So I’m at the Journey of Renewal retreat this week. I have to confess that I cannot remember if it is Journey of Renewal or Journey of Wellness. I think I’ve actually seen it both ways so far. Regardless, it is a journey to some kind of renewed wellness, so you get the point.

This is a year long thing to look at whole life wellness for pastors and other professional church leaders and see how to make it better. I have jokingly called it Fat Camp For Pastors. However, I’m only saying that because I’m fat. There are plenty of pastors who aren’t fat. Somewhere. I”m sure somewhere.

Actually, that’s not really the case here, I’m just being funny. However, we are all a pretty messed up bunch of people. Kinda like the rest of the world when you think about it. Surprising? I think not.

For the next twelve months, I am to work on being a well, whole person. That is, obviously, an oversimplified version of course, but you get the idea. On the whole, I think I’m a pretty happy, fulfilled person. Not perfect, certainly. It’s not like I don’t have stress and get upset about things. But, when I look at the whole of my life, I’m probably the most fulfilled and contented I’ve  ever been. Actually, that’s not even a probably. So, while there are things I’ll want to work on over the next year (like I said, I am fat) the big thing I want to figure out is why I feel contented? What’s so good about my life so I can duplicate it in the future. Instead of trying to figure out what’s so wrong when things are bad, I want to try a different approach: what’s going right now? How can I make it happen again?

In worship today the Bishop told a story about the first time he saw the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. After the movie, there was a kid there who asked his mother, “is there really a cup like that?’

Yup, there is. Really really. And in the end, regardless of what I’m doing or not doing to make myself happy, that’s the source of the real wellness, real renewal, real wholeness. As I begin this twelve month Journey of Well/Whole/Renewal, may God keep me returning to that cup of life.