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In a recent editorial planning meeting, our conversation turned to the phrase spiritual vitality. We all agreed the concept is extremely important for church leaders. (In fact, we decided to make it next issue's theme.) After kicking it around for a while, however, we realized that the elusive word for many of us is the second.

Why? Somehow by dint of hard work and discipline we manage to be spiritual-within acceptable limits. We schedule prayer time, attend church functions, carry out the duties of good Christian soldiers.

But spiritual with vitality? Spirituality that we enjoy and get excited about? That's another question.

Sometimes we mistakenly resign ourselves to the loss of excitement as an inevitable consequence of growing old. Vitality is associated with youthful energy. George Bernard Shaw said the ideal is "to combine the experience of an old hand with the vitality of a young one."

But the word has a deeper meaning associated with growth and longevity: the capacity, in the case ...

March
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