Dive deeper into the spiritual life

Last November I started blogging. I had much to learn, including setting up a website with a domain name, a good layout, and content. I wrote a blog post and was off to a great start on my weekly plan.

The website was pretty cool, but I decided to update it with a different design, so I learned about changing and updating.

I watched videos and listened to podcasts by other bloggers, which helped give me some new ideas.

However, my plan of writing weekly got messed up. Before I knew it December was here, and for a pastor the Advent and Christmas seasons are especially busy.

Rather than see this as a failure, I simply adjusted my intentions to take in the realities I was facing, so I switched from a weekly blog to a monthly post. I now had one post for November and one for December. January came and I put another blog post on my website.

In February, I squeaked out another post, but with March it just didn’t happen. The whole month of April came and went with no blogging.

This time, my excuse was Lent and Easter and another big project that I was working on. But then May came and went and still no blog post.

Then June, and with our youngest son graduating and relatives coming and going it seemed I was not going to get anything done and my money toward a website was simply going down the cyber drain with nothing to show for it.

At some point in this struggle, I saw a quote by Jonathan Merritt which I wrote on a scrap paper as a note of encouragement. It reads, “Blogging’s Secret Sauce … frequency, intentionality, consistency.”

I had every intention to write blogs, but did not do so frequently or consistently.

A few more tweaks to the website. A few more failed attempts. Some soul searching as to whether writing blogs was actually a gift of mine to offer the world.

Then I heard another quote on The Writer’s Almanac, and the short phrase stuck with me and has bounced around between my ears ever since. In talking about writers, the person said, “Very few people can sit in silence for hours and think deeply, but writers are free to do this. But with this freedom comes the obligation to write.”

Maybe those two things, freedom and obligation, need added into the secret sauce?! It takes effort and discipline to translate thoughts into something that will contribute to the spiraling movement of life.

Christians and other spiritual seekers are encouraged to live a life of prayer; to pray without ceasing, to call upon God in all things, to take courage, and give thanks.

Frequency, intentionality, consistency, along with freedom and obligation can help a number of spiritual disciplines, such as Bible study, participation in worship as a community, service to others, generosity, prayer in groups and individually, using prayers that are spoken or simply experienced through silent contemplation.

Prayerful living may involve meeting with a trusted friend or spiritual director, or taking walks through nature to quiet the mind and raise awareness of life’s interconnectedness.

The spiritual journey is also marked by failed attempts, unforeseen realities, the need to make adjustments to our own expectations, gaining new ideas, sharing with others, and the ongoing invitation to keep going even if it seems like nothing is coming from it.

When it comes to spiritual growth, God honors our desire to desire. Sometimes it takes what I call, “Holy discontent” to spur us on toward opportunities for growth and service.

As the life of Jesus illustrates, these moments are often unsettling, even painful, but over the long haul, life has a redemptive way of absorbing these moments into a coherent whole.

Some call this grace. Others call it the greater good or providence.

Next time you find yourself feeling tense, unsettled, or getting down on yourself, see this as an invitation to discover that there is more going on than which meets the eye.

Dive deeper into the spiritual life. Don’t assume you’re an expert and have it all figured out, but don’t get discouraged if you feel overwhelmed.

Trust that whatever is happening, God is with you and you are with God. Then take a deep breath and claim the grace, as the next providential step of spiritual growth is revealed.

Andy Kennaly is pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Sandpoint and certified spiritual director. He can be reached at www.fpcsandpoint.org, www.wisdominitiatives.com, pastorandy@fpcsandpoint.org, and 208-263-2047.