Often, when speaking of spiritual disciplines, we immediately think of prayer, scripture reading, silence, solitude, and fasting. They are all important disciplines. The deep renovating work of the Holy Spirit within us will be stalled if we don’t use these practices. But I am more and more convinced there is another discipine that stands above them all: giving thanks. (You can read more about this at this Compass Spiritual Formation Newsletter post: The Real Power of Spiritual Disciplines. It will give you theological and biblical background to understand how giving thanks fits into the work God is doing in our souls.)
I am adamant about this because Paul identifies the lack of giving thanks as one of the core reasons the satanic assault against our soul succeeded. Here are Paul’s exact words about that primeval human moment:
Even though [the original humans] knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him. Romans 1:21
Paul’s wrote in the everyday language of first-century Greece. His Greek word for give thanks was eucharisteo. I am more convinced in my own experience that this is the indispensable discipline. Lose this, and the rehabilitative, renovating work of the Holy Spirit grinds to a halt. Lose this, and we become grasping. Lose this, and our hearts fill with fear and distrust. Lose this, we become impatient with God and take matters into our own hands. This is why I’m inviting you to join me in retrieving this old discipline. For me, I’m calling it Eucharist-O.
The rhythm of this practice is simple:
First, a centering word about thankfulness and gratefulness
Second, a centering scripture
Third, an invitation to be still for a few moments before returning to the day’s activities.
The Eucharist-O for Monday, November 11, 2024
First: A Centering Word
What to do: read Eckhart’s sentence three or four times. Pause and breath between each reading. Pay attention to what draws your attention. What are you seeing? What are you believing? What are you doubting?
Next: Read Psalm 103:2
What to do: Read the scripture words three or four times. Read slowly. Pause between reading. Pay attention to what is stirring inside of you. What are you seeing? What are you believing? What are you doubting? What are you feeling? What questions are being raised?
Next: Be Still
What to do: Before returning to your full day, sit in stillness for a few moments. Your soul and imagination were possibly drawn to a word by Herbert or by the author of Hebrews. Perhaps you were drawn to a moment in your life where you regret not being thankful. Maybe you were drawn to a situation that seemed too hard for you. Wherever you were drawn, be there for a few moments. Pay attention to the stirrings deep within, the questions that are forming, the words that want to be spoken. Give your soul the gift of a few moments of stillness to let memories, questions, words, and prayers form.
Before returning to your day, let what is stirring inside become a conversation with God. The conversation, whatever its mood, is a form of prayer and communication with God who has been waiting for this moment all day.
Eucharist-O