Soul Architecture: Divine Na(ur)ture // Rev. Matt Kennedy // Jan 11 2025

Most of us know that the work of artists and craftsmen involves creativity, but equally important to arts and science is the practice of design. A creative idea alone doesn't always make for something beautiful to appreciate. The elements of design are careful decisions a crafter makes to serve the subject of the piece. A photographer uses focus and framing to emphasize the face of a model. A tailor will adjust the cut and fit of a suit to accentuate a good look. A good architect designs a building to fit well in the larger landscape. Design is the set of choices we make to draw our attention to the subject we want emphasized.Perhaps this is a metaphor for those uniquely religious practices that most of us think of when we talk about being Christian (e.g. prayer, quiet time, Bible reading, fasting, etc.). Spiritual disciplines are not the subject of the art of faith; they are design choices and practices we use to focus our attention in deeper love for God and neighbor.This week we begin a new sermon series exploring spiritual disciplines and considering the practices we want to build into our lives that deepen our sense of God's grace. Commitments to daily prayer, devotional reading, fasting, sacrificial giving, and receiving spiritual direction aren't rungs we climb on a ladder to God. They are the architecture we build to draw our eyes towards God, behold the riches of his mercy, and then become more like Christ.