Praying with all five senses at the Nature as Spiritual Practice retreat
By Kyle Tubbs
St. Ignatius of Loyola has been credited with saying, “Pray with all five senses.” During the post-Easter retreat entitled “Nature as Spiritual Practice,” I had the pleasure of praying alongside fellow travelers from across the southwest in a variety of create ways tied to nature.
As I walked and hiked through nature in and around Carefree, Arizona, I was reminded that God’s first Bible was creation itself. While this might be a rather obvious statement, the natural world existed well before there was ever a written revelation of God in the world. God continues to reveal Godself through beautiful life on the planet. Hummingbirds, trees, plants, flowers, lizards, squirrels, and birds all testify to God’s activity in the world!
It was quite refreshing to slow down and prayerfully listen to God through my senses:
-Through touching the ground below my feet, I was reminded of the ground of being which holds the fabric of my being to the God of the universe.
-The taste of water in the hot desert reminded me of the essential need I have for living water.
-Seeing one particularly beautiful flower that we were told blooms for only one day reminded me to slow down and savor that God’s presence was with us every moment of the day.
-Hearing the birds of the air reminded me of the music all of God’s creation joyfully echoes into the world.
-There were wildfires in Flagstaff, and their smell reminded me of the interconnected responsibility that we all must care for nature.
Opening my senses to touching, tasting, seeing, hearing, and smelling God’s presence in the world was a post-Easter gift. Being able to do so with my spiritual family made it even that much sweeter.
By the way, we’re planning on getting together for a similar post-Easter retreat next year too. Will you pray with all five senses with us then? Mark your calendars now!
Click here to see more photos from the retreat.
Kyle Tubbs is the coordinator for CBF Oklahoma. He lives in Norman, OK, with his wife and two sons.
