A Minute in Kairos

Lent, more than any other season in the Christian year, challenges us to seek a deeper spiritual discipline in our everyday lives. How contrary to our everyday lives! Spiritual discipline (remember, discipline means “to teach”) sounds as if it requires plenty of time if we are going to do it right. At the very least, it should require reading some spiritual text, copious amounts of Scripture reading, and lots of time spent on bended knee in prayer. How can I fit all that into my already impossibly busy day?

In 2003, when I entered the Doctor of Ministry program at Drew University, I decided to focus my attention on this very problem of how to effectively teach ourselves spirituality in the midst of a time-hungry schedule. That led to my project: The Church of St. Mary the Virgin's Virtual Pilgrimage--A Journey Without Steps.

What I have done with the valuable assistance of fellow parishioners is develop a web site that is a collection of traditional and post-modern spiritual tools. Most of these tools can be used in only one minute. That may not sound like much, but in spiritual practice it is important to remember that there is our time, chronos, and God's time, kairos . A minute of our time can be like an eternity in God's time.

In the midst of a stress-filled day, a minute in kairos can bring focus, balance, and calm to our chronos . Spiritual practice and discipline makes us citizens in both realms.

Another idea is to let spirituality seep into your daily life. Rather than trying to schedule chunks of time to address spiritual practices, take a moment here and there to pray, meditate, read a devotion, or simply collect yourself. If you allow spiritual practice to seep into your daily routine, you will discover that you are sanctifying your life, time, and space.

Joel t