The Scenic Route

On Friday I finished the first book I assigned myself to read for my daily practices class: Finding Our Way Again, by Brian McLaren. The book introduces a series put out by Thomas Nelson called The Ancient Practices Series. Dan Allender's book Sabbath is a part of this series, along with In Constant Prayer, Fasting, Tithing, The Sacred Meal, The Liturgical Year, and The Sacred Journey, all of which I own and hope to get to soon after reading this introduction (I bought most for $5 at a discount Christian bookstore in Branson, but that does not deplete their relevance; I found Dwight's book, Thy Kingdom Connected, there too--don't tell him).

You can by yours here.

It was a great book to start with as I begin to muse about what it means to live intentionally and the role of daily practices in that intention, spiritual practices in particular. Personally, I think that all daily practices are spiritual, and that our presence and engagement in those moments, especially the frustrating and mundane is impacted by the daily spiritual practices we hold.

In this book, McLaren is focusing on the ancient spiritual practices and introduces the following (I've starred the one's I really want to start engaging):

Solitude, Sabbath, and Silence

Spiritual Reading and Study

Spiritual Direction or Spiritual Friendship

Practicing God's Presence

Fixed-Hour Prayer*

Prayer Journaling*

Contemplative Prayer

Service, Secrecy, and Generosity

Simplicity and Slowness*

Fasting and Self-Denial

Feasting and Celebration

Holy Days and Seasons*

Submission

Gratitude*

Meditation and Memorization*

My guess is that each of the individual books address these practices more thoroughly, because McLaren goes on to emphasize something more foundational for the ancient practices: "the threefold way"--phases of the spiritual journey. These phases bring about both humility and desire, and I hope to continue to be affected by my reflection on them as I enter this journey. They are:

1. Via Purgativa (Latin) or Katharsis (Greek): Self-examination that "leads us to seek to be purified, purged, debugged, liberated, and transformed." (McLaren, p. 147)
2. Via Illumniativa or Fotosis: Enlightenment, meaning "having our minds and imaginations enlightened and our hearts and energies warmed with the light of God." (Ibid.*) (*such a nerd.)
3. Via Unitiva or Theosis: "unification of our being with God...we are taken into God and God fills us." (Ibid.)

It is a path that lasts a lifetime and one that is always winding. It is a continual story of confession, salvation, and redemption, of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, of shalom shattered, sought, and denoumat. And it is a path that is far different from the paved level one of which I was taught.

For that, and this rocky terrain-filled journey which I now choose, I am thankful. I'm calling it "the scenic route."

In Progress,

Lacy