A new recipe for bland spiritual rhythms

How many times have you eaten spaghetti?

If you are like me, the answer is "many, many times."

I've eaten spaghetti at home, at other people's homes, and at restaurants for many years, and every time it's slightly (or exceptionally) different, depending on how people make it. I remember going to a popular Italian place in Vancouver when I was about 20, and my experience with their pasta was incredible. It was the first time I tried pesto. Oh. My. Goodness.

But what if there was only one spaghetti recipe in the world, and no matter where you ate, it always tasted the same. Same sauce, same pasta, same everything. Without variety, the dish would quickly become underwhelming and blasé.

The same is true with our spiritual practices. If we do the same thing the same way all the time, chances are we will eventually end up in a dry place. If you've ever felt "meh" about prayer, worship, or some other practice, perhaps you know what I'm talking about.

For example, take the discipline of reading Scripture. I'm reading through the gospels in a translation that's new to me, and even though I'm very familiar with the following passage, the simplicity of these words were especially poignant to me this morning.

I invite you to take a deep breath, and slowly read each verse out loud.

God blesses those people
who depend only on him.
They belong to the kingdom
of heaven!

God blesses those people
who grieve.
They will find comfort!

God blesses those people
who are humble.
The earth will belong
to them!

God blesses those people
who want to obey him
more than to eat or drink.
They will be given
what they want!

God blesses those people
who are merciful.
They will be treated
with mercy!

God blesses those people
whose hearts are pure.
They will see him!

God blesses those people
who make peace.
They will be called
his children!

God blesses those people
who are treated badly
for doing right.
They belong to the kingdom

~ Jesus, in Matthew 5:3-10

Which one catches your attention today? Ask the Holy Spirit to tell you why he brought that one to your attention.

PAUSE and REFLECT: Are your spiritual practices still enjoyable? Do you still approach them with anticipation and expectation, or have they become a bit bland?

What would it be like for you to switch up the recipe? Would you like to try reading (or listening to) a different version of Scripture? Or you could use a guided meditation like this one to help you pray. Or take a slow, contemplative walk around your yard or neighbourhood, asking Jesus to speak to you through the things you see.

Once we become used to a spiritual rhythm, it is easy to go into auto-pilot and lose the freshness of the experience. Trying new practices, or old practices in new ways, is a great way to restore joy and intimacy with God in our spiritual journey. Don't be afraid to switch up the ingredients of your spiritual rhythm. Doing so will help ensure our moments with God remain special, which helps us hear him.

With that in mind, what is one thing you can do this week to connect with God that you have never done before?

Leave a comment and let us know what you tried and how it went!

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Photo by Todd DeSantis on Unsplash