| … of our Twitter feed, I mean.
If you’re not familiar with it, Twitter is an online service that allows you to communicate with a network of friends and associates using short text messages. Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Deepak Chopra, Ashton Kutcher, UNHCR and Lama Surya Das all use it to share their thoughts as do a lot of ordinary folk like you and me. To participate, you get an account, find people whose messages you want to read and “follow” them (by clicking the “follow” button on their profile page). You can follow you Twitter friends by checking your page on the web or by downloading an application to run on your desktop or your phone.
Our existing models of spiritual community – the monastery, the parish church, even the meditation group – demand that we pause our busy lives, slow down and meet intentionally with other people to explore our inner lives together. My experience has forced me to call these traditional models into question. I’m convinced by the efficacy and validity of the traditional modes, but it doesn’t seem that we busy, postmodern people have much time for all this slowing down and meeting together.
Many people I know have their own, private spiritual practice – perhaps they meditate in the morning, or drop into a service every few weeks at a cathedral – but cannot find the motivation or time to commit to a regular group or community. Perhaps, if you’re reading this, that might describe you.
One of the roles I try to fill with the weekly mailout is to send you folks some brief nugget from our tradition that might help you out living your own life and practice just as it is. Obviously I’m also trying to encourage you to drop in for a service from time to time or get involved in our practice community – but I want the mailout to be helpful regardless.
A couple of weeks ago, I created a Twitter account for the Parish. My aim is to send out messages, thoughts, small scraps of scripture that you might encounter at some point during your day. Imagine a kind of micro-homily that flows through your everyday life.
My hope is that if your day weaves through this stream, you might linger on one of these scraps, pause for a moment, allow your attention to draw inward to a more thoughtful, contemplative place for just a few moments.
So, if your busy life might benefit from a little more contemplation, get yourself a Twitter account (if you don’t already have one) and follow @SaintUriels. If you see something you like in the stream, drop us a reply!
My blessings on your journey, wherever you may be.
Rev Father Tim |
