Last week I began a three-year course in Ignatian Spiritual Direction. It’s been on my mind for a few years to do but I’ve kept putting it off, always finding reasons why it wasn’t the right time. Now I’ve committed to spending a day a week just at the point when I am about to move home to live in a new part of Wales. The timing could not be worse really - the distractions of last year have now paled into insignificance compared to the distractions of my home life this October! And yet, as is so often the way with God, this is exactly what I need right now - intentional space to listen to God’s voice rather than all the other voices demanding my attention - yet I didn’t realise how much until I had first taken the step to change the rhythm and shape of my days.
At first glance the studying of a Catholic spirituality may seem a bad fit for a Baptist minister with an evangelical background, but the emphasis is on the development of a friendship with Jesus Christ, which is very much part of what I have always understood an evangelical spirituality to be about. Ignatian spirituality highlights the importance of the experience of Jesus over the seeking of theological knowledge and therefore the practice of discernment is of prime importance. Learning to discern the voice of the Holy Spirit for one’s self, alongside listening attentively to the Spirit speaking through others, is at the heart of Ignatian spirituality. Since listening to what the Holy Spirit is saying to us in our context at this time is at the core of Baptist practice, as well as in keeping with what RM tries to do, I find myself feeling surprisingly at home with St Ignatius of Loyola. I will be exploring this spirituality in the company of likeminded disciples from all over the world and different church traditions. We are pilgrims on an unfamiliar road but with the Guide we are all trying to follow and their company also reminds me of the current situation of the rural church in the UK.
Most of us participating in church life have experiences that lead us to expect certain things of church and of each other but, increasingly, we are moving far from these certainties now. What is expected may vary according to our tradition but we are all now walking an unfamiliar path, through unchartered territory, often with fellow disciples with different backgrounds. Church life, as we have known it, is in rapid decline. The hamlet I am moving to has two beautiful parish churches within less than a mile of each other and, rather than be delighted at their presence, I find myself wondering nervously which will close first. I know I will mourn either one because even though they may no longer have a congregation or be able to sustain a priest, they have stood for hundreds of years as a physical witness to the love of Jesus Christ in their little part of the world. It’s a loss of more than a building. Am I being a pessimist imagining this is what will happen or am I being a realist and so preparing myself mentally for what is most likely to come? I leave that for you to decide…
But note I say only that, ‘church life…as we have known it’ is in decline. There are certainly still many churches in the rural context that seem to be continuing in traditional ways whilst integrating more modern ways of encouraging discipleship and enabling worship. But there are also many new ways of gathering disciples together emerging and it is likely that many of us will be called to become more involved in pioneering types of churches in the years to come. Can we mourn what we loved whilst letting it go? Will we respond positively to the call to be a witness differently in our own communities?
There is deep delight to be had in the stepping out on to a new path, to being open to discovering the Spirit in the wilderness and the provision of God in the desert. We can choose to travel onwards with open hands for God to fill rather than closed fists that reject the wonders to come. And part of the delight of the unfamiliar path are the surprising companions we may encounter on the way. If the decline of churches means more disciples from different traditions will be discovering their common bond - the love of Jesus Christ - then I for one will not mourn the loss of traditional churches so keenly. The Holy Spirit is drawing disciples together and it is a beautiful thing to witness and, even more, to be part of. I pray you can spend some time this week to simply sit in the presence of God, notice what the Spirit is doing in you and to give thanks for the new paths He is leading you on today.
Alison Griffiths
Director: Wales & South-West England
Push out even deeper
Our next event 20th October, Lee Abbey, Devon
Jesus invited some seasoned fishermen to do something out of the ordinary – to go beyond what they were used to and where they were used to doing it. We believe that the call of God on pioneers and innovative practitioners today is very much the same. If this resonates with you, come and be part of a larger conversation with like-minded people; hear how Rural Ministries can help you where you are and how you, in turn, could help others.
The day begins at 10am and will run through to 4.30pm, including space to pray, feed back what the Holy Spirit is saying, and together to identify the next steps. Morning and afternoon refreshments and lunch are included.
Tickets: £10 Click here for information and booking
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