Renewing Whole-Hearted Spiritual Practice

I remember the practices of a young Christian life. Daily prayer which we called “quiet time”, reading and study of Scriptures and the approved commentaries that went along with the sacred texts, telling others of our beliefs, emotion-filled musical performances with hands raised to the heavens, putting on fancy clothes to attend Church with Bible in hand, occasional service projects to the community that usually lasted for about a day, and shuffling off to week long camps for “fellowship” and teaching. Some version of those practices is still encouraged by many Christian churches around the world. There is certainly a place for those disciplines and they offer a way of building a foundation of awareness of the presence of the Spirit, a way of considering our behaviors, and encouragement to love others with kindness and care. And done with the intention of love, these behaviors can assist a life along a good path. 

However, there are two prominent problems that accompany these disciplines. The first is that there is often a rigid belief system behind them that shapes how they are to be performed and what practitioners are expected to get out of it.  In other words, these practices are meant to support a particular belief system that is often pre-defined, rigid, and unquestioned. The second problem is that many aspects of a spiritual life are not represented such as the equality and dignity of all people, our life-giving relationship with Nature, the great wisdom that all of Creation is ready to share with us, matters of harm done to human groups in many forms, and the need for listening silently and calmly to the surrounding Divine voice that holds us all at all moments and in all ways.    

Thankfully, several older traditions are reemerging into our understanding of what it means to “practice” a spiritual life. Many of these long-stifled voices come from mystical and Creation-aware traditions around the world. We are now hearing of a life lived in union with the Great Spirit that manifests in acts of love and compassion toward others and all of Nature. Native Americans speak of great reverence for Nature and relationship with the Great Spirit of life that moves in and through everything. Buddhists speak of living skillfully in the present moment without being swept away in the anxiety and fear of tomorrow or the crushing weight of the pain and disappointment of yesterday. African American voices call for a spiritual life lived with acute awareness of how we harm and reduce one another and the dignity of love and non-violence. And many traditions encourage setting the chatter of our ego aside and sitting in the presence of Being itself in order to let go of self and know of our life as it is part of the great life of all things and of God’s very essence.    

In the Christian tradition, contemplative practices are making their way back into our understanding of a life lived with eyes open to the spiritual. Centering prayer invites us to a regular time of sitting peacefully, calming the incessant chatter of the mind, and giving focus to the presence of God and our presence within God. Meditative and mindfulness teachings in many forms are returning as foundational to a life well lived. Additionally, an emphasis on action and not just contemplation and individual growth is again being seen as critical. These actions include simple acts of kindness but may also manifest as social justice action, protests, non-violent interventions, and standing up for the poor and oppressed in many strong and creative ways.    

One ancient tradition that holds all of these possibilities is that of the Celtic Christians. This way of seeing the world and living a life of responsibility and care is thousands of years old. In its Christian manifestation, it has been practiced for nearly two thousand years. By finding a dignified interplay between very old ways of seeing the wisdom of Nature and aligning human growth with the rhythms of Creation alongside the redemptive Christian message of God’s presence and unrestrained love, Celtic Christians were able to master practices and disciplines that held the whole of a spiritual life. They emphasized community responsibility and care-giving, deep and supportive friendship, prayerful practices, attunement to Nature and the wisdom therein, the role of the imagination, communal decisions that dignified the equality and possibilities of all men and women, and the encounter with the sacred in everything and everyone. These beliefs and behaviors encouraged many practices that hold a whole-spirited life. They created ways of gathering, worshiping, being community, interacting with Creation, and caring for those in need that are profoundly relevant to our modern situation. We would all do well in studying and emphasizing the ways of Christian Celts as they hold for us a fullness of faith, a life attuned to the Spirit, and the loving action of God in all manner of our experience.