{"id":710,"date":"2024-07-20T22:37:38","date_gmt":"2024-07-20T21:37:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rebelrebel.org.uk\/?p=710"},"modified":"2024-07-20T22:37:39","modified_gmt":"2024-07-20T21:37:39","slug":"spiritual-strength-training","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rebelrebel.org.uk\/?p=710","title":{"rendered":"Spiritual Strength Training"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Reflection #82 (11th February 2024 at Essex Church \/ Kensington Unitarians)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, as I said at the top of the service, today we\u2019re looking at Lent as a season for Spiritual Strength Training. A time to focus on spiritual deepening and to develop disciplines that might help us to live in greater alignment with our values, to live lives of meaning and purpose, to bring us closer to God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order to get there, though, we probably ought to start by refreshing our memories about Lent as it is traditionally observed in the Christian faith. It\u2019s a period of 40 days \u2013 from Ash Wednesday, next Wednesday, to Easter (not including Sundays) \u2013 a time of solemnity and self-reflection during which the faithful remember the events leading up to Jesus\u2019s crucifixion. It is meant to parallel the 40 days which Jesus spent fasting and praying in the wilderness, when he was tempted and tested by Satan, but he resisted those temptations, held firm in his self-discipline, and stuck to what he set out to do. So in the traditional view, Lent is a time to draw closer to God, through prayer, reflection, perhaps making sacrifices which test our own self-discipline, and resolving to live a more Godly life by doing so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

As we heard in the reading from Brian earlier, people from varied traditions \u2013 Catholic, Orthodox, and Unitarian Universalist \u2013 have noted similarities between Lenten practice and strength training. It\u2019s a season of asceticism \u2013 like an athlete\u2019s training programme \u2013 but rather than aiming to turn out like Usain Bolt, Simone Biles, or Arnold Schwarzenegger \u2013 the aim is to become more like Jesus. Or to put a more general, more Unitarian, interpretation on it: it\u2019s a season to focus on spiritual growth and ethical commitment, and living in a way that is in greater alignment with our values. Lent can serve as a season where \u2013 metaphorically \u2013 we engage in spiritual weightlifting on a regular basis in order to build up our spiritual muscles so we\u2019re more ready to face what life throws at us next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I reckon this is part of the point of coming to church all-year-round \u2013 part of why we\u2019re here \u2013 it\u2019s a space where we nurture spiritual growth and personal development, where we are challenged to think new thoughts, to internalise and integrate spiritual teachings, to stretch ourselves and be<\/em> transformed<\/em>. And part of my job is, as the reading said, to be a kind-of personal spiritual <\/em>trainer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of you may know I\u2019ve been seeing a personal trainer \u2013 a personal physical <\/em>trainer \u2013 for the last 18 months or so. I brought some 5kg weights in as a visual aid (I do usually lift heavier than this!) One of the many great things about my trainer, Leila, is that she meets you where you are (both literally \u2013 as she\u2019s based in Essex, and I\u2019m not, so we meet once a week on Zoom \u2013 and metaphorically, as she adapts our sessions depending on the state I turn up in on any given morning). And some mornings I really do turn up in a state. The last few years have been quite tough going for me, in places, with dad\u2019s illness, and the sudden death of my best mate Jef, and all the other ups and downs of life that we all have to face. So when Tuesday morning rolls round and it\u2019s time for my session with Leila \u2013 sometimes I\u2019m knackered <\/em>\u2013 there have been months where my entire system has been marinated in stress hormones \u2013 there are nights when something\u2019s been worrying me and I haven\u2019t slept well. So I haven\u2019t always got it in me to push my limits \u2013 to lift heavier weights or do more reps \u2013 but I want to turn up and do something<\/em>\u2026 rather than skipping a session and breaking the habit of showing up. So on days like that we\u2019ll say \u2013 OK, today\u2019s session just requires you to get dressed and go out for a walk, and we\u2019ll have a chat about life as you go \u2013 and sometimes that\u2019s the only time in the week I\u2019ve got away from my desk to get any sort of exercise or fresh air at all and it has done me the world of good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why am I sharing this? Well, the process of training \u2013 whether it\u2019s physical or spiritual \u2013 is more nuanced than the archetypal image of a horrible sergeant-major type berating you to push harder. There\u2019s always a balance to be struck. Sometimes it is the right time to push, to challenge yourself, to make sacrifices and do the hard thing in service of a greater goal. Equally, though, sometimes it is the right time to hold back, take it easy, rest up for a bit until you\u2019re ready to go again, consolidate your gains. In weightlifting there\u2019s this idea of \u2018progressive overload\u2019 \u2013 by increasing the weight or the workload your body will step up to the challenge and adapt by growing and strengthening muscle \u2013 you have to push yourself a little bit further in order to develop. You probably aren\u2019t going to grow by just endlessly repeating what you\u2019ve always done. But if you overdo it \u2013 if you increase the weight before you\u2019re ready, or train when you\u2019re sick or tired \u2013 you\u2019re likely to end up hurt or burned out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can transfer this idea across to spiritual strength training too. It\u2019s important to strike a balance, over the course of our lifetime, between times of stretching ourselves and times of taking it easy. If we want to be our best selves, to flourish spiritually, that is going to require us to give the process proper attention and put in intentional effort. We need to find a spiritual practice that works for us \u2013 or perhaps a smorgasbord of different practices that suit different seasons of our lives \u2013 and then we need to build new habits \u2013 \u2018put in the reps\u2019 \u2013 and embed these practices into the rhythm of our days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I want to suggest that Lent is a time for each of us to embrace this process of Spiritual Strength Training \u2013 a time to refocus on spiritual discipline \u2013 to take up a practice. Unless it\u2019s not! That\u2019s why I included the poem by Diana Elizabeth Carroll that Chlo\u00eb read for us earlier \u2013 as it says \u2013 \u2018Lent \/ is not for trying \/ to become someone \/ I am not. \/ It is for honouring \/ the person \/ I already am.\u2019 <\/em>Each of us needs to weigh up both sides of this paradoxical advice and do some discernment for ourselves \u2013 only you will know whether right now is a time to challenge yourself or a time to curl up and rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So you\u2019ve got until Wednesday to decide if you\u2019re going to \u2018Do Lent\u2019 this year! And what form of spiritual practice, or habit, you might focus some attention on over the next 40 days. There are all sorts of things you might take up \u2013 it doesn\u2019t have to be hugely arduous \u2013 and I can offer some suggestions to get you started. How about spending five prayerful minutes in bed, first thing each morning, to get yourself spiritually centred and set your intentions for the day? Or you could take five minutes at bedtime to review your day, give thanks for the good, notice what\u2019s not so good, and ask for what you need in order to set it all aside before you sleep? Maybe you could choose a spiritual book that you\u2019re going to read during Lent and just set aside five minutes or so each day to read a few pages and see how it works on you? Make time each day to sit quietly and appreciate music or art? Or get out each day to walk out in nature? Or maybe you\u2019ll go down the traditional route and give something up for Lent \u2013 but make sure it’s something that\u2019s in service of spiritual or ethical growth or an expression of your values \u2013 thinking of last week\u2019s climate conference maybe you could go vegan for lent. Or perhaps you might think about cutting back on \u2018doomscrolling\u2019 and limiting your consumption of news or social media. If you feel like you\u2019re really up for a challenge \u2013 consider your \u2018growing edge\u2019 \u2013 is there an area of your spiritual\/religious life you know you\u2019re kind-of neglecting or avoiding? Maybe you\u2019re a bit squeamish about traditional religious language and symbolism. Maybe you\u2019ve never got to grips with meditation as you struggle with sitting still. Perhaps now is a good time to investigate these challenging areas of your religious life with renewed curiosity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whatever you decide \u2013 let us know \u2013 so that we can all cheer you on! You might tell the WhatsApp group or stay for the Sunday Conversation with Jeannene after today\u2019s service. And in the weeks to come, let\u2019s do what we can to strengthen our collective spiritual muscle \u2013 to flourish and grow, and be our best selves \u2013 for the greater good of all. Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reflection by Jane Blackall<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

An audio recording of this sermon is available:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\nhttps:\/\/www.kensington-unitarians.org.uk\/pod2011\/KU_jane.blackall_hybrid_sermon_11.02.24.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n