Spiritual Practices
Ideas for spiritual practices – where ‘spiritual’ is anything that acknowledges that there’s a part of us that can’t be cured or encouraged or nurtured through aerobic exercise, a gluten-free diet, not drinking too much caffeine, blah blahh blaaaahhhh and ‘practices’ indicates intentionality.
‘ascetic’ practices – practices involving discipline
centering prayer
silence
exclusion / being alone / retreating / going off the grid for the purpose of liberating space otherwise spoken for
expression
singing
production
of arts
of households
of gardens
writing
dance
acting
gratitude
input
study
reading
spiritual direction
seeking out people with particular expertise for conversation, to listen to them
attendance – the simple practice of putting oneself in a place where something is being provided
podcasts / music
gratitude
sacred space
output
acts of service
hospitality ..and practices within hospitality such as keeping the habit of always having water available for guests or allowing guests to download whatever it is they arrive with – holding a completely open and agenda-free space that a guest can step into
‘orphans and widows’ practices: caring for those who rely most on others’ support
listening
gratitude
holding sacred space
praying for others
petitions
being with other Christians
awareness
of self
of others’ needs
listening to your life / to life, to the accumulation of evidence that has gone before you
the practice of drawing away to gain a broader perspective
daydreaming
allowing oneself time off from thinking and being rational and analytical
mind-skipping: jumping non-sensically from idea to idea, like children in their play; following the trail from one thought to the next; zoning out; getting ‘glaze-eye’