Summer offers us the most opportunities of time off for rest & relaxation — cloudless days with perfect temperatures, walks in the park with ice cream, campfires with s’mores at night with the family and friends.
Often, however, we look at this time for rest as a break from the invitation the Lord gives us to continue growing in relationship with him. To be clear: there is no “time off” in our relationship with God.
The great spiritual teachers have always affirmed that if we are not moving forwards we will slide backwards. What do we need to do to keep up the spiritual life even during our summer downtime?
Our new Kings of Summer exercise will go on the offensive against the deadly sin of acedia, usually translated as “sloth.” This spiritual sloth manifests itself as a malaise or listlessness that seeks constant distraction rather than focusing on the duties at hand.
An excessive busyness and technological saturation often mask an underlying unwillingness to enter into the call to prayer and greater attention to our family. Summer gives us a chance to look deeper at this hidden disease.
King David provides our model this summer as we look at his own descent into acedia and his eventual reemergence. We will be reading through Second Samuel, looking at how David rests in an unhealthy way after his triumph as king, taking his eye off of the battlefield and his family and turning it where it should not go, toward Bathsheba. This leads to chaos and even rebellion in his own family that eventually wakes him up to the need to engage in battle, both interior and exterior.
Like David, we need to embrace the kingly role of men in the spiritual life. There are so many temptations that divert our attention and gaze. When we fall into the distraction of acedia, things begin to fall apart. We need to wake up and focus on the most important things, entering more deeply into the spiritual fatherhood to which God calls us.
What to Expect: Kings of Summer
- 20 minutes of daily prayer
- Read the daily reading/reflection from 2nd Samuel
- Regular Fraternity Meeting
- Daily Examination
- Cold showers (Fridays only)
- No Meat (Fridays only)
- Holy Hour once per week
- Celebrate the Lord’s Day well
We’ll also have an additional opportunity for you to join: a summer book study on R.J. Snell’s Acedia and Its Discontents to unpack this theme even more.
Get started by reading today’s reading and reflection on the Exodus app!
