4 THE ROLE OF SPIRITUAL PRACTICE

THE ROLE OF SPIRITUAL PRACTICE

In his book Worship and Spirituality, theologian Don Saliers describes spirituality as “our embodied humanity fully alive before God and neighbour, stretched by story, stretched by touch, stretched by song, stretched by eating and drinking, bathing, anointing.”1 This
description of the spiritual life points to its embodied character through particular practices. In our daily patterns of loving, caring, and working, we are following a spiritual path of sorts, whether we are conscious of it or not. The shape of our lives reflects our priorities and ultimate values. We nurture intentional and conscious choices about how to shape these patterns and ways of being through commitment to regular spiritual practices of prayer. We can help shape the persons we are becoming by the practices we choose to commit
ourselves to and live into as they transform us. Such practices are used to regulate and shape our lives, on the assumption that changing our habits can change our perceptions and ideas as well…

Taken from Lectio Divina the Sacred Art by Christine Valters Painter