Spiritual Practice in Daily Life

Any ordinary activity can become a spiritual practice

I love the exuberance of spring when my winter lethargy gives way to vibrant joy. There is nothing like watching spring flowers burst into bloom, a feast for my eyes long before their fruit becomes a feast for my body. It is a time to plant and I love to scatter seed with abandon, knowing that more plants will germinate than my garden can possibly hold.

Last Sunday I gave away about 40 seedlings at church and there are still plenty left over. I feel God is drenching me with abundance - full measure for myself overflowing so that it must be shared or it will wilt and die.

This season of planting, growing and blooming often reminds me of how fortunate I am to have so many interests that can become spiritual practices. An awe and wonder walk around my neighbourhood encourages me to stop and notice the take photos of the beautiful scenery and flowers that catch my attention. My golden retriever, Goldie, waits patiently taking advantage of the extra moments to sniff at the grass and bushes. When I get home I look through my photos allowing them to stir words to express my feelings and observations. Sometimes a prayer/poem germinates in my mind and I often pair these with one of my photos.

I believe God wants to stir all of our imaginations to combine elements from our daily lives that give us joy, into spiritual practices that draw us more deeply into God’s abiding presence.

So many of the ways we encourage people to pray are geared towards the lives of those who are full time in religious work like pastors or monks and can set aside time in their work schedules to pray. Long stretches of prayer or bible study don’t usually work for mothers with little kids or for business people always on the go. A few minutes in the morning and/or at night are usually all the can manage. Many feel guilty because our spiritual practices don’t measure up to the unrealistic goals others set for us.

Over the last decade I have watched people discover the delight of God in the midst of their daily lives. Laughing, playing with kids, washing dishes, walking, running, singing, painting breastfeeding, giving kids a bath are all activities that people have confessed to me are their best spiritual practices and the places in which they find their closest connections to God. I am more than ever convinced that we need to help others identify these divine encounters and encourage them to see them as spiritual practices.

A couple of simple questions to help this process:

“What gives you joy in your day and how could you tend to that as a spiritual practice?”

What in your day do you think gives God joy and how could you convert that into a spiritual practice?

What of your daily activities make you feel closest to God and how could you strengthen that practice ?

We don’t need to spend hours in prayer and bible study in order to draw close to God. Primarily what we need to do is to recognize that God is already present in all we are and do and seek ways to strengthen that.

I hope you will spend time today thinking about what draws you close to God and how you could strengthen that practice.

May the light of God 
Shine on you,
Shine in you,
Shine through you.
May the love of Christ 
Rest in you,
Rest through you,
Rest around you.
May the joy of the Spirit
Work on you,
Work in you,
Work through you.
One in Three
Three in One,
Live in you,
Live through you,
Live around you today.