For over 15 years, I have been studying and teaching Christian spirituality. Drawing on my knowledge and experience, I am writing this series as an aid for those who are seeking ways to settle themselves and to maintain their spiritual well-being in our current situation. Over the course of this series, we will delve into practices that seem almost ideally suited to not only our present time but also to other times of calamity and uncertainty. Some of these are based on ancient practices with little adaptation. We will see that other of these practices are adapted in ways that would have been difficult if not impossible in previous generations. Each session will touch on practical approaches to these relatively broad topics.
Today, we will look briefly at what I mean when I talk about spirituality and introduce our upcoming topics.
As I consider the purpose of spirituality, I am reminded of Jesus’ teachings on the commandments. When pressed to identify the greatest or most important commandment, Jesus identifies love of God as the first followed closely by love of neighbor. According to Jesus, all of the Law and the Prophets should be interpreted through these two commands. For me, this is the starting point of ministry and the very basis of spirituality.
From a Christian perspective, spirituality and the practices that support it are about deepening and maintaining our relationship with God. But, just as Jesus has told us there are two commandments to consider above all others, our spiritual practices are about more than just our relationship with God. As we grow deeper in our relationship with God we also live that relationship out with other people. So spirituality and spiritual practices address not only our love of God but also our love of one another.
As we struggle with everything going on in our world right now, we find that all of our relationships are strained. How do we adequately maintain our connection with God when so many of our routines have been put aside? How do we adequately share our lives and our love with others when we are asked to keep physically distant?
As I have watched colleagues, friends, and members of my local congregation struggle with how to maintain their connections to God and to one another and also maintain their spiritual practices in the midst of this, I began to think about what we can learn from those who have come before and how we might adapt these traditions to our contemporary world.
As we look back over the history of the church, we see that there have been persons who have chosen lives of isolation as a part of their faith. Early in the life of the church, the desert mothers and fathers sought out isolation in Egypt and other desert regions. In the middle ages, anchorites were literally sealed into rooms in church buildings with limited access to the outside world. Even today, there are certain cloistered communities of religious orders who have little regular contact with those beyond the walls of their communities. Each of these have developed certain practices that have helped them focus on God and neighbor in the midst of isolation.
We also see that the church has existed through times of crisis and disease before -- plagues and other viruses, wars, famines. The faithful have had to discover ways to adapt and continue their practices during these crises. They have had to wrestle with the nature of God, the meaning of God’s love for us, and the nature of our call as church to continue to love the world around us. Through these times, the church has also served those who are suffering, serving as hospitals and places of sanctuary and providing for people’s spiritual and physical needs.
And the church is still here and thriving two millennia later. We can learn from those who have come before, and we can adapt practices that have been used by the faithful for centuries. In this way, we can maintain our own spiritual well-being and live out our faith regardless of our present circumstances.
Over the next few weeks, we will touch on the following topics and look at ways we can use these practices to maintain our own spiritual well-being as well as our dedication and commitment to others. Where possible, we will also link to additional resources for each topic.
- Prayer: As perhaps the primary way we communicate with God, it is an essential aspect of our spiritual practices. Given our present climate, how do we approach prayer differently? We will consider specifically prayer practices that can give structure to our day and connect us with others.
- Centering: Often a solitary prayer practice, centering grants us spiritual, mental, and emotional stability by raising our awareness of God’s presence.
- Bible: We will explore how the Bible can give structure to the start of each day and explore ways to maintain disciplines of reading the Bible.
- Music: For many, music is the most uplifting part of worship. But music is also a part of our lives with other people. What role does music play in helping us maintain our spiritual well-being during this time? What role can music play in supporting our emotional and physical well-being?
- Study: Even in times of isolation, it is important to continue to grow in our knowledge and understanding of God, faith, and one another. We will also consider the importance of studying with others and ways we can continue to do this even as we maintain physical separation.
- Communion: How can we remember our connection not only to Christ but to one another in times like this when we are prevented from physically gathering in the same space?
- Service: First we will consider service as a spiritual discipline. Then we will look at the importance of continuing to serve those in need when we ourselves are trapped in anxiety and fear by external circumstances.
- Creation: We will explore God’s creation, how it reminds us of and connects us to God, how it adapts in the face of crisis, and how we also are gifted with the ability to create.
- Space: How can the space around us contribute to our spiritual life? How can we adapt our space to bring ourselves closer to God?
I hope that you will find these concepts helpful for you as you struggle with your own mental, emotional, and spiritual needs. Everyone is different, so not all of these practices will be right for everyone. But along the way, I hope that you discover something that will help you to still the anxious voice, to quell the pain of isolation, and to grow deeper in love with God and your neighbor.