Spiritual Practices

Woodcrafting

Spending time Woodworking is a practice that I find to be a form of self-care that allows for creativity and reflection. The solitude found behind the whirl of the lathe motor and the chipping of the chisel against the wood offers time and space to gather myself while creatively using my hands as I shape something new out of something old and many times discarded. I find more joy from the process of creating than in the actual end product. Sometimes I whittle some pieces down to nothing, creating more of a mess than something to actually present. Many times, however, something comes out of this process and I have no clue how it happened. In these times I reflect on how the Holy Spirit must think the same.

Nature

Time in nature, either in solitude or with loved ones helps me to reconnect with creation while removing myself from the everyday minutia. I try to always find a way to remove my shoes and socks for either wading a creek bed or digging my toes in the soil as a way to remember my baptism and that I was fashioned out of this very earth. As Dr. William Brown, the William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary reminds us, the Hebrew word, Adamah means ground or dirt. Adam comes from the same root and can be translated as groundling. We are creatures of the earth and reconnecting with the earth helps us reconnect and become closer to God.

Fellowship

As a relative extravert, I find spiritual renewal in my time in fellowship with family and friends. Maybe it’s around a common meal or circled around a fire pit or just hanging out. We are created by God as communal beings… to be in relationship with one another. When I find myself surrounded by people in mutual care and support, I am able to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit moving joyfully throughout our conversation.