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Σάββατο 23 Σεπτεμβρίου 2017
The Spiritual Life Bringing the spiritual life into our workplace
This blog was born out of an attempt on my part to
help a young man begin his work day with a spiritual focus. I'd asked him to
read the appointed Scripture readings for the Church's liturgical cycle at his
desk before beginning his work day. The young man had his office manager tell
him he was not permitted to bring a bible to the office because the company did
not want religious symbols displayed at work, lest they cause offense to
someone else. Never mind there was a Muslim woman who was allowed to wear her
large head scarf and takes prayer breaks when the Islamic prayer times arrived.
I asked him if he was permitted to check his email
during the day. Since this was permitted, I started copying the Epistle and
Gospel readings for the day, and forwarding them on to him. Since that time
I
have greatly expanded my daily offering. When I turned to the blog format, it
seemed appropriate to name the blog The Morning
Offering, and it has been a
labor of love every since.
Balancing our spiritual life within the workplace can
be quite challenging. That said, it is a given that our day should begin with
reciting the Morning Prayers, found in our Orthodox Prayer Book, before leaving
home. If we commute to work by public transportation, we should get in the
habit of reading books that are available in our parish bookstores. If we
commute by ferry, as do many in the Puget Sound region, we can keep a book in
our vehicle, allowing us to read while waiting on the dock, or crossing the
Salish Sea by boat. We can use our coffee break to reread The Morning Offering,
or a few chapters in our commuter book. And why not take our book along as our
companion, when heading out to lunch?
We may also benefit from downloading the podcast
programing from Ancient Faith Radio. Additionally, the continuous repetition of
the "Jesus Prayer" can keep us centered in Christ, even while working
in a busy, noisy office.
Implementing these simple ideas can make a huge
difference in our workday by adding immeasurably to our own spiritual growth.
There is simply no reason we should relegate to the weekend, our spiritual
life.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
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