Sarapian, a noted Christian in the fourth century, who traveled from his home in Egypt on a pilgrimage to Rome, “was told of a celebrated recluse, a woman who lived always in one small room, never going out. Skeptical about her way of life – for he was himself a great wanderer – Sarapian called on her and asked: ‘Why are you sitting here?’ To this she replied: ‘I am not sitting. I am on a journey.’”

My sabbatical plans include a fair amount of travel, including to places of spiritual significance in United Kingdom. Today, however, Day Two of my time of respite from ministry duties, I am beginning a different journey. From the quiet of my home I am embarking on a journey inward, taking time each day for prayer and spiritual reading.

I think the recluse referred to above, whose story is told in The Orthodox Way, provides an important corrective to the idea that we have to do spectacular things or go to unusual places in order to expand our souls. Great experiences are lost on us if we do not connect them with the inward journey.

I am using the wonderful book, Space for God, to guide me in my inward journey. The author presents a spirituality that is contemplative, engages the arts, and is congruent with Reformed theology. Even when I am sitting in my chair at home, it should be quite a journey.