We live in a time when many people are discovering or rediscovering various spiritual practices. Perhaps this is because we live in a cultural and even religious environment which is intellectually and emotionally overwhelming in the sheer amount of information that comes before us, let alone the pace of change. Spiritual practices can give some focus and pathway.

As a priest, I understand that my calling includes taking spiritual practice seriously as part of being a “wholesome example to the flock.” As an Anglican and Episcopalian priest, I believe deeply that, to truly be an example, I need to undertake these things in a way that is possible and plausible for any Christian. This is part of the “homeliness” of Anglicanism—no place to seek some kind of superior spiritual status or to exploit the privileges of priestly life, but simply to weave the spiritual life into ordinary life through basic practices.

For me, the baseline of practice is daily Morning Prayer, following the Prayer Book order, including the appointed scriptures for each day. This provides a consistent round of prayer and Bible reading, regardless of my moods or experiences. I also read Forward Day by Day at this time, not because it is the most profound spiritual reading, but because I know so many others are also reading it. I participate in the other Daily Offices, like Evensong, as they come up from time to time, but the consistent thread is Morning Prayer.

Personal prayer beyond the words of the Prayer Book for me is mostly simple contemplation. Desmond Tutu likens it to sitting by a fire absorbing the heat. This is not striving for any deep mystical state, but simply a mindful being in God’s presence. If other types of praying like intercession, praise, or repentance, arise during this time, then I follow. But I don’t “schedule” such praying with plans or lists, I just give it time within Morning Prayer or whenever it happens throughout the day.

I like to have some other kind of spiritual reading going. For me, the best books for this can be old or new, sometimes comforting, sometimes challenging, but also simple enough that I can read a little at a time, when I have time.

And speaking of time, I try to live as much as possible with an awareness of liturgical time, both of the week with its center of Sunday, and of the Christian Year through its various seasons with its center of Easter. And I look for practical versions of “Sabbath time,” in small or larger doses, when I can get out of the normal patterns and find rest and renewal. This could be a walk in the woods or on the beach, a quiet day spent at home, or retreat time away.

I try to undertake a reasonable discipline of fasting and abstinence, in tune with the broad Christian tradition. For me this means meatless Fridays, some kind of weekday Lenten abstinence, and more serious (but not total) fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. As Episcopalians, we have no “rules” about these things, but I find the “old paths” helpful, even if I fall short (and I always do—which teaches humility). And perhaps this is the best place to note that stewardship matters like diet, exercise, and tithing are indeed spiritual practices too.

For well over ten years, I have met with a trained Spiritual Director. We get together for an hour about eight or nine times a year. I talk about things going on in my life, and he helps me sort and reflect on them. It is good to have someone who knows your soul, but is not any part of the rest of your life. This helps me pay attention to what the Spirit may be up to in and around me, as does jotting down a few notes most days about what I was doing and any insights that may have come about that day.

The heartbeat of all spiritual practice for me, however, is the Holy Eucharist, especially the Sunday celebration, though I often attend one or more weekday masses as well. Every strand of spiritual practice—prayer, scripture, stewardship, individual and community—they all converge when we gather Sunday by Sunday to celebrate the Lord’s death and resurrection.

What is the outcome of all this spiritual practice, or, more importantly, what is the point? Paradoxically enough, I wouldn’t say that it is to become “spiritual” if that somehow means feeling “spacey” or “pious.” Rather I recall the ancient maxim, “the glory of God is a human being who is fully alive.” Spiritual practice aims at making us more fully human and more fully alive, including the moments that occasionally point us beyond ourselves with longing for a fuller union with the Holy One.

Thus I have learned that it is not about trying to make ourselves spiritual or holy or even faithful. Spiritual practices are about making ourselves open to God’s Spirit and God’s grace. And so, again paradoxically, we learn that being serious about all this includes not taking it too seriously, not trying too hard, and not being too surprised at our foibles and failures.

What is your spiritual practice these days (you have one, whether you think you do or not), and what might be the next step on the way?

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