Never Hurts to Get a Good Shot in the Arm
Have you ever felt like you’re not yourself? Like something is off? It could be at work. Or at home. In your relationships. It could even be the spiritual, i.e. your prayer life, not feeling the presence of God.
The above is not abnormal. We all go through it. Life has its ups and downs. Even those who lead seemingly great lives aren’t always great. BTW, many aren’t truly happy either.
Now it’s About the Peace, not the Pace
For me, it used to be all about the pace; now it’s about the peace. My wife and I have a nice rhythm to our lives, a good balance of the spiritual (Mass, prayer, spiritual reading), intellectual (reading/learning), emotional (relationship), and physical (exercise). Given where I am on my spiritual journey, things are pretty good, most of the time. That said, I need the occasional shot in the arm, the pick me up, something to get me revved up and reenergized.
What Used to Accomplish It
The things that used to accomplish this for me are of the secular world, like a professional sporting event (Steeler football), motivational talk, a concert, night out with my wife or the guys, or a party. I’m not saying that there’s anything wrong with any of these things. In fact, I still enjoy them all.
Now It’s Conferences and Nights of Worship
But today, what I like to do more than anything else to get that shot in the arm, to get re-energized, is to go to a Steubenville Conference or a Night of Worship (Steubenville or otherwise). Both are highly energetic, with impactful and relevant talks and vibrant worship music. Whether it’s something I’m dealing with spiritually or a life issue (or maybe nothing at all), I always walk away from these events feeling much better than when I went in. Not only is the time with our Lord meaningful, but so is the community, being surrounded by so many praising God all together.
If you’ve not experienced either, you’re probably thinking I’m crazy. And I might be. But if you like a good message that speaks to your heart and motivates you; if you like good, energetic music; if you enjoy being with an energized crowd; and if you want to explore what else God has in store for you…I’d highly recommend both.
Find One in Your Diocese
Nights of Worship, also known as Festivals of Praise, are done at numerous Parishes, in various Dioceses across the country. Likewise, most Dioceses have very good, fulfilling conferences or other events to give you that lift. You just need to look for them. A good place to start is the Diocesan offices.
Franciscan University’s Steubenville Conferences
Franciscan University of Steubenville does Nights of Worship on its campus in Steubenville, OH, as well as partnering with Parishes. In addition, the University serves 60,000 guests annually at its 33 Steubenville Conferences across North America, 11 of which are on its campus. Each, in addition to the worship music and the talks referenced above, is Sacramentally based and Eucharistic centric.
To be totally transparent, I work in the Conference Office at Franciscan University of Steubenville. I started attending its Conferences 5 years before I took the job. Then and now they are a great shot in the arm, a galvanizing event, evangelistic, and energetic. You can get more information at www.steubenvilleconferences.com. And to learn about our newly introduced Steubenville Discipleship Quad Model, visit www.steubenvillefuel.com.
The Mark Joseph guarantee…if you come to a Steubenville Conference and don’t love it, I’ll personally refund your money. What do you have to lose?
Please share your experiences at such events with me at [email protected].
May God continue to bless you on your path to Peace, Joy, and Fulfillment.
Mark Joseph
