Think of it as keeping your ears open, in ways and in places and in times of the day when before you wouldn’t have thought to listen. Think of it as tuning yourself to recognize God’s voice, as becoming someone who regularly, intentionally hears.
Spiritual practices are exactly what their name suggests; they’re ways to be deliberate about matters of the soul. A spiritual practice is a tool for becoming aware of God within the normalcy of life—it injects the sacred into elements that could otherwise seem just everyday. So in applying spiritual practices, we find that the lines can be blurred between those things spiritual and what is secular:
Gratitude can happen when we’re mowing the lawn; worship and grocery shopping are compatible; God can be pursued on the evening commute.
Commonly observed spiritual practices include prayer, confession, meditation, and fasting. (http://marshill.org/teaching-resources/spiritual-practices/)
journaling
meditation
prayer beads
fasting
peace vigils
listening to a friend
listening to music
serving on a Board of Trustees
needlepoint
antiracism work
writing letters to an editor
painting
therapy
volunteering in the community
cardio kickboxing
bath time with your kids
saying “hello” to cashiers and clerks
dancing
reflecting on sermons
teaching
going on retreat
washing dishes
taking a bubble bath
chanting
camping
sacred reading
running
random acts of kindness
creating sacred space
giving change to the homeless
pledging to a congregation
being respectful of others
tai chi
going to an art museum
making pottery
attending worship
living with cancer
caring for an ailing parent
living simply
taking time to meditate about family and friends
writing haiku
a book study
playing an instrument
playing with children
praying
yoga
reading poetry
keeping Sabbath
hosting coffee hour
having dinner with friends
studying astronomy
quilting
cycling
recycling
family dinners
tipping large
giving coworkers the benefit of the doubt
singing in a choir
nature walks
recognizing the seed of goodness in the people you work with
working for social change
meditating at your workstation
reciting mantras
reflecting and journaling
e-mailing your governmental representatives
listening to a coworker who’s grieving
grief
gardening
learning about the universe
studying evolution
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