I wonder whether most faith expressions have periods of heightened spiritual disciplne. I expect that they do. Times of intense, intentional spiritual focus are meant to enrich people’s understanding of themselves in relation to their spiritual lives. Christians are particularly invited to choose a discipline for the 40 days of Lent. 

In our neighborhood as children some of us would gather together as Lent began, always choosing to give up chocolate for Lent. How many of us succeeded, I do not know. I doubt that we shared our success or failure with each other! Yet remembering having done this together connects me with me even today. 

However, Lent 2016 I turned this giving up some thing on its head and decided I wanted a discipline of taking on actions so that I add something to my life rather than take away somethiing from it. Immediately I knew that there are three things I wanted to take on. Since I am an introvert, they are disciplines that take me inward. More extroverted people might take on entirely different activities. Often I envy extroverts whose activities and outward bound energies can more obviously change the world. I simply have not been given that gift, no matter that I often consider it admirable.

#1 Spend time each day reading “A New New Testament: A Bible for the 21st Century Combining Traditional and Newly Discovered Texts” edited with commentary by Hal Taussig. 

#2 Every day honor the Four Directions: East, South, West, North; Grandfather Fire, Sky Father, Earth Mother, Grandmother Ocean; Fire, Air, Earth, Water.

#3 Do 20 minutes of Music Meditation with my husband each morning.

Briefly, 

#1 I only recently discovered this volume published in 2013. So far I have read the introductory material and the commentary at the end so that I could ground myself in the uniqueness of its contents. Then I began at the beginning of this new New Testament with the ancient Thanksgiving Prayer; the introduction to the Gospel of Thomas, The Gospel of Thomas’ 114 sayings of Jesus; the introduction to the Gospel of Matthew, and the first chapters of Matthew. Most astounding to me is that after the instructveness of the preparatory materials, the beauty of the Thanksgiving Prayer, and both the familiarity and the shock of the sayings in Thomas, I am reading Matthew with new eyes and ears and heart. The words almost pop from the page; I am moved by the familiar verses and shocked by some of the strangeness of others–a strangeness similar to that of some of Thomas’ sayings of Jesus.

#2 I was introduced to the Four Directions soon after my late husband died and I went on a Vision Quest on Lake Temagami in northern Ontario with Journey into Wholeness. For 35 years Journey presented conferences which explored the intersection between spirituality and Jungian psychology, eventually incorporating the opportunity to go on an eight day Vision Quest which added Native American/First Nation/Quichol Mexican-Indian spirituality. The Four Directions take me out into nature and deepen my awareness of the Creation which surrounds and holds us. I approach saying, “Great Spirits, it is I, Joy Anna Marie; I am here.” Then I reverence each of the directions and the animal beings I have learned to associate with each direction. This has become a profound way to listen to the spritual world. There are days and weeks when I wander away; I always return and feel welcomed again “just as I am.”

#3 My husband Buck and I learned Music Meditation ten years ago from Shinzen Young, an American Jewish Japanese-trained Buddhist monk who guided my late husband Lew to live mindfuly into his dying. Buck and I return to this practice sporadically. As a forty day discipline, we are appreciating the richness of listening to a piece of classical music together in the quiet of the morning. There are several ways to attune to the music, the most intense and meditative for us is to follow the notes which leads to an expanded awareness of the complexity of the music as it soothes our souls. Our two year old rescue dog Bear has learned to enter into the quiet with us even though he might have preferred a walk initially!

More about each of these practices can be learned by Googling them. You have to discern the wheat from the chafe–but isn’t that always true? the work of mindful critical thinking.

Blessings during the sacred times of your faith tradition.