Welcome to Sacred Spaces

Are you longing to be more attentive to God’s presence in your everyday life? 

Do you have the desire to know God’s love and grow in deeper communion with Him?

Are you sensing the Spirit’s invitation to grow spiritually but don’t know where to begin?

Do you feel tired, worn out, or burnt out on religion?

Are you craving rest, refreshment of soul, and perhaps a different way of being with God?

If you answered yes to any or all of those questions, friend, then I believe God led you here on purpose for a purpose. 

Welcome to Sacred Spaces, an invitation to behold God in the sacred spaces of your everyday life through the exploration of Christian contemplative practices.

The first step toward spiritual transformation is acknowledging and naming our desire to be formed by the Spirit of God living within and all around us. If you’ve bravely named or sensed that desire, even if you’re uncertain or a little afraid of where it may lead you, then your spiritual formation journey with God has already begun. 

God says in Jeremiah 29:13-14,

God longs to be found by us, even in – especially in – the mundane, complicated, busy, and at times, chaotic, spaces of our everyday lives. Psalm 139 tells us that His presence never leaves us and is with us in the dark, in the light, and in every moment and season in between. But while His presence is always there, we don’t always see, hear, or feel Him moving. Sometimes, there are certain seasons of our lives where God’s presence does seem a bit more absent than in others, and He always extends His own kind of invitation in the midst of that. 

But most of the time, I believe we miss His presence with us because we aren’t intentionally looking for Him. Because we lack attentiveness and the ability to gently abide in His presence daily which He so longs for each of us to do. 

A Longing That Led to More of God

Toward the end of 2019, I bravely named my own longing for more of God and He faithfully extended to me the invitation to behold Him in the sacred spaces of my everyday life. I began engaging with different ancient Christian contemplative practices – also referred to as spiritual disciplines, practices, or rhythms – that focused more on my heart and the Spirit’s leading than on my own performance. I started practicing being with God throughout my day rather than striving for my worth. 

Reverend Summer Joy Gross describes the act of engaging with God through these Christian contemplative practices as a way to “root and establish ourselves in God’s love, to put our ear on His chest, to hear Him whisper our name, and to experience His comforting presence throughout our tender places until His love becomes Homebase”. 

Her words perfectly describe the contemplative life, which may or may not be a phrase you’re familiar with. The contemplative life is an invitation into God’s love and a deep abiding with Christ as you surrender to being led and formed by the Holy Spirit’s truth, love, wisdom, and grace. This is the journey that God has invited me into and the journey I sense Him inviting you into as well, friend. 

Sacred Spaces is for the God-seekers, lonely wanderers, and weary travelers, who are longing for something more in their relationship with God. This community is for those who are longing to be formed by God’s Spirit dwelling inside of them as they seek to abide in His presence and become attentive to all the ways He chooses to reveal Himself in the sacred spaces of our everyday lives. 

What to expect from Sacred Spaces

In the Sacred Spaces community, we’re going to journey deeper into the heart of God together, putting our ears to His chest as we gently trod toward Homebase, by exploring different Christian contemplative practices that are designed to open our hearts to the Spirit’s leading and loving voice in our souls and lives. By subscribing to Sacred Spaces for just $5 a month, you’ll gain immediate access to:

• monthly emails that will be sent out on the 1st of every month containing that month’s spiritual practice, action steps and tools, outside additional resources, and weekly reflection questions

• Soul Care Sessions, where you can book a 30-minute one-on-one Zoom call with me to talk about that month's spiritual practice, what the Lord is revealing to you, or what you're wrestling with. It's an invitation to come as you are as the Holy Spirit leads our time together and cares for your soul

• a community chat in the Substack app where you can engage with me and other community members about that month’s email or whatever else may be stirring within you

A Reminder from Me

It’s important to note that each spiritual practice is offered as a gentle invitation. There is nothing in this group that you are required to do – that would be contradictory to what we’re aiming to grow toward. Everything is optional and put here for your use as you feel so led by the Holy Spirit to do. 

Now, there may be some spiritual practices that feel awkward or foreign, and may even cause you to feel uncomfortable. If that happens, know that it’s totally normal. I’d invite you to resist the urge to skip over that spiritual practice and instead pay attention to what it is about that practice that may be provoking you. I believe God chooses to speak through all things in our lives, even the things that make us feel uncomfortable or tend to provoke us. If you notice resistance rising up, pause, and invite the Holy Spirit into that space and ask Him what He may be wanting to reveal to you through it. 

With that being said, not all spiritual practices may fit into your specific season of life. These contemplative practices are here to make your load lighter, not add to it. So, if at any time you find that you are feeling burdened or heavy-laden by any of these practices, maybe now is not the right time in your life to utilize them regularly. A big part of this journey is discerning with the Spirit what practices are life-giving and useful for your life right now, and which ones may be reserved for later down the road in a different season. If you so desire to spend the entire twelve-month journey focusing on just one or two of these practices, then please, listen to that! 

In learning to be attentive to God’s Spirit in our lives, we are also learning to be attentive to what is stirring beneath the surface of our own souls. So listen to what stirs and provokes you and notice what the Spirit may be inviting you to pay the most attention to.  

I’m so glad you’re here, friend, and that you’re bravely responding to what I believe is a holy desire – a sacred invitation – within you; the invitation to know God and yourself more intimately as you seek to become more attentive to His presence in the sacred spaces of your everyday life. 

I’m praying for you and holding space for you here. 

Peace be with you on this most sacred journey, 

Celia