Spirit Ritual

I was thinking about the word spiritual last week---how it entwines two words: spirit and ritual. Several things began to churn around in my mind:

• To be a spiritual person involves some sort of ceremony as part of my daily and seasonal routine.
• To grow as a spiritual person requires regular practices or disciplines that bring change.

I sensed the dance of spirit and ritual yesterday as I pushed the plunger through the swirl of dark water and coffee grounds in my French Press.

My early morning routine suddenly felt infused with the presence of the Lord, and I realized that, for me, making coffee had become a spirit ritual.

I embraced the holy moment and didn't get too mental about the experience until later. (A tip I learned from St. Teresa of Avila: never interrupt the Holy with a detailed conversation during intimate moments---just enjoy His presence and save the discussion for another time.)

"Later" came as I sat on the couch with my Bible and hot coffee.

This is my ritual

• Grinding coffee beans...
• Combining the just barely boiling water with the beans...
• Stirring the brew with a wooden oatmeal stick that I picked up on Iona in Scotland,..
• Pushing the plunger through the mess...
• Pouring the coffee into the cream sitting in my special mug

This is the prelude to my discipline of Bible reading, prayer, and devotional reading every morning.

It is a holy time. It is a ritual.

I want to explore this dance of spirit and ritual in the weeks ahead---the idea of ceremony combined with discipline as one way to experience the holy in the daily.

Thanksgiving is this week and Advent starts the Christian year next Sunday.

I hope you'll join me. As for today, what rituals or ceremonies enrich your disciplines for growth into the Holy?