{"id":1830,"date":"2021-11-14T11:27:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-14T19:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rhmcd.com\/?p=1830"},"modified":"2024-09-17T16:50:05","modified_gmt":"2024-09-17T23:50:05","slug":"prayer-and-spiritual-practice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rhmcd.com\/?p=1830","title":{"rendered":"Prayer and Spiritual Practice"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Spiritual practice is part of the action of a faith life, how we \u201cdo\u201d our religion. For UUs that includes worship and many other activities from justice work, to gardening, to hiking in nature, to yoga, and meditation. But all religious action flows from beliefs; thus, we can trace backward from what we\u00a0do\u00a0with our faith, to discover what it is we have faith in, in the first place.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Click here to watch a video of this sermon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

W. Waldemar W. Argow, in the words of this morning\u2019s Call to Worship, traces the beginning of the religious impulse in human persons all the way back to the beginning of our race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAncient as the home is the temple\u201d he says.\u00a0\u00a0We built houses for ourselves and houses for our gods at the same time, he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We built altars beside our first workbenches, he says.  At the same time we trained soldiers to fight our battles and forged swords to arm our soldiers, we lifted up priests and created rituals to pray for peace, to forgive our warring, to heal the injured and the bereft, and to help us wonder about our conflicted human nature that moves us to both war and peace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Religion is ancient and with us still.  And W. Waldemar W. Argow says religion will be with us forever.  He says, \u201cReligion is the first and last–the universal language of the human heart.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBecause we are human,\u201d he says, \u201cwe shall ever build our altars; because we offer everywhere our prayers and anthems.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

W. Waldemar W. Argow, by the way, was a Universalist minister.  In the 1920s he served a Universalist church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  He later served in the northeast in congregations in Baltimore, Syracuse and Amherst and elsewhere.  He died in 1996.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Argow\u2019s point, in that reading, is that although human beings have a lot of different conceptions about the transcendent world that we explore through religion, and although we have a lot of different names for the contents of that world, and lots of different objects, and strategies, and practices, and rules, about how we access that world, that we are united as human in being curious about that world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He writes, \u201cDiffering words describe the outward appearance of things; diverse symbols represent that which stands beyond and within.  Yet every person’s hunger is the same.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now at this point in the argument a lot of my un-churched friends would protest, saying, \u201cWell, not me!\u201d  And some of you may be thinking the same thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But although I\u2019ve never been able to convince any of my friends, and I probably won\u2019t convince you either, let me argue that the religious impulse really is as universal, eternal, and human<\/em> as W. Waldemar W. Argow, says it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our problem is that we have allowed religion to be defined by things like belief in God, or belief in a holy scripture like the Bible, or belief in an afterlife like heaven. Certainly not everyone believes in those things, or cares about them even to the point of worrying about defending their unbelief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So W. Waldemar W. Argow, begins his argument by conceding that human beings disagree about those things.  He agrees.  That’s not what we hunger for. But Rev. Argow argues that there is something deeper than the surface contents of specific religions that does concern all of us.  He doesn\u2019t define it exactly in that short reading from our hymnal, but if I can add my own thoughts to his, I would say that what all human beings hunger for, in the part of life we could call religious, are the three issues of \u201cidentity, meaning, and purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We all wonder about who we are.  It\u2019s the most important question of childhood, for instance.  Who am I, separate from my parents and different from my friends, but still part of a community?  And most of us take decades beyond childhood to find our answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We ask ethical questions like, \u201cwhat does it mean?\u201d  and \u201cWhy does it matter?\u201d  And maybe you haven\u2019t literally asked that question, but we do ask it because our answers to those questions control every part of our lives.  \u201cShould I vote for the Republican or the Democrat?\u201d is a religious<\/em> question, because the follow-up question is, \u201cwhy does it matter?\u201d  That\u2019s ethics.  That\u2019s religious.  Some people decide it doesn\u2019t matter, which is also a religious answer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShould I vote my values?\u201d  Well, what are<\/em> your values?  That\u2019s a religious question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Covid pandemic has brought up a lot of religious questions for people, whether they recognize them as religious or not:  personal freedom, community responsibility, life and death.  Why did my loved one die and will the people who spread the fear and ignorance ever be punished?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the labor market right now, we\u2019re going through a seismic event some people are calling \u201cThe Great Resignation.\u201d  People are asking themselves what work is for<\/em>, what their life is for<\/em>, and what they should do<\/em>.  Retire early?  Be a stay-at-home parent?  Find a more fulfilling job or at least demand a better wage and working condition? Chuck it all and follow your dream?  That\u2019s the question of purpose, and that\u2019s a religious question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you think about religion not in terms of the practices and pontifications of organized religion but in terms of the motivating spiritual questions, then I think we can look beyond the gods and the books, and the supernaturalism and the bigotry of some<\/em> people\u2019s religions and agree that we\u2019re all religious.  Some of us just go about it differently.  Or rather, we all<\/em> go about it.  Differently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How we go about it, brings us to the topic for today:\u00a0\u00a0spiritual practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve been talking with you about religious beliefs since the beginning of the church year.\u00a0\u00a0We\u2019ve talked a little about the existence of a higher power.\u00a0\u00a0We talked a little about issues of life and death.\u00a0\u00a0We talked about individual and community identity last week.\u00a0\u00a0We talked about the Unitarian and Universalist beliefs about God and Jesus and salvation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve said that Beliefs are the first part of a complete faith.\u00a0\u00a0Our complete faith includes our Beliefs, which is our worldview, our description of reality; plus our Values, which are the principles that we hold important and which shape our life\u2019s choices; plus the Actions that we choose to take in our lives, the visible part of how we live our faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spiritual practice is part of the visible part of our faith, so properly this topic should come in the spring when I talk about the Actions of a complete faith.\u00a0\u00a0But I wanted to bring it up now for two reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One.\u00a0\u00a0Because, if you go to our Fellowship\u2019s website and you click on the menu item labeled, \u201cOur Faith\u201d and then scroll down a little, you\u2019ll come to a section of the page titled \u201cOur Beliefs.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0And under that heading you\u2019ll see four items, \u201cThe existence of a higher power,\u201d which I preached about in September; \u201cLife and death,\u201d which I preached about last month; \u201cSacred Texts,\u201d which I\u2019ll preach about next month; and \u201cPrayer and Spiritual Practices.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So although I don\u2019t really think of prayer and spiritual practices as belonging to Beliefs, I chose to cover it today because that\u2019s where the topic shows up on our website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the other reason to get to prayer and spiritual practice today, is that although that is part of how we \u201cdo\u201d our faith, the Actions of faith, it\u2019s helpful to understand that what we do with our faith reveals what we believe in our faith.\u00a0\u00a0The elements of a complete faith are all interconnected.\u00a0\u00a0What you believe informs your values.\u00a0\u00a0What you value guides your actions.\u00a0\u00a0Your actions change the world, which can cause you to rethink what you believe about the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, it\u2019s possible to trace backward from watching what someone does, to deduce what they believe.  If it\u2019s true, as I said a minute ago, that all persons are religious, (even if they don\u2019t say so themselves) because all persons are concerned with the religious questions of Identity, Meaning, and Purpose, (even if they don\u2019t ever explicitly contemplate those question) then the actions of every person\u2019s life are in essence, spiritual<\/em> practices.  That is, they live a life that reveals who they are, that shows what they value, that flows from their underlying principles and shows their answers to those deep questions, \u201cWho am I?\u201d  \u201cWhat should I do?\u201d  and \u201cWhy does it matter?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As W. Waldemar W. Argow says, \u201cwe offer everywhere<\/em> our prayers and anthems.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now a lot of us don\u2019t literally pray or sing anthems.\u00a0\u00a0None of my friends ever pray, as far as a I know.\u00a0\u00a0I don\u2019t pray very much myself, although I do from time to time when the occasion demands.\u00a0\u00a0But Argow is asking us to think of actions like praying or singing in a more expansive sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is it that we\u00a0do<\/em>\u00a0in response to our faith?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In one sense, everything that we do is in response to our faith.\u00a0\u00a0Our entire life is shaped by those deep questions and the answers we\u2019ve arrived at, consciously or unconsciously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes we notice there\u2019s a disconnect between our fundamental beliefs and values and the way we\u2019re currently living, and we make a big, deliberate change in our lives.\u00a0\u00a0We leave an unsatisfactory job.\u00a0\u00a0We end an unhealthy relationship.\u00a0\u00a0We move across country.\u00a0\u00a0We join a church, or volunteer at the shelter.\u00a0\u00a0We follow a dream.\u00a0\u00a0We take a risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may have made a big change in your life like that.\u00a0\u00a0And you might even have thought of that change in spiritual terms.\u00a0\u00a0You might have said, \u201cThis is not who I am.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u201cThis is not what I want.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Something beyond myself is calling me to a different life.\u00a0\u00a0There\u2019s more for me to do.\u00a0\u00a0Something else, or someone else, needs me and I\u2019ve been holding myself back.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s time to show up for myself and others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So every aspect of life is an expression of our spirits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But we use the term \u201cspiritual practice<\/em>\u201d in a more narrow way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A practice, as anyone who plays an instrument can tell you, is something that you do regularly, intentionally, and holistically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me explain each of those terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A spiritual practice needs to be done regularly.\u00a0\u00a0That means, not just a few big transformational events scattered through your life, but a practice that you return to often, repeatedly, maybe daily, probably at least weekly.\u00a0\u00a0Regularly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And a spiritual practice is done intentionally.\u00a0\u00a0That means you don\u2019t just wait for a spiritual experience to happen to you and enjoy it when it comes, but you do something deliberately to invite the spiritual experience.\u00a0\u00a0You do your practice because you want to focus on the spiritual feeling or the spiritual questions.\u00a0\u00a0And your practice is about working to experience that spiritual feeling more often, and on demand, not just by accident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And a spiritual practice is holistic.\u00a0\u00a0By this I mean that when you\u2019re in the midst of your practice it requires your complete attention.\u00a0\u00a0You can\u2019t be doing your spiritual practice and also watching television, and also minding the stove as you get dinner ready for the kids.\u00a0\u00a0Spiritual practice requires focus and concentration and a distraction-free space and time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Holistic also means that all of your person is involved: your mind and your body.\u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s how you sit, and where you place your hands, and how you breathe, and where you direct your gaze.\u00a0\u00a0Spiritual practices are holistic:\u00a0\u00a0mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So with that definition, what do you do that is a spiritual practice for you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unitarian Universalists engage in a lot of different spiritual practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe you do yoga, or tai chi.\u00a0\u00a0Maybe your spiritual practice is long bicycle rides, or walking.\u00a0\u00a0Maybe you meditate.\u00a0\u00a0Maybe you do a regular community service project that\u2019s a spiritual practice for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The questions to ask are:
Do I do it regularly?
Do I do it intentionally, for the purpose of growing my spirit?
Do I do it holistically, with my complete attention?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have two main spiritual practices.\u00a0\u00a0Neither one of which would be recognized by most religions, but they work for my spirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mentioned during the children\u2019s message that singing in a choir is a spiritual practice for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is it regular?\u00a0\u00a0Yes.\u00a0\u00a0We rehearse every week, Thursdays at 7pm.\u00a0\u00a0And I have to do some rehearsing on my own, too.\u00a0\u00a0And we perform a couple of times a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is it intentional?\u00a0\u00a0Yes, for me anyway.\u00a0\u00a0For probably most of the guys in the chorus the group is a social opportunity, or they sing because they enjoy the aesthetic quality of the music.\u00a0\u00a0But for me, it\u2019s that, plus, I\u2019m also intentional when I sing about having a spiritual experience.\u00a0\u00a0I intentionally connect with something larger than myself.\u00a0\u00a0I add my piece to the work of the whole.\u00a0\u00a0I find my place, in the music but also in the universe.\u00a0\u00a0I connect with myself inwardly and I give my gift outwardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And is it holistic?\u00a0\u00a0Yes.\u00a0\u00a0I turn off my cell phone.\u00a0\u00a0I watch the director.\u00a0\u00a0I listen.\u00a0\u00a0I concentrate.\u00a0\u00a0I engage my diaphragm.\u00a0\u00a0I focus on my breathing.\u00a0\u00a0I sing with my whole being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other spiritual practice for me is working out at the gym.\u00a0\u00a0I exercise regularly.\u00a0\u00a0I\u2019m intentional about not just working my body but also growing my spirit.\u00a0\u00a0I concentrate on what I\u2019m doing, mentally and physically.\u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s like a meditation for me.\u00a0\u00a0And as a good spiritual practice should, my exercise makes me feel good, less anxious, stronger, energized, positive, healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your spiritual practice might be prayer.\u00a0\u00a0It might be gardening, or hiking, or knitting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to start a spiritual practice it doesn\u2019t have to be one more thing in your life, but perhaps as simple as changing how you do something you\u2019re already doing.\u00a0\u00a0It might be as simple as committing to joining the Fellowship for worship regularly, intentionally, holistically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because you are human, you have a spiritual life, whether you use that word for it or not.\u00a0\u00a0A practice that would keep you connected to that transcendent world of ideals and goals, the true, the good, and the beautiful, could help you grow, could help you stay grounded in your deepest values and reaching for your highest self. A spiritual practice could help you find your way if you feel lost, stay on your right path once you\u2019ve found it, and go further along your path toward your life\u2019s goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whatever god you have in your heart, and maybe \u201cgod\u201d is not the word you use for that inner light and guiding direction, that vision of the best that calls you forward, that infinite other, greater than ourselves that we call \u201cThou\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be thou my vision, thou my best thought,\u00a0
Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word;\u00a0
Thou my best shelter, thou my high tower,
O Power of my power.
Thou my inheritance, now and always;\u00a0
Thou and thou only, first in my heart.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Spiritual practice is part of the action of a faith life, how we \u201cdo\u201d our religion. For UUs that includes… Read more Prayer and Spiritual Practice<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1830","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rhmcd.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1830","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rhmcd.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rhmcd.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rhmcd.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rhmcd.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1830"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/rhmcd.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1830\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2055,"href":"https:\/\/rhmcd.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1830\/revisions\/2055"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rhmcd.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1830"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rhmcd.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1830"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rhmcd.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1830"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}