It has been said that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. If this is true, then I've left my fair share of parched pavement on Interstate 666 in my well-intended but poorly-executed interest in traditional Christian spiritual practices.
For me, the spiritual disciplines always sound great in theory. It is the practice of these disciplines - moreover, the consistent practice - that I find difficult. I can talk well about the spiritual disciplines, but my execution is often, at best, spotty and uninspired. It is for this reason that I am a self-described "wannabe" mystic. I wannabe a mystic (it sounds like a great idea!) but I don't necessarily consider myself one because of my poor performance.
It is encouraging then to read that I am not alone in my frustrations.
Jana Riess' book, Flunking Sainthood: A Year of Breaking the Sabbath, Forgetting to Pray, and Still Loving My Neighbor, is an encouraging word to those of us who have approached traditional spiritual disciplines with good intentions, only to end up frustrated by failure.
Over the course of one year, Jana Riess committed to one new spiritual discipline a month, including fasting, fixed-hour prayer, gratitude, Sabbath-keeping, the Jesus Prayer, and generosity. What initially seemed like a simple task quickly turned out to be quite a challenge: Fasting can make one cranky rather than compassionate; Sabbath-keeping can turn into just one more performance; Fixed-hour prayers can really disrupt one's day; And the list goes on.
Honestly seeking spiritual growth, Jana approached each discipline with good intentions. But she ended up failing at every one.
However, she discovered that failing the disciplines brings its own lessons. For example, through her attempts at lectio divina (reading the scriptures slowly, reflectively, personally, and prayerfully) she discovered how easy it is to read the scriptures superficially. She writes, "lectio divina...has shown me how I tend to skim the surface, not only of the Bible but of the Christian faith itself... It is easy to believe that our lives are inspired by the Gospels if we keep the Gospels at a distance" (50).
In spite of the difficulty of fixed-hour prayer, Jana learned that "Prayer should order my daily life, not by ordered around by it. Part of the problem I've had with a regular prayer routine in my years as a Christian is that I try to squash it in each day between all of those other 'important' things on my list, and of course half the time it doesn't happen at all" (145).
At the end of the year, Jana makes a few observations. She recognizes she made a few mistakes in her approach. She realizes the impossibility of mastering any spiritual practice in just thirty days. More time is needed. Also, she frankly admits "I was... an idiot for trying so much of this by myself rather than in community" (170).
In spite of her repeated failures, Jana ends up more spiritual enriched by the end of her journey. She may be a failed saint but "A failed saint is still a saint" (171).
Jana's style of writing is humorous and engaging. She is playfully self-deprecating and pulls no punches when it comes to the saints. My favorite line in the book is when she compares St. Therese of Lisieux (one of my favorite saints) to a drama queen. She's not far-off in this assessment, but in my opinion, this is further evidence of how diverse and crazy God's saints may be.
Quotes excerpted from Flunking Sainthood: A Year of Breaking the Sabbath, Forgetting to Pray, and Still Loving My Neighbor by Jana Riess
Leave a comment