On Saturday I posted my first pandemic book recommendation on James K.A. Smith’s “You Are What You Love.” Today’s suggestion follows along in that same vein – ideas for developing healthy spiritual disciplines while we are already social distancing. By the way – Rev. Jonathan Crane (Rector of St. Augustine of Canterbury Anglican Church in Edmonton) saw my post and invited me to chat about it with him on his church’s podcast. Check it out!

In today’s recommendation, Mike Yankoski has provided a helpful guide for exploring traditional and modern spiritual disciplines. As an evangelical motivational speaker, the author became frustrated by the lack of depth in his own spiritual life and in his tradition. He opens with a painful example while on the road with other Christian motivational speakers. To remedy the shallowness he decided to spend an entire year researching and practicing a variety of disciplines, and so “The Sacred Year” recounts this adventure exploring depth in himself, God and others.

I “read” the book while hiking in the Canadian Rockies with my brother Andy in the Fall of 2017. As we summited Ha Ling over Canmore, reached Sentinel Pass above Larch Valley, and managed to top both of the Beehives then traverse the Valley of the Ten Glaciers above Lake Louise (all in three days) I listened to the entire book – twice! I’m an extrovert, so on these adventures I’m as social as can be in the mornings, evenings and during trail breaks. But, while hiking, I enjoy keeping to myself by listening to books, podcasts, or music (and yes – I do unplug and enjoy the sounds of nature as well). When I hike with Andy, going solo is out of necessity. He is five years younger, fifty pounds lighter, and a marathon runner. Thankfully he was patient enough to wait on me numerous times over the 110 km we hiked those three days.

Here are the disciplines I reflected on in that wilderness while “reading”: Attentiveness, Daily Examen, Sustenance, Simplicity, Creativity, Embracing Mortality, Confession, Listening Prayer, Lectio Divina, Regular Eucharist, Solitude, Sabbath, Wilderness, Pilgrimage, Gratitude, Protest, Pursuing Justice, Community, Caring.

I imagine many of us practice quite a few of these regularly, but now that we are social isolating for the pandemic, we have an extraordinary opportunity to dig a little deeper. Some of our households are already in need of a silent retreat! And though uncomfortable, who isn’t considering their mortality right now? Yankoski is a bit intense about some of these. For instance, he lives in a cave for a week to practice silence and digs a grave to practice embracing mortality. I’m writing this with two kids and a dog in my office – the cave sounds great! But you might start a panic in your neighbourhood if you start digging a grave out back – not recommended at this time.

Overall, this is a well written and helpful book. It recounts an evangelical’s experience as he rediscovers a depth of historic spiritual practice and brings others along for the ride. This is an excellent choice if you want to use your time of forced solitude to develop healthy habits and disciplines for other side of “the new normal.”