Here’s a question for you, Does it work to impose spiritual practices? In a class, in a family, on one’s self? How much does their effectiveness rely on our desire to do them?
Dallas Willard talks about how practices can’t be imposed and Joan Chittister says, “No one grows simply by doing what someone else forces us to do.” She says this in writing about the Rule of St. Benedict, which begins with these words: Listen carefully, my child, to my instruction… attend to them with the ear of your heart. Some would say that’s demanding; Chittister says it’s invitational (and she has lived it for many decades).
In general, I don’t believe that imposing spiritual practices works—even on ourselves. I think Jesus invites us into each one to the point where we want to do it. We hear about it; we see people do it and we like how it affects them; we dabble in it; finally, we try it out.
Yet I violate this when I teach a certain college class. There I assign “experiments” (spiritual practices) and students write reflection papers on them—telling what they did and if or how it helped them connect with God. A few days after I send the assignments out (giving them a chance to grimace over solitude or fasting or situational silences), I then explain that they have a choice. They can do the experiments just for the grade; but I’m praying they attend to them with the ear of their (open) heart. Some do; others don’t. It’s especially funny and sweet when they tell about how they went back and forth and finally entered in with their whole self.
I’m eager to hear your responses about 1) Does imposing spiritual practices work? 2) If so, when and how? Frankly, I want help from you: How do I impose these things as a teacher, yet back off and love my students into goodness?
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What’s your experience with imposing spiritual practices?
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Jan Johnson is the author of twenty books including Invitation to the Jesus Life and Abundant Simplicity and a thousand articles and Bible studies. She speaks at retreats and conferences, and teaches (adjunct) at Azusa Pacific University and Hope International University. Also a spiritual director, Jan holds a D. Min. in Ignatian Spirituality and Spiritual Direction. She lives with her husband in Simi Valley, California. You can visit her at JanJohnson.org.
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I, too, hear the call of Jesus to “come, practice…” just as in AA’s 12th Step “…and to practice these principles in all our affairs.” The word, “practice,” says I step into a discipline expecting to be further transformed by the practice of it, not perfected by it. There is no pressure, no imposition, no “have to,” only sweet invitation and desire ignited for learning a fresh way to participate (or “attend”) in ancient ways to His Lordship. It always helps me to do this ~ or at least share my process ~ with others, not in isolation, which to me is “doing it” the Jesus way.
I’m recalling the first time I went through the Renovare spiritual formation workbook (what we used to call the “little yellow book”) and how life-giving choosing the practice of the “least comfortable” discipline became to me as I not only engaged with solitude and silence, but processed it weekly with my group. It’s a great model I am still practicing some 15 years later!