Sacred pathways.

SACRED PATHWAYS by Gary Thomas is a powerful book dealing with the scriptural and historical paths God’s people have traveled to know Him. Following is an overview of the nine paths prepared by the author…

NATURALISTS - Loving God Out of Doors

DESCRIPTION - “Where we worship can have a profound impact on the quality of our worship. The naturalist seeks to leave the formal architecture and the padded pews to enter an entirely new “cathedral”, a place that God himself has built: the out-of-doors.” (36)

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
1. Take Bible outside to read; meditate while feasting your eyes & spirit on natural beauty
2. Rest
3. Worship as the dawn breaks
4. Go for a walk

SCRIPTURES TO PONDER - Psa. 29; 23; 84; Isa. 41:17-19; Mark 6:31-32; Jn. 4:35;

SENSATES - Loving God With the Senses

DESCRIPTION - “Sensate Christians want to be lost in the awe, beauty, and splendor of God. They are drawn particularly to the liturgical, the majestic, the grand. When these Christians worship, they want to be filled with sights, sounds, and smells that overwhelm them. Incense, intricate architecture, classical music, and formal language send their hearts soaring.” These Christians delight in sensuous onslaught. “The five senses are God’s most effective inroad to their hearts.” (23,24)

SCRIPTURE TO PONDER - Rev. 8:24; Deut. 6:5; Ezra 1:1-3; 1:26,27; 3:12,13; 43:3; Psa. 45:1; Mal. 1:11; Luke 7:36-38; Rev. 1:10, 13-17; Rev. 4. taste: Psa. 34:8; I Pet. 2:3. touch: I Sam. 10:26; Mt. 14:36; Lk. 5:12-13; 24:39. look: Lk. 24:39; Jn. 1:36; 4:35; 19:37; Rev. 5:6; I Sam 16:7. hear: Deut. 30:20; Psa. 96; 147; 140; 150; Isa. 3:9; John 10:27; Jas 1:19. smell: Psa. 141:2; 2 Cor. 2:16; Eph 5:2.

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
1. Listen to worship-producing music, sing scripture
2. Absorb worship-producing art
3. Create a worship space for yourself: light a candle
4. Vary prayer posture: stand, sit, kneel, lie prostrate

TRADITIONALISTS - Loving God Through Ritual and Symbol

DESCRIPTION - “Traditionalists are fed by what are often termed the historic dimensions of faith: rituals, symbols, sacraments, and sacrifice. These Christians tend to have a disciplined life of faith. Some may be seen by others as legalists, defining their faith largely by matters of conduct….Traditionalists have a need for ritual and structure.” (24)

SCRIPTURES TO PONDER - Gen. 12:7,8; Ex. 25:40; 40:12-15; Lev. 10:8-11; Num. 15:37-40; 21:4-9; Josh. 1:8; 2 Kings 18:4; Ezra 8:32, 35; Neh. 8:3; Jer. 7:4-7; Amos 5:21-24; Mt. 23:27; Lk. 4:16; Acts 3:1; 10; 16:13; 21:26; Rom. 3:25; 8:3; Col. 2; 16-17; I Tim. 4:1-5.

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
1. Contemplate the three elements of the traditionalist pathway.
2. Read Scripture aloud.
3. Select a Psalm to say every morning and one for each evening; Practice liturgical prayer
4. Set a regular time and place to meet with the Lord each day.

ASCETICS - Loving God in Solitude and Simplicity

DESCRIPTION - “Ascetics want nothing more than to be left alone in prayer. Take away the liturgy, the trappings of religion, the noise of the outside world. Let there be nothing to distract them – no pictures, no loud music – and leave them alone to pray in silence and simplicity.

SCRIPTURES TO PONDER - Num. 6; Isa. 64:6; Dan. 9:3; Joel 1:13-14; 2:12; Zech. 7:1-10; Mt. 4:1; 6:5-6, 16-17; 14:13, 22-23; Mt. 26:36-39; Mk. 1:35; 6:30-32; 14:32-36; Lk. 22:39-46; Jn. 17

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
1. Worship in the quiet of the night; Rise in the early morning for prayer and worship
2. Practice silence – attend a silent retreat, participate in a silent meal
3. Fast; do physical labor as an act of worship
4. Simplify your life – clean a closet, have a yard sale, cull your books and papers

ACTIVISTS - Loving God Through Confrontation

DESCRIPTION - “Activists serve a God of justice, …their favorite Scripture is often the account of Jesus cleansing the temple. They define worship as standing against evil and calling sinners to repentance. Activists may adopt either social or evangelistic causes, but they find their home in the rough-and-tumble world of confrontation. They are energized more by interaction with others, even in conflict, than by being alone or in small groups.” (26)

SCRIPTURES TO PONDER - Psa. 7; 68; 10; Pr. 24:11-12; Ezek. 33:1-20;

SUGGESTIONS
1. Consider God’s faithfulness, patience in light of so much evil in the world. Ponder John 4:34
2. Seek to develop tact, gentleness, persuasiveness, true love for others. Seek a mentor.
3. Invest energy in: producing and transmitting literature; social reform; “marches”; prayer walks; food pantries; crisis pregnancy center. Be creative.
4. Research any activity before joining it. Ask God for wisdom. Seek counsel and accountability.

CAREGIVERS - Loving God by Loving Others

DESCRIPTION - “Caregivers serve God by serving others. They often claim to see Christ in the poor and needy, and their faith is built up by interacting with other people. Such Christians may (consider) the devotional lives of contemplatives and enthusiasts (to be) selfish. …caring for others…recharges a caregiver’s batteries.” (27)

SCRIPTURES TO PONDER - Esther. 2:11; 4:1; 4:13-14; 8:7-8; Ezek. 16:49; Story of the Good Samaritan; I John 3:14,17; Phil. 2:4; Heb. 6:10; Jas. 1:27; I Pet. 4:9-10; Mt. 25:35-36; Jas. 1:27

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
1. “Adopt” – a prisoner, neighborhood child or elderly person; Open your home to people 2. Help a friend through a crisis, counsel at a crisis pregnancy center
3. Help someone battling substance abuse
4. Volunteer on a rescue squad, work in a soup kitchen

ENTHUSIASTS - Loving God with Mystery and Celebration

DESCRIPTION - “Excitement and mystery in worship is the spiritual lifeblood of enthusiasts. …enthusiasts are inspired by joyful celebration… cheerleaders for God and the Christian life. Let them clap their hands, shout ‘Amen!’ and dance in their excitement, that’s all they ask. …They don’t want to just know concepts, but to experience them, to feel them, and to be moved by them.”(28)

SCRIPTURES TO PONDER - I Chron. 13:8; 15:16; 16; II Chron. 29:26; Luke 19:37-40; Acts 16:25; Eph. 5:18-19; Acts 3:7; I Cor. 14:40; Acts 8:9-24;

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
1. Spend time just listening to God. Write down what you hear Him saying.
2. Cultivate the mystery of expectancy: ask God to bring someone in your path to whom you can minister; Start a conversation with a stranger.
3. Spend time with children: lead music at children’s church; act out Bible stories for them.
4. Use your imagination to put yourself into the scene when you are reading Bible passages. Try to understand how the participants were feeling, thinking, acting.

CONTEMPLATIVES - Loving God Through Adoration

DESCRIPTION - “Contemplatives refer to God as their lover, and images of a loving Father and Bridegroom predominate their view of God. …The focus is not necessarily on serving God, doing His will, accomplishing great things in His name, or even obeying God. Rather, these Christians seek to love God with the purest, deepest, and brightest love imaginable.” (28)

SCRIPTURES TO PONDER - Psa. 63; 116; 73; Song of Songs; Isa. 41; 49; 59; 61; Jer. 2:2; Mt. 26: 6-13; Luke 10:38-42; John 14-17

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
1. Practice secret acts of devotion – something you do for someone else without letting anyone else know about it.
2. Carry something tactile to remind you Who you serve, e.g. a small cross.
3. Centering Prayer – Choose a word and focus on it (Jesus, God, peace, etc.) repeating it until it becomes a part of you. This is not “new age”’; it is a way to close oneself in with God, away from distractions. You are resting in God’s presence.
4. Meditative Prayer – this is prayerful reflection of a biblical text or theme, use of something you can see, taste, touch, hear or smell. (Lecto Divina; placing yourself in the passage )

INTELLECTUALS - Loving God with the Mind

DESCRIPTION - “When intellectuals’ minds are awakened, when they understand something new about God or His ways with His children, then their adoration is unleashed. (They) may feel closest to God when they first understand something new about Him. (20) …an intellectual can spend long seasons contemplating a challenging verse or concept.” (194)

SCRIPTURES TO PONDER - Deut. 33:10; I Ki. 4:29-34; Psa. 49; Pr. 1:5-7; 2:3-4; 4:7; Mt. 22:37; I Cor. 13: 2-3; I Tim. 1:3-7; 6;4,5; II Tim. 2:23-25; Titus 3:9-11; Luke 2: 46-47, 52; James 3:1

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
1. Study the basic disciplines of theological training
2. Invest in biblical study: reading through Scripture; meticulous study of portions of Scripture;
3. Read books that help understand what Scripture says - books on theology, church history.
4. Do a year-long in-depth study of one topic