As May approaches and the weather gets warmer and warmer, many of us are looking forward to summer. For me this also means looking forward to summer worship.
We are currently in a sermon series titled “Spirit,” as we explore the Narrative Lectionary readings in Acts and a few of Paul’s letters that depict the Holy Spirit at work in the life of the early church.
As we segue from spring into summer, I’d like to go from “Spirit” to “Spiritual.” What are the building blocks of a spiritual life? How do spiritual disciplines help us cultivate a deeper and richer spirituality?
Years ago author Dorothy C. Bass edited a book titled Practicing Our Faith: A Way of Life for a Searching People. The authors identified the following historic practices of the Christian faith:
• Honoring the Body
• Hospitality
• Household Economics
• Saying Yes and Saying No
• Keeping Sabbath
• Testimony• Discernment
• Shaping Communities
• Forgiveness
• Healing
• Dying Well
• Singing Our Lives
Between some vacation time and a week with our children and youth at Zephyr Point in late July, I anticipate that I will probably preach about nine sermons this summer. I’ve listed twelve spiritual practices.
I would love to learn from each of you which of the spiritual disciplines in the list of twelve you find most compelling or would love to learn more about. Feel free to email me at
pastor@covenantpresbyterian.net or call or text me at (914) 299-7708.
Based on your input, I’ll narrow the list of twelve to nine specific sermon topics that we will explore together. I’m looking forward to hearing from you.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Jack