A Liturgy of Life

A question haunted me this week: "What are the patterns and rhythms of my life?" As a follower of God I have to continuously evaluate and improve the quality of my commitment and integration of my faith with how I live.
Tom and Christine Sine lamented in their book Living on Purpose (http://www.msainfo.org/) that, "For too many of us our life has become little more than a living blur. If we have any kind of liturgy of life, it is likely to be shaped more by Good Morning America, the stock market reports, "reality" television, and our e-mail routines than anything that comes from our Christian faith."
Sadly, my experiences too often lead me astray from God in this way. Not a day goes by when I am not tempted to divert from the path of goodness in Jesus. I'm constantly bombarded with images that distract me from my calling. I am daily confronted with demands for my allegiance. But, I can give it only to one - God, my Savior. I have no room for two gods.
In my quest to live a life filled with faith, love, and hope, in the way of Jesus I have sought to remove any barriers of sacred and secular. I am only one person, so I cannot live two lives. All of life is sacred - there is no life or part of it where God does not live.
Some obvious patterns that make up my life Liturgy include: daily commitment to read and study the Bible;
Prayers on behalf of my family and future generations, as well as those in my life (church, neighborhood);
gathering with Christians often for encouragement, laughter, and prayer;
serving with community groups to intentionally bless others;
meeting with my children individually and collectively each week to discuss life, faith, and practice.
C.S. Lewis once said, "You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilization - these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendors."
Once again, a reminder that sacred is every life we encounter. Even those who choose to not respond to the call of God cannot run from their sacred origins and appointments with destiny.
And so, the quest of my life remains to wholly integrate my practices, habits, and routines in such a way as to reflect my identity as a beloved child of God.