Spring Cleaning, A RevGals Friday Five

Sally over at RevGals offers this Friday Five Meme:

1. Is there a part of your spiritual life that is dry and dusty at the moment, something that could do with a good spring clean? Literally I have just left the dry dusty desert and returned to the melting Midwest...in a similar way I am hoping that my faith and spiritual life are restored by the healing rains and green earth of this region - and the comfort of many friends and family.

2. Spiritual disciplines- life-giving/ terrifying: discuss My spiritual disciplines include a twice daily meditation. I have practiced meditation for years although sometimes I take a long while off. It's an opportunity for me to be still and silent and observe where God is in my life and what God might desire of me at this time.

3. Share a practice that keeps you spiritually alive that you think others might benefit from... In addition to the twice daily meditations I also practice yoga - at least I did before our recent move - haven't done any for about two weeks...need to get back into that practice. Again, like meditation, I have practiced yoga for a long time and find that it helps me keep balance internally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Especially through some of the most challenging times....(of which I know little haahaahaaahaahaaa)...

4.Alone or together, how do you pray best? I usually pray alone although I can pray in a group practice of centering prayer or Taize. Generally speaking I find that Sunday morning corporate worship is simply not able to have much silent prayer, at that's a loss for us. It is also one of the areas I try to help congregations grow - a little more silent prayer in the midst of our worship.

5.If your spiritual life were to burgeon and bloom into a spring flower what would it be and why? I think it would be like those tulips that would pop in the middle of my yard. This yard, the rectory of a church I served awhile back, used to have a garden but it had gone to weed so we had it removed. Nonetheless every Spring the tulips would pop up and bloom in the middle of the grass. They were surprising and beautiful and a sign of tenacious life. I think our spiritual lives need to be tenacious as well, but also, hopefully, full of surprises!

Bonus, a piece of music a picture or a prayer that speaks to you of new life.... There are several I could use, but this morning I think this Cersus Cacti flower reflects what I want to image. The flower of this cactus only blooms a couple of times a year, at night. It symbolizes life against all the odds - a gorgeous flower blooming on a cactus, in the dry desert, at night.

Comments

altar ego said…
Beautiful flower. It seems misplaced in the desert somehow. I know I only you through blogging but my gut tells me you are in a very good place being in the windy city. Life, opportunity, support, familiarity, love--lots of good things for your healing.
Reading here about silence, it might be interesting while you have a choice of where to be on Sundays to visit a Quaker Meeting.
Robin said…
I totally get that flower.
Jan said…
As AE wrote, that's a beautiful flower! Your practices of twice daily meditation and yoga exhibit the fruit in your writing and I believe in your life. The image of the rains bringing new life is what we all wish for you and your family.
I too, long for more silence in worship. Perhaps if we had those flowers to gaze upon...we could be more silent.
Sally said…
love that flower, and as for the need for silent congregational prayer- I am right with you there!
revhipchick said…
wonderful, absolutely wonderful! i love your flower--gorgeous and wonderful! you constantly inspire me!
Barbara B. said…
Yes, that flower is amazing! (And so are you!)
Deb said…
My husband introduced me to centering prayer, and I introduced him to Taize. Along with Tai Chi, I have found a great space to breathe, rest and recoup. Even a die-hard extovert like me needs a safe space. And I get that cactus flower, too. <3

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