A Simple Truth For Lent

          Many of us are “dabblers” in the spiritual life. At different times in our lives, we have tried different types of praying at different times of day, used different devotional guides, approaches to Bible reading, etc. Chances are, when we didn’t feel some gratification – a deeper sense of peace or a closer connection to God – pretty quickly, we moved on to the next thing, like the restless consumers we are! Or we just allowed the busy-ness of life to crowd out these attempts at spiritual discipline.

          The Lenten series so graciously organized by Jen Dewar (based on The Cup of Our Life by Joyce Rupp) has given a fresh opportunity to us to consider the importance of nurturing the spiritual life. There is no one method or technique that’s right for all; the vital thing is to continue to make prayer and reflection on God’s word a regular part of our days. There is a reason these are called “spiritual disciplines!” This quote from Howard Rice, retired PCUSA pastor and professor, highlights the need:

          Few disciplines fit into our modern life easily or quickly. Nearly every discipline may feel alien at first. The natural temptation is to give up without really trying. Yet to discover any blessing in them demands practice. Refusing to stay with a discipline that does not produce instant results significantly hinders spiritual growth. God is not a cosmic bellhop. We cannot gain intimacy with God simply by asking for it. One does not develop a spiritual life in a month or a year.

          Most of us do not need a new technique so much as we need to practice…

          We may not feel any particular blessing from our regular “time with God” until we have so internalized it that when we have to skip it due to an interruption or conflict, we miss it.

          In other words, if we really desire to be people of spiritual depth, we must shed the “consumer mentality” and fight against the currents of modern hyper-scheduling.

          Just do it is a pretty good motto. Better is Just do it regularly!

Peace,

Rod