Contemplative Practice in UCC: Becoming Still to Encounter the Still-Speaking God
Spirituality
The denomination I am ordained in, United Church of Christ (UCC), has a catchphrase: “God is still speaking.” That means God continues, throughout all of time, to reveal Godself to us, just as God did to the people of Israel in the ancient near-east and in the time of Jesus.
For a long time, the motto was mostly used to counter those brands of Christianity that tried to say the Bible is the inerrant and infallible word of God and it is all we need to know from God and about God. And, because we don’t take everything in scripture as the last word, my denomination is known for its social justice “firsts.”i
The UCC’s social action bona fides are not in question. However, our commitment to contemplative spiritual practices has not been as robust — which is why this week’s news that delegates of the UCC’s General Synod (our big convention that occurs every two years) approved a resolution calling on the wider church to base its activism on a life of foundational spiritual practices.
Spiritual directors and spiritual formation teachers in the UCC are ecstatic. We’ve been talking about this for a long time! One part of the resolution reads, “Contemplation without action fuels narcissism, and action without contemplation is a recipe for bitterness and spiritual depletion.” The resolution asks churches to follow the example of Jesus and provide times of silence, meditation, and solitude to foster an “intimate relationship with God.”
Spiritual director with over 20 years of experience helping people explore their spiritual path. Received Diploma in the Art of Spiritual Direction in 2000 from San Francisco Theological Seminary. Currently running the Apprentice Training Program in Spiritual Direction for the Phoenix Center for Spiritual Direction.
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