We’ve been studying a quite interesting book in my Sunday school class called Sacred Pathways by Gary Thomas. It presents nine spiritual temperaments, different ways that we naturally worship God. Some people are traditionalists and feel closest to God through routine, having a consistent form of devotion and following the rituals of their Christian denomination. Other people might experience their greatest connection to God as caregivers, attending to the needs of others around them. No one sacred pathway is superior to another. God created us uniquely, and so it makes sense that God would delight in the different ways that we worship him, the pathways that he himself created. A main purpose of the book is to understand and appreciate various spiritual temperaments. This allows us to function better as one body of Christ and maybe even experience God in new ways.
Each sacred pathway has its own chapter and includes a quiz at the end. Most people exhibit the characteristics of at least two or three pathways. Just from the book’s introduction, I had a pretty good idea of where I would score highest and lowest. Sure enough, my strongest pathways are naturalist (feeling most connected to God in nature) and intellectual (experiencing God through the mind). On the other hand, one of my lowest scores was enthusiast; I like quiet and order in my worship. Or, as I heard Garrison Keillor put it, “I don’t do jubilation on command.” Then there was one sacred pathway that somewhat surprised me: ascetic. It was my third highest score after naturalist and intellectual. When I began contemplating the ascetic aspects of my cycling, however, it made a lot of sense that I feel quite comfortable worshiping God this way.
Although we might think of ascetics as monks, nuns, or hermits, the ascetic temperament isn’t limited just to cloistered Christians. Perhaps it’s simply difficult to understand this pathway amid our fast-paced, noisy, modern life. (With TVs now on gasoline pumps, I can’t even fill my car in peace!) Ascetics value alone time with God, free from other distractions. They prefer a simple, focused approach in their worship. They might even practice strict or austere physical disciplines like watching and praying in the middle of the night or fasting. The point is not to subject oneself to such austerity for its own sake. It’s just that somehow such experiences are transcendent, allowing the ascetic to experience God through hardship.
This gets at how cycling and worship are connected for me. As I ride mile after mile on a long endurance ride, particularly in solitude, the rhythm of my pedal strokes can become meditative. Sure, there’s a certain amount of discomfort from riding hours at a time, whether it’s soreness, fatigue, or the need for fluids or fuel. But at the same time, it reminds me of God’s providence. It can even be a holy experience.
Although I’d much prefer to ride when it’s sunny and 85⁰, I’m trying to take every opportunity to ride in LTO (less than optimal) conditions in preparation for RAAM – anything to help me toughen up physically and mentally. That’s why I jumped at the chance to ride six hours in the rain/mist/fog last Saturday and to ride in 30⁰ and wind on dirt roads a couple of evenings ago after work. RAAM certainly is a good motivator, but I probably would have done these rides anyway. God’s goodness through the beauty of nature is evident even in the cold bleakness of winter:
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