Grab a fork.

Can anything be sadder than work left unfinished? Yes, work never begun. –Christina Rossetti


You know how it is.

It’s Saturday morning, time to pick up the house a bit. I start out in the dining room, hoping to find the tabletop again under the week’s accumulation of stuff. There’s a book on the table that belongs in my office, so I head down the hallway to put it in its place. Along the way, I spot a dirty sock in the hallway, so I head to the laundry room. There’s a stack of clean clothes on the dryer. Better put ‘em away, of course.

And before I know it, I am standing back in the dining room, holding a book and a dirty sock and wondering what on earth I was going to do. It’s enough to make a grown woman weep. I set out with grand intentions and wind up spinning my wheels.

Funny how starting a new year can make us stop and take a look at our lives, seeing loose ends and vowing (again) to tie them up, once and for all. But where to begin?

It’s a bit like eating an elephant, really. The way to be successful at a task is to take it one “bite” at a time. Learning to read Greek or reading the entire Bible in a month may seem daunting, but commit to reading even a few verses each day (in English), and before you know it, you’ve finished the Gospel.

What elephantine spiritual undertaking is begging you to take the first bite? 

(This week, let’s take a look at some spiritual disciplines.)

Monday Prayer comes more naturally sometimes if we just don’t try so hard. Today, spend some time in conversation with God. Speak just as you might with a close friend. Matthew 6:5-15

Tuesday Meditation can open your heart to hear God’s voice. Sit relaxed but tall, eyes open or closed. Pay attention to your breathing. Listen. Matthew 7:7-12

Wednesday Fasting does not necessarily involve food. For a few hours, do without something that matters. Maybe it’s your cell phone/ computer; maybe you will choose to fast from food. Whatever you choose, be deliberate. Matthew 6:16-18

Thursday Is reading the Bible something you do regularly? If you find it hard or boring, consider trying again—with a different version, such as The Message. Begin either with the Gospel of Mark or a favorite Psalm. Mark 1:14-20

Friday Our lifestyle can get in the way of seeking God. Today, focus on generosity and consider either making a charitable donation or giving away some things you no longer need. Psalm 112

Saturday Solitude also allows us to shift our eyes from self to God. Take time today to be alone, unplugged and quiet. Rest in God’s comfort. Habakkuk 2:18-20

Sunday Worship is a joyful spiritual discipline we celebrate together. As you leave this house of worship, take the experience with you into the world. Romans 12:1-3


Existence is a series of footnotes to a vast, obscure, unfinished masterpiece. –Vladimir Nabokov

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stepping back. . . .

Image
Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and with a calm spirit.  Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever,  even if your whole world seems upset.  –St. Francis de Sales This week, I invite you to simply sit in a quiet space with words of hope and promise, and to remember, as Julian of Norwich knew, that all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well . It has been a long, difficult season. Advent and the coming of the Christ is just around the corner. Peace and comfort to your spirit. Monday   “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.” Matthew 11:28-30 Tuesday  “Is this not the kind of fast I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?” Isaiah 58:6-9 Wednesday  “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the
Read more

It's that time again. . . .

When the seasons shift, even the subtle beginning, the scent of a promised changed, I feel something stir inside me. Hopefulness? Gratitude? Openness?  Whatever it is,  it’s welcome. –Kristin Armstrong No matter what part of the world you call home, this time of year brings big changes. While my friends Down Under are watching sings of new growth emerge from the earth as temperatures rise, here in Ohio, the leaves are turning from green to gold and orange, red and brown. The winds have taken on a chill; clouds hang heavy, like soggy cotton, reminding us that soon and very soon, we are going to see the snow . Always different, yet somehow, the same. We depend on God’s eternal ways, and trust that again this year, winter will follow autumn, just like it should. So why is it, as we anticipate and appreciate changes like these, when it comes to so many things in life we pull up short, wrinkle our noses and say No! No change! I like things just the way they are! It’s t
Read more

Starting again

“This, then, is how you should pray:" --Matthew 6:9a I have been really sensing lately that there is another blog inside me, one focused on prayer.  Oh, I know-- those elephants are all about prayer. Heck, they  are  prayer. And I will continue there, as well. But what I've been feeling is that people-- maybe you--  have always been told, "You should pray," or "Pray about that." But maybe you feel your prayers aren't "good enough," or that it's just too hard, too embarrassing, too [fill in the blank] to pray. Maybe it feels like no one really talks about how  to pray-- except, of course, for Jesus, in Matthew 6 and a couple parallel passages where we are given what's come to be known as The Lord's Prayer. And it is a great prayer. And there are other great prayers, and other ways to pray that do not involve rote. So "my plan" here is to share, hopefully on a weekly or semi-regular basis, a lot of
Read more