The Returning: An Introduction to The Sacred Pathways
“Good spiritual directors understand that people have different spiritual temperaments, that what feeds one doesn’t feed all. Giving the same spiritual prescription to every struggling Christian is no less irresponsible than a doctor prescribing penicillin to every patient.”
― Gary L. Thomas, Sacred Pathways: Discover Your Soul's Path to God
There are countless ways to draw near to God.
But perhaps "near" isn't quite the right word—for how can we draw near to the One in whom we already live and move and have our being? The Sacred Pathways, as described by Gary Thomas, are not ladders toward heaven, but mirrors of the divine image within us. Each one reveals a distinct rhythm of devotion—a way of remembering what has always been true: God is not distant. God is here.
Through the coming months, The Great Returning will explore each of the nine Sacred Pathways through a contemplative, embodied, and nondual lens. We'll rediscover ancient ways of worship that awaken body, mind, and spirit to the living Presence of Christ within all things.
This is not a map for finding God. It's an invitation to remember. To return.
We'll look at:
Traditionalists – who encounter God through sacred rituals and structure.
Naturalists – who meet God in creation.
Sensates – who experience the Divine through the five senses.
Ascetics – who find God in simplicity and solitude.
Activists – who commune with God through justice and compassion.
Caregivers – who worship by serving others.
Enthusiasts – who meet God through celebration and mystery.
Contemplatives – who seek divine intimacy in silence and love.
Intellectuals – who encounter God through study and understanding.
Each post will include reflection questions and a somatic or contemplative practice—simple ways to integrate the sacred into your daily rhythm.
The Many Ways We Meet God
There are as many ways to experience God as there are souls to seek Him. Each of us carries within our being a particular rhythm of devotion—an interior language through which the Holy speaks most clearly to us. Some find God in silence, some in song. Some through tradition, others in the wildness of creation.
Author Gary Thomas calls these unique expressions Sacred Pathways—nine distinct ways that believers naturally draw near to God. Yet beneath these many paths runs a single, unified stream: the longing to return to Oneness.
The Nondual Invitation
In the contemplative tradition, the mystics remind us that separation from God is an illusion. There is no path to God because God is everywhere. Rather, each sacred pathway is a return to awareness—a way of remembering the divine Presence that already dwells within and around us.
To the mystic, all pathways converge in Love. Whether through ritual, nature, activism, solitude, or study, we awaken to the same truth: God is not "out there" to be found, but "in here," waiting to be revealed.
This perspective reframes spiritual practice. It's not about earning closeness to God; it's about uncovering the nearness already woven into the fabric of our being. The pathways are less a map and more a mirror—reflecting how our souls most naturally commune with the Divine.
A Return to Embodied Worship
In our modern, hurried lives, it's easy to lose touch with the sacred. We compartmentalize spirituality—Sunday mornings here, morning meditations there—and forget that every breath is prayer. But the sacred pathways invite us to reinhabit the holy ground of our own lives.
Whether your pathway is through ancient ritual or spontaneous song, through study or solitude, each practice becomes a doorway. A remembrance. A homecoming.
A Gentle Beginning
Before you begin this journey, take a deep breath.
Place a hand over your heart.
Remember: there is no "wrong" way to love God.
There is only Love, revealing itself uniquely through you.
Reflection Questions:
When do you feel most aware of God's Presence?
What practices draw you into deeper connection—body, mind, and spirit?
Where might you have been trying to "get to" God rather than awakening to God's nearness?
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This is not a map for finding God. It's an invitation to remember. To return.