What good are spiritual practices? Central to what we believe as United Methodists is God’s grace.
Grace is God’s free gift to all. God takes the first step, seeking us out, getting our attention, inviting us to trust that we are accepted just as we are, warts and all.
God doesn’t stop there. Even as we live into that truth, God continues to take the initiative, reminding us of who we are and calling us to become all that God created us to be and to do.
So if God does all of this, are spiritual practices actually needed?
I once read someone who suggested that there is no such thing as a free gift, only a free offer that becomes a gift upon acceptance. We could debate the semantics of that claim, but I think there may be some truth in it. Have you ever offered a gift to someone and had it refused? From your perspective it was a gift, but did the person who declined it experience it that way?
When I think of spiritual practices, I often return to a phrase John Wesley used for such faithful activities: means of grace. In his sermon “The Means of Grace,” he understood them as “outward signs, words, or actions, ordained of God, and appointed for this end, to be the ordinary channels whereby” God conveys grace to us.
Putting a festive spin on it, spiritual practices are the party where we receive God’s gifts to us.
In a more serious sense, spiritual practices help prepare us to receive, understand, and live into God’s gifts. It’s no wonder, then, that these practices are especially encouraged during Advent and Lent. In Advent, they help prepare us for Christ’s coming—past, present, and future. In Lent, they prepare us for new life, both now and forevermore.
There are a number of practices that we United Methodists consider means of grace, drawn from the writings of John Wesley. They include:
• The public worship of God;
• Listening to Scripture as it is read aloud, and to preaching and teaching that interpret Scripture;
• The Sacraments—Baptism and Holy Communion;
• Communal and private prayer;
• Studying the Bible;
• Fasting or abstinence;
• Sharing in fellowship and mutual accountability;
• Serving others, especially those in need.
Through these practices, we open ourselves to God’s love—experienced as forgiveness, empowerment, and relationship.
Think of it like this. Suppose you had a friend but never did anything together. You never talked. Would that be much of a friendship?
Spiritual practices (or the means of grace) are the ways we spend time with God and share our lives with God. They are how we not only receive from God, but also give back and live in relationship with God.
So, as we approach Lent this year, I hope you’ll consider taking on at least one of the means of grace listed above. As Lent is often a time that we give things up, you might have to give up your time, energy, and attention to other things in order to live into these practices.
Your church staff is here to support you in this. We’re working on providing resources and ideas to help you explore different practices and discover what might be most meaningful for you. Our daily Lenten devotionals will include reflections on several of the means of grace, and we’re offering two Lenten studies (found on our Classes and Preparing for Easter pages) to help us notice and respond to God’s grace in our lives. We’ll also be beginning a new sermon series during Lent.
You can learn more about the Lenten offerings coming your way at williamsburgumc.org/easter.
Don’t you love receiving gifts? If so, consider engaging in a spiritual practice—a means of grace. It just might be a wonderful gift!
