t yet express fully how the past three years of study surprised and shaped me. God spoke to me very directly about leadership and about influence.
Looking back, I’ve been mentoring now for 30 years, speaking publicly for 17, and writing professionally for 12. During my studies at George Fox, God challenged me to think anew about influence, tribe, and investment in the faithful souls who graciously sense that God has grown them through His calling upon my life.
In short: God challenged me to not confuse humility with passivity.
It is time for me to arise and steward more strategically the small but deep influence God has entrusted to me.
ALEX & CHELSEA :: Is that the “why” of this new offering of a monthly letter?
ALICIA :: Absolutely. In everything I write and speak, my ache is always for others to grow in intimacy with God. I’m hoping that this letter becomes a spiritual friend to many.
ALEX & CHELSEA :: So, “intimacy with God”—break that down for us. We hear it a lot. We want it a lot. But what does it really mean?
ALICIA :: Great question. Intimacy with God is love-inspired attentiveness. I call it living in the plural. God is profoundly present. To live in the plural is to think and act and dream and weep…with Him as opposed to solo in our heads. This is what Brother Lawrence and Frank Laubach referred to as “practicing the presence of God.” But it’s as ancient as Jesus’ invitation to “abide” in John 15.
ALEX & CHELSEA :: Do you think that’s easier for some personalities than others? Are some people just more naturally “wired” for intimacy?
ALICIA :: Certainly some personalities are more naturally wired for various spiritual disciplines, but I believe that all of us are designed for intimacy. Sometimes what comes to mind at the mention of intimacy with God are images of monks in quiet monasteries or peaceful poets by serene streams. But intimacy with God isn’t about vocation or location. It’s about developing attentiveness to God’s presence right here, right now, right in the midst of our messy, often-interrupted, wild lives.
I love the paragraph about living in the plural. I hadn’t read this until today – and it is so cool how it confirms what came to me during an exercise in my most recent LII cohort meeting. The imagery of a vine – and abiding – was there, and the final ‘What is God whispering to you?’ answer was, ‘Let’s do this together.’
Thank you Alicia for being such a life-giving presence.
Brenda, thank you for reading and for commenting. I’m so thrilled that you are experiencing Lii!
Alicia,
I am filled with gratitude and anticipation about this newsletter!! It will be truly encouraging and helpful for all of us on our journey toward intimacy with Jesus!! Thank you for leading the way:) I love the way you describe intimacy as a “rest-full-ness that is soul deep.” What a beautiful invitation!!
Thank you, Diane! It means a lot that you are looking forward to the letter. Love you!
Could you sometime explain the idea of a Spiritual Director and why a person would have one?
This is a newer concept that I’m hearing (in my circles. I know it has been around longer in more traditional churches.)
Excellent monthly newsletter, Q&A, and interview.
Great question, Nancy. Spiritual Direction is an ancient practice that is related in our day to several overlapping concepts like mentoring and soul-care. A Spiritual Director is focused upon your relationship with God and asks questions that guide you in seeing Christ in each moment and step. They listen to you while listening to the Spirit. At leadershipii.com, we combine the discipline of Spiritual Direction with customized teaching and most often refer to it as spiritual mentoring. The “why” of a spiritual director is the incredible value of having someone devoted to your guts more than your gifts: to your unseen soul more than your public persona.
One of the gifts Alicia gave me was the notion of “tiny conversations” the idea that directing our daily thoughts toward God and then listening is one of the ways we become intimate with our Father God…I have been practicing this for a few months now and find that my mind is so much more with the Lord as He is always with me…it is profound. Thank you my sister!
You’re a beautiful soul, Cynthia. Thank you for taking the time to comment. Yes, the tiny conversations…nurture a deep love.
I am thrilled and overwhelmed to hear of your continuing passion to “mentor from afar.” To know Jesus, more, and to be more aware ofmthismjoirne than myself, moment by moment is my passion. Your messages help me to set my sails higher, heavenward! Thank you.
Thank you for this encouragement, Debbie! I do hope that the letter becomes a dear friend to beautiful hearts like yours!
“But intimacy with God isn’t about vocation or location. It’s about developing attentiveness to God’s presence right here, right now, right in the midst of our messy, often-interrupted, wild lives.”
That is so true. The longer I walk with Him, the more I am aware of His presence in my everyday life…and the more I long for others to experience His everyday presence. Great interview. Looking forward to more newsletters, Q&A, and interviews! Great idea.
To be attentive to God’s presence moment-by-moment — it’s like a glorious adventure! It overflows in a rest-full-ness that’s soul deep and I long to live there more and more…
God is really talking to me about intimacy too. We can be aware of Him all the time, everywhere. He’s always there – we just have to be open and attentive to Him.
Amen, Debbie. He is ever-present. A gift beyond description!