Spirituality That Matters

Isaiah 58: 1-14

Roger Lynn

September 29, 2019

(click here for the audio for this sermon)

Worship – holiness – spirituality – faith – openness to God’s presence. It goes by lots of different names, but being aware of God in the midst of our living, and connecting with that presence, has been a human endeavor for as long as humans have been on this planet. It takes lots of different forms, from highly ritualistic practices to casual, personal reflection. For some it occupies large portions of their every waking moment. For others it is a once-in-awhile sort of thing. There are breakthrough moments that change people’s lives. There are quiet, subtle moments that form the background against which life is lived. But all too often, I fear, our spirituality is less powerful and less meaningful than it could be, because we don’t allow it to be as big as it can be. We sometimes tend to try keeping it all to ourselves – just me and God! And there is nothing wrong with that. In fact, such personal experience is an essential part of being spiritually aware. But when we stop there, we are shortchanging ourselves and the world.

I love visiting places filled with natural beauty. Sometimes I drive or fly to such places. Sometimes I just walk out my front door. The truth is that I don’t have to go far to find places that are breathtakingly, overwhelmingly beautiful and awe-inspiring. Whether it’s the mountains of Glacier National Park, the geysers of Yellowstone National Park, or a sunrise seen from the top of Mount Helena, the beauty of such places calls forth a sense of awe and reverence from deep inside my soul. One morning at Glacier Park several years ago, as I sat waiting for the sun to crest over the edge of the towering peak to the east of the lake where we were camped, I wrote this poem:

Morning mist shrouds mountain stream

     with a veil of wispy nothing

The sun still hides behind the ridge

     ready to burst forth

Peaks reflected on the lake

     with crystal clear perfection

And I am blessed beyond all measure

     for the privilege to bear witness

Just being there was a spiritual experience. Evidence of the sacred seemed to be waiting around every corner. And such experiences are incredibly important. They recharge our batteries. They renew us and provide a sense of meaning for our living.

But if I don’t go any further, then I am missing so much. If I simply walk away from such experiences saying, “Wasn’t that spectacular! I am so fortunate to have encountered God out there in the wilderness!” then it will have a relatively fleeting impact on my life, and certainly not extend much further than my own existence. It is only when we allow such experiences of God’s presence to fill us to overflowing and open us up to the rest of the world that we can begin to truly enter into the fullness of what spirituality can mean.

In the scripture from Isaiah that was read a few minutes ago, the prophet is challenging the people of Israel to expand their understanding of what it means to be in relationship with God. It is about so much more than simply how well they go through the motions of their religious practices. It is about so much more than simply fasting at the proper times and praying with the proper words. Indeed, the ways in which they were living their lives was all but negating their attempts to be religious. Isaiah was telling them that for their spirituality to really matter, they needed to reach out beyond themselves and make a difference in the lives of those around them. Speaking on behalf of God, Isaiah writes, “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?” (Isaiah 58:6)

Deeply personal encounters with the holy are vital. Without them we won’t have the strength to keep going. But it is so important that we also allow such encounters to open our eyes and our hearts to the ways in which others are being prevented from having those same encounters. When someone is homeless, or hungry, or abused, or constantly told they are worthless, it is far more unlikely that they will be able to look up long enough to notice God’s presence. When the world is divided into haves and have nots it is far more difficult to recognize the activity of a loving God. When war continues to ravage both the people and the environment of our planet it is far more difficult to see God’s creativity at work. It is simply not enough for me to find God beside a beautiful mountain lake. It is not even enough for me to come back and tell you about it. I need to allow that amazingly inspirational experience to send me forth in search of ways in which I can help make it possible for others to have such experiences of God in their lives as well. Maybe that will mean actively working for a more just and equitable society in which every person is truly and deeply valued. Maybe it will mean working to save the planet from climate change. Maybe it will mean trying to tell the story of my experience in such a way so as to inspire others to help preserve the wild places for future generations to be inspired by. Maybe it will mean simply remembering to truly listen the next time someone tries to share their life with me, because I will know that the God I found in the wilderness is the same God who can be found in each and every person I encounter.

When I allow my spirituality to move beyond simply “me and God” to “me and God and the rest of the world” then I am enriched far more deeply than I otherwise would have been because the experience just keeps on going. And the world is enriched as well. What does it take to develop a spirituality that matters? Paying attention to God’s presence. It is all around us all of the time. And then allowing the power of that experience to expand our horizons and our vision so that we can begin to recognize the places where we can truly make a difference. Where do you find God? Where is that experience calling you to reach out and touch the world?