Practice Resurrection

annecumingslcsw
Aug 2
5 min read

Updated: Aug 23

This has been a mantra of mine for years now. The word resurrection is one of those Christian-ese terms that we often toss around and don't even really think about because we've heard it so often. Jesus died and was resurrected, yada, yada, yada. Or maybe you steer clear of the word because of it's association with Christianity and the harm you experienced in Christian spaces. Totally reasonable. If anything that sounds remotely "Christian" sends you to the bad place, feel free to skip this. But if you are curious about resurrection might mean for you outside of that crud, read on.

What does it really mean to live believing in resurrection? Resurrection literally means coming back from the dead. That may sound impossible or at least miraculous and rare, but I think we come back from little deaths all the time. And I think it's the way of nature.

Every year the seasons model for us a cycle of death and resurrection. Fall comes and all of the lush growth of spring and summer dies away. Creation goes inward, quietly letting everything that needs to die die so that new life can emerge. Daily, the earth goes through a cycle of darkness and light. This happens in our own bodies each night when we sleep. As darkness falls our bodies naturally slow down and move into rest. During deep sleep our bodies actually regenerate cells and tissues and repair any damage our bodies have taken on through illness or injury. We literally wake up with new life in our bodies.

Mushrooms have become my favorite symbol of resurrection. Mushrooms take the dying, rotting matter in the forest and transform it into something beautiful, rich and nourishing for the environment.

Is there anything more enchanting than a forest full of mushrooms?

How do we practice resurrection?

1) Notice Resurrection

The first step is recognizing all of the natural rhythms of death and resurrection around us. From the seasons to the forest floor, from our waking to our sleeping. We can recognize this cycle in our vocational lives and in our relationships. We can see how somethings in our lives need to die in order for new life to emerge. When was the last time you noticed something new pop up in a place where something old died off? A new job opportunity? A new romantic relationship? Resurrection happens whether we notice or not. But noticing allows us to step into the rhythm or resurrection intentionally.

2) Reflect On What Is Dying (or needs to...)

Take some time and reflect on what in your life right now is beginning to wane. There is a season for everything and when we try to cling onto the things in our life that are trying to die, we get stuck and feel stagnant. We can grow resentful and avoidant.

But so often we are afraid to let things die. It can feel like failure. It can feel like the loss of stability or safety. I think we know in our core when something is ready to die, but we will work extremely hard to ignore that deep knowing. Especially when what needs to die is something big, like a career or a marriage.

In this step, just notice what you know in your core. You don't have to do anything about it yet. Just allow your whole self to know what your heart knows. Let the feelings that come up be present. Don't judge the feelings. Don't judge the knowing. Just recognize that they are there and extend some compassion to yourself.

3) Honor Death

When you are ready to let the death happen, engage the death with integrity. Be honest with whoever is impacted by the death, including yourself. Be vulnerable, be compassionate, be courageous. And give yourself space for grief. Grieving comes with any death, though it doesn't always have the same shape or form. However grief shows up, honor her like a special guest.

This is the time for ritual. Your ritual can be as small as lighting a candle and saying a prayer. Or it can be as elaborate as you need it to be. Invite your village to fire ceremony, have a house cleansing, or mark the moment by traveling to an important place of pilgrimage. Listen to what your spirit needs and create something that feels right.

4) Germinate: Imagine Something New into Being

Once you have let the old die away, you can plant something new. Let your heart imagine anything that it desires. Journal, make art, talk to trusted friends and mentors. This is the time to let the Spirit flow in you and bubble up wherever She wants to. Follow the spark and see where it takes you!

5) Gestate: Let New Life Grow

I often get stuck in the germination phase. My ADHD gets so excited about all the new possibilities and she doesn't want to settle on just one. The pleasure of living in the fantasy of what can be is alluring and it's easy to get stuck there and never get on to actually doing anything. If that resonates with you, find a way to nudge yourself forward into gestation. Here are some ways to get yourself moving that have been helpful for me:

Set a small intentional goal - Small is the key word here! If you want to gestate a book, maybe the goal is to write draft table of contents. Not write 300 pages! If it's to find a new job, the goal might be to update your resume. Not to quit your current job! Small and achievable and not scary is the goal. Now write it down, give it a deadline and put it in your calendar
Enlist a conversation partner - This is where a therapist, a spiritual director, a business coach or just a trusted friend can be so helpful. Talk about this with someone and ask them to help you get moving on it. They can help you break your dream down into smaller goals and help keep you accountable to those goals and your timeline.
Just do SOMETHING - Anything. It can be the smallest little thing. Write your idea down. Buy a website domain. Get an online dating account (you don't even have to make the profile yet!). Just do the tiniest thing. It will help the energy and momentum grow.

Once you've started, give yourself time to let your new thing grow. Don't expect it to happen overnight. Just keep following the new life. Each day, resurrect a little more. After all, it even took Jesus three days! Why do you think you can do it in one?

6) Flourish

When the new life takes root, make sure you notice and enjoy whatever it is that you birthed. Remember how you weren't able to imagine it when you were in the old thing. Remember how it felt when you were in the death phases and remind yourself that you know what it feels like to resurrect.

7) Start Again!

This life is not a straight arrow. It's a cycle of death and resurrection, death and resurrection, death and resurrection. When you notice that something else needs to die, know that this is not failure, it is design. You haven't gone backward, you are moving forward with the pattern of all creation. So give yourself all kinds of compassion and let yourself be the most beautiful mushroom in the forest.