H E A L I N G ▫ A R T S
NAMELESS
by Tiffany Nicole Fletcher
The one who owes us no answer
The one who does not fear darkness
The one who holds the hours
The one who says when—
The one who knows before,
the one who is still there after.
The one who gives shape to silence who
makes a womb out of it
the one who daily pulls down a
curtain of night—
and with holy brush strokes
to canvas of sky
each morning creates
a new pattern of light.
The poetry series I call ” The Psalms Project” began by chance. I was looking to fill the time while waiting in a coffee shop one day, when I had the random idea to try and paraphrase a psalm using my own language. I opened the Bible app on my phone, took out a tiny notebook I keep in my bag, and started.
The idea had never occurred to me before, but once I started doing it I realized what a powerful method it is for fostering a deeper understanding of the sacred text and intimacy with God. There is the way the Psalms have been written (and translated many times over throughout time), but each time I do this exercise, I discover what the words mean to me personally. It’s also a super-fun exercise for those of us who love to play with words!
So the poems you see under the category “Psalms Project” are the result of my reflection on (and sometimes wrestling with) the personal meaning of psalms that have spoken to me at a particular point in time. I love this exercise and I have found so much joy and solace in being able to refer to these reimagined psalms as my own prayers to God.
Here is another one I wrote, a paraphrase of the oft-recited Corinthians passage about love – one of my favorites!
by Tiffany Nicole Fletcher
Love is willing to wait,
love gives the best of itself.
It does not covet what others have,
It is not self-obsessed,
it is able to confess when it is wrong.
It does not take joy in things that separate it from God, but seeks and delights in full communion.
It is forever watching over,
forever believing in,
forever certain of coming good,
forever holding on.
Love can be trusted.
Have you ever tried to paraphrase the Psalms? I’d love to hear about your experience!
image credit: Aaron Burden/StockSnap
Spiritual practices keep my soul tethered to what really matters. They keep me centered, offer healing when I need it, and remind me of the active and loving movement of God in my life. Every last one of these practices are always available to me and at no cost, which means that the ability to connect with God and center, calm, heal, and refresh myself is always within reach. This is truly empowering.
Even if you participate in institutionalized religion (attending services led by clergy, for example), it is so important to have spiritual practices that you participate in and have access to on your own. That you are not dependent on others as your ultimate source of spiritual nourishment and growth. If you do belong to a spiritual community, devoting yourself to personal spiritual practices will create a depth of connection in you that you can then contribute to that community. It’s all win-win.
Having a spiritual practice is a gift we give ourselves. A statement that we are worth the time to slow down and surrender, regularly. Loving ourselves is the ultimate statement of devotion to our Creator.
Morning pages, as named by author Julia Cameron, were my first consistent, long-term and intentional spiritual practice. Three pages of longhand freewriting, done first thing in the morning. Morning pages helped me empty my mind of any concerns, learn more about myself, and over time, find deeper connection to God.
Morning pages changed my life and I won’t even try to explain how because I believe the process is quite mystical and special in a different way for each person who truly makes the commitment to it. I would say there is magic in doing morning pages, but maybe it is simply that God is always working and when we commit to paying attention closely and regularly, we become more aware of the “magic” happening in our lives.
Talking to God, and listening. Turning to God as one would to a good friend, as if our concerns do matter to the Creator. Doing it regularly. Making it a way of life: “Pray without ceasing.” Surrender.
Some people like to speak their prayers aloud, some pray silently. Some find that writing their prayers feels best to them. (And art is prayer too: we can sing, dance, play, write, paint as prayer!)
Prayer is the opposite of control. It is a practice of letting go and letting something larger respond to our concerns with the ultimate balm: presence.
I started dancing as a little girl, swinging my arms and pounding my feet to the beat of a live drum in African dance class. Remembering this recently, I decided to devote regular time to dancing freely. This dance practice was also inspired by a Five Rhythms workshop I attended.
I turn on the music (current soundtrack: Essential Djembe Rhythms by Budhi Harlow) and let my body flow and move how it wants to—there is so much freedom in this! As adults, we live with very controlled, composed bodies in daily life, which is the opposite of how we lived as children. Children run and skip and shout and move their bodies very freely. Devoting regular time to letting your body be, just letting it be free, is a true spiritual practice that brings joy, freedom, and ease.
I have also been singing for as long as I can remember. Every time I sing, I feel sweet release and freedom and I end up smiling and laughing regardless of how I felt when I started singing. When I sing, I surrender. I lose track of time and enter a space where it’s just me, the notes, and the silent spaces in between. Singing, when done with consistency, is a spiritual practice. Any serious, passionate musician understands this. And I believe that all musicians need to engage their practice regularly; it keeps us happy and connected to ourselves.
However, singing as a spiritual practice is not about getting notes right or giving your best performance; it’s about devoting regular time to this act for the sheer joy of it, and for the time with God. You can also pick specific songs of spiritual devotion and sing those – worship singing as spiritual practice. I’d have to write a whole post on that alone!
What makes a spiritual practice powerful is the practice. Commit to regular devotion through one of these practices and over time the practice will shape you. Reveal God to you. Reveal you to you. Center you, enlighten you, and if nothing else, give you a refuge whenever you need it.
Stay tuned for the rest of my favorite spiritual practices in my next post!