Spirituality – incarnation required

Christian “Spirituality” seems to be everywhere and nowhere these days (to say nothing of non-Christian spirituality – even atheist spirituality!). Countless Christians talk about “spirituality” and “spiritual” experiences, but no one seems to be able put their finger on their “spirituality” or their “spiritual experiences.” No one seems to know what it is.

Why?

I think the Bible is pretty clear on this.

Paul says, “I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-- this is your spiritual act of worship” (Romans 12:1).

According to Paul, spirituality involves our bodies. Paul even says we worship God with our bodies! Indentifying spirituality shouldn’t be any harder than pinching ourselves. This means any spirituality devoid of the flesh isn’t Christian.

But there’s more: spirituality and worship involve Jesus’ body. In worship we do not experience the mere spiritual presence of God. We receive the real, bodily presence of God’s Son in, with, and under, the elements of bread and wine (after all, isn’t this what Jesus says? ‘This is my body…’ And remember, the question isn’t, ‘Is this possible?’ but ‘Does Jesus speak truth?’)

This sacramental gift of God is not meant to be a spiritual experience in which we achieve communion with God through the ascension of our faith into heaven. This Sacrament is a real gift in which Christ’s body actually descends to us and for us.

As God’s redeemed, who have received Christ’s very body, we daily offer our bodies as living sacrifices in, with, and under our God-given vocations. Whether we are a mother, a father, an employee, a student, or a neighbor, Christian Spirituality always involves our bodies and Christ’s body. I guess you could say Christian spirituality is incarnational.

As Joan Chittister says, Spirituality is “living the ordinary life extraordinarily well… if we are not spiritual where we are and as we are, we are not spiritual at all.” (quoted in Philip Yancey, Rumors of Another World. 65)

Our vocations may not appear “spiritual” by worldly standards, but according to God they embody spirituality and are even among the things with which God is most pleased. As St. Paul says, being a living sacrifice is “holy and pleasing to God.”