We start our journey through the spiritual seasons in autumn. If your soul is in autumn or winter it is a mercy not to begin with the freshness of spring or the fruitfulness of summer, both of which may feel impossibly far away. However, if you’ve ever lived in a climate where the flurry of summer’s activity slows into the crisp release of fall, you know that autumn carries a distinct and welcome beauty.
INDICATORS OF A SPIRITUAL AUTUMN OF THE SOUL
Autumn typically whispers its way into our lives with a chilling wind here, an early frost there. We still dance in the sunshine, kicking up crimson leaves, but the day grows shorter and with it our enthusiasm. There is much to be done before winter, and autumn is the season of endurance through harvest, perseverance through ingathering.
As Mark Buchanan puts it, “Agriculture is about patience. And it’s about anticipation: we expect something to come from our efforts. The heart in fall especially lives with this expectation. It feels the weight of it, the heft and tug of what’s coming, in a way that it simply doesn’t at other times.”
Spiritual Rhythm, p. 151
In other words, in fall, we reap what we sow. (See Galatians 6:6-8)
If your soul is in the spiritual season of autumn, these may be some indicators:
- What you once did with enthusiasm and joy now feels burdensome
- You’re waiting on the outcome of a significant project or investment
- You feel the weight and urgency of finishing a task well
- Your weariness and craving for rest grows almost daily
- You are being asked to let go of people, things, or ministries you’ve held dear
- You’ve lost something or someone significant
- You’re in the midst of a harvest of souls and there’s more to be done than humanly possible
KEY SPIRITUAL PRACTICES FOR AUTUMN
If you find a deep resonance with some of the above indicators, you may find the following spiritual disciplines, or practices as I prefer to call them, helpful for connecting with the Lord in this season:
- Breath prayer. Sometimes, in our busiest, most exhausted moments all we can manage is a few words. Find a key verse or cry of your heart and break it down into two phrases, one for your inhale, one for your exhale. For example, on my bathroom mirror right now I’ve written:
You are my God.
And I trust in you.
That’s my breath prayer right now to help me recenter my focus on God as I navigate a stressful season. And besides the necessary shot of truth, deep breathing is one of the best ways to calm a frantic body and mind. Breathe in slowly, “You are my God.” Exhale slowly, “And I trust in you.”
- Daily examen. This practice invites us to pause at the end of each day to evaluate an aspect of our relationship with God. It centers around a simple question, such as, “When did I notice God’s presence most clearly?” In the weightiness, weariness or sorrow of autumn, returning to a reflective question like this each evening can remind us of God’s constant activity in our lives, even when we struggle to feel it. It’s best when begun with gratitude and rounded out with repentance and a cry for God’s grace for the next day. His mercies are new every morning.
- Lament. If your autumn is a season of loss, injustice, or repentance, the practice of lament might be a key instrument of healing for you. About 40% of the Psalms are prayers of lament. Read Psalm 22 and 42, or even the whole book of Lamentations to remind yourself that the cry of lament–pouring out the depths of your feelings to God, then allowing him to return your heart to his unchanging character–is both necessary and God-honoring.
- Private worship. Closely related to lament, private worship, as opposed to corporate worship, allows your heart the freedom to express yourself fully to God. You may find a deeper connection to him through types of Christian music not typically played in church (yes, it’s okay to cry out to God with hard rock, rap, or the emotional waves of classical music). Experiment with different body postures to express your spiritual desires. Try lying prostrate, opening your hands on your lap, or allowing yourself to weep in your Father’s arms.
BOOKS FOR AUTUMN
You will weep with those who weep and find both perspective and empathy for seasons of loss through Sara R. Ward’s beautiful book, Made for Hope: Discovering Unexpected Gifts in Brokenness.
Prayer in the Night: For Those Who Work or Watch or Weep by Tish Harrison Warren explores themes of human vulnerability, suffering, and God’s seeming absence.
And yes, I believe my own book, Colliding with the Call: When Following God Takes You to the Wilderness, fits well in both this and the winter spiritual seasons. It depicts my own struggle toward finding God’s purpose and faithfulness in a season of dashed ministry hopes and spiritual barrenness.
A SCRIPTURE FOR AUTUMN
I’d like to suggest Isaiah 40 for meditation during this season. Read it slowly and let it wash over you. Perhaps spend an entire month soaking in it every day. It carries the potency of both sorrow and hope, as does the fall.
A snippet: “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” (v. 8)
AN AUTUMN PRAYER FOR YOU
Dear God of the harvest, thank you for your kindness to guide us through these changes and rhythms of the soul. You are the one who brings forth fruit, and I thank you that you’ve been faithfully at work in my friend’s heart. Show her how you’ve grown spiritual fruit in her life over this past season and remind her that even as winter approaches, you are with her. Give her the courage and trust in your father-heart to lament, and please turn her face toward you now and remind her that you weep with her. Invite her to release her burdens, open her hands of all she clings to, and welcome this season of surrender. It is finished. And it is well with her soul.
Amen.
1 Comment
Taking time now to reread your “seasons” blogs. Not necessarily in order, just where the Spirit leads. Once again, I am encouraged by your insight and touched by how your prayer speaks directly to my soul.