Relationships - romantic, familial, political - have always been a favorite topic of mine. Many of my personal rel-ships need work, and I hope to attend to them in the months ahead. That said, there's one 'ship that especially beckons: my relationship with God.
For most of my life, I have been suspicious of phrases like "relationship with God." What does that mean, exactly? How can I relate to an invisible and eternal being? What I am supposed to do? How does one tell the difference between a "real" divine encounters and the projection of deified fantasies into an imaginary relationship?
Well, thank goodness we have blogs to answer such questions once and for all!! Kidding aside, these profound questions warrant (and have inspired) volumes and volumes of writings. Today I'm only going to do the two-minute drill and will save the dissertation for another time. Here is my three-step process for boosting one's relationship with The Godster.
The Image of God: When someone reads or hears the word "GOD," it triggers an image in that person's mind. What is that image for you? For most of my life, I thought of a white man, white robe, white beard, sitting on a throne in a cloud. This is God as Zeus which goes all the way back to the Hellenistic influences on early Christianity. Somewhat ironically, the image was further solidified in the 1950s when Charlton Heston played Moses in the film remake of "The Ten Commandments." Although this heroic father imagery has its place in the Christian canon, it can lead to problems if left unexamined.
First, Zeus and Moses have a law-or-bust preoccupation. That can lead to (what I believe is) a misleading interpretation of God as harsh judge whose biggest concern is that his subjects obey his rules. Second, the image is far too limiting; it's hard for me to accept that the creator of the WHOLE ENTIRE UNIVERSE looks like a retired English Professor in a bathrobe. Third, the image sets off the patriarchy alarms like crazy. In light of male power dominance throughout Western history, it's too convenient to simply think of God as a male, not to mention a straight, able-bodied white guy.
To counteract such unconscious programming, I'm trying to play with different divine imagery, things as big as the nighttime sky to as small as microscopic cells. After all, the God that I worship inhabits such places large and small.
If this topic interests you, check out the 1997 book The God We Never Knew: Beyond Dogmatic Religion to a More Contemporary Faith by Marcus Borg. It's a thoughtful and challenging exploration of how our images of God unconsciously play a big role in our formation.
Talking to God - There are many ways to communicate with God, but the most critical and (for me) underutilized form is prayer. One type is intercessory prayer, ie praying on behalf of others. For instance: Oh God, please help my dad while he rehabs from his recent knee replacement surgery. Then there's meditation prayer, they type where I stop listening to the white noise streaming through my brain and just be still. Stillness and quiet are openings for the Holy Spirit.
Meditation is not the same as black magic; it's not invoking power to do your will. Instead, it means coming into harmony with God's creation around us, deepening our attentiveness and awareness to the soft, still voice of God. Mysteriously, unpredictably, and graciously, prayer "works."
Do Something - Think about God, talk to God, and then act on that. Do something consistent with what you believe God is and what you have heard God say to you. Let your image of God inspire you in your human relationships.
I'm not sure what that "doing" will entail for me, at least not in the short term, but I'll continue to do steps 1 and 2 in the meantime. Certainly, time with Scripture provides many examples of Godly relationships, from the ancient Israelites to the early followers of Jesus. To answer a question I posed earlier, Scripture is one resource that can help us discern the difference between our will and the will of God.
What images for God do you find helpful? What is your favorite way to communication with God? How do those two answers inform the choices you make in daily life?
Showing posts with label Spiritual Practices. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spiritual Practices. Show all posts
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Sleep as spiritual practice
I am becoming increasingly convinced that sleep should be considered a “spiritual practice.”
The Judeo-Christian tradition has long embraced the concept of Sabbath. The first Sabbath comes as early as the dawn of creation: “So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation.” (Genesis 2:3) The practice of Sabbath day becomes codified in the Ten Commandments: “Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy,” (Exodus 20:8) and “Observe the Sabbath day and keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you.” (Deuteronomy 5:12) Sabbath days, according to the Old Testament, served two purposes: they set aside a day to worship God (Ex 31:13-17) and rest for people, including slaves and cattle (Deut 5:14).1
Sleep, of course, is a form of rest. It’s a bit of a stretch to consider sleep as worship, although long sermons have been known to induce a snooze or two. I wonder what would happen, though, if we changed our paradigm of sleep. What if we approached sleeping as if we were entering church? Or to be more specific, what if we saw sleep as entering sacred space?
Returning to Biblical tradition, there are numerous examples of God speaking to the people through dreams. In Genesis alone, we have Jacob’s ladder to heaven (chapter 28), Joseph’s dreams of power (37), and Pharaoh asking Joseph to interpret his dreams. (40)2 Our faith stories tell us that dreams can carry divine messages.
Beyond the mythology, we know that dreams in REM sleep serve a healthful purpose. In our unconscious world, memories and emotions play out in the tableau of dreams. Although there is much we do not understand about the unconscious, some neuroscientists believe that dreams serve to cleanse our memories. Negative emotions associated with our conscious thoughts and memories are separated and subsequently get “washed away” during dreams, keeping us from becoming overwhelmed by bad memories. This theory would partially explain and affirm the credo that time heals all wounds. In any event, we know that dreams are necessary for mental health.3
Dreams are not the only health benefit of sleep. Our bodies have an incredible capacity for self-healing while we are in such a low-power state. Sleep has also been described as “the great leveler.”4 Everyone rich and poor, young and old requires time in this state of inactivity and vulnerability.
Unfortunately, 21st century upper-middle class American culture brings a fast pace and high expectation for lots of “doing.” It’s common for people to squeeze more “doing” in their days, cut into sleep time, and then compensate the next morning with caffeine. Children are not immune: when the instant messaging craze hit a few years ago, high school students reported getting less sleep, presumably because they were up later to message their friends.5 Christians are particularly vulnerable to sleep cutbacks. We pride ourselves on sacrifice and mission, so it’s easy to get caught up in our work at the expense of rest.
Christians would be wise to heed the words of one youth group member: “Nothing essential stops when I sleep.”6 Making time for quality sleep is self care, as it stabilizes our mental and emotional health. Sleep gives our bodies a chance to heal. In our dreams, we open ourselves to the possibility of revelation, perhaps even from the divine. We enter a vulnerable state, one that points to our dependence on God.
Sleep is a spiritual practice. Good night.
1 Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, F.L. Cross, ed., 3rd ed, Oxford University Press, 1997. 2 Rodger Kamenetz, The History of Last Night’s Dream: Discovering the Hidden Path to the Soul (New York: Harper, 2007). 3 Paul Martin, Counting Sheep: the Science and Pleasures of Sleep and Dreams (New York: St. Marin’s, 2004). 4 Ibid. 5 Peggy Kendall, Rewired: Youth Ministry in an Age of IM and MySpace (Valley Forge, PA: Judson Press, 2007), page 17-18. 6 Mark Oestreicher, Youth Ministry 3.0: A Manifesto (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008), page 114.
The Judeo-Christian tradition has long embraced the concept of Sabbath. The first Sabbath comes as early as the dawn of creation: “So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation.” (Genesis 2:3) The practice of Sabbath day becomes codified in the Ten Commandments: “Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy,” (Exodus 20:8) and “Observe the Sabbath day and keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you.” (Deuteronomy 5:12) Sabbath days, according to the Old Testament, served two purposes: they set aside a day to worship God (Ex 31:13-17) and rest for people, including slaves and cattle (Deut 5:14).1
Sleep, of course, is a form of rest. It’s a bit of a stretch to consider sleep as worship, although long sermons have been known to induce a snooze or two. I wonder what would happen, though, if we changed our paradigm of sleep. What if we approached sleeping as if we were entering church? Or to be more specific, what if we saw sleep as entering sacred space?
Returning to Biblical tradition, there are numerous examples of God speaking to the people through dreams. In Genesis alone, we have Jacob’s ladder to heaven (chapter 28), Joseph’s dreams of power (37), and Pharaoh asking Joseph to interpret his dreams. (40)2 Our faith stories tell us that dreams can carry divine messages.
Beyond the mythology, we know that dreams in REM sleep serve a healthful purpose. In our unconscious world, memories and emotions play out in the tableau of dreams. Although there is much we do not understand about the unconscious, some neuroscientists believe that dreams serve to cleanse our memories. Negative emotions associated with our conscious thoughts and memories are separated and subsequently get “washed away” during dreams, keeping us from becoming overwhelmed by bad memories. This theory would partially explain and affirm the credo that time heals all wounds. In any event, we know that dreams are necessary for mental health.3
Dreams are not the only health benefit of sleep. Our bodies have an incredible capacity for self-healing while we are in such a low-power state. Sleep has also been described as “the great leveler.”4 Everyone rich and poor, young and old requires time in this state of inactivity and vulnerability.
Unfortunately, 21st century upper-middle class American culture brings a fast pace and high expectation for lots of “doing.” It’s common for people to squeeze more “doing” in their days, cut into sleep time, and then compensate the next morning with caffeine. Children are not immune: when the instant messaging craze hit a few years ago, high school students reported getting less sleep, presumably because they were up later to message their friends.5 Christians are particularly vulnerable to sleep cutbacks. We pride ourselves on sacrifice and mission, so it’s easy to get caught up in our work at the expense of rest.
Christians would be wise to heed the words of one youth group member: “Nothing essential stops when I sleep.”6 Making time for quality sleep is self care, as it stabilizes our mental and emotional health. Sleep gives our bodies a chance to heal. In our dreams, we open ourselves to the possibility of revelation, perhaps even from the divine. We enter a vulnerable state, one that points to our dependence on God.
Sleep is a spiritual practice. Good night.
1 Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, F.L. Cross, ed., 3rd ed, Oxford University Press, 1997. 2 Rodger Kamenetz, The History of Last Night’s Dream: Discovering the Hidden Path to the Soul (New York: Harper, 2007). 3 Paul Martin, Counting Sheep: the Science and Pleasures of Sleep and Dreams (New York: St. Marin’s, 2004). 4 Ibid. 5 Peggy Kendall, Rewired: Youth Ministry in an Age of IM and MySpace (Valley Forge, PA: Judson Press, 2007), page 17-18. 6 Mark Oestreicher, Youth Ministry 3.0: A Manifesto (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008), page 114.
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