Note: You can watch this teaching on CrossWalk’s YouTube channel.

We – all of us everywhere – are spiritual people.  This is simply true, right alongside saying that we are also physical people who have bodies and breath.  Our culture is very aware of how to care for and develop our physicality, with lots of agreement on what we need to be healthy and growing.  We know we need to eat right and get some exercise most days, and we need to avoid eating and drinking some things in excess (or not at all) that will harm us.  When it comes to developing our spirituality, there is not the same level of widespread agreement. Sometimes it seems that there are so many books, podcasts, and voices that we don’t know where to start and, in the overwhelm, stall out.  I would like to offer a simple process which hails from the Judeo-Christian tradition that might provide a foundation from which we can develop a healthy, growing spirituality.

            The Jewish and Christian traditions organized a variety of scripture passages to be read throughout the year.  The Christian tradition expanded on the idea and developed three different years’ worth of passages to expose the Church to the fullness of scripture while being relevant to major events in the Christian calendar, like the birth of Jesus, his death and resurrection, and the birth of the Church.  This organized collection is called the Lectionary. Most churches who follow this use the Revised Common Lectionary.  We are currently in Year B.  Most Catholic and many Protestant churches around the world follow the schedule to guide and inform their worship services.  Baptists, being the renegades that we are, aren’t as likely to use it given our bent toward the free church tradition. Yet there is great value in using the Lectionary to keep us in touch with sacred text as a catalyst for understanding and growth.

            Here is my recommendation.  Carve out time daily – preferably the same time every day to help you build the habitual rhythm (I prefer this to be the first thing in the morning).  To center yourself, do a short breathing meditation to get in touch with your full self – body, mind, emotions, spirit – and get to a place where you are genuinely open.  Finish the time with The Lord’s Prayer, reading/saying it slowly, line by line, ingesting each movement’s meaning.  Then, read the select passages.  After reading them, sit in still silence for a while.  Jot down what impressions you have after reading and sitting with it, and perhaps even a prayer in response.  In my experience, when I have done this daily, I have new insights nearly every day even though I am reading the same daily verses.  Perhaps choose to wrap up your time by speaking St. Patrick’s Breastplate prayer?

            Why do I think this works?  Reading sacred text roots us with our spiritual ancestors within our tradition – we are somehow joined with them in the conversation around the same ideas.  Exposing ourselves to the texts provides a catalyst for the Spirit of God to move in us.  When we do this in community, we potentially find ourselves growing in shared meaning, encouraging each other along the way.  As I will teach each week (unless I dart off into a series for a bit), you can use what I bring to help further your understanding.  Or, you could work ahead and have the Sunday service help bring the whole experience home.  Let’s give it a whirl...

Readings for the coming week: 1 Samuel 15:34 – 16:13; Psalm 20; Ezekiel 17:22-24; Psalm 92:1-4, 12-15; 2 Corinthians 5:6-10, (11-13), 14-17; Mark 4:26-34

My takeaways...

The primary passage that caught my attention this week was Jesus’ parables about the Kingdom of God – one about the farmer scattering seed, and the other about the small size of the mustard seed and the eventual large size of the plant. The following bubbled up for me:

·      There is way more happening than meets our eye, understanding, and imagination. Sometimes I dupe myself into thinking that I’m all alone in the world and it’s all up to me and what I do.  This drives me at times, but it can also be destructive as it can lead to me doing too much, and trying to control what I can which might exclude others, including God!  Like Elijah on the mountaintop, I need to be reminded that the Spirit is everywhere, good, and constantly doing good in the world.

·      The seeds planted had a purpose: to develop, grow, and then feed or seed perpetually.  The Kingdom of God is a collective, a presence, yet it includes people.  As sentient beings, we have more agency than most other beings in our world to decide what we do with our lives.  The process of the seed serves as a reminder that we are meant to grow and flourish, and not just for ourselves, but to provide nourishment for others as well as seed for more of the Spirit to flourish as well.

·      The Spirit of God does not consult much with our cultural values, but rather operates from a different center.  King Saul fit the cultural bill – tall, dark, and handsome – and yet he was not a good pick because he couldn’t stay in the obedience zone with God.  David wasn’t the likely choice to be anointed by Samuel – he was actually the last choice – yet he became the favorite King of Israel and called “a man after God’s own heart” even though he failed many times.  How do we evaluate people?  Do we see primarily through a culturally fashioned lens or the Spirit?  It’s always both.  My goal is to be aware that it’s both and do my best to see through the Spirit more than our culture.

·      The mustard plant is a biblical paradox. We are not talking about an obviously glorious tree like the cedars or Lebanon or a California redwood.  We’re not even talking about a tree!  Jesus shifts from the ancient prophets here with his choice of metaphor.  A mustard plant may provide shelter for some birds and shade as well, but it would otherwise go unnoticed, and certainly would not be associated with strength.  This is important for us to understand as those who live in one of the world’s most powerful countries that celebrates its strength of businesses and military.  Like the lens issue before, how are we holding the tension between Kingdom of God sensibilities and those that are culturally derived?

·      Do what we know to do toward shalom with shalom, knowing that there is more going on that we are somehow a part of, and that the outcome will be good even though it might not even register on cultural scales.  Alabama football coach Nick Saban is known for implementing an approach to the game he calls “The Process”.  Simply put, he encourages his players to not think about anything except the play at hand, the next best move.  How distracted we can become, and how helpful this reminder is to just do the next best thing. The Star Wars movie, Rogue One, is based on one small but important scene from Episode IV where Princess Leah delivers a message through R2D2.  The entire movie is about how that message got in that droid.  Spoiler alert: at the end of the movie, the message is successfully delivered, but the key characters responsible for the delivery die.  Their deaths were not in vain, however.  When we choose to sail by the winds of the Spirit, we can live, rest, and die confident of the same.

What about you?  After spending time reflecting on these passages, what is stirring in you?