ing can be a reminder of what a divine wonder our own body is, as it stimulates every sense: the smell of an orange, the sound as we bite into it and its texture on our tongue. But when a meal is prepared lovingly and shared with a friend, it becomes even more sacred. “If you buy a sandwich at the drive-up, you are probably just fueling your body,” he comments. “But if you invite someone you care about to sit down with you for a sandwich, it can become a transcen- dent experience.”
Attend to Community
Taylor, whose acclaimed book, Leaving Church, recounts her parting with par- ish ministry in 1996, finds that some of her greatest moments of spiritual con- nectedness now come while digging her hands into the soil to find potatoes, bringing water to her chickens or sow- ing seeds. But she still believes that the traditional, walled church plays an im- portant role, in that it brings us together physically. “My worry is that in a culture that
is individualistic and busy, if we aren’t careful, we might end up alone, with no one to talk to about the things that matter most to us,” says Taylor. She encour- ages everyone to make time for commu- nity—whether it is at church on Sunday, a running group, book club or something else—wherever one’s spiritual life resides. Most importantly, adds Korngold, pay attention to the moment: “The point that is often overlooked in the story of Moses and the burning bush is that he was busy tending his father-in- law’s flock, when he saw a bush out of the corner of his eye that was burning, but not consumed by flame. It was only when he stopped what he was doing, turned aside and paid attention that God spoke to him.
“If that were to have happened to- day, Moses’ cell phone probably would have gone off and he may have missed it altogether.”
Lisa Marshall is a freelance writer and mother of four whose spiritual life resides along the running trails of Colorado’s mountains. Connect at
LisaMarshall08@gmail.com.
from Sunday by Lisa Marshall E
xtending our individual spiritual practice into everyday activi- ties may present a challenge, especially during the hectic holiday season. So authors Barbara Brown Taylor and J. Pittman McGehee have uncovered additional ways that some people are tapping into their defini- tions of a Higher Power.
The Practice of Paying Attention Spend 20 minutes observing a patch of Earth outdoors. Observe what lives there. Think of how it came to be and what it takes for it to survive.
The Practice of Encountering Others Start a conversation with the cashier at the grocery store. Exchange eye contact and a smile with someone on the subway. Offer help to a mother with a crying child at the airport. Says Taylor: “The hardest spiri- tual work in the world is to love the neighbor as the self—to encounter them not as someone you can use, change, fix, help or save, but as someone who can spring you from the prison of yourself if you will allow it… to entertain the possibility that this is one of the faces of God.”
The Practice of Living with Purpose Show your gratitude for being alive through contributing to some com- mon good, whether it is via a voca- tion you love or volunteer work. “Give your stuff away. Share your food. Pray for those who are out to get you. Be the first to say, ‘I’m sorry,’” counsels Taylor.
natural awakenings December 2010 39
The Practice of Saying No Say no for one whole day: to more work, to shopping, to the Internet. Use the time you gain to pay atten- tion. “If you slow down for just one day, alarming things can happen,” observes Taylor.
The Practice of Doing Without Go without power for a day. Light candles. Dry laundry on a clothes- line. Sleep by the fire. Feel your heart swell with gratitude when the sun comes up.
The Practice of Creativity Create something. Paint, write, cook, dance or plant a garden. “Find the creativity, and you will find yourself experiencing the mystical presence of the transcendent, in the most simple and available way,” says McGehee.
The Practice of Dreaming Write down dreams and pay attention to recurring symbols. Honor them as a divine opportunity.
Seven Ways
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