Suggestions for a Spiritually Enriched Summer
The long, lazy days of summer just feel different – even long after the season stops actually impacting much of our schedules. Summer can be a season when it is harder to make it to church and a season when the Spirit reaches us in other places – in beautiful late-in-the-evening sunsets, in the smell of fresh earth & flowers in gardens, in the taste of a tomato grown on our own patio. If you are looking for support in seeking the Spirit this summer, consider these options:
The Salt Project’s Summer Days: A Companion to Mary Oliver’s “Devotions”
At its best, summer is a season of rest and joy – tapping into the ancient, sacred practice of sabbath restoration. Mary Oliver can help us reconnect with this dimension of summertime, savoring what she calls its “luminous sprawl of gifts.”
This devotional is designed to be flexible: use it as an individual practice of companionship with Oliver’s Devotions; or in partnership with family or friends; or with a small study group, or even a whole congregation. Spread it out over four weeks, four days, or a holiday weekend.
You can download the devotional for individual use ($12US), but speak to Pastor Ruth… if there are 4 of us interested, it is cheaper to get the download for small parishes. See https://www.saltproject.org/store-summer-days for details.
Journaling in Ordinary Time: A Simple, Meaningful Spiritual Practice
“Ordinary Time [the season covered by Sundays “after Pentecost”] is expansive. This year it lasts from June 8 to November 30. This makes Ordinary Time a perfect season to dig out a journal bought for a New Year’s resolution, open a journaling app that a friend recommended, and try journaling. The season is perfect for engaging faith on your own schedule and in your own way, and journaling can help you be intentional and find new ways to explore your faith in this long church season. Whether you fill your journal with the mysteries of Christ’s resurrection as often as each day’s sunrise, an occasional act of kindness, a relative’s birthday, books read, conversations shared, challenges encountered, fellow travelers met on your formation journey, or prayers, I hope journaling may enrich your spiritual life as much as it has mine.”
This endorsement of journaling through the summer (and into the fall) comes from a post by Mallard Benton on Building Faith. The full post has “how to” suggestions and is found at https://buildfaith.org/journaling-in-ordinary-time/.