Foxholes & Nests
The spiritual practice of naming
“Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Matthew 8:20
Welcome back to Foxholes & Nests—a quarterly space at One Sacred Question where we journey with one spiritual practice over the course of three months, creating space in our hearts to nurture the Christ-life within. If you’re new here, you can read more about the heart behind this space here.
Learning the tender rhythms of heart hospitality happens in the secret place where we are formed in Christ and Christ is formed in us. With that in mind, you can always expect to find a short and simple reflection on each quarter’s spiritual practice and perhaps a quote, a few helpful tips, and some accompanying scriptures when you visit this space.
That’s it. The real work begins where my words end.
As we journey with the Quotidian Questions over the next few summer months, we will be exploring three places in scripture, places of unique spiritual darkness where the contours of Jesus’ questions meet us along the way, inviting us to confront the unique darkness that threatens our own hearts and lives. It may seem paradoxical to spend time in these spiritually dark places when, for many of us, we are entering into the summer months, the brightest season of the year. However, learning to confront the darkness and participate in the spiritual rhythm of naming is to let the light in.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5
What is the spiritual practice of naming?
Neuroscience calls the practice of naming affect labeling or the practice of putting words to our emotions and interior experiences. Studies show that putting words to our interior experiences not only brings emotional clarity to the forefront of our often chaotic interior landscape, but is also a pathway toward regulation for our nervous systems.1
Scripture gives us ancient language for what modern neuroscience calls affect labeling.
Psalm 62:8 calls the practice of naming, pouring our heart out before the Lord, unveiling three truths about the spiritual practice of naming.
Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah. Psalm 62:8
The spiritual practice of naming is a practice of embodied trust.
When we learn to name the particulars of our interior landscape in all circumstances, not just in moments of gratitude, joy, or contentment, we are increasing our capacity to trust, moving beyond an abstract concept into an embodied reality.
The spiritual practice of naming looks like honest intimacy and deep vulnerability with God.
The imagery in Psalm 62:8 is not imagery of one of those moments where you accidentally sit your cup of coffee down on the table too aggressively and a little splashes out. No, the imagery here is of an intentional pour. Like dumping out a cooler full of water or water pouring forth from a fire hydrant being flushed, this is a picture of intentional emptying, not an accidental moment of vulnerability that surprises even yourself where you quickly wipe it up and seal it back off. This is a picture of deep intimacy, of naming all that your heart holds, pouring it out before the Lord.
The spiritual practice of naming is a pathway to shelter.
When our internal experiences threaten our safety and hijack our nervous system, pouring our heart out before the Lord and naming the deep places of grief, sorrow, longing, fear, etc. is actually a pathway toward the presence and shelter of God, nervous system regulation written into the fabric of our DNA long before neuroscience discovered it.
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Psalm 139:14”
May Jesus, the Name above all names, who is watching over all of the places you’ve sealed off, meet you abundantly as you return to the soil and stewardship of your own precious life and seek the ancient language of naming—of pouring your heart out before the Lord.
Helpful Tips:
The spiritual practice of naming can take shape in beautifully diverse and embodied ways. Words so often take shape beyond the confines of verbal articulation.
Write it down! Journaling is a powerful way to name all that our hearts hold. It has been a deeply meaningful spiritual practice on my own journey with Jesus. My friend Allison Byxbe recently wrote a beautiful book on journaling as a spiritual practice2. If you don’t know where to start with journaling or find prompts helpful, Allison’s book is a beautiful resource, especially for those navigating tender seasons of grief, loss, and unexpected seasons.
Art it out! I have found the spiritual practice of art journaling to be a beautiful way to unravel my interior landscape. Art in any form is a beautiful way to name and unravel those hidden places that can be hard to articulate in other forms. If you’re curious about art journaling as a spiritual practice, I’d love to introduce you to Phoebe Noetzel, a new friend I’ve met in this space whose art journaling is deeply meaningful and insightful.
Dance it free! I have a background in dance and have always found it to be a beautiful expression of emotion but have never integrated it as a regular practice of embodied prayer. Reading about Katie Sampias experience of dance as prayer in this post ignited a curiosity about this practice and led to deep reflections about King David and Miriam who danced before the Lord, reminding me that our bodies often know how to name what’s in our hearts before our mouths do.
Scriptures:
“Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the night watches! Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord!”. Lamentations 2:19
“I pour out before him my complaint; before him I tell my trouble.” Psalm 142:2
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7
This space will always be linked in the formational pathways section beneath each month’s One Sacred Question introductory post. Under the Foxholes & Nests subheading each month, you will find a specific prompt integrating this spiritual practice into our journey with each month’s sacred question. You can always refer back to this post for support and guidance!
Thank you for reading One Sacred Question. May holy curiosity guide and guard your path as you journey in friendship with Jesus.
I love that, Phoebe! It’s been a bit since I’ve dipped into my art journal, but I may just have to look that prompt up on YouTube and join in on visual mapping as a way to practice naming. Thank you for sharing!
came to affect labeling through a completely different door. Etymology and a one-word-a-day journaling practice, and landed in the same room. There's something in the fact that the oldest texts and the newest neuroscience agree: naming the thing is how you stop being swallowed by it.