I really want to know.
One of the edges that we seem to be treading right now – our staff, our leaders, our congregation – has to do with this question: how do modern people do spiritual practice? Is modern life compatible with it? And how do we support each other as a community of faith to “prepare room” for the God-who-comes?
As Advent begins on Sunday (gee whiz, feel like I’m still cleaning sand out of my ears), we once again contemplate the question: how do we prepare ourselves to meet the God-who-comes, in the least likely clothing: flesh. The flesh of a most vulnerable child, born in the backwoods of the Roman empire. How do we attune our hearing to discern that cry, to see the trace of the divine, in the traces of our daily lives?
I will likely be focusing this Sunday on the text from First Thessalonians, but this cheery text from Luke may also make an appearance in this week’s brief (promise) Communion homily.
But the focus of the reflection this Sunday is this: how can we together prepare room for God – especially when our lives are so often seem stuffed full of…stuff? How can we encourage each other to practice…spiritually? If Christianity were a marathon you ran tomorrow, how would you fare?
So…do you pray? And if so, how?
Do you pray on the road? Doing the dishes? In your prayer closet? With the scripture? With your breath? Looking for ideas, folks….
(By the way, I find I do a lot more conversation by email than I do here – but I wish folk would bite the bullet and do sign on to the blogger system…).
Have a blessed Thanksgiving, all!
Jeff
