Intentional effort makes a difference in many areas of life. Teachers demand the intentional effort of study from their students. Coaches get in the face of athletes who are not putting their all on the field or court. Is it possible for us to have intentional effort for our spiritual progress?
In her book, Spiritual Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation, Ruth Haley Barton, leader of the Transforming Center and trained spiritual director, brings some clear teaching about developing greater intimacy with God through intentional practices. She explores some of the traditional disciplines, such as study, solitude, examen, and sabbath yet adds some new angles on respecting the body and discernment. She writes, “The disciplines are basic components of intimacy with God that feed and nourish the soul, keeping us open and available for God’s surprising initiatives.”
I taught a chapter that challenged me to be more strategic about practices of encounter. I have always had some type of devotional practice. The old-fashioned Quiet Time, journaling, retreats, worship, and lots of study were the staples. I have found regular small group encounters, running, meditation, and writing to be portals of encounter that helped me in many ways. I’ll admit that my previous vocational roles as pastor and chaplain seemed to require some of these practices, whether I had much motivation or not!
Barton seeks to inspire the desire for God as much as any strategy. This longing for a deeper experience should become more than a wish, emerging as some clear choices that open space for interaction with the Spirit. She urges creating more intention and variety in the practices of faith. Key ideas are to make it personal for our lifestyle, flexible, balanced, and experimental. Our plan must take seriously our current life demands and our personalities that will respond in unique ways to the work of God. Most significant, we should do such practices as a love encounter, not an obligation that might be posted on our social media.
It’s also important to accept that God will surprise us! The greatest experiences are often through the unplanned, the serendipity, the divine appointment we never penciled on our calendar. The Biblical witness sparkles with the burning bush, the potter’s wheel, the gardener at the tomb, and a voice of thunder that shocked the Pharisee!
Here’s a question I shared with the class to move forward in a new year: “Given who I am in this stage of life, what practices will I employ to build intimacy with God?”
Let’s mark some new territory on our Journey this year.
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