SHIFT
Spiritual Practices for an Authentic Life
Which person will show up today? The Self that is centered, present, and connected to God or the self that is separate, fearful and trying to control life? The difference between Self and self is a conscious SHIFT. We know that it is neurologically easier to let our mind/body operate from fear than it is to operate from a state of gratitude, love and presence. We need practices to live authentic lives, practices for SHIFTing.
Join our conversation about living On Purpose, about living your authentic life. Share with us how you are SHIFTing.
Spiritual Practices
ways to be intentional about matters of the soul
Introduction
Think of it as keeping your ears open, in ways and in places and in times of day when before you wouldn’t have thought to listen. Think of it as tuning yourself to recognize God’s voice, as becoming someone who regularly, intentionally hears.
Spiritual practices are exactly what their name suggests; they’re ways to be deliberate about matters of the soul. A spiritual practice is a tool for becoming aware of God within the normalcy of life—it injects the sacred into elements that could otherwise seem just everyday. So in applying spiritual practices, we find that the lines can be blurred between those things spiritual and what is secular: gratitude can happen when we’re mowing the lawn, worship and grocery shopping are compatible, God can be pursued on the evening commute.
Introduction from Mars Hill at www.marshill.org
Characteristics of spiritual practices
- They give us energy and remind us of what matters most.
- They connect us to the presence of God.
- They are something we do regularly (ideally daily) and without interruption.
- They ground us in the present moment, bringing us into awareness of what is happening right now.
Adapted from The Spiritual Activist
Fall 2009 Trinity’s Core Practices:
Lectio Divina, Prayer of Examen, and Trinity’s Bible Statement Conversations- bible.doc
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