I usually post on the Association of Christian Writer (ACW) More Than Writer’s (MTW) blog on the first of each month. Some are listed on My Post Archive page The MTW blog is closed while it is being transferred to the ACW web page. So here is what I was planning to write for today, 1 May 2026.

I’ve been musing over how to approach the ACW poetry competition on seasons. I was conscious to actively avoid clichés associated with each but found it wasn’t as easy as I anticipated. I’d also recently read comments on how hard it can be for some people, especially children, to engage with poetry that was abstract in its reference to its topic.

It made me consider what poetry judges are looking for. Do they prefer entries using specific poetic forms, or free verse? Even if a specific form was preferable, would a haiku or limerick be as welcome as a villanelle or sonnet? For a topic like seasons, do they want comforting, familiar images that others can recognise or something more obtuse. The instructions were clear to write up to three poems each to refer to one of the four calendar seasons. This made me wonder if I’d shoot myself in the proverbial foot, if I reference seasons of life too, or is that also a cliché on this topic?

I suspect other forms of writing have more time to tell a story and it may have to avoid stereotypes as well as cliché. Just as people, are drawn to one genre over another, do readers prefer comforting familiar happily-ever-after tales or something that challenges them? There is a skill in being able to provide both within in one tale. Jesus often did this in the parables he told. He’d introduce a familiar scenario and use them to make a point. These scenarios were often familiar to his audience but may not be as familiar to us. Few Bible readers have first-hand experience of herding sheep or of a son that spends his inheritance and returns reluctantly, but it’s likely that we’ve heard at least one sermon about them what they mean… or do they? Do we hear that same interpretation of the passage each time, or have we been struck by a totally new perspective.

The real challenge when we write about a topic is that some will find our perspective familiar and others will have a different experience. Neither is wrong, but we can feel downhearted if someone, especially a competition judge or publisher, doesn’t understand what we wrote or why.

This is why it’s important to know our target audience. We also need to be confident about whether we are writing to be light entertainment or to challenge our readers to consider a topic from a different perspective. That way, if someone doesn’t ‘get’ our offering or interprets it differently to our intention then it shouldn’t disturb us quite as much as we can avoid being upset.

There is room for both easy-reads and more challenging ones. Write about any topic and some will enjoy it but others will nit-pick inaccuracies. Writing about topics we enjoy or that are important to us can also help us ride the wave of negative feedback. Though if you’ve bored yourself by page 10 of your book manuscript, or line 5 of your poem, then you’re probably not going to engage your reader, publisher or competition judge.

When we write purposefully with a hidden meaning or a show-not-tell approach, some have a different interpretation than what we intended. While it may seem disappointing, I like to see that as a blessing if it is helpful to them. As with the Jesus’ parables and many stories within the Bible, people may not be as familiar with the scenario shared but God can still use that topic.

I’m off to make more lists of words and phrases associated with each season. I’m considering writing one direct poem that uses those familiar perspectives and create another that avoids them. I can then decide which is more appropriate for this competition and how I can use the other in another context.

Why not share how you approach familiar topics and the techniques you use to avoid clichés.

In my previous post, New Horizons, I mentioned I was planning a pilgrimage to Durham Cathedral and Holy Island (aka Lindisfarne). I was hoping that my encounter with these significant places of worship would enable me to take time to reflect and restart my journey towards writing again.

In some ways this time was a disappointment. Both places were very busy and finding space at each to be reflective was almost impossible. Visits to the less well-known places of pilgrimage, Finchale Priory (a derelict benedictine monastery) and Newcastle Cathedral, were more spiritually impactful. Both provided quiet spaces where I could stop to contemplate. Newcastle Cathedral had some stunning art-worthy coloured windows and inspiring features.

The most surprising place that I connected with was The Glass Centre in Sunderland. This was an evocative building by the river Wear, owned by the University of Sunderland hosting many art spaces and a bright and relaxed cafe area. The artwork that impacted me most was a mixed-media art exhibition, titled Ribs will Rise, inspired by the artist’s family connection with shipbuilding in that area. The welded steel structures and abstract paintings triggered a number of thoughts to develop later. I explain more about this in my Association of Christian Writers’ More than Writers blog post for October 2025 post, Writing and Reflecting after a reset.

My initial disappointment was further challenged by reading a chapter on pilgrimage in Philosophy of Walking* by Frèdèric Gros. The author suggests that pilgrimage should not focus on the arrival to one specific location but be seen as an ongoing journey.  Gros also champions the encounters with others along the way and how those times and people impact us. This perspective parallels my life journey as I have lived in various locations around the UK when single and married.

As I take time during Advent to walk a spiritual pilgrimage towards the birth of Jesus, I plan to revisit my life pilgrimage. During this time, I’ll consider those who have impacted my life and how my ambition to write can reflect encounters along my pilgrim’s way.

*Revised and expanded second edition ISBN 13: 978-1-80429-044-6

I have a big birthday this month. I’ve avoided having a big party, because I don’t really want to ‘celebrate’. This feels like I did when I was 30 when I decided I wasn’t ready for that milestone. In fact, I didn’t acknowledge it until a couple of years later. In my head I stayed 29 for three years and then accepted the shift when I was 32.

Thirty years on, I have so many thoughts about what I hoped to have achieved by this stage. Last year, I even created a draft bucket list as a catch-up exercise. However, I soon realised that I didn’t have the energy needed to find a bucket, never find fill it up and carry it anywhere. Instead, I’ll spread my ambitions to take part in those challenging or fulfilling activities across this third age of life.

I had thought my new horizon would start with early retirement. I left work in February after being unable to concentrate on the needs of a job that didn’t interest me.  However, retirement felt like running away. Six months later, I have a new job that should start by the end of the month. It’s taken all of that six months to feel ready to restart my career, but I’m nervous as I am concerned that I will not be able to stay in work. Though I am making efforts to embrace my autism diagnosis from 2024 and explore the adjustments I need to make and ask for at work. Even if I last the twelve months of this contract, I am concerned I won’t have the energy to work on my writing bucket ambitions. It will be good to at least try work again. If it proves too much, I may revisit thoughts of retirement again.

The attentive ones among you will note that I’m not referencing on Seven Sacred Spaces by George Lings. I realised that previous posts felt like a book review rather that how my faith was lifted by reading it. Though I expect I will refer to it soon as I’m taking a break in Northumbria and plan to visit Durham Cathedral. I look forward to exploring its sacred spaces and hope to cross the causeway to Lindisfarne too. Both are on my spiritual bucket list. I have been to a very long time ago but it will be good to revisit.

I’m not fit enough to make the traditional walk between these points, but I will be treating my time away as a pilgrimage. My faith has felt faint in part but string in others. While looking for ways to strengthen this, I’m also reading a few books that cover the theme of journey, so may pick up on them in future posts:

• Walking the Edges by David Aam (ISBN 0-281-05219-0)
• 40 Days with Labyrinths by Fay Rowland (ISBN 978-1-915412-10-2)
• Philosophy of Walking by Frederic Gros ( Revised and expanded second edition ISBN 13: 978-1-80429-044-6)

Tied into this time of active reflection is to find my voice through writing poetry again. Journeying has cropped up as a theme in a few of my posts for the Association of Christian Writers’ More than Writers blog. These journal posts mourn the deficit of creative writing while, ironically, maintaining a darning thread in that tapestry. The most recent, Moving Forward, picks up on journeying too (and lists all my blogs there). It also notes an change in my inertia towards hope as I see the mirage moving in the sands of my desert into an oasis.

Do share when you have made a pilgrimage, physical or virtual and how this has changed you. Especially at significant points in your journey in life.

It could be a story of my life. I started well but …. [I got distracted / I became too tired / it became too complicated / I couldn’t make time].

This time, I thought I’d cracked it. I wanted to blog consistently. I had a plan that was logical and achievable. I would reflect on a book I enjoyed that explored religious concepts. This would bring me structure and regular inspiration. Hurrah!

I’ve already mentioned that 2024 wasn’t a good year. It turned out that 2025 was just as disruptive. An added factor was my executive function, or the lack of it. When most people set themselves a task, it is executive function that gets it done. In the last year, I learnt that a dysfunctional executive function is a common neurodiverse trait.

I previously blamed this lack of completion on procrastination or laziness. Knowing it wasn’t lack of effort but the ADHD part of my brain, helped me to reframe my internal dialogue and enabled me to reflect less negatively. In previous years my ADHD would start with a ‘good idea’ and the perfectionist of my Autism would push through to completion when the executive function stopped processing. More recently, my energy supply has depleted, due to my autoimmune condition, so there’s no longer a good reserve for my autistic self to draw on.

When I took away the guilt of not continuing, I realised I was also not happy with my posts. What started as a positive reflection became an essay and an onerous task.

Is that the same with faith? We start with good intentions, but life gets in the way. What seems like an offering becomes a burden. That’s when we need a reset.

The good news is that God understands. In fact, he built in resets to his plans for his people. Did you know that the root of the word for Sabbath means rest, which is why Sabbath implies a day of rest. God knows people need to stop, at least once a week. This may not be Sunday for everyone in the current UK culture, but there is an expectation for people to take time out regularly. Similarly, the regular religious festivals are there throughout the year to stop and appreciate what God has done for us. Sadly, we can all be guilty of packing so much into a weekend or Bank Holiday that we are left to joke that we go to work for a rest.

On reflection, most of the sacred spaces covered by George Lings in Seven Sacred Spaces have an element of providing a reset throughout the day. Cell and chapel are focussed on time to reset and to be thankful to God. Chapter stops to make decisions. Cloister is to stop to communicate. Refectory is to stop and take sustenance. Scriptorium is to stop to learn or share knowledge with others.

Garden is the sacred space covering work* and takes up most of the day. This is not a hobby garden of rest but where we plant and reap, water and weed, working at providing for us and others. There are jobs for all levels of abilities and energy, so it is something practical among the more reflective other sacred spaces.
[*Although I acknowledge that those preparing and serving in Chapel, Chapter and Refectory may also consider to be working]

I began sharing my Association of Christian Writers blog entries here almost as an apology for not writing here. This new task was also a reset for me to get ‘back to work’, my own sacred garden space. I could reset my desire to blog by facing a monthly deadline, which gave me focus and a reason to write. It was work, but I didn’t need to read anything in advance, just reflect on something that occurred to me and source some related images.

I’m now ready to return to posting more regularly here and aiming to remember its original focus as the subtitle suggests: ‘When Life bites, Faith bites back’. The intention was to use faith as a reset to life’s nips, not a stick to create a fresh bruise. To help, I’ve decided to set a date each month to add or schedule a blog. If I’ve not put anything up by the 10th of each month, feel free to put a comment on this post to remind me.

Following on from my previous post, I’ve continued to write blogs for the Association of Christian Writers’ More Than Writers blog, despite not doing much writing otherwise.

I’ve listed links to my posts on that site from October 2024 below. ** EDIT June and July 2025 added to previous post **

You may want to look around at some other posts while you’re there. Hopefully I’ll get round to posting a fresh post on here soon.

2024 October – Planning a writing route – Are we there yet?

2024 November – Writing Priorities – What comes First?

2024 December – Christmas is coming, ready or not.

2025 January – Ringing in the New by Elaine Langford

2025 February – Changing The Narrative – Learning to Sing a New Song

2025 March – Searching for ways to make your writing more visible online

2025 April – Writer seeks attention (or What matters to your reader?)

2025 May – How do you deal with unwanted gifts? by Elaine Langford

2025 June – Is living with an identity crisis a writer’s natural state? by Elaine Langford

2025 July – How to avoid feeling second best by encouraging others in their journey by Elaine Langford

I ended 2023 with the hope and expectation that I would continue writing regularly in 2024. Not least because I was using the series on Sacred Spaces as a prompt to keep my ADHD brain from getting distracted. I have been re-writing the next entry, on Chapter, most of the year, mainly as I started to lose confidence in my comments, so that hasn’t been a successful approach.

I was also beginning to get distracted by the need to find a new job after my previously temporary job came to an end in February. As I needed to transfer medical care along with settling into a new house and area, managing several medical appointments at the same time took up time. Although I secured another job by June, getting used to the new routine meant I didn’t have much energy or motivation for my own writing channels. However, this changed when I was invited to write a couple of guest posts for the Association of Christian Writers(ACW), in their ‘More than Writers’ blog. Making me realise that accountability to others is a great motivator. So when I was offered a permanent slot, I used that topic for that post.

So to make up for the lack of posts here, I have provided links to three entries in the ACW More Than Writer’s blog. Hopefully I will be back with a new post on Sacred Spaces soon. When I can refocus on what key elements I want to present.

https://morethanwriters.blogspot.com/2024/07/how-dusty-is-your-library-card.html

https://morethanwriters.blogspot.com/2024/08/rearranging-furniture.html

https://morethanwriters.blogspot.com/2024/09/motivations-to-write.html

After a brief reflection elsewhere, and a vast gap of attention, I continue my reflection on Chapel, the next space covered in Seven Sacred Spaces by George Lings. Lings describes Chapel as a place of community worship, in comparison to cell as a personal space. He points out the term ‘Chapel’ can mean different things to different traditions. From a Church of England perspective, Chapel is often a small worship space within a cathedral. Other traditions reflect the Chapel of monastic community inherent in the book’s title, including my own Baptist experience, as a modest church building serving a small community.

Lings describes worship in Chapel as liturgy (formal pre-prepared worship) in contrast to an expectation that Cell as more extemporary (spontaneous). He expresses the benefit of liturgy being a commonly well-known text that can be recalled when required. He also cites one of the most well-known advocates of this understanding, Terry Waite, a 1980s Church of England envoy who recited liturgy while held captive in Lebanon for over 4 years. *¹ I have also heard anecdotal tales of those with severe dementia still able to sing along with old hymns or join in with the Lord’s Prayer when services are held in their care home.

While liturgy for regular services may be more expected within an Anglican or Catholic context, other denominations take a more informal approach. There are some Christian groups that would even express that extemporaneous community worship is preferred. Though in many cases there can be an unconscious underlying liturgy, or format. These ‘free’ or independent congregations may suggest spontaneous services are a sign of being open to the Holy Spirit. Cynically, I would suggest that the Holy Spirit, as a person of the God of order, would be present in liturgical contexts and those services that are pre-prepared sitting between fully liturgical and extemporary services.

While most of us may think of Chapel as a weekly event, the more traditional monastic communities, old and new, offer several gatherings set throughout the day, often referred to as a Daily Office. These are often accompanied by liturgical formats, covering morning, middle, evening and bedtime (Compline) communal worship. This provides structure in the day and provide opportunity for the community to gather under God, as defined by Lings’ understanding of Chapel. One of the newer monastic gatherings, the Northumbria Community, considers itself a geographically dispersed Christian Community,*² with those who associate themselves with them companions’ or ‘friends. Though they live in other parts of the UK, or further, they often commit to follow the Daily Office formats to retain a link with the community, despite being external to the physical Chapel and may be alone in their ‘Cell’. This makes a distinction between Chapel and Cell more difficult when relying on a definition of physical community and format.

In contrast, it is not uncommon for me to experience Cell within a worship service. I take a notebook and will often take inspiration for a personal exploration of a tangential subject. Lings would probably discourage this as he puts purpose in Chapel to be both a public place for experiencing worship together by singing and listening to oratory as a community. However, I do participate in these activities alongside my sub-Chapel Cell. Similarly, perhaps due to my contrary disposition, I also find use of formal structures in my cell helpful to focus the mind. Two decades ago, I abandoned Bible Reading notes as I found them too formal. Though not repetitive, I found the reflections occasionally too lightweight. However, despite various extemporary efforts, more recently I felt I needed re-introduce structure. This is where I encountered the Northumbria Daily Office and the Jesuit Pray as You Go website and app. Even in relative extemporary phases, I was likely to use one of the prayer structures (liturgy?), such as ACTS*³.

So personally, I struggle separating Chapel and Cell as Lings presents them, although I can understand their purpose and key elements. This may also be swayed by my circumstance since my husband is a church minister and Chapel can feel like participating in ‘bring your spouse to work’ day. This makes it hard for me to fully embrace the embodiment of community for fear of stepping on his toes, or that others inappropriately befriend me as a quick passage to his attention. That said, I value linking up with communities of clergy spouses through social media groups online, where we can share our experiences and encourage one another. Some online meetings exist for communal prayer but mostly it is through individual posts and replies.

Seven Sacred Spaces was written early during the UK Covid lockdowns, where many communities learned to meet together online, outside of a physical space. Many met via Zoom, retaining a community presence, although in separate locations. Other community services were streamed on platforms such as You Tube where it felt less like being in a community with immediate interactions and more like watching a TV programme. Practices, such as the Northumbria Community and social media groups, show that Chapel as community can be practised independently, where individuals gather at different times. Lings said the term Chapel means different things to different people but maybe in this modern age there is even less of a distinction between the location, practice and form of Chapel and Cell.

The next space, Chapter, has more to say on the benefits of being part of a community, hopefully I will get to that soon. Meanwhile, one of the Northumbria Community phrases, used in their explanation of expectations of a Companion may serve us well, ‘We eat together, even if it isn’t at one table, we live together, even if it isn’t in one house, we pray together, even if it isn’t in one chapel’.*⁴

1. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Waite]
2. [https://www.northumbriacommunity.org/who-we-are/journeying-with-the-community/].
3. A=Adoration  C=Confession T- Thanksgiving S= Supplication (prayer for others)
4. [https://www.northumbriacommunity.org/who-we-are/journeying-with-the-community/the-elements-of-companionship/]

After writing the blog on Cell, I took time to reflect on the topics raised before moving onto reviewing the next space, Chapel. Prompted by a reference in Seven Sacred Spaces by George Lings, I started reading, ‘The Way of the Heart’, by Henri J Nouwen, a short book with three main chapters: Solitude, Silence and Prayer. The chapter on Silence challenged me, as I realised that I had come at this topic from the wrong perspective. In my previous blog post, I highlighted that Cell was not a prison, but a space we occupy, and seek, voluntarily. However, when I mentioned that I struggled with Silence, I incorrectly considered it an imposition, to dispassionately mute the voices in my head, rather than a choice to connect more closely with God.

While I have no children of my own, I have led a few children’s Bible groups in church. In that role, I make efforts to consciously avoid negative requests, such as, ‘Be quiet’ or ‘Don’t fidget”. Instead, I prefer to encourage children to listen to what is being said or engage in a related activity. I feel this gives the children an active and positive focus rather than expect them to sit inertly at a stage when their brains are firing like cannons to make sense of the world around them. However, I hadn’t given myself the same consideration but I had deferred to words heard from adults to suppress children, ‘don’t speak unless spoken to’.

Nouwen proposes that observing Silence should be a conscious attentive decision to withhold unnecessary words. He deems this spiritual self-control essential, so that the words we speak are prompted by our relationship with God within that silence, not from our own desire, or impatience, to fill the void. Unlike the phrase I heard from adults, not speaking until God prompts you is a submission of our right to speak before a loving God, rather than a tyrant God commanding Silence from us.

With a constantly active neurodiverse brain, these words refocus my mind on the reason to be silent, not just on the frustrating effort to restrain the constant cogs of options firing in my head. It also reminds me not so much to seek Silence to hear God but call on God to bring Silence to my anxiety so I can hear what he has for me. This shouldn’t be new to me, as I use a similar technique when I can’t sleep, to draw God into my restlessness to bring repose. This refocus also caused me to reflect on self-control as mentioned in the Fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-26, and recognise that all the fruits (Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness and Gentleness) result from self-control, as fruits, leaves, branches and strength of a tree result from the nourishment taken in from the roots.

In The Way of the Heart, Nouwen often directs his reflections to Pastors and church leaders. He specifically commends them to encourage this attentive Silence by not perpetuating busyness as a substitute for time to fully connect with God. He suggests directing church members to embrace quietness and calmness, rather than constant missional activities. It was refreshing to hear this use of Silence, as this approach more effectively models the peace offered by Christ to those who feel burdened and draws seekers, and faithful, into the calmness to find rest.

Another useful reflection on Silence by Nouwen, is as a guard of the ‘fire within’:
“Our first and most foremost task is faithfully to care for the inward fires so that when it is really needed it can offer warmth and light to lost travellers”
His hope is that the fire of faith is kept alight and effective. When we become distracted from the goal, a neglected fire fades out and has no use. If we overloaded the fire with too much fuel, or inappropriate substances, then it becomes out of control and dangerous. Silence allows us to tend to the important and more easily discard the inappropriate.

Nouwen also clarifies that not all Silence is as literal as I perceived. It is directed as much at the heart, as well as at the mouth. He rounds his chapter off to remind us that the purpose of Silence is to shape our lives, as a ‘portable cell’. Bringing us full circle so that Cell encourages the attentive Silence, and Silence practiced in our lives leads us to embrace the Cell.

To untangle my knotted ADHD brain, I often need to externalise my thoughts to sort out those that need attention and those to discard. As I’m often on my own, I regularly write these thoughts and options out on paper. This helps me to engage with each item and think about its relevance and priority. Having taken time to stop the busyness of my mind to reflect on Cell, and specifically on Silence, I have been able to discard some inaccurate thoughts and prioritise important practices. I hope these will help to reshape my faith and as I relearn to engage with God more deeply through a new appreciation of Silence and Self‑control. Though recognise it will take plenty practice to make it a regular habit.

What have you read recently that has made you rethink something?

Seven Sacred Spaces by George Lings, introduced in my previous blog, Reflections of Seven Sacred Spaces, has the subtitle, ‘Portals to a deeper community’. Cell, as the first space Lings expands, stands out as unusual being a place of solitude. However, Lings refers to Henri Nouwen’s book, The Way of the Heart, where solitude is described as a furnace to transform us into a deeper relationship with, and a reflection of, Jesus. Thus, Cell is deemed a key place to develop the individual alongside a life of community.

Early on the author keenly clarifies that Cell, as a Sacred Space, is not connected to a biological cell. He also disassociates this space from the term Cell Groups, often used by large church communities to refer to smaller social and spiritual peer discipleship groups. Lings also calls us to avoid thinking of Cell as a prison, but a space we enter voluntarily. Lings’ and Nouwen’s descriptions also imply Cell is not just a place of rest or escape from the community, but it is a place of intentional discipline. Lings also offers that cell, although a separation from community, can experienced outdoors, or as an overlap with one of the other six Sacred Spaces, perhaps similarly to silent monastic orders. This also reminds us that all the Sacred Spaces can be as much inhabited through a spiritual activity as being in a specific physical location.

Along with solitude, Cell is thought of as a place of silence. From Lings perspective, he commends Cell to be an opportunity to remove ourselves from external influence, what he describes as ‘the three wars’ :‘hearing, speaking and seeing’ to battle with ‘his own heart’.^p46 I’m sure I’m not the only one who may find the thought of a quiet, solitary space horrendous and restrictive. Despite being introverted and happy with my own company, I value connecting with others. My ADHD can make it a challenge to sit still and focus on one activity, not least due to the cacophony of voices in my head. These are not archetypical schizophrenic voices, but various thoughts or plans that are demanding attention, or at least needing to be written down to be dealt with later.

For me, Lings’ ‘three wars’ is as much a battle with my ‘own heart’ as it is in company. Therefore, while I adhere that space alone is beneficial, I am not always silent. I find that one of the ways I can tame my overactive brain, while seeking guidance from God, is to pray or sing out loud. Sometimes these songs are also prayers, made up from my thoughts, sometimes they are just sounds. Occasionally they may have crossed to speaking in tongues. Whatever it is, it disengages my spiralling thoughts to connect with God. As in Romans 8:26 : In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. [Bible Gateway]

In my early faith development, I spent a lot of time alone and it was relatively effortless to make time to read the Bible, reflect and pray. That was partly due to reading my daily Bible study notes in my bed, when my mind wasn’t so full of thoughts to push back. More recently, the discipline of setting aside time for this is more challenging, despite knowing its benefit. With low energy levels, there is too much risk of falling asleep again if I stay warm and cozy, but little incentive to get up earlier to sit elsewhere.

When I travelled to work by bus, it seemed easier to get myself out of the house to be at work on time. Being on the move, I was reluctant to lug around a Bible and reading, so began to listen to an online reflection. Despite experimenting with various online resources, such as the Northumbria Daily Office, Wordlive and Pray As You Go, I did not settle with any routine, leaving me unsettled and lacking in my faith. One of the reasons I stopped a daily reflection using physical reading notes was that I felt it had become a task to complete rather than an engagement. Perhaps there now is a subconscious fear to return to the discipline of exercising a daily Cell that any routine would become stale again. Certainly a reflection I could bring before God in my Cell.

The link between discipline and discipleship is not difficult to spot visually, nor to find reference to in the Bible. In Matthew 6:6, Jesus commends his followers, disciples, to go to their room to pray, and in other texts he is recorded many times as taking time alone to pray. Prayer isn’t giving God our wish list, nor a lamenting plea for relief, but can be exercised in many ways to reflect on Scripture and on our relationship with God. Seven Sacred Spaces reflects on various old and new monastic sources for ways to pray, as well as more contemporary offerings from the likes of Richard Foster (Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home). I have recently purchased Amy Boucher Pye’s 2023 book, 7 Ways to Pray. Although I have used many of the methods described, I hope to use it as a prompt to help me reengage with God in different ways.

Lings also reminds us that prayer is often referred to as a ‘conversation’, so it is worth remembering to spend time listening as part of the time set aside with God. Tying this back to discipline, he highlights an insight from Nouwen that audire (to listen) is a linguistic root of obedience.^p55 This form of ‘listening’ can be a key role of Cell and can be summed up in the phrased referenced several times in Seven Sacred Spaces, ‘Cell will teach you everything’.^{p46, p53} Lings exalts this teaching as the core to becoming as authentic a disciple in community as we claim to be before God in isolation.^p47 This may be my greatest challenge as I seek to re-establish the discipline of setting aside a time and place to connect more fully with God.

NOTE I have referenced pages from the books mentioned in some parts of the text above, but have notvprovided a full reference, so you can to explore them for yourselves.

I feel I spend most of my time reflecting, though you wouldn’t guess by my lack of blog posts! In fact, there’s so much going on in my head it’s often difficult to stop long enough to write on one topic before another pushes its way through. In an attempt at adhering to a structure and encourage me to blog more regularly, I’m planning to post a few reflections on a book I’ve read recently. Even that wasn’t easy as several good reflective reads have been printed recently, creating even more focus dilemmas for my brain and a pile of books by my bed. The first I’ve chosen is Seven Sacred Spaces by George Lings, published by the Bible Reading Fellowship in 2020.

The seven spaces, referred to in the title, are locations often associated with monastic communities. The author uses these spaces to describe intentional places of interaction with God and others. Even if we don’t live within a monastic community, these physical spaces can translate into practical aspects of our daily lives.

A summary of each of the spaces to be covered is provided below, using a mixture of Ling’s terms and my own reflections. I will expand on each space in the forthcoming blogs in the same alphabetical order as Lings. Inevitably there will be a cross reference to others as we compare and contrast the purpose and presence of each.

• Cell                 a personal space alone with God, and with yourself
• Chapel           a public place of community and shared worship
• Chapter         a reminder that we are all under authority, often a community hub to discuss common issues, debate, make decisions and hold each other to account.
• Cloister          a passing space of journey and rest, for planned and unexpected meetings
• Garden          a place of work with responsibility and purpose
• Refectory       a communal space of physical, and spiritual, feeding and hospitality
• Scriptorium   a place of learning and study in order to pass on knowledge

As with other theological reflective practices I’ve encountered, it has sparked a connection. It makes sense and seems attractive. I’m keen to see if there are practical ways to engage with these spaces to help to reinvigorate my relationship with God. With ADHD that’s always a challenge, not least because any reflective practice is a discipline, which it takes great effort. It is worth highlighting that, in theological terms, a discipline is not a harsh dictated expectation, but is an intentional and regular choice to focus on God. When younger it never seemed hard work to spend time reflecting daily on a scripture passage, so it may also be interesting to reflect on why it seems more difficult now.

I hope you enjoy sharing this reflective journey with me through the seven spaces, and that you might find something useful along the way and comment below. Knowing others are part of this journey will help me to keep posting regularly and I look forward to seeing if something you may share might help me to connect deeper with God.

If you’re interested in reading Seven Sacred Spaces by George Lings, I’ve posted a link to the Bibile Reading Fellowship website above.