Thomas K. Swisher, J.D., Ph.D. (443) 996-6659

Gage (my golden, furry co-therapist) and I have the privilege of occupying an office in a building originally constructed in the early 1800s. This building houses an old chapel where four congregations share worship space. When the chapel, with its warm, wooden interior and multiple stained-glass windows, is empty, I sit in the numinosity of its atmosphere in quiet prayer or reflection. Bethany United Methodist Church, which owns the premises, is offering a sermon series called “Renewal for the Journey.” I was asked to write about “Emotional Renewal.” My reflection on this topic is below.

Emotional Renewal

The current sermon series at Bethany is about “Renewal for the Journey,” and this week’s sermon is about emotional renewal. My training as a Pastoral Counselor and my personal experience suggests that there are effective ways to renew ourselves spiritually and emotionally. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit religious order, designed a silent retreat for priests focused on renewing spiritual and emotional well-being.

Saint Ignatius was aware, even 500 years ago, that to nourish our spirits, we need to step away from the buzz of daily life. So much of our attention is demanded by man-made things. He developed a retreat that included a compilation of meditations, prayers, and contemplative practices—all done over the course of 60 days—in Complete Silence. Few of us have 60 days for vacation time, let alone a silent retreat. Most of us couldn’t tolerate being silent for that long!

Here are some techniques for emotional and spiritual renewal that come from Ignatius’s original design:

• Be intentional about setting aside time away from human-created living. Put your phone away. Leave your home and automobile. Find uninterrupted solitude in nature or a spiritual sanctuary.
• Be quiet. Don’t speak. Instead, observe how your senses of sight, smell, hearing, touch, and taste come alive. Observe and absorb what your senses take in.
• Sit with your favorite scripture or religious literature. If it involves a story, imagine that you are in the narrative. For example, read the Sermon on the Mount while imagining you are there listening. What is the crowd like? Can you see Jesus’ face and hear his voice? Let your senses and imagination inform you.
• Go outside into nature and imagine that God speaks through the natural environment (not the English language). Take in the trees, the grass, the sky, the birds and animals, the wind, the sun, and the clouds. What meaning do these things impart, and how do they make you feel?
• If intrusive worries, thoughts, or feelings arise in you, simply observe them. Then, let them go and try to return to what you see, hear, feel, smell, and taste in the moment. Be still.

When we step away from man-made distractions, close our mouths, and open our five senses to God’s creation (not human concoctions), we renew ourselves. In our stillness, we become filled. In our quietness, we hear. In our solitude, we connect to something deep and meaningful. We are renewed.

Dr. Tom Swisher and Gage, pictured below, can be reached at 443-996-6659.