Thriv’era | We Are Spirited | “It’s The Breath”
Thriv’era…
challenges us to move with thoughtful purpose toward a deepened sense of identity – that we are spirited, creative, and connected people called to be present, grateful, generous, and missional with our lives.
Together, we are exploring what it means to live into these rhythms in ways that help us bring some good to each moment, something better to each day, and our best to each other as we encounter the world together.
We are … Spirited
As image-bearers of the Divine, we are spirited people—alive by gift, not by striving. We thrive as spirited people by receiving each breath as grace and living awake to the Spirit who inspires and animates all life.
| WELCOME | SETTING THE INTENTION |
Pause for a quiet moment to settle in. Notice your breathing. No need to change it—just notice it.
Sit with this image for a few moments.
- What do you notice first?
- What feeling does this image create in you?
- What story might this image be telling?
- Where do you see movement, energy, or stillness in it?
- Does anything in this image draw you toward God, wonder, or gratitude?
- Where do you imagine yourself in the picture?
Centering | Spirited Thriving |
Read this slowly:
“Our first intense experience of the world comes through breathing—gasping for air. For the rest of our lives, this happens automatically, without conscious effort, handled by a respiratory control center at the base of the brain. We breathe an average of 28,000 times a day. But breath is more than a physiological function. It represents an interior, spiritual dimension of a life that is more than us. According to the Torah, God’s breathing brought the first humans into existence, filling them with the “breath of life” nishmat hayim, Genesis 2:7). Called by various names—pneuma [Greek], ruach [Hebrew], prana [Hindu], chi [Chinese], nafas [Arabic] —breath is a divine energy recognized across every religious tradition.”
The Great Conversation: Nature and the Care of the Soul,
Belden C. Lane, Oxford University Press, page 51)
Sit with the words , then reflect:
- What line or phrase stands out to you?
- What feels familiar in this reading?
- What feels new or surprising?
Ancient Wisdom | Job 33:4
“The spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”
Reflect on these questions:
- What do you hear in this verse?
- What does it say about life?
- What does it say about God?
Story | Kiteology
The kite is a common symbol used in many cultures during Lent and Easter. In Haiti, Monte Kap is the word for kite, meaning “to be lifted up.” Haitian children fly kites at Easter as symbols of hope and promise, often making them from plastic bags, sticks, string, and whatever else is available.
In Greece and Cyprus, kite flying is connected to Lent. In Grenada, kites are flown on Good Friday. In Guyana, people from many ethnic and religious traditions fly kites in the weeks leading up to Easter, culminating in an Easter Monday celebration.
Whether or not there is an explicitly religious meaning attached to it, kite flying still reminds us of something true: something ordinary and still can suddenly come alive when it catches the wind.
That is part of the Spirited rhythm.
Like a kite lifted by the wind, we are animated by what we cannot manufacture for ourselves. Life is not self-generated. We are alive by gift, not by striving. We thrive as spirited people by receiving each breath as grace and living awake to the Spirit who inspired and animates all life.
Reflection
- Have you ever felt “lifted” by something you could not fully explain?
- When in your life have you felt most alive, inspired, or filled with energy?
- What helps you remember that life is gift, not something you have to force?
Spirited Conversation
- Tell about a moment when you became suddenly aware of your breathing—during fear, beauty, exercise, grief, prayer, laughter, or relief. What do you remember about it?
- When have you felt energized, inspired, or truly alive recently? What do you think contributed to that?
- Recall a time when life left you feeling drained, flat, or deflated. What helped you begin to feel like yourself again?
- Do you tend to move through life quickly, or do you naturally slow down and notice things? How does that affect your inner life?
- What stirs in you when you think of breath not only as something automatic, but as gift?
- Where in your life right now do you most need to move from striving to receiving?
- What one simple practice could help you live more awake to God’s presence this week?
A Spirited Manifesto
As children of God, we receive life as a gift.
We are alive by grace, not self-generation.
We refuse the hustle for worth.
We practice return—again and again.
Breath. Spirit. Now.
We slow down long enough to notice what is already true.
We choose presence over pressure.
We choose trust over control.
We choose gratitude over grasping.
We inhale grace.
We exhale blessing.
This is spirited living.
Brief Reflection
- Which line of the manifesto feels most true for you right now?
- Which line feels most challenging?
Refrain
As a child of God, I am animated by the power of the Holy Spirit.
As a group, say the Refrain aloud together once or twice, slowly. Then reflect on these questions:
- What word or phrase in this mantra draws your attention today?
- Where in your life do you most need the Spirit’s strength, guidance, or breath right now?
Prayer Intention
Gracious God, Breath of Life, teach us to receive each breath as grace. Slow what is frantic in us. Where we are striving, return us to trust. Where we are scattered, gather us into presence. Awaken us to your Spirit, who inspired and animates all life, and help us live as spirited people—alive by gift, not by striving. In the name of Christ, Amen.
BLESSING
May you thrive as a spirited child of God.
May you receive each breath as grace
and live awake to the Spirit who inspired and animates all life.
May you know the joy of holy inspiration,
the steadiness of trust,
and the freedom of a life no longer driven by striving.
And may you walk into the wonder-filled mystery
of the Holy One who first breathed life into you.