The posts below all relate in some way to the theme of spiritual practices. When it comes to living as followers of Jesus, what are some very practical ways to learn Christ's ways and be formed in his likeness?
theme: spiritual practices
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pilgrimage & encounter
In this video, Tim tells a story of navigating in the dark during his Mountain Leader assessment, and reflects on what this means for him in his life currently. When our ability to see is limited, it becomes imperative to stay true to the bearing we received in the light. What does it mean for you to stay true to the direction mapped out for you before it became dark? Watch the video ...
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the place of contemplation
To evangelical ears, anything contemplative can sound a bit too floaty and mystical, and yet both contemplation and meditation are deeply Christian and part of our heritage. The early Church fathers and mothers wrote extensively of contemplation and meditation (as did the psalmist, of course!) so that, rather than being something new and dangerous, these ancient ways of meeting God are perhaps once more offered to us as part of the renewal of the Church. Read more ...
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soul settling
What is the level of noise in your life? And I don’t mean the sound wave variety only, but also the ‘noise’ of distractions and busyness: attention-demanding issues that appear as insistent, flag-waving obligations and from which we struggle to achieve the distance required to gain a truer perspective. Is it possible, I ask myself, to find ways to settle my soul when life itself seems to constantly work to agitate it, or shake it up? Read more ...
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a prayer resource
Sometimes it is not easy to know how to pray. Sometimes we don't feel like praying. Sometimes we have prayed the same thing so many times, we are not sure if we're still doing the right thing! What do we do at times like this? Is there a way to place ourselves before God, to simply set the intention of our hearts towards Him and His good purposes in our lives? In this post, I suggest one such prayer practice.
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the hiding place
I have realised that there is something so renewing for me to switch off from the constant round of emails and social media exchanges, the mental awareness that what I am doing right now could be presented to others as a story, or a post, or a photo update, the subconscious wondering about how my life could be perceived by others. Read more ...
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letting god look at you
Theologically, we know God is ‘other’ from us; we know He’s got his own personality, ideas and feelings, but living into that reality of God takes practice. I admit, too often, I pray to my idea of God, my image of God, or even experience God as an extension of myself, having my same thoughts, opinions, emotions. Our guest blogger offers 5 steps from St Ignatius to see God and be seen by him. Read more ...
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5 ways to seek god
In this season of racial tension, I find myself more aware than usual of my great need for God - my personal need and our shared need for salvation. I feel this desperate longing for God to show up, to bring about redemption of what has been stolen, healing for deep wounds, and goodness in this place of great complexity. I suggest 5 ways for us to seek God in a season like this one. Read more ...
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the practice of play
The ability to switch off and relax is one of the most under-rated means of building a resilient life. In fact, it’s not just under-rated, it is actively maligned. If we have fun, perhaps we are not working hard enough, taking our responsibilities seriously enough, or ‘laying our lives down’ (a particularly heavily laden religious phrase) enough. Hard core leaders don’t have time to have fun, do they? Read more ...
