There's no doubt about it — in the last twenty years, we've all become less and less disconnected from each other. We spend more time alone. We spend less time with our friends. We spend less time with our families.
I certainly feel some of the disconnect. I crave to connect with others, to laugh over delicious food, to feel that nice comfortable feeling that you get deep inside of you when you know you are completely safe with someone. But I also found myself starting to think about how disconnection has impacted our collective ability to connect with God. For one, relationships and relational language are central to Christian faith. When the bedrock of the nature of our relationship — with friends, family, a classmate or coworker, a husband or wife — changes, to me it makes sense that our relationship to God would change, as well.
So, my question for all of you: Has your practice of faith changed over time? What spiritual disciples do you use to connect to God in our digital, disconnected world?
Looking forward to hearing all of your wisdom and discussion!
Comments
I have a few practices I engage in.
One is taking time in the middle of the day, over lunch, to pull myself away from my screens and go outside, if at all possible. I find that sitting on a screen for so many hours a day puts up a little electronic barrier between myself and God, and taking even a few minutes to breathe fresh (well, this time of year more like freezing) air and re-orient myself to God's presence.
I like writing out scripture, too, on an actual, physical piece of paper. There's something about the scratchyness of "real" things that helps me better concentrate and engage.
What are some spiritual practices you engage in? How do they help you connect and re-orient yourself towards God?
I find the discipline of the Daily Office particularly helpful. The recurring pattern of morning prayer, noon prayer, evening prayer, and compline (when I am able to make time for them!) repeatedly pulls me back from the crush of the daily into a quiet and open space where I am more prepared to connect, or reconnect, with God. There is something basic and grounding in returning to pray the Benedictus every morning, the Magnificat every evening, the Nunc Dimmitus before retiring, and praying through the Psalms all day. Over the years at various times I have used Phyllis Tickle’s The Divine Hours and the prayer books of the Episcopal Church and the Church of England as guides.
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