Fostering Mindfulness, Presence, & Christ-like Love
Everything we do or don’t contributes to the formation of our character, as individual persons and as a collective. As a community of faith we seek to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ. Jesus taught and modelled the love of God, neighbor, creation and self. We intentionally practice a number of spiritual practices to support our wholistic flourishing.
- Gathering Together & Celebrating Difference
We live in an era of increased loneliness and division, so our community’s intentional practice of gathering together has never felt so counter-cultural. We sense that “joining with” maybe one of the most profound spiritual practices. In the incarnation of Jesus the Christ, God revealed Godself as “Emmanuel” which means “God is WITH us.”
- Breaking Bread Together
Jesus practiced radical hospitality, breaking bread with others. The religious practice of Holy Communion finds its origin in Jesus’ practice of throwing wide open the table God sets for all humanity… at God’s table everyone belongs. Yes, we gather at Christ’s table every Sunday during our worship gatherings, and we also eat together in potlucks, breakfast church, and other times of feasting. We also encourage people to get together for coffee, happy hour, or meals to practice Christ-like hospitality in our everyday lives.
- Fostering Prayer
You can talk with God anytime and anywhere. And there is no required formula for talking with God; rather God’s invitation to us is to intentionally acknowledge the already always presence of God and speak honestly about whatever is on your heart, mind or body. Jesus once said, “the truth will set you free”… what is your truth. Part of what prayer is, is an practice of being honest with oneself, one’s worries, and hopes in the presence of a God who loves you and desires flourishing for you and our world.
- Intermittent Fasting
Long before intermittent fasting became a diet craze, intentional fasting has been a spiritual practice in many of the world’s religions and spiritual traditions. Such fasting, is a way of intentionally interrupting our regular rhythms to foster greater awareness personal patterns while growing in solitary with those who go without. While fasting from food, or alcohol are most common, many find periodic fasting from social media, screen time, shopping, coffee, driving, and other modern aspects of life a helpful way of becoming more mindful.
- Loving your Neighbors
In our world it is easy to spend most of our time with the people we choose. Social media lets us connect with those with similar interests, we join clubs, or teams of our choosing. Our ancestors in faith encouraged followers in the Way of Jesus to learn to love their neighbor. Who is near you? Who lives in the apartments on your floor, or in the housing on your street, or who is living in their vehicle near you, or who are the people you regularly encounter in the everyday stuff of your life? What might it look like to discover a way of love with neighbors… especially the neighbors you won’t have chosen?
- Gratitude & Generosity
Life is a gift! All that we are, all that we have, and who we are becoming is a gift. Holding gratitude for life and relationships, while practicing generosity are counter-cultural engagements for loosening grip of greed in our lives. It’s amazing the freedom and joy that emerge from the practices of gratitude and generosity.
- Centering Meditation
Neuroscience is demonstrating what spiritual teachers have taught for millenia, that the things with desire, dream about, think on, and such play a powerful role in shaping who we become and how we are in the world. Fostering an intentional, centering practice of calming your heart, mind, and body while deeply listening for the invitation of Spirit to practice faithful presence can open you up to welcome and accept reality while discovering with greater clarity what is your’s to do in your life.
This little list of spiritual practices is just scratching the surface. As a community of faith and practice part of our reason for existing is to co-create an collective environment that nudges us to say “yes” to the kind of life of love, justice, peace, joy, and rest as seen in Jesus the Christ. Let us know how we can help you along your spiritual journey.
