Across my dining room table, through the beveled glass of the cabinet, a pair a soft eyes greet mine. They are painted still and yet they are attentive and ready. They belong to a figurine of a shepherd boy seated on a stump, one foot slightly forward, one hand resting on the wood, satchel slung across his chest, a shaggy dog by his side. The boy’s other hand shields his eyes as he looks toward the unseen distance. It’s a serene little figure, but all the same it projects a sense of energy and expectancy. He sits as if, at a moment’s notice, he will push away from the stump, propel himself upward and forward and go wherever he is called, drawn to find what is lost, to enter a new land, or to simply follow the voice of his Shepherd. This figurine captures the essence of, and the need for, our spiritual disciplines.
That might sound odd, so hear me out. Spiritual disciplines train us for the things that I see in my shepherd boy: patience, attentiveness, energy, willingness, expectancy. Many of the spiritual disciplines might seem passive on the surface — even appearing to others as if we are “doing nothing” as we sit in silence and stillness in a posture of prayer or meditation. But I would argue that not one of our disciplines is without energy and motion, from study, to lectio divina, prayer, contemplation, hospitality, creative expression or any of the others, we soon discover we can’t fully engage in them with only one part of ourself; our whole self, our full physical, mental and emotional attention, is required. This calls for an encompassing diligence. Perhaps Monk Moses says it best: “God is not to be dealt with in a few minutes out of the entire twenty-four-hour period. God is for the entire day. [God’s] abiding presence should accompany us continuously so that all our activities are a preparation for the sacred hours when we embrace God.”
There are plentiful resources on the “how” of various spiritual disciplines, but equally important to developing and deepening our disciplines is understanding the “why.” The disciplines are the ways of perpetual preparation to engage in the holy, to greet God in every moment and to humbly follow. In our disciplines we hone an inner quietness, cultivate attentiveness and anticipate wonder and revelation. Our disciplines enable and equip us so that, like my shepherd, we are ever in a posture of expectant stillness, readied to go where we are called, to participate in what God is doing now and to have in our satchel the necessary spiritual “tools” for our journey.
Did I mention that my little shepherd is barefoot? Whichever way he goes, it will bring moments of discomfort — sharp rocks, uneven roads, holes and mud. Our disciplines prepare us for these challenges on the path as well. Through them, we learn to discern and navigate; we know what we must go around and what we must walk through despite the difficulty.
We may not think of our faith as something we have to “work at” because it is, at its core, a gift. Yet, this understanding underscores the need to devote ourselves to understanding and maturing in this grace-given faith. Again, we hear the wisdom of Monk Moses who reminds us, “The mind learns that with which it is preoccupied.” And it is through our disciplines that we learn to daily attend to Philippians 4:8: “Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Our spiritual disciplines guide and train us to occupy our mind, body and soul with the holy, and allow us to enter each day ever-present, engaged and hopeful — ready to push off from our post and go wherever God calls.
NADINE ELLSWORTH-MORAN is associate pastor at Reid Memorial Presbyterian Church in Augusta, Georgia.
