Sacred Pathways (initial reflections) and my Gethsemane
In his
book Sacred Pathways, Gary Thomas writes about different ways “we relate to
God, how we draw near to Him.”[1]
He affirms that “by worshipping God to the way he made us, we are affirming his
work as a Creator.”[2]
Upon initial reflection of the 9 different spiritual pathways which are
presented, I most closely identify with Naturalist, Aesthetic, and Enthusiast.
In Chapter 2, he also asks the question, “Where is your Gethsemane?” and
describes a Gethsemane as the place we go to hear from God and be strengthened
by Him.[3]
As a
Naturalist, I feel connected to God while enjoying the outdoors. My Gethsemane,
when weather permits, is my Gazebo in my backyard. There I enjoy the sounds of
nature and sunlight. Even working on projects outside, doing yardwork, and working
in my garden and chicken pen, are enlivening and life-giving. In the past, I camped and hiked at
lot when I lived in California. Water (the ocean and waterfalls) speaks and
affirm God’s power and majesty and life-giving presence, as does nature itself. The picture above is from Campus Point at UC Santa Barbara, where I went to college. I spent a lot of time on these beaches praying, playing guitar, and worshiping with the sound of the waves and seagulls. Seeing the ocean awash during the full moon was powerful and is still a resonant reminder of God's power and majestic, fierce beauty. 
As an Aesthetic, I enjoy and value time alone. Solitude when spending that time alone with God is life-giving. I easily get overwhelmed or drained when I am around too many people. “Even when they are part of a group of people, they might seem to be isolated from the others.”[4] I enjoy being in dialogue with Jesus constantly and self-aware and present to the deepest parts of myself, so anything that hinders those things is generally disturbing to my soul. In this regard, I often need my own space to process the inner dialogue of my soul with the Lord, which is why another private Gethsemane is my prayer journal.
Lastly, as an Enthusiast, I enjoy worship that allows me to feel God’s presence and tap into the joy, majesty, and mystery of God. I “don’t want simply to know concepts, but to experience them, to feel them, and to be moved by them.”[5] Combining Scripture and prayer with song is one of my favorite ways to do this. Generally, I really enjoy worship through song both by contributing by playing guitar and by being an indirect participant through singing and being led by others. One of the ways I find ready bread for my soul is to open up the Bible (especially to the Psalms), and sing or pray Scripture with the Holy Spirit. Sometimes this leads to some amazing insights!
[1] Gary Thomas, Sacred Pathways, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), 23.
posted by fusek330 @ 12:53 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home