The Returning: The Way of the Enthusiast
"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." — Ralph Waldo Emerson
Some pathways lead us into silence. Some lead us into service. This one leads us into joy For the Enthusiast, the spiritual life is not meant to be endured — it is meant to be experienced.
Deeply.
Viscerally.
Wholeheartedly.
The Enthusiast encounters God through celebration, mystery, worship, wonder, and the moments that make the soul feel impossibly alive. Their spirituality is electric, embodied, expressive, and often contagious.
If the Contemplative sinks into stillness, the Enthusiast rises in praise. If the Ascetic strips life down to the essentials, the Enthusiast revels in the abundance of God’s goodness. Neither is superior. Both are sacred. Both reveal facets of the same Divine heart.
The Spirituality of Aliveness
The Enthusiast’s prayer begins where awe breaks open their chest. Where beauty overwhelms logic. Where gratitude rushes through like fire. This pathway is not naïve positivity — it is a recognition that joy is spiritual warfare. That hope is resistance. That delight is a protest against despair.
Enthusiasts live with a holy expectancy that God is always up to something — always revealing, always surprising, always moving. They feel God in music, worship, dance, creativity, synchronicity, and divine interruptions.
To the Enthusiast, life is a sacrament. Everything is pulsing with potential and shimmering with Presence.
The Nondual Lens: Joy as Union
Mystics across traditions have described joy not as an emotion but as the felt sense of union with God. For the nondual contemplative, joy is what happens when the illusion of separation dissolves and the soul recognizes its Source.
The Enthusiast doesn’t manufacture joy; they notice it. They attune to it. They respond to it. Their delight is the natural outflow of an awakened heart.
As C.S. Lewis wrote, “Joy is the serious business of Heaven.” For the Enthusiast, that business begins now.
The Shadow of the Enthusiast: Escapism & Emotional Inflation
Every pathway carries its edge. For the Enthusiast, it is the temptation to chase experiences rather than intimacy.
The risk is spiritual bypassing — using ecstasy to avoid grief, using praise to outrun pain, using positivity to mask the deeper work of healing.
But when held in balance, the Enthusiast becomes a prophet of joy, reminding the weary world that God is not only found in valleys, but also on mountaintops; not only in silence, but also in song. This pathway teaches us that jubilation is just as holy as contemplation — and both belong in a mature spiritual life.
Reflection Questions:
When was the last time you felt joy rise in you like a blessing?
What practices help you stay awake to wonder, awe, and divine possibility?
Where might God be inviting you to celebrate, praise, or delight without apology?
Suggested Practice: The Joy Noticing Ritual
Today, practice noticing joy in its smallest forms: warm sunlight, a song that moves you, a meaningful conversation, a moment of beauty. Each time you notice joy, whisper: “Thank You for being here.”
Let gratitude amplify your awareness until your whole day becomes a quiet hallelujah.
One of Jennifer’s many naked painting sessions
Founder’s Note:
I’ve traveled seasons of deep sorrow and profound joy — and I’ve learned that both are doorways into awareness of God. But joy has a particular medicine. It softens, opens, and heals.
At Loto, we intentionally weave praise, celebration, creativity, and embodied worship into our retreats and gatherings because joy awakens parts of the spirit that nothing else can touch. Whether we’re creating Morning Altars, worshiping under the trees at Forest Church, or celebrating breakthroughs on retreat, we make room for joy as a spiritual teacher.
If your soul has been longing to feel alive again — to remember delight, to return to wonder — we would love to welcome you into these spaces of renewal.
With Love, unconditionally— Jennifer
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Enthusiasts live with a holy expectancy that God is always up to something — always revealing, always surprising, always moving. They feel God in music, worship, dance, creativity, synchronicity, and divine interruptions.
To the Enthusiast, life is a sacrament. Everything is pulsing with potential and shimmering with Presence.