“Thus says the Lord:
‘Stand by the roads, and look,
and ask for the ancient paths,
where the good way is; and walk in it,
and find rest for your souls…'”
– Jeremiah 6:16
If you’ve been around St. Patrick for long, you know that we place a high value on what we call the “Habits of Grace” – our everyday rhythms of receiving all the good gifts God gives to the Church by his Spirit in Christ Jesus. Maybe the most fundamental of these is our daily time in the Word and prayer, which we’re in the habit of calling “The Soul Room.” While we think any plan for devotional life that submits to Scripture is a good one, we’ve developed a shared resource for you that we hope will be a blessing to you as you walk in the ancient paths.
The St. Patrick Soul Room is not a Bible reading plan. It’s not an insight-packed devotional. The Soul Room is a Habit of Grace, wherein the Holy Spirit guides us in friendship with God as we learn to pray the Scriptures in a gospel shape along with the fellowship of His saints. We’ve taken our cue from covenant communities who for hundreds of years have faithfully plodded together through the whole counsel of Scripture, learning to pray God’s Word back to Him, learning to see Christ as the fulfillment not only of Scripture but also of our every need and longing. The goal is not to get through a certain amount of content, but to be shaped by a certain long obedience in the same direction. The less obvious gift is that it turns your private devotional life into a pilgrimage walked out in a community, as those with whom you worship and live are also reading and praying the same Scriptures day after day.
Beginning a new habit can be overwhelming, but the best way to learn is through immersion and imitation. The St. Patrick Soul Room is currently available as a subscription email, or as a physical handout and journal. You can subscribe below, chat with your Community Group Leader, or reach out to soulroom@stpatrickpres.com and we’d be happy to assist you as you get started.