In our culture of busyness, we who are faithful talk a lot about “doing” vs. “being.” We remind ourselves and one another that we are “human beings” and not “human doings.” We cherish small moments of quiet—especially in our beautiful, chaotic city. We work to carve out time for contemplation and stillness. Scripture commends such time and space to us. Spiritual leaders in all traditions point to its importance for growth. And sometimes, contemplation gets elevated over action, as if the singular, inner journey is the most legitimate path toward God.
While the clear dualism of activity versus receptivity is understandable, reality is more muddled; more nuanced. Most of us know the experience of doing things on auto-pilot; going through motions without awareness. Likewise, if you have ever meditated or taken time in contemplative prayer, you know that it demands as much active attention as any expressive activity! Which is all to say that when it comes to spiritual practices themselves, there is no clear hierarchy. What matters is that attention is paid; that we engage with our practices mindfully, with openness to the possibility that the Spirit will take up our commitments and change us as we offer them!
As you read this, Ash Wednesday has come and gone. We are now fully present in the six-plus weeks of Lent, a season that is “time out of time:” when we become more intentional about altering something that will help us shift our hearts and minds, our prayers and our action. Lent magnifies the spiritual processes that we embrace year-round. Lent nudges us (or pulls us or pushes us unequivocally!) in the direction of some new understanding or experience of the sacred.
In this season, as in all seasons, it’s all about our relationship with God. There are many ways to show up to Lent; many things to do, many ways to be that help us align more closely with God’s will. And if you are looking for some ideas and discussion of different Lenten approaches to this process, the focus of our Christian Ed series over the next five weeks is spiritual practice. All are welcome as we gather on Zoom, and I hope you will join the conversation!
Lenten blessings,
