December's Spiritual Discipline is the Outward Discipline of Confession. In The Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth, Richard Foster discusses the Discipline of Confession.
Confession is more than therapeutic. It is a means for us to clear the air between us and God, as well as a way for God to heal and transform our spirits.
Salvation is not just a one-time event; it is also a life-long process. Confession is a Discipline that stems from the grace of God. Confession is doable through God's grace, but it also involves action on our part. We must consciously choose to to approach God and confess.
Confession is both private and public. It is between an individual and God, but it can also be through our trusted brothers and sisters in the faith. It is possible to practice both instead of exclusively focusing on one.
Confession is difficult because oftentimes, we choose to struggle alone in our secret sins, believing the others in our churches are above the sins that plague us. We value our image more than transparency, so we try to conceal instead of freely confessing and allowing others to help and heal us.
Confessing with a Christian brother or sister allows them to serve as a tangible source of Christ's presence and forgiveness in our lives.
We can use liturgical confessions. One benefit of these, is that we don't get the luxury of explaining and defending our actions. We merely confess. At the end, forgiveness is offered typically through a relevant Scripture. There is also the benefit of penance in formalized confessional. Penance isn't a way to earn forgiveness, but it gives us the chance to consider the weight of our sin. It allows us to feel part of the sinfulness of sin.
When utilizing the Discipline of Confession, St. Alphonsus Liguori told believers that in Confession, they need to examine their conscience, feel sorrow, and determine to avoid sin in the future.
Foster continues to encourage Christians to get specific with their sins. This isn't the time to ask God in general terms to forgive any and all sins we committed in thought, word, and deed. This is the time to specifically ask God to forgive our tendency to worry, gossip, and ignore the poor & the refugee. Ask God to reveal the sins of the heart (pride, greed, rage, fear, etc.) and the sins of the flesh (laziness, gluttony, adultery, murder, etc) in our lives. Examine ourselves slowly in light of the Ten Commandments, like Martin Luther.
Sorrow in Confession goes deeper than a mere feeling. It is hating having committed the sin. It is regret at offending God. Therefore sorrow is more a matter of will than emotion.
As we determine to avoid future sin, we seek to strive after holy living, even as we spurn unholy thoughts, words, and deeds. We seek the will and motivation (to delivered from sin) from our heavenly Father.
Foster points out the necessity of an endpoint in Confession. We do not want to constantly be condemning ourselves and our action. Confession should begin with sorrow at our sins, but it should end in joy over our forgiveness and our lives are changed.
Foster concludes with instructions and advice on receiving confession from others.
What do we need to confess today?
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
Sunday, November 25, 2018
Christ the King Sunday
This year, in 2018, Advent is from December 3rd-December 24th. Then Christmastide is from December 25th-January 5th. Then Epiphany falls on January 6th. Advent starts the 2018-2019 church year. After Thanksgiving, we tend to rush into Christmas so quickly that we neglect the last Sunday of the church year, Christ the King Sunday. On the last Sunday of the 2017-2018 church year, we look towards the Second Coming of Christ.
Why is this day significant? Why should we celebrate this day typically squeezed between Thanksgiving and Advent?
Because, our actions show that we tend to forget that Christ is coming back to judge the living and the dead. We get so concerned with this world that we forget about the one to come.
Christ is coming. Is my house in order?
Christ is coming. Am I sharing the gospel with the lost?
Christ is coming. Am I interceding for the lost?
Christ is coming. Am I obeying His commands? All of them?
Christ is coming. Do people know that I am a Christian?
Christ is coming. Am I praying for my persecuted brothers and sisters?
Christ is coming. Am I praying for my persecutors & those persecuting my brothers and sisters?
Christ is coming. Am I praying for my enemies?
Christ is coming. Am I studying the Bible?
Christ is coming. Am I letting the Holy Spirit transform me?
Christ is coming. Am I loving God with everything that I am?
Christ is coming. Am I loving my neighbor as myself?
Christ is coming. Am I concerned for those without the Truth?
Christ is coming. Is my life different (in a positive sense) than a non-believer's life?
This Christ the King Sunday, I encourage us to read passages referring to the end times.
Allow ourselves to tremble for the lost.
Ask the Spirit to move us to intercede for the lost.
Ask the Spirit for courage to interact and influence those without Hope.
And above all, remember: Jesus is Lord.
Why is this day significant? Why should we celebrate this day typically squeezed between Thanksgiving and Advent?
Because, our actions show that we tend to forget that Christ is coming back to judge the living and the dead. We get so concerned with this world that we forget about the one to come.
Christ is coming. Is my house in order?
Christ is coming. Am I sharing the gospel with the lost?
Christ is coming. Am I interceding for the lost?
Christ is coming. Am I obeying His commands? All of them?
Christ is coming. Do people know that I am a Christian?
Christ is coming. Am I praying for my persecuted brothers and sisters?
Christ is coming. Am I praying for my persecutors & those persecuting my brothers and sisters?
Christ is coming. Am I praying for my enemies?
Christ is coming. Am I studying the Bible?
Christ is coming. Am I letting the Holy Spirit transform me?
Christ is coming. Am I loving God with everything that I am?
Christ is coming. Am I loving my neighbor as myself?
Christ is coming. Am I concerned for those without the Truth?
Christ is coming. Is my life different (in a positive sense) than a non-believer's life?
This Christ the King Sunday, I encourage us to read passages referring to the end times.
Allow ourselves to tremble for the lost.
Ask the Spirit to move us to intercede for the lost.
Ask the Spirit for courage to interact and influence those without Hope.
And above all, remember: Jesus is Lord.
Thursday, November 15, 2018
The Spiritual Discipline of Study
November's Spiritual Discipline is the Inward Discipline of Study. In The Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth, Richard Foster discusses the types of and ways to Study.
The goal of the Spiritual Disciplines is total transformation. We do this by replacing destructive habits with life-giving habits. Then we renew our minds by applying transforming things to it. Study guides the mind because the mind becomes what it focuses on. We use concentration, perception, and repetition to form ingrained thoughts. What we study determines our thoughts and habits.
Meditation is devotional, but study is analytical. There are two sides to Study. There is the verbal side such as books and lectures and non-verbal side such as nature and observing events & actions. Study allows us to perceive God's truth and reality of a specific situation or encounter or book.
There are four stages of Study.
1. Repetition-This is the stage of ingrained thought. We bring our minds to our subject of study repeatedly.
2. Concentration-This is the stage of centering the mind. We focus on attention on our subject of study.
3. Comprehension-We seek the knowledge of the truth. We try to define what we are studying.
4. Reflection-We try to find the significance of what we are studying. We ruminate on our topic to see things through God's eyes. We seek to understand the subject and ourselves.
Study is a Spiritual Discipline that requires humility. We need to learn from our subject.
Study is more than reading. There are three intrinsic and three extrinsic goals.
Intrinsic 1: Understanding: What does the author say?
Intrinsic 2: Interpreting: What does the author mean?
Intrinsic 3: Evaluating: Is this right or wrong? Do this after steps 1 & 2.
Extrinsic 1: Experience: Interpret and relate what we read through our experiences. Take time to understand and reflect on our experiences.
Extrinsic 2: Other Books: Dictionaries, commentaries, interpretative literature, other great books before & after the text you read, contemporaries of the book you read.
Extrinsic 3: Live Discussion: with other people, each other, and the author.
Our primary book we should Study is the Bible. We shouldn't just read for knowledge or facts, but for inner transformation and to be changed by the Holy Spirit.
When we study, we seek to interpret what we read. We ask, "What does it mean?" Study is the more in-depth and deeper method. We seek to be controlled by the intent of the author and the guiding of the Spirit.
In devotional readings, we seek to apply what we read. We ask, "What does it mean for me?"
Foster recommends that we set time aside each year for a private retreat to study for 2-3 days. The key to this is to study away from home.
We can read a major book of the Bible straight through. We can also combine it with reading a great devotional classic.
Focus on the structure, flow, areas of difficulty & things that confuse you (return to these again), record your thoughts and impressions.
We can read a smaller book through each day for a month. We can journal our progress. We can use secondary aids as well for this.
In addition to reading the Bible, we can also read great classics. These are markers by others who are on the same path we are. It is better to read fewer books books, but fully understand & experience them than read tons of books.
Now we're to the topic of nonverbal books.
Nature & Things: Pay attention. Observe prayerfully & carefully. Befriend animals.
Events & Actions: What does culture lift up as great events? What does a culture say they value? What do they really value?
Relationships: How often do we try to justify our actions? How often, after we act, do we try to justify our actions instead of letting our actions speak for themselves? What controls people? If we find ourselves judging, we observe that in ourselves and learn.
Ourselves: What controls me? Why am I experiencing a certain feeling or mood? Do I like or dislike a person? Why? What can I learn about myself?
Institutions & Cultures: What forces shape and form our institutions and cultures?
We can to ask questions. We can try to perceive the consequences of forces in cultures and make judgments according to biblical truths.
So now we are better prepared to do the Spiritual Discipline of Study.
The goal of the Spiritual Disciplines is total transformation. We do this by replacing destructive habits with life-giving habits. Then we renew our minds by applying transforming things to it. Study guides the mind because the mind becomes what it focuses on. We use concentration, perception, and repetition to form ingrained thoughts. What we study determines our thoughts and habits.
Meditation is devotional, but study is analytical. There are two sides to Study. There is the verbal side such as books and lectures and non-verbal side such as nature and observing events & actions. Study allows us to perceive God's truth and reality of a specific situation or encounter or book.
There are four stages of Study.
1. Repetition-This is the stage of ingrained thought. We bring our minds to our subject of study repeatedly.
2. Concentration-This is the stage of centering the mind. We focus on attention on our subject of study.
3. Comprehension-We seek the knowledge of the truth. We try to define what we are studying.
4. Reflection-We try to find the significance of what we are studying. We ruminate on our topic to see things through God's eyes. We seek to understand the subject and ourselves.
Study is a Spiritual Discipline that requires humility. We need to learn from our subject.
Study is more than reading. There are three intrinsic and three extrinsic goals.
Intrinsic 1: Understanding: What does the author say?
Intrinsic 2: Interpreting: What does the author mean?
Intrinsic 3: Evaluating: Is this right or wrong? Do this after steps 1 & 2.
Extrinsic 1: Experience: Interpret and relate what we read through our experiences. Take time to understand and reflect on our experiences.
Extrinsic 2: Other Books: Dictionaries, commentaries, interpretative literature, other great books before & after the text you read, contemporaries of the book you read.
Extrinsic 3: Live Discussion: with other people, each other, and the author.
Our primary book we should Study is the Bible. We shouldn't just read for knowledge or facts, but for inner transformation and to be changed by the Holy Spirit.
When we study, we seek to interpret what we read. We ask, "What does it mean?" Study is the more in-depth and deeper method. We seek to be controlled by the intent of the author and the guiding of the Spirit.
In devotional readings, we seek to apply what we read. We ask, "What does it mean for me?"
Foster recommends that we set time aside each year for a private retreat to study for 2-3 days. The key to this is to study away from home.
We can read a major book of the Bible straight through. We can also combine it with reading a great devotional classic.
Focus on the structure, flow, areas of difficulty & things that confuse you (return to these again), record your thoughts and impressions.
We can read a smaller book through each day for a month. We can journal our progress. We can use secondary aids as well for this.
In addition to reading the Bible, we can also read great classics. These are markers by others who are on the same path we are. It is better to read fewer books books, but fully understand & experience them than read tons of books.
Now we're to the topic of nonverbal books.
Nature & Things: Pay attention. Observe prayerfully & carefully. Befriend animals.
Events & Actions: What does culture lift up as great events? What does a culture say they value? What do they really value?
Relationships: How often do we try to justify our actions? How often, after we act, do we try to justify our actions instead of letting our actions speak for themselves? What controls people? If we find ourselves judging, we observe that in ourselves and learn.
Ourselves: What controls me? Why am I experiencing a certain feeling or mood? Do I like or dislike a person? Why? What can I learn about myself?
Institutions & Cultures: What forces shape and form our institutions and cultures?
We can to ask questions. We can try to perceive the consequences of forces in cultures and make judgments according to biblical truths.
So now we are better prepared to do the Spiritual Discipline of Study.
Thursday, October 4, 2018
The Spiritual Discipline of Service
October's Spiritual Discipline is the Outward Discipline of Service. In The Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth, Richard Foster describes the difference between self-righteous service and true service
Humility is closely tied to service. Service helps to tame our worldly desires and service in secret transforms us.
There is a difference between choosing when & where to serve and choosing to be a servant. The first option keeps us in charge as we choose who to service. We don't want others to take charge of us. But when we choose to be a servant, we abdicate our right to be in charge. We choose to be taken advantage of. We voluntarily choose to surrender to servant-hood. We don't have to decide who and when we'll serve.
But, if we choose to serve this way, won't we be taken advantage of? Most likely, yes. But the choosing of this possibility makes the difference.
Service should be adapted to the world and its needs. To choose to serve according to our preferences instead of the needs of the recipients nullifies service.
There is service in choosing to be actively helpful, even in the small mundane things.
Foster talks about how as a society, we crave sugar over salt. Sugar has a sweeter taste, but it is (or at least should be) used less frequently. The big, flashy acts of service may be more tempting, but they don't come along as often. Like salt, small acts of service are common and are utilized daily. Part of the issue is a great task might require one large sacrifice for a moment, but small tasks require daily, constant sacrifice.
Service involves being served. True servants allow for others to serve them as well. This is one way we acknowledge that in the kingdom, we serve others & are served by them. To refuse others' acts of service, we are giving in to pride.
Service involves common courtesy. This involves being polite as a way to acknowledge the value of each other. In doing this, we acknowledge the worth of those around us.
Service involves hospitality. Hospitality is very different from entertaining guests. With hospitality, we may have a simpler meal and a messier house, but we give more of ourselves to our guests.
Service involves listening. This seems to simple to be a true act of service, but it involves using compassion and patience. Sometimes it is harder to just listen than to clean toilets, but this is a crucial act of service.
Service involves bearing each other's burdens. This is not something that we are meant to bear alone, but we are to bear the burdens up to Christ.
Service involves speaking life and sharing the Good News with those we encounter.
Foster ends this chapter with a call to pray to God and ask Him to bring people into our lives for us to serve.
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Humility is closely tied to service. Service helps to tame our worldly desires and service in secret transforms us.
There is a difference between choosing when & where to serve and choosing to be a servant. The first option keeps us in charge as we choose who to service. We don't want others to take charge of us. But when we choose to be a servant, we abdicate our right to be in charge. We choose to be taken advantage of. We voluntarily choose to surrender to servant-hood. We don't have to decide who and when we'll serve.
But, if we choose to serve this way, won't we be taken advantage of? Most likely, yes. But the choosing of this possibility makes the difference.
Service should be adapted to the world and its needs. To choose to serve according to our preferences instead of the needs of the recipients nullifies service.
There is service in choosing to be actively helpful, even in the small mundane things.
Foster talks about how as a society, we crave sugar over salt. Sugar has a sweeter taste, but it is (or at least should be) used less frequently. The big, flashy acts of service may be more tempting, but they don't come along as often. Like salt, small acts of service are common and are utilized daily. Part of the issue is a great task might require one large sacrifice for a moment, but small tasks require daily, constant sacrifice.
Service involves being served. True servants allow for others to serve them as well. This is one way we acknowledge that in the kingdom, we serve others & are served by them. To refuse others' acts of service, we are giving in to pride.
Service involves common courtesy. This involves being polite as a way to acknowledge the value of each other. In doing this, we acknowledge the worth of those around us.
Service involves hospitality. Hospitality is very different from entertaining guests. With hospitality, we may have a simpler meal and a messier house, but we give more of ourselves to our guests.
Service involves listening. This seems to simple to be a true act of service, but it involves using compassion and patience. Sometimes it is harder to just listen than to clean toilets, but this is a crucial act of service.
Service involves bearing each other's burdens. This is not something that we are meant to bear alone, but we are to bear the burdens up to Christ.
Service involves speaking life and sharing the Good News with those we encounter.
Foster ends this chapter with a call to pray to God and ask Him to bring people into our lives for us to serve.
Tuesday, September 4, 2018
The Spiritual Discipline of Meditation
September's Spiritual Discipline is the Inward Discipline of Meditation. In The Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth, Richard Foster describes what the Spiritual Discipline of Christian Meditation looks like.
We need silence at times in order to hear from God. We need times set aside for contemplation as well. Contemplative prayer has been important to many Christians over the years.
Part of meditation involves taking time to listen to God's Word. Another aspect of it is to reflect on what God has done. Verbs that are tied into meditation include rehearse, ruminate, reflect, and listen. Meditation "done right" leads to changes in our behavior because we have encountered the one true God. There should be signs of both repentance and obedience as we practice this Spiritual Discipline.
Hear God's voice. Obey His Word. At its heart, this is what meditation is. God wants to interact with us. He interacted with people as recorded in the Bible then and He's still interacting with people today. When we meditate, we give Christ space emotionally and spiritually to take root in our hearts and lives. We cannot have Christ at work within us and remain unchanged. He will be a refining fire burning away the sinful in us as He makes us in His likeness.
Foster specifically notes that Eastern meditation and Christian meditation are worlds apart. The goal of the former is to empty one's mind. The goal of the latter is to fill the mind with Christ. Yes, there is an aspect of detachment in Christian meditation, from the busyness and confusion around us, but this is so we can have a stronger attachment to God.
Christian meditation is what empowers Christians to interact with our world from God's perspective. We can receive guidance, as we listen to the Spirit on how to talk to and relate to the people in our lives.
The first step in Christian meditation is to pray for the desire and grace to meditate. Mediation is intimate conversation with God and that can be very threatening to us, especially when we are living in a way that appears to be highly similar to the way non-Christians live.
In Christian meditation, we give our imagination to God for the use of His glory. Yes, our imagination. God can use this to anchor one's thoughts and focus one's attention on Him. With this discipline, we seek "to think God's thoughts after Him" as we spend time with Him.
Foster goes on to give practical suggestions for those who are beginning to practice this discipline.
1. Learn to meditate by practicing this discipline.
2. While we can eventually do this discipline anytime and any place, it will be helpful for us to set aside a specific time and place to practice.
3. Try to be in a state of "Holy Leisure". Holy Leisure is a state where we are in a balance. It is a peace that accompanies us throughout our day's activities. It helps us rest and enjoy beauty. It is pacing ourselves so we have energy to spend time with God.
4. Set aside a quiet place that is interruption-free to meditate in. We don't need to bring our phone with us. Places out in nature are welcome. New places can be good, but having a go-to place consistently will help.
5. There are many postures that could be used. Our body language can telegraph our inward state of mind, but we can also use our body language to influence our inward state of mind. Foster recommends finding a comfortable position that won't distract us.
Foster ends the chapter with a description of a few of the many types of meditation.
1. Meditation on Scripture: This is different from a Bible Study. When we meditate on Scripture, our goal is to internalize and personalize the text. We can save analyzing the text for another time; this is a time to accept and ponder the Word. This is not a speed-reading competition. We might spend a week looking at one event, parable, paragraph, verse, or even just one word.
-Apply our senses to the text as we picture ourselves there observing the story. Indeed, we are to be more than observers, we are to be actively participating in the story. We can imagine ourselves as Mary Magdalene or the rich, young ruler.
2. Centering Down/Re-Collection: This is popular among the Quakers. This involves setting aside time to sit in silence and become still.
-Palms Down, Palms Up: This is a Centering Down exercise that goes like this: I place my palms face-down and imagine giving over my concerns and stressful situations to God. Give all my cares to God. I then place my palms face-up and imagine receiving what I need from God to get through my situations. Do I need love in order to better love someone? Ask for it. Do I need peace for a situation I are anxious about? Ask for it. Once I are done giving and receiving, sit in silence before God. Listen to God. Just be present with Him.
3. Meditation in Nature: Look at creation in order to better praise and know the Creator. Study and marvel at God's created works.
4. Meditation on World Events: As we read, watch, or listen to the news, we can ponder over the news with God. We can ask Him about their significance. We don't even need newspapers themselves to wrestle over the events of our time. We can ask God for His perspective on world events. We can also take this time to ask God to guide us and reveal to us what we should be doing in order to better be salt and light in His world through these events.
We need silence at times in order to hear from God. We need times set aside for contemplation as well. Contemplative prayer has been important to many Christians over the years.
Part of meditation involves taking time to listen to God's Word. Another aspect of it is to reflect on what God has done. Verbs that are tied into meditation include rehearse, ruminate, reflect, and listen. Meditation "done right" leads to changes in our behavior because we have encountered the one true God. There should be signs of both repentance and obedience as we practice this Spiritual Discipline.
Hear God's voice. Obey His Word. At its heart, this is what meditation is. God wants to interact with us. He interacted with people as recorded in the Bible then and He's still interacting with people today. When we meditate, we give Christ space emotionally and spiritually to take root in our hearts and lives. We cannot have Christ at work within us and remain unchanged. He will be a refining fire burning away the sinful in us as He makes us in His likeness.
Foster specifically notes that Eastern meditation and Christian meditation are worlds apart. The goal of the former is to empty one's mind. The goal of the latter is to fill the mind with Christ. Yes, there is an aspect of detachment in Christian meditation, from the busyness and confusion around us, but this is so we can have a stronger attachment to God.
Christian meditation is what empowers Christians to interact with our world from God's perspective. We can receive guidance, as we listen to the Spirit on how to talk to and relate to the people in our lives.
The first step in Christian meditation is to pray for the desire and grace to meditate. Mediation is intimate conversation with God and that can be very threatening to us, especially when we are living in a way that appears to be highly similar to the way non-Christians live.
In Christian meditation, we give our imagination to God for the use of His glory. Yes, our imagination. God can use this to anchor one's thoughts and focus one's attention on Him. With this discipline, we seek "to think God's thoughts after Him" as we spend time with Him.
Foster goes on to give practical suggestions for those who are beginning to practice this discipline.
1. Learn to meditate by practicing this discipline.
2. While we can eventually do this discipline anytime and any place, it will be helpful for us to set aside a specific time and place to practice.
3. Try to be in a state of "Holy Leisure". Holy Leisure is a state where we are in a balance. It is a peace that accompanies us throughout our day's activities. It helps us rest and enjoy beauty. It is pacing ourselves so we have energy to spend time with God.
4. Set aside a quiet place that is interruption-free to meditate in. We don't need to bring our phone with us. Places out in nature are welcome. New places can be good, but having a go-to place consistently will help.
5. There are many postures that could be used. Our body language can telegraph our inward state of mind, but we can also use our body language to influence our inward state of mind. Foster recommends finding a comfortable position that won't distract us.
Foster ends the chapter with a description of a few of the many types of meditation.
1. Meditation on Scripture: This is different from a Bible Study. When we meditate on Scripture, our goal is to internalize and personalize the text. We can save analyzing the text for another time; this is a time to accept and ponder the Word. This is not a speed-reading competition. We might spend a week looking at one event, parable, paragraph, verse, or even just one word.
-Apply our senses to the text as we picture ourselves there observing the story. Indeed, we are to be more than observers, we are to be actively participating in the story. We can imagine ourselves as Mary Magdalene or the rich, young ruler.
2. Centering Down/Re-Collection: This is popular among the Quakers. This involves setting aside time to sit in silence and become still.
-Palms Down, Palms Up: This is a Centering Down exercise that goes like this: I place my palms face-down and imagine giving over my concerns and stressful situations to God. Give all my cares to God. I then place my palms face-up and imagine receiving what I need from God to get through my situations. Do I need love in order to better love someone? Ask for it. Do I need peace for a situation I are anxious about? Ask for it. Once I are done giving and receiving, sit in silence before God. Listen to God. Just be present with Him.
3. Meditation in Nature: Look at creation in order to better praise and know the Creator. Study and marvel at God's created works.
4. Meditation on World Events: As we read, watch, or listen to the news, we can ponder over the news with God. We can ask Him about their significance. We don't even need newspapers themselves to wrestle over the events of our time. We can ask God for His perspective on world events. We can also take this time to ask God to guide us and reveal to us what we should be doing in order to better be salt and light in His world through these events.
Monday, August 6, 2018
The Spiritual Discipline of Submission
August's Spiritual Discipline is the Outward Discipline of Submission. In The Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth, Richard Foster takes time to describe what this Discipline is and what it is not.
One of the goals of the Disciplines is freedom, but the center and focus of the Disciplines is Christ.
So what freedom does Submission impart? With Submission, we have the freedom to not always get our way. We don't have to be upset if we don't get our way. We are given permission to forget about it and move on. We don't have to stress over and fight about minor things. If something isn't a big deal, then we can submit to another's choice instead of drawing our line in the sand and taking our stand over everything.
This Discipline is closely tied to the Disciplines of Silence and Service. If I don't have to fight for my own way, I can follow another's lead without arguing or bickering. In submitting to another's way, I can serve them in what they need. As we submit, we should pour grace over our words and deeds.
Submission impacts the relationships around us. We are called to live in a spirit of Submission that perhaps is best described as mutual subordination. Yes, our attitudes matter in this, just as much (if not more so) than our actions.
Submission is about valuing others. We choose to help them with their dreams and plans. We trust that it is better to serve others than to always insist on getting our own way. We surrender our right to retaliate and seek retribution.
Now Submission is tied to self-denial, but it should not be confused with self-hatred. Saying that I don't have to have my way is not saying that I don't deserve to have a voice, opinion, or preference.
Throughout the Bible, those considered subordinates are commanded to serve their superiors. The superiors are commanded to care for their subordinates. There are commands of mutual submission as well. And ultimately, all Christians submit to Christ. To follow Christ is to follow His example as we live for others like He did. We are called to accept servant-hood as Christ did.
Submission is something that we are supposed to volunteer. If a fellow believer is not submitting to you, that is between them and God. We are to obey God's command to us, even if those around us are not doing the same thing.
Now to the part that concerns many people when this topic is brought up: there is a limit to submission. We must obey God rather than men if man's plan & God's plan diverge. Yet there is a specific way in which we are to refuse as outlined in the Bible. We are called to refuse destructive commands clearly, but with a willingness to suffer the consequences for disobeying. From the three men refusing to worship an idol and being thrown in a fiery furnace, to the Early Church continuing to proclaim Christ even though arrests and beatings were doled out, we have our examples.
When should we submit and when should we take our stand? Trust the Spirit to help you determine when to do which action.
Foster ends this chapter listing groups we are called to submit to, listed in the order of importance.
We are first and foremost to submit to God.
Then we are to submit to the Word (both the written and living word).
Then we are to submit to family as we listen to, share with, and serve them.
Then we are to submit to our neighbors and those we encounter in our daily life.
Then we are to submit to the body of Christ
Then we are to submit to the broken and despised by the world, as we serve them.
Finally, we are to submit to the world as we live in a global community. The earth has finite resources and we are called to live responsibly in the world.
And somewhere in there we are called to submit to the governing authorities.
One of the goals of the Disciplines is freedom, but the center and focus of the Disciplines is Christ.
So what freedom does Submission impart? With Submission, we have the freedom to not always get our way. We don't have to be upset if we don't get our way. We are given permission to forget about it and move on. We don't have to stress over and fight about minor things. If something isn't a big deal, then we can submit to another's choice instead of drawing our line in the sand and taking our stand over everything.
This Discipline is closely tied to the Disciplines of Silence and Service. If I don't have to fight for my own way, I can follow another's lead without arguing or bickering. In submitting to another's way, I can serve them in what they need. As we submit, we should pour grace over our words and deeds.
Submission impacts the relationships around us. We are called to live in a spirit of Submission that perhaps is best described as mutual subordination. Yes, our attitudes matter in this, just as much (if not more so) than our actions.
Submission is about valuing others. We choose to help them with their dreams and plans. We trust that it is better to serve others than to always insist on getting our own way. We surrender our right to retaliate and seek retribution.
Now Submission is tied to self-denial, but it should not be confused with self-hatred. Saying that I don't have to have my way is not saying that I don't deserve to have a voice, opinion, or preference.
Throughout the Bible, those considered subordinates are commanded to serve their superiors. The superiors are commanded to care for their subordinates. There are commands of mutual submission as well. And ultimately, all Christians submit to Christ. To follow Christ is to follow His example as we live for others like He did. We are called to accept servant-hood as Christ did.
Submission is something that we are supposed to volunteer. If a fellow believer is not submitting to you, that is between them and God. We are to obey God's command to us, even if those around us are not doing the same thing.
Now to the part that concerns many people when this topic is brought up: there is a limit to submission. We must obey God rather than men if man's plan & God's plan diverge. Yet there is a specific way in which we are to refuse as outlined in the Bible. We are called to refuse destructive commands clearly, but with a willingness to suffer the consequences for disobeying. From the three men refusing to worship an idol and being thrown in a fiery furnace, to the Early Church continuing to proclaim Christ even though arrests and beatings were doled out, we have our examples.
When should we submit and when should we take our stand? Trust the Spirit to help you determine when to do which action.
Foster ends this chapter listing groups we are called to submit to, listed in the order of importance.
We are first and foremost to submit to God.
Then we are to submit to the Word (both the written and living word).
Then we are to submit to family as we listen to, share with, and serve them.
Then we are to submit to our neighbors and those we encounter in our daily life.
Then we are to submit to the body of Christ
Then we are to submit to the broken and despised by the world, as we serve them.
Finally, we are to submit to the world as we live in a global community. The earth has finite resources and we are called to live responsibly in the world.
And somewhere in there we are called to submit to the governing authorities.
Thursday, July 26, 2018
The Spiritual Discipline of Celebration
July's Spiritual Discipline is the Corporate Discipline of Celebration. In The Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth, Richard Foster encourages Christians to practice this discipline often and well.
We celebrate because we can trust God to provide.
We can celebrate because we are free from anxiety and care. We give those things to God.
The joy of the Lord is our strength. Joy is what allows us continue in the various disciplines. We can practice the disciplines because of the joy of the end.
Celebration and a joyful spirit is central to the spiritual disciplines. It helps us avoid falling into the trap of becoming a Pharisee.
As carefree gaiety and thanksgiving infuses our practice of the disciplines, we exhibit lightheartedness and cheerfulness.
Obedience leads to joy. Joy stems from obedience. Joy comes through obedience. Joy is due to obedience. What kind of obedience? Obedience that we practice in and through our daily lives.
This isn't to say that we don't have trials and pain still, but that we have joy throughout our circumstances, not as we dodge around them. God transforms us in our misery and trials. Joy isn't a way to bypass or avoid life's pain.
Joy is the fruit of the disciplines' work as God uses them to transform us.
Foster goes on to say that we should be care not to fake celebrations. We shouldn't celebrate nothing. We shouldn't try to force people to be grateful if they are not. We shouldn't celebrate evil, but we should be thankful in all situations.
Celebration is about being anxious for nothing. Another translation tells us to be careful for nothing or full of care for nothing. This is the negative side of rejoicing or what not to do.
On the positive side of rejoicing, we are supposed to pray and praise. This is the road to peace.
We should fill life with simple good things and thank God for them. We make a conscious effort to focus on the good instead of the bad. This is a force of will and a choice we each get to make. This act of choosing is what makes celebration a discipline.
Celebration is a reminder for us not to take ourselves too seriously. We can laugh at ourselves.
We can cultivate a wide appreciation for life, as we relax and enjoy God's presence.
Celebration helps us keep things in a proper perspective. As we are able to laugh at ourselves, we find ourselves less judgmental of others and ourselves. This allows us to evaluate if our causes are really significant and monumental or just a temporary, hot button issue.
Joy leads to more joy, a spontaneous joy. We are able to sing, dance, and shout. Just as there is a time for silence, there is also a time for noise and laughter.
Did I mention that we can laugh at ourselves? We can cultivate clean jokes and cleverness. We don't always have to be profound and serious. We can practice clean creativity, fantasy, and imagination in ourselves and others.
We can celebrate milestones and rites of passage with family and friends. We can take cultural festivities and celebrate them in wholesome ways. Celebrate small joys and achievements. Rejoice in quality time with loved ones.
Don't forget to celebrate your pastors and celebrate with them. There are opportunities to practice this discipline if we invest our time and energy into it. It need not be a big money investment for celebration.
Celebration is the discipline the gives strength to the other disciplines. God can use celebration to deliver us from misery, which leads to joy and more celebration.
The earth is the Lord's and everything in it. Relax.
We celebrate because we can trust God to provide.
We can celebrate because we are free from anxiety and care. We give those things to God.
The joy of the Lord is our strength. Joy is what allows us continue in the various disciplines. We can practice the disciplines because of the joy of the end.
Celebration and a joyful spirit is central to the spiritual disciplines. It helps us avoid falling into the trap of becoming a Pharisee.
As carefree gaiety and thanksgiving infuses our practice of the disciplines, we exhibit lightheartedness and cheerfulness.
Obedience leads to joy. Joy stems from obedience. Joy comes through obedience. Joy is due to obedience. What kind of obedience? Obedience that we practice in and through our daily lives.
This isn't to say that we don't have trials and pain still, but that we have joy throughout our circumstances, not as we dodge around them. God transforms us in our misery and trials. Joy isn't a way to bypass or avoid life's pain.
Joy is the fruit of the disciplines' work as God uses them to transform us.
Foster goes on to say that we should be care not to fake celebrations. We shouldn't celebrate nothing. We shouldn't try to force people to be grateful if they are not. We shouldn't celebrate evil, but we should be thankful in all situations.
Celebration is about being anxious for nothing. Another translation tells us to be careful for nothing or full of care for nothing. This is the negative side of rejoicing or what not to do.
On the positive side of rejoicing, we are supposed to pray and praise. This is the road to peace.
We should fill life with simple good things and thank God for them. We make a conscious effort to focus on the good instead of the bad. This is a force of will and a choice we each get to make. This act of choosing is what makes celebration a discipline.
Celebration is a reminder for us not to take ourselves too seriously. We can laugh at ourselves.
We can cultivate a wide appreciation for life, as we relax and enjoy God's presence.
Celebration helps us keep things in a proper perspective. As we are able to laugh at ourselves, we find ourselves less judgmental of others and ourselves. This allows us to evaluate if our causes are really significant and monumental or just a temporary, hot button issue.
Joy leads to more joy, a spontaneous joy. We are able to sing, dance, and shout. Just as there is a time for silence, there is also a time for noise and laughter.
Did I mention that we can laugh at ourselves? We can cultivate clean jokes and cleverness. We don't always have to be profound and serious. We can practice clean creativity, fantasy, and imagination in ourselves and others.
We can celebrate milestones and rites of passage with family and friends. We can take cultural festivities and celebrate them in wholesome ways. Celebrate small joys and achievements. Rejoice in quality time with loved ones.
Don't forget to celebrate your pastors and celebrate with them. There are opportunities to practice this discipline if we invest our time and energy into it. It need not be a big money investment for celebration.
Celebration is the discipline the gives strength to the other disciplines. God can use celebration to deliver us from misery, which leads to joy and more celebration.
The earth is the Lord's and everything in it. Relax.
Saturday, June 2, 2018
The Spiritual Discipline of Prayer
June's Spiritual Discipline is the Inward Discipline of Prayer. In The Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth, Richard Foster labels prayer as the most central discipline. Solitude and Silence enable us to listen to God, which is part of prayer. Worship allows us to praise God, which is also part of prayer. Guidance involves seeking God's voice when we come to crossroads and decisions, which is tied to prayer. Meditation, Confession, and Celebration are aspects of prayer. So even though prayer is the sixth Spiritual Discipline we're looking at, we have already touched on it and we will continue to touch on it for the rest of this year.
When we pray, we open ourselves up to God so that He can change us into more Christ-like disciples. Foster states that in prayer, we should think God's thoughts after Him. We put ourselves in sync with Him as our desires, loves, and wills fall in line with His.
Prayer is a Spiritual Discipline that has been practiced for millennia. There are many different ways to pray that have been practice over the centuries.
Some practice fixed-hour prayers. Traditionally, people have prayed at dawn (six), nine, twelve, three, six, nine, and midnight (12). Others practice a modified schedule by praying morning, noon, and night.
There are stories of spiritual "giants" both in the Bible and throughout our history. If we don't measure up to their examples, we can rest assured that God will meet us where we can start and move us closer to Him each day.
Foster touches on the many types of prayer that could be studied and practiced. These include discursive prayers, mental prayers, centering prayers, prayers of quiet, prayers of relinquishment, prayers of guidance, intercessory prayers, among others. Foster elects to focus on intercessory prayers and teaching us how to pray for others.
We pray for others by learning what God wills in a situation and then praying for that to come about. There is a time and a prayer to seek God's will and surround ours, but an intercessory prayer is a prayer interceding to God, on a person's behalf.
We pray for others while expecting God to move in the situation. Foster tells us that we should pray "with an expectation that a change should and would occur". If we pray and don't see results, we should reexamine if we are praying correctly. Are we praying with wrong motives? Do we need to change something within us as we intercede? Do we need to study prayer more and learn more principles on how to pray? Do we need to persistently and patiently pray? Are we in contact with God when we pray? Sometimes, we jump into praying without taking the time to connect to God.
We pray for others by quieting ourselves and listening to God. Listening to God must come before we can intercede. We need the prayer of guidance to go before and surround our prayers of faith asking God to intercede. Foster notes that we need to hear God's will, know God's will, and obey it ourselves before we can pray it into others' lives.
Foster recommends that we start to pray for small things first. There is a time and a place to pray big prayers, but we need to understand who God is and how He chooses to operate first. Then as we learn about Him, we are better able to pray for bigger and bigger things.
Our prayers should be rooted in compassion for others. This compassion will drive us to pray for others and will strengthen our faith as we get in touch with how God wants us to pray.
We should pray as a child asking their father. Children generally trust their parents and feel free to bring their requests to their parents. In meditation, imagination can be used as a tool, and Foster points out that we can use imagination in our prayers too. We can pray blessings over children.
Our goal in studying the Spiritual Discipline of Prayer is to make each moment and thought a prayer to God. We don't have to withdraw from the world in order to properly pray. We can pray for the people we see and those we hear in passing. We can cook, work, and play in an attitude of prayerful listening.
We should pray against evil. The Bible teaches us to pray to withstand the onslaught of the devil's attacks. We can pray for Christ and His power to surround and protect us and those around us.
Foster concludes by noting that we shouldn't wait to pray until we "feel" like it, but like other mandatory tasks (including household chores and work), we don't always feel like starting, but discipline can give us the push to start and our emotions will get in line as we continue.
So how do I plan to apply this discipline? I'll pray along with the saints of old, by using a book of common prayer throughout the day. I'll create space for silence to listen to God and for worship music to assist me in praising God.
When we pray, we open ourselves up to God so that He can change us into more Christ-like disciples. Foster states that in prayer, we should think God's thoughts after Him. We put ourselves in sync with Him as our desires, loves, and wills fall in line with His.
Prayer is a Spiritual Discipline that has been practiced for millennia. There are many different ways to pray that have been practice over the centuries.
Some practice fixed-hour prayers. Traditionally, people have prayed at dawn (six), nine, twelve, three, six, nine, and midnight (12). Others practice a modified schedule by praying morning, noon, and night.
There are stories of spiritual "giants" both in the Bible and throughout our history. If we don't measure up to their examples, we can rest assured that God will meet us where we can start and move us closer to Him each day.
Foster touches on the many types of prayer that could be studied and practiced. These include discursive prayers, mental prayers, centering prayers, prayers of quiet, prayers of relinquishment, prayers of guidance, intercessory prayers, among others. Foster elects to focus on intercessory prayers and teaching us how to pray for others.
We pray for others by learning what God wills in a situation and then praying for that to come about. There is a time and a prayer to seek God's will and surround ours, but an intercessory prayer is a prayer interceding to God, on a person's behalf.
We pray for others while expecting God to move in the situation. Foster tells us that we should pray "with an expectation that a change should and would occur". If we pray and don't see results, we should reexamine if we are praying correctly. Are we praying with wrong motives? Do we need to change something within us as we intercede? Do we need to study prayer more and learn more principles on how to pray? Do we need to persistently and patiently pray? Are we in contact with God when we pray? Sometimes, we jump into praying without taking the time to connect to God.
We pray for others by quieting ourselves and listening to God. Listening to God must come before we can intercede. We need the prayer of guidance to go before and surround our prayers of faith asking God to intercede. Foster notes that we need to hear God's will, know God's will, and obey it ourselves before we can pray it into others' lives.
Foster recommends that we start to pray for small things first. There is a time and a place to pray big prayers, but we need to understand who God is and how He chooses to operate first. Then as we learn about Him, we are better able to pray for bigger and bigger things.
Our prayers should be rooted in compassion for others. This compassion will drive us to pray for others and will strengthen our faith as we get in touch with how God wants us to pray.
We should pray as a child asking their father. Children generally trust their parents and feel free to bring their requests to their parents. In meditation, imagination can be used as a tool, and Foster points out that we can use imagination in our prayers too. We can pray blessings over children.
Our goal in studying the Spiritual Discipline of Prayer is to make each moment and thought a prayer to God. We don't have to withdraw from the world in order to properly pray. We can pray for the people we see and those we hear in passing. We can cook, work, and play in an attitude of prayerful listening.
We should pray against evil. The Bible teaches us to pray to withstand the onslaught of the devil's attacks. We can pray for Christ and His power to surround and protect us and those around us.
Foster concludes by noting that we shouldn't wait to pray until we "feel" like it, but like other mandatory tasks (including household chores and work), we don't always feel like starting, but discipline can give us the push to start and our emotions will get in line as we continue.
So how do I plan to apply this discipline? I'll pray along with the saints of old, by using a book of common prayer throughout the day. I'll create space for silence to listen to God and for worship music to assist me in praising God.
Wednesday, May 2, 2018
The Spiritual Disciplines of Solitude and Silence
May brings me back to the Outward Disciplines. This month's Discipline is actually two Disciplines, closely interwoven together: Solitude and Silence.
In The Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth, Richard Foster takes time to differentiate between loneliness (which he defines as inner emptiness) and solitude (which he defines as inner fulfillment). Solitude isn't so much a place without others, but rather, it is a state that the heart and mind achieves regardless of the presence (or lack thereof) of people.
When the Discipline of Solitude is being practiced, we do not dread being alone, because we know that we are not truly, fully alone. We also don't fear being with or around other people, because we are not controlled by them. Solitude allows our hearts to rest in inner silence, even when there is noise and confusion around us.
It may seem that Solitude and Silence are better suited to be classed as Inward Disciplines, but these Inward Disciplines has crucial outward displays. In these Disciplines, we are better able to hear the Spirit speaking to and through us.
Jesus regularly sought out solitary places to meet with God. We, as His disciples, should follow His example.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer had instructions on spending "The Day Together" and spending "The Day Alone". We need both of these days in our lives. We all tend to lean naturally towards one or the other, Community or Solitude, but when we stay fully in one camp, we are unbalanced. This Discipline is about intentionally creating Silence and Solitude so that we can more fully be in fellowship with each other.
Silence on my part frees me up to listen. My husband made the distinction between silence and quietness. I am, by my nature, a naturally quiet person, but the absence of loudness on my part doesn't automatically mean that I am listening to God. I can be off daydreaming and planning quietly, but silence involves listening to God.
Silence and Solitude are so closely intertwined together, that they must be studied and applied together. These Disciplines are to teach us to see and to hear. Foster goes on to say that controlling when we speak is the heart of the Discipline of Silence. We don't need to be 100% silent. We don't need to take a vow not to speak for the duration of Lent. These Disciplines are about learning when to be silent and when to speak. As we discipline our minds, bodies, and spirits, we gain the ability of being able to "do what needs to be done when it needs to be done." If we speak instead of cultivating silence, when silence is needed, we were unsuccessful. If we stay silent when the Spirit prompts us to speak, we were unsuccessful. Solitude and Silence are about learning to speak when the Spirit prompts us to speak and staying silent when the Spirit asks for silence.
This is a hard Discipline to undertake, because we want to make sure that we and our intentions are understood correctly. We want to control how people view and understand us. Silence is also tied to Trust. Do we trust that God will manage the situations we are in, with or without our help? This is a tricky discipline, because instead of relying on self-justification, we are stepping back and allowing God to do the justifying for us.
When we learn to be silent, then we will better be able to speak the necessary words at the correct time.
When we practice this Discipline, may disciples go through "the dark night of the soul," to borrow the phrase from St. John of the Cross. This dark night is a period characterized by words such as: Dry. Alone. Lost. Ready to sign up for this field trip? It is about stripping off unnecessary and distracting things so we can give God the space to transform us. Far too often, God's still, small voice is drowned out by all the noise and chatter we are tuned into. God uses the dark night to silence all the other distractions around us. In the silence and the stillness, we meet with God.
If possible, Foster recommends going to a "desert place" for this season, but if we must continue with our daily tasks, we can still keep Silence and Solitude in our hearts as we work and as we still ourselves before God.
As this chapter draws to a close, Foster touches on practical ways that we can practice Solitude and Silence, even in the busyness of regular life.
*We can be silent in the brief moments that come up throughout our days. Just because we can't be alone in the desert for days or weeks, doesn't mean that we can't use the hours and minutes available to us to cultivate silence.
*We can cultivate the "little solitudes" that naturally come up through out our days. Times when we are alone. Times when we can be silent.
*We can pray silently before a meal instead of out-loud.
*We can set aside a room, or even just a chair, in our homes where one can be silent and seek solitude.
*We can seek out places outside of our homes to be still and silent before God.
*We can practice doing good deeds and actions without justifying or explaining ourselves. Watch ourselves as we move from fearing that we will be misunderstood to trusting God to justify when necessary.
*We can practice saying less, even while we say more important things.
*We can do what we say we will do, without flowery speeches or elaborate promises.
*We can try to go a day without speaking. This allows us to see what other ways we can communicate. Treat this day as a learning exercise.
*We can take 3-4 hours, at 4 different times throughout the year, to get away and plan, dream, and write out our goals. Look at 1-year, 5-year, and 10-year goals. Re-evaluate and update these plans as life changes. Journal this experience. Ask God how you can join in His work and what gifts He gave you that you should develop.
*We can go on retreats to study, but try to take at least one retreat each year to practice Solitude and Silence.
As we cultivate these Disciplines, we are more in tune to what God is showing us about the people around us.
These Disciplines of Solitude and Silence will not be the easiest Disciplines to master, but they will be worthwhile.
In The Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth, Richard Foster takes time to differentiate between loneliness (which he defines as inner emptiness) and solitude (which he defines as inner fulfillment). Solitude isn't so much a place without others, but rather, it is a state that the heart and mind achieves regardless of the presence (or lack thereof) of people.
When the Discipline of Solitude is being practiced, we do not dread being alone, because we know that we are not truly, fully alone. We also don't fear being with or around other people, because we are not controlled by them. Solitude allows our hearts to rest in inner silence, even when there is noise and confusion around us.
It may seem that Solitude and Silence are better suited to be classed as Inward Disciplines, but these Inward Disciplines has crucial outward displays. In these Disciplines, we are better able to hear the Spirit speaking to and through us.
Jesus regularly sought out solitary places to meet with God. We, as His disciples, should follow His example.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer had instructions on spending "The Day Together" and spending "The Day Alone". We need both of these days in our lives. We all tend to lean naturally towards one or the other, Community or Solitude, but when we stay fully in one camp, we are unbalanced. This Discipline is about intentionally creating Silence and Solitude so that we can more fully be in fellowship with each other.
Silence on my part frees me up to listen. My husband made the distinction between silence and quietness. I am, by my nature, a naturally quiet person, but the absence of loudness on my part doesn't automatically mean that I am listening to God. I can be off daydreaming and planning quietly, but silence involves listening to God.
Silence and Solitude are so closely intertwined together, that they must be studied and applied together. These Disciplines are to teach us to see and to hear. Foster goes on to say that controlling when we speak is the heart of the Discipline of Silence. We don't need to be 100% silent. We don't need to take a vow not to speak for the duration of Lent. These Disciplines are about learning when to be silent and when to speak. As we discipline our minds, bodies, and spirits, we gain the ability of being able to "do what needs to be done when it needs to be done." If we speak instead of cultivating silence, when silence is needed, we were unsuccessful. If we stay silent when the Spirit prompts us to speak, we were unsuccessful. Solitude and Silence are about learning to speak when the Spirit prompts us to speak and staying silent when the Spirit asks for silence.
This is a hard Discipline to undertake, because we want to make sure that we and our intentions are understood correctly. We want to control how people view and understand us. Silence is also tied to Trust. Do we trust that God will manage the situations we are in, with or without our help? This is a tricky discipline, because instead of relying on self-justification, we are stepping back and allowing God to do the justifying for us.
When we learn to be silent, then we will better be able to speak the necessary words at the correct time.
When we practice this Discipline, may disciples go through "the dark night of the soul," to borrow the phrase from St. John of the Cross. This dark night is a period characterized by words such as: Dry. Alone. Lost. Ready to sign up for this field trip? It is about stripping off unnecessary and distracting things so we can give God the space to transform us. Far too often, God's still, small voice is drowned out by all the noise and chatter we are tuned into. God uses the dark night to silence all the other distractions around us. In the silence and the stillness, we meet with God.
If possible, Foster recommends going to a "desert place" for this season, but if we must continue with our daily tasks, we can still keep Silence and Solitude in our hearts as we work and as we still ourselves before God.
As this chapter draws to a close, Foster touches on practical ways that we can practice Solitude and Silence, even in the busyness of regular life.
*We can be silent in the brief moments that come up throughout our days. Just because we can't be alone in the desert for days or weeks, doesn't mean that we can't use the hours and minutes available to us to cultivate silence.
*We can cultivate the "little solitudes" that naturally come up through out our days. Times when we are alone. Times when we can be silent.
*We can pray silently before a meal instead of out-loud.
*We can set aside a room, or even just a chair, in our homes where one can be silent and seek solitude.
*We can seek out places outside of our homes to be still and silent before God.
*We can practice doing good deeds and actions without justifying or explaining ourselves. Watch ourselves as we move from fearing that we will be misunderstood to trusting God to justify when necessary.
*We can practice saying less, even while we say more important things.
*We can do what we say we will do, without flowery speeches or elaborate promises.
*We can try to go a day without speaking. This allows us to see what other ways we can communicate. Treat this day as a learning exercise.
*We can take 3-4 hours, at 4 different times throughout the year, to get away and plan, dream, and write out our goals. Look at 1-year, 5-year, and 10-year goals. Re-evaluate and update these plans as life changes. Journal this experience. Ask God how you can join in His work and what gifts He gave you that you should develop.
*We can go on retreats to study, but try to take at least one retreat each year to practice Solitude and Silence.
As we cultivate these Disciplines, we are more in tune to what God is showing us about the people around us.
These Disciplines of Solitude and Silence will not be the easiest Disciplines to master, but they will be worthwhile.
Sunday, April 1, 2018
The Spiritual Discipline of Guidance
I'm back at the Corporate Disciplines, and Guidance is the discipline of this month. As a Christian who has grown up in Western culture (more specifically American culture), this discipline is more difficult for me to grasp.
In The Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard Foster, he does take the time to explain that while God does give individual guidance, He also calls for His followers to yield to corporate guidance. God leads His Body, not just individual parts.
How does God lead people? Through the Bible, reason, circumstances, angels, visions, dreams, signs, and also, through His Body. God guides individuals, but He also guides groups of people. We as individuals can learn a lot from the Christian group.
In the Early Church's history, believers met in Jesus' name to discern His will. They believed that when they were in unity, in line with the Scriptures, they were in line with God as well.
What does Corporate Guidance entail?
Fasting.
Prayer.
Worship.
Seeking God's will together.
We learn from those contemporaries who are further along the road than we are.
We remember that while God does speak to individuals through signs, dreams, visions, His Word, and so on, He also speaks to individuals through His other servants (our fellow believers). When we are at a loss as to our next step, we can confer with trusted believers for guidance.
Some churches hold "meetings for clearness" where people gather to seek God's answer to an individual's question.
One church in the US has time in their services for people to share where they feel God is leading them. This is called "sounding the call." People can gather to talk with the person and "test the call." As they prayer and discuss together, some ideas are shelved and others are determined to be of God. People in the group who resonate with the call can join the "company of the committed" to help carry out this plan.
We can bring our personal matters to our church family (local branch of the wider Christian community) for discernment and prayer.
Foster goes even further and opens the door for (church) business meetings to be held as a kind of worship service seeking God's will. Yes there are facts to be gathered, presented, and discussed, but everyone will also be listening for Christ's guidance in each matter.
As an American and a Westerner, I am used to majority rule. Yet, this discipline challenges us to arrive at a point of unity as we listen for the voice of God.
Over the history of Christianity, people have sought the counsel of spiritual directors, or mentors if you prefer. A believer in this role helps guide a fellow believer along God's path. The spiritual director is normally further along in their walk with the Lord, which helps them have the experience and practice of listening for God's voice.
Foster classifies preaching and small group meetings as a form of spiritual direction. We also use the Bible as we prayerfully read it to be transformed into Christ's likeness.
The opposite danger also exists. The company of believers can dig in their heels and resist Spirit-induced change & activities as brought to them by their leaders. Foster goes on to say that we don't need to bring every little decision to the group for discussion; it is possible to take Western democratic ideals too far out of context to be useful. At the end of the day, we all should be seeking God's guidance & leading.
Another danger is to deviate from Scripture under the guise of "God's leadership." God is a God of order, not chaos. If our "word from the Lord" contradicts His written Word, then we must be off-track in some way.
As fallible humans, we will at times be held captive by our fears, prejudices, and own will. This can prevent us from reaching unity as a group. And sometimes, we are led to go off and do different things. If we are certain that we are being called to a place or a ministry, we must go, even if our friend is being called to a different place or ministry.
Above all, be gracious and pray for each other as we seek God's will.
In The Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard Foster, he does take the time to explain that while God does give individual guidance, He also calls for His followers to yield to corporate guidance. God leads His Body, not just individual parts.
How does God lead people? Through the Bible, reason, circumstances, angels, visions, dreams, signs, and also, through His Body. God guides individuals, but He also guides groups of people. We as individuals can learn a lot from the Christian group.
In the Early Church's history, believers met in Jesus' name to discern His will. They believed that when they were in unity, in line with the Scriptures, they were in line with God as well.
What does Corporate Guidance entail?
Fasting.
Prayer.
Worship.
Seeking God's will together.
How do we practice this Spiritual Discipline of Corporate Guidance?
We learn from those who have gone before us on this journey.We learn from those contemporaries who are further along the road than we are.
We remember that while God does speak to individuals through signs, dreams, visions, His Word, and so on, He also speaks to individuals through His other servants (our fellow believers). When we are at a loss as to our next step, we can confer with trusted believers for guidance.
Some churches hold "meetings for clearness" where people gather to seek God's answer to an individual's question.
One church in the US has time in their services for people to share where they feel God is leading them. This is called "sounding the call." People can gather to talk with the person and "test the call." As they prayer and discuss together, some ideas are shelved and others are determined to be of God. People in the group who resonate with the call can join the "company of the committed" to help carry out this plan.
We can bring our personal matters to our church family (local branch of the wider Christian community) for discernment and prayer.
Foster goes even further and opens the door for (church) business meetings to be held as a kind of worship service seeking God's will. Yes there are facts to be gathered, presented, and discussed, but everyone will also be listening for Christ's guidance in each matter.
As an American and a Westerner, I am used to majority rule. Yet, this discipline challenges us to arrive at a point of unity as we listen for the voice of God.
Over the history of Christianity, people have sought the counsel of spiritual directors, or mentors if you prefer. A believer in this role helps guide a fellow believer along God's path. The spiritual director is normally further along in their walk with the Lord, which helps them have the experience and practice of listening for God's voice.
Foster classifies preaching and small group meetings as a form of spiritual direction. We also use the Bible as we prayerfully read it to be transformed into Christ's likeness.
There are dangers to Corporate Guidance.
Leaders can use it to "keep people in line" and avoid change. We should remember to be gracious and tender towards each other as we seek to discuss and discern the will of God.The opposite danger also exists. The company of believers can dig in their heels and resist Spirit-induced change & activities as brought to them by their leaders. Foster goes on to say that we don't need to bring every little decision to the group for discussion; it is possible to take Western democratic ideals too far out of context to be useful. At the end of the day, we all should be seeking God's guidance & leading.
Another danger is to deviate from Scripture under the guise of "God's leadership." God is a God of order, not chaos. If our "word from the Lord" contradicts His written Word, then we must be off-track in some way.
As fallible humans, we will at times be held captive by our fears, prejudices, and own will. This can prevent us from reaching unity as a group. And sometimes, we are led to go off and do different things. If we are certain that we are being called to a place or a ministry, we must go, even if our friend is being called to a different place or ministry.
Above all, be gracious and pray for each other as we seek God's will.
Monday, March 5, 2018
The Spiritual Discipline of Fasting
This year, I've studied a Corporate Spiritual Discipline (Worship) and an Outward Spiritual Discipline (Simplicity), so now it's time for focus on an Inward Spiritual Discipline (Fasting). One might argue that it's a cop-out to choose to study the Spiritual Discipline of Fasting during Lent, or one could argue that it is effective to learn about Fasting during a time when one typically fasts. I opted to be in the latter camp, so Fasting was chosen for the month of March.
In The Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard Foster, a biblical history & perspective of fasting is explained:
One could fast from all food (solid & liquid), but not water.
One could follow a partial fast which restricts part, but not all of the diet.
One could do a absolute fast from all foods and water, to seek God in a catastrophic situation, but this fast must be limited to THREE days. (or you will die due to dehydration)
Fasting often is a decision between a person and God, but there is a history of corporate/public fasts, both for religious reason or emergency situations.
Fasting is tied closely with prayer, but we haven't gotten to that discipline yet. Give it another 1-9 months for us to reach that topic.
In some church traditions, it is expected for pastors and/or church members to fast twice a week.
Regular fasting (i.e. fasting that occurs each week) can be a powerful experience, but it is wise to remember that our personal convictions are not Biblical commands. In other words, just because the Spirit convicts you to fast, doesn't mean that another person is more or less spiritual than you because they do or do not fast as well.
Foster describes what he calls "watchings" as something related to fasting, without being identical to the Spiritual Discipline of Fasting. Watching involves abstaining from sleep so that one can spend that time in prayer or other types of spiritual duties. Foster warns of the danger of taking a small part of Scripture and elevating it to a critical duty. Just because a few people in the Bible "watched and prayed" does not mean that every Christian needs to do this to "prove" their salvation.
As a person involved in an English as a Second Language (ESL) program, semantics (the study of the meaning of words & sentences) is important. Foster thought that the semantics of Jesus' teaching on fasting was crucial. Jesus said "when you fast" when He was teaching on this topic. "When you fast" and "If you fast" and "You must fast" all have different meanings even though only one word changes. But He was clear than when we fast, it should be in secret, so belay that social media post!
Fasting must be focused and centered on God. There are benefits to fasting, both spiritual and psychical, but if we seek the benefits more than we seek God, we are missing the point.
As we focus on God when we fast, we begin to see and learn what things have control over us. We receive the reminder through fasting that we are dependent on God for everything. Foster goes on to say that to fast is to feast on the Word of God. Fasting can help bring our life into balance as we are better able to seek first God's Kingdom and put things in their proper place.
This chapter ends with instructions on how to begin to practice the Spiritual Discipline of Fasting.
Foster recommends that we start with a partial fast for 24 hours (lunchtime to lunchtime), so that only dinner & breakfast will be influenced by the partial fast.
Then we can progress to a normal fast (still drinking water in reasonable quantities) for 24 hours.
Then we can progress to a 36 hour fast, impacting 3 meals. If God convicts you to try a longer fast, Foster recommends keeping it at 3-7 days, but no longer than 21-40 days at maximum. Longer fasts should be gently prepared for (no stuffing before hand) and gently broken (slowly add foods back in).
Now that we know more about fasting, may we make the time to intentionally seek God through prayer & fasting.
In The Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard Foster, a biblical history & perspective of fasting is explained:
One could fast from all food (solid & liquid), but not water.
One could follow a partial fast which restricts part, but not all of the diet.
One could do a absolute fast from all foods and water, to seek God in a catastrophic situation, but this fast must be limited to THREE days. (or you will die due to dehydration)
Fasting often is a decision between a person and God, but there is a history of corporate/public fasts, both for religious reason or emergency situations.
Fasting is tied closely with prayer, but we haven't gotten to that discipline yet. Give it another 1-9 months for us to reach that topic.
In some church traditions, it is expected for pastors and/or church members to fast twice a week.
Regular fasting (i.e. fasting that occurs each week) can be a powerful experience, but it is wise to remember that our personal convictions are not Biblical commands. In other words, just because the Spirit convicts you to fast, doesn't mean that another person is more or less spiritual than you because they do or do not fast as well.
Foster describes what he calls "watchings" as something related to fasting, without being identical to the Spiritual Discipline of Fasting. Watching involves abstaining from sleep so that one can spend that time in prayer or other types of spiritual duties. Foster warns of the danger of taking a small part of Scripture and elevating it to a critical duty. Just because a few people in the Bible "watched and prayed" does not mean that every Christian needs to do this to "prove" their salvation.
As a person involved in an English as a Second Language (ESL) program, semantics (the study of the meaning of words & sentences) is important. Foster thought that the semantics of Jesus' teaching on fasting was crucial. Jesus said "when you fast" when He was teaching on this topic. "When you fast" and "If you fast" and "You must fast" all have different meanings even though only one word changes. But He was clear than when we fast, it should be in secret, so belay that social media post!
Fasting must be focused and centered on God. There are benefits to fasting, both spiritual and psychical, but if we seek the benefits more than we seek God, we are missing the point.
As we focus on God when we fast, we begin to see and learn what things have control over us. We receive the reminder through fasting that we are dependent on God for everything. Foster goes on to say that to fast is to feast on the Word of God. Fasting can help bring our life into balance as we are better able to seek first God's Kingdom and put things in their proper place.
This chapter ends with instructions on how to begin to practice the Spiritual Discipline of Fasting.
Foster recommends that we start with a partial fast for 24 hours (lunchtime to lunchtime), so that only dinner & breakfast will be influenced by the partial fast.
Then we can progress to a normal fast (still drinking water in reasonable quantities) for 24 hours.
Then we can progress to a 36 hour fast, impacting 3 meals. If God convicts you to try a longer fast, Foster recommends keeping it at 3-7 days, but no longer than 21-40 days at maximum. Longer fasts should be gently prepared for (no stuffing before hand) and gently broken (slowly add foods back in).
Now that we know more about fasting, may we make the time to intentionally seek God through prayer & fasting.
Saturday, February 17, 2018
Are We Jesus When We Serve Others?
I see a lot of memes online that tell us how we are the only Jesus that some people meet. The memes tell us that we are to be Jesus' hands and feet in the world. While these memes bring out the warm fuzzies to think about, I could not help but wonder at how biblical they were.
One of my favorite passages of Jesus' teachings is the parable of the sheep and the goats. This is found in Matthew 25:31-46. Jesus tells people that He will separate people in the end, like sheep and goats are separated by shepherds. The sheep go on the right and the goats go on the left.
The sheep are told that they are blessed because they gave Him something to eat when He was hungry and something to drink when He was thirsty. They invited Him in as a stranger and clothed Him when He needed clothes. They looked after Him when He was sick and they visited Him in prison.
The sheep are a little confused at this point, because they are pretty sure that they would remember serving Jesus, yet He is claiming that they did serve Him. They ask Jesus when did they see Him in need and help Him. Jesus tells them that "whatever [they] did one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, [they] did for [him]."
Do you grasp how significant that is? Whatever we do for the least of these, it is like we are doing that to Jesus. When we buy a homeless man a meal, we feed Jesus. When we give coats to the poor for winter, we clothe Jesus. Jesus did not tell His disciples that they need to do these good things so that they can "be Jesus" to the needy; He told them that when they do good things, they are serving Jesus.
Saying that we are being Jesus to the needy puts us in the position of Messiah and Savior. (That sounds like a recipe to start a Messiah Complex). But, if we are us, serving Christ, there is a lot more humility involved. It is true that Paul tells us to have the "attitude of Christ" (Philippians 2:5), but having a Christ-like attitude is a more humble position than being Christ to others.
What do you think about this?
Are there verses telling us that we are being Jesus to others when we serve them?
How does Matthew 25 change our outlook in serving others?
One of my favorite passages of Jesus' teachings is the parable of the sheep and the goats. This is found in Matthew 25:31-46. Jesus tells people that He will separate people in the end, like sheep and goats are separated by shepherds. The sheep go on the right and the goats go on the left.
The sheep are told that they are blessed because they gave Him something to eat when He was hungry and something to drink when He was thirsty. They invited Him in as a stranger and clothed Him when He needed clothes. They looked after Him when He was sick and they visited Him in prison.
The sheep are a little confused at this point, because they are pretty sure that they would remember serving Jesus, yet He is claiming that they did serve Him. They ask Jesus when did they see Him in need and help Him. Jesus tells them that "whatever [they] did one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, [they] did for [him]."
Do you grasp how significant that is? Whatever we do for the least of these, it is like we are doing that to Jesus. When we buy a homeless man a meal, we feed Jesus. When we give coats to the poor for winter, we clothe Jesus. Jesus did not tell His disciples that they need to do these good things so that they can "be Jesus" to the needy; He told them that when they do good things, they are serving Jesus.
Saying that we are being Jesus to the needy puts us in the position of Messiah and Savior. (That sounds like a recipe to start a Messiah Complex). But, if we are us, serving Christ, there is a lot more humility involved. It is true that Paul tells us to have the "attitude of Christ" (Philippians 2:5), but having a Christ-like attitude is a more humble position than being Christ to others.
What do you think about this?
Are there verses telling us that we are being Jesus to others when we serve them?
How does Matthew 25 change our outlook in serving others?
Saturday, February 10, 2018
A Review of and Challenge from Primal Fire
I recently read a book called Primal Fire.
This is an epic non-fiction Christian book. Starting with the Holy Spirit, it studies the gifts that Jesus gave the church in Ephesians 4.
The author makes the claim that apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds (pastors), and teachers were given by Jesus to equip believers and to grow the church to the fullness of Christ.
Using the acronym APEST, they look at each of the gifts individually and jointly. Each gift has its own unique strengths that build up the church and equip believers to do likewise, but each gift has a dark side that when unchecked, it can cause damage throughout the body of Christ. Furthermore, there are false versions of the gifts when people masquerade in an APEST role and claim the authority and honor associated with it.
But don't take my word for it, read Ephesians 4 in every translation you can get your hands on. Then read this book. Then send me a note telling me what you learned in it.
As you read this book, you may identify with some of the positive traits associated with an APEST role...or like me, you may sheepishly grimace as traits of the dark side lurk at little too close to home.
I had two big take aways from this book.
1. Jesus gave these APEST roles to the Church in the New Testament. They are mentioned in Revelations as being present in the end times. From the end of the New Testament, until the end times finish, these gifts are and will still be present in the churches. We may call them by different, safer names, but I recognized their fruit and their people in our churches still.
2. The goal of the APEST roles are not just to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds (pastors), and teachers in and of themselves. But rather their full goal is to equip others to do the same, whether that is carrying the Gospel to new places, hearing God's voice/message, loving the lost/unreached, uniting the body & caring for it, or teaching good doctrine and Biblical truths.
God has done great things through the early church and up until the present day. Will we continue to join Him and equip the body of Christ to do so as well?
This is an epic non-fiction Christian book. Starting with the Holy Spirit, it studies the gifts that Jesus gave the church in Ephesians 4.
The author makes the claim that apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds (pastors), and teachers were given by Jesus to equip believers and to grow the church to the fullness of Christ.
Using the acronym APEST, they look at each of the gifts individually and jointly. Each gift has its own unique strengths that build up the church and equip believers to do likewise, but each gift has a dark side that when unchecked, it can cause damage throughout the body of Christ. Furthermore, there are false versions of the gifts when people masquerade in an APEST role and claim the authority and honor associated with it.
But don't take my word for it, read Ephesians 4 in every translation you can get your hands on. Then read this book. Then send me a note telling me what you learned in it.
As you read this book, you may identify with some of the positive traits associated with an APEST role...or like me, you may sheepishly grimace as traits of the dark side lurk at little too close to home.
I had two big take aways from this book.
1. Jesus gave these APEST roles to the Church in the New Testament. They are mentioned in Revelations as being present in the end times. From the end of the New Testament, until the end times finish, these gifts are and will still be present in the churches. We may call them by different, safer names, but I recognized their fruit and their people in our churches still.
2. The goal of the APEST roles are not just to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds (pastors), and teachers in and of themselves. But rather their full goal is to equip others to do the same, whether that is carrying the Gospel to new places, hearing God's voice/message, loving the lost/unreached, uniting the body & caring for it, or teaching good doctrine and Biblical truths.
God has done great things through the early church and up until the present day. Will we continue to join Him and equip the body of Christ to do so as well?
Sunday, February 4, 2018
The Spiritual Discipline of Simplicity
In The Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard Foster, the Discipline of Simplicity was different from what I expected. Foster starts off the chapter by explaining that this Discipline is an inward Discipline that leads to outward changes in how we live. We need to cultivate both the inward and outward aspects of this Discipline.
An important distinction to note is this: Simplicity is not asceticism. Whereas asceticism rejects possessions, Simplicity allows them in their proper place. But when our culture elevates possessions to an idolatrous level, Simplicity helps us break the stranglehold possessions have on us. Foster makes the claim that legalistic asceticism & striving after possessions both lead to idolatry. The Bible is against rampant materialism and legalistic asceticism with equal condemnation, but it encourages the way of Simplicity.
Simplicity challenges the way that our culture (and we) conduct our lives. When we begin to practice Simplicity, we must be wary of legalism. There are a lot of ways people can practice Simplicity, but when we elevate a certain way as the only right way of practicing this Discipline, we are in danger of creating an idol.
An important distinction to note is this: Simplicity is not asceticism. Whereas asceticism rejects possessions, Simplicity allows them in their proper place. But when our culture elevates possessions to an idolatrous level, Simplicity helps us break the stranglehold possessions have on us. Foster makes the claim that legalistic asceticism & striving after possessions both lead to idolatry. The Bible is against rampant materialism and legalistic asceticism with equal condemnation, but it encourages the way of Simplicity.
Simplicity challenges the way that our culture (and we) conduct our lives. When we begin to practice Simplicity, we must be wary of legalism. There are a lot of ways people can practice Simplicity, but when we elevate a certain way as the only right way of practicing this Discipline, we are in danger of creating an idol.
An Inward Discipline
The Discipline of Simplicity hinges on Matthew 6:25-34, or more specifically, on Matthew 6:33. We are to seek first God's kingdom and God's righteousness. We need to keep God & His kingdom first, because if anything else tries to take first place, that is idolatry.
There are three parts to the Inward Discipline of Simplicity:
1. Everything that we have is a gift from God. Society loves to point out all the things that we deserve, but we forget that we earn, we deserve, the wages of sin, which is death. Every good thing in our lives comes from God. We are dependent on Him for everything. He sustains the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the heat we warm ourselves with. It is due to Him that we are able to go to work, earn a paycheck, and buy groceries. So nothing I own is mine and came from me or my efforts. Everything comes from God and ultimately is God's. Then our question changes from "Do I want to spend my money on this item?" to "Does God want me to invest His money in this item?"
2. God is the owner & caretaker of what He has given us to steward. God can protect everything that we own. Yes, we should use the brains God has given us to take common sense precautions like locking our door when we leave, but it is God who ultimately protects our things. Locks, security cameras, and guns can all be circumvented & if we are trusting these things to protect our other things, we will be anxious about our stuff's security.
3. Everything we have is available to be shared with others. We want to hoard things back for our potential needs, instead of sharing them with our larger community. Why do we do this? Because we fear the future and fear the unknown. Instead of trusting in God to provide for us, we stockpile possessions to ensure our safety and comfort for tomorrow. Again, God gave us brains to use with common sense to guide our actions. But if we trust that God is Lord, Savior, and our Father, then we can trust Him with our future. We can help those in need today and trust that God will move others to help us when we are in need.
An Outward Expression
If we just leave Simplicity as an Inward Discipline, we are not letting God use Simplicity to transform and change us. Simplicity should have a visible impact on how we live our lives. Foster gives a list of ten principles of Outward Simplicity, even though he knows that this list creates a risk of legalism in our lives.
1. Do not buy things for their prestige or status, but rather for their usefulness and practicality. Invest in "timeless," quality pieces, instead of the latest fashion. Wear and use your things until they wear out & need replacing. Learn out to fix and mend instead of throwing out and replacing at the first sign of failure.
2. Get rid of anything and everything that we are addicted to. Addiction is nothing to mess around with. It is an idol we unwilling must bow down to, time and time again. We do have real, legitimate needs, like needing wholesome food, water, and adequate clothing & shelter, but we joke about addictions as we smilingly admit that we cannot live without other things. If we are addicted to something, cancel it, quit it, sell it, give it away, trash it!! If going without something for a day makes you anxious, take a fast from it to break its hold on you! We cannot beat our addictions by mere willpower alone, but we need prayer warriors and the grace of God to vanquish our addictions. An addiction is an unwilling, undisciplined compulsion. Identify it, ask for help, and get rid of it.
3. Give things away habitually. If you find that you are very attached to certain possessions, give them away. This is how life typically goes: "We buy things. We buy containers to hold our things. We buy places to hold our things. We buy more containers to securely store our things." One of the cleaning sites that I use & visit (FlyLady.net), tells us repeatedly, you can't organize clutter. So the best thing to do is to get rid of it.
4. Don't get caught up in the tech-hype-fest. We don't need the latest and greatest if what we have still works just fine. We don't need "time-saving" devices that in reality take time and money to fix and upkeep. Learn to make things yourself or buy good quality, durable things that will last.
5. We can enjoy things without owning them. We don't have to own everything that we use. We can borrow from a friend, check it out from the library, or rent it for a day's use. Society teaches us that we deserve to own what we want to, but we don't have to follow society's lead. We can make use of free museums, parks, and exhibits, without owning things ourselves.
6. Learn to appreciate God's creation. Take the time to walk places and observe what God has made. Notice the details that He has placed in His creation. Take time to truly observe with all your senses (maybe not taste unless you A) are sure that it's not poisonous and B) have taken it home & washed it first).
7. Skip the "Buy Now, Pay Later" propaganda. We can save up for something and buy it later to avoid collecting debt. With how cheaply many things seem to be made, oftentimes we run the risk of paying off something that has already been broken. Debt is a chain that ties us down and prevents us from serving God as fully as we could without debt. Many of us have to work at our jobs to pay all our bills and so if the Spirit nudges us to join that two-week mission trip to Kenya, we can't afford to miss that much work.
8. Speak plainly and honestly. We can lovingly say what we need to others. We don't need extra-flowery or confusing words to clutter up our lives. We should ask God what commitments He would have us say "Yes" to and which ones to turn down.
9. Avoid items which support oppression of any kind. If we are going to buy and use items, we need to make sure that we are buying responsibly. That means that we know the companies that we buy from don't use up & discard land, before they move on to repeat the process. That means that we make sure we are buying things that are ethically produced in a sustainable way. If we visited the companies that made our clothes, would we be satisfied with how their workers were treated or would we be ashamed of their practices? God made mankind in His image. This means that all people have worth and value, regardless of their national identity, gender, and other characteristics.
And lastly,
10. Get rid of (or avoid) anything that distracts us from fully seeking first God's kingdom. We shift our focus from God's kingdom to ours more often than we probably care to admit.
May we live in simplicity as we seek God's kingdom more fully each day.
Thursday, January 18, 2018
How to Treat Strangers, Foreigners, and Internationals
This post never got published, even though it was written in 2014, when we lived in Costa Rica. I wanted to write a post from my perspective as a international traveler to you who live in the US. I wanted to let you know what my experience was like so that you could better understand the international people in your community.
Living in a country where I didn't speak the language fluently has opened my eyes to the experience of being a foreigner in a strange land. Here are some of my thoughts which can hopefully be applied to the internationals in your communities.
*disclaimer* These statements are true for me, but they won't apply to every international you ever meet.
1. Just because I don't initiate conversations does not mean that I do not want to talk. It's just that talking is highly intimidating. I'm learning about indefinite past tense, imperfect past tense, perfect past tense, pluperfect past tense, present tense, present progressive, simple future, compound future, conditionals, and new vocabulary every day. I get them mixed up and I get confused sometimes, which makes communicating difficult.
2. Just because I don't speak your language well, that does not mean that I'm stupid. I'm working on my second language, which means I make a whole lot of errors, but just because I speak like a four-year-old does not mean that I have the intelligence of a four-year-old. (Side tangent: I haven't faced this problem in our host country, but many Americans have this mindset. Some international students are learning English as their second, third, fourth+ language. They are intelligent. Saying that foreigners need to speak English in America does not help them learn it any better, but having conversations with them does.)
3. I need your patience. It takes me a while sometimes to get the correct words together in the correct order with the correct conjugation (I hope). Please be patient with me as I try to express myself in another language.
4. Please speak slowly, clearly, and without slang or idioms. Each word you say needs to be translated in my mind. Please use simple words that are clearly enunciated. I probably won't understand slang or idioms. Abbreviations, acronyms, and slang are very difficult for me to understand.
5. Please talk to me. I desperately want conversations in the language I am learning. I want to connect with people. It's just that I'm equally terrified of having these conversations.Talk to us after church. Conversations are nice, even if we don't initiate often.
6. Invite me into your home. Invite me to the store with you. Invite me over for a meal of your typical food. It will make my day to know that you want to spend time with me.
7. Encourage me. The task of learning another language is sometimes overly-daunting. I don't always feel like I am progressing. To hear a native speaker (sincerely) telling me that I am doing well is very encouraging to me.
8. I don't repeat back things you say to be annoying or talk more, but to make sure I understand. There is a strong temptation to just nod my head and agree with whatever you say. When I try to rephrase what you just said back to you, I'm trying to make sure that I heard, translated, and understood correctly. Please be patient as I check for understanding.
9. That look of panicked confusion is genuine, especially if we are in a noisy environment. The noisier it is, the more difficult it is for me to hold a conversation in another language.
10. I am exhausted. Learning a new language, especially by immersion, is exhausting. If I withdraw a bit, it's nothing you did, but rather, my brain is full at the moment.
11. If I understand a joke in your language, celebrate with me because it is a big deal. I don't catch many jokes, but the few I do, I'm happy for hours & hours.
12. I get my social cues from you locals. Please don't send me through the line first or what-have-you. I want to watch you to know how I should behave.
13. There is a delay between when you speak and when I comprehend. If you use a lot a gestures, my comprehension probably will go up.
14. Subtitles for movies, even if they are in the language I am learning, will really help my comprehension.
15. We are not snobs or stuck-up people too good to associate with you. When we hang out in a group of people with the same native language, it's because they are like security blankets & it's comforting to know that if I can't understand what you just said, maybe my friend would have understood and could help me. Many times, when I hang with "my people" I do so because I am just scared and intimidated. I don't always have to courage to leave my friend who speaks my language.
16. If I make silly errors with word placement, it could be because in my native language, that is the word order.
17. If I stumble over the names & places in the Bible, or countries of the world in general, it's because I'm learning every name, place, & country with my new language's pronunciation. It is hard when suddenly Jesús is Jesus, Moisés is Moses, Belén is Bethlehem, and so on. I am relearning everything in these categories.
18. Please don't judge me for using a paraphrase Bible or a different translation than you. KJV has hard words that aren't in our common vocabulary. I'm just want to understand what I'm reading. God speaks through His Word, regardless of the translation.
19. Hug me (if I am a hugger). I don't get hugs from my family.
20. Write it out for me. I read better than I speak.
21. Let me tell stories about my traditions.
22. I'm less intimidated by being asked to read aloud than to answer questions on the spot. It's a great way to include me without fear. I may not follow the discussion or the lesson, but I can read aloud.
23. Sometimes I will completely blank on a word in my new language. I will be explaining something and then bam...I don't know the word I want. I will then proceed to skirt around the word & use many more words than necessary to describe the word I lack.
24. I will stammer and stutter my way through pronouncing words in my new language. I'm not stupid, your language is just hard to pronounce.
25. Call me by name. It makes me feel a part of your group.
26. Take me under your wing. Invite me with you to the store, on errands, shopping, especially if I'm car-less.
27. Make an effort to learn or speak my first language. Even a few words can brighten my day.
28. I will have hard days when I don't want to deal with my new language. On these days I will seek out those in my language group to de-fry my brain.
29. Some parts of the day are easier or harder to speak or understand my new language.
30. I don't catch jokes. If you joke with me, I will take you seriously.
31. In church, if you want us to participate, say our name & then ask us your question. We aren't opposed to participating, but we are intimidated. Sometimes we don't translate if we think you are addressing someone else.
32. In church, it's alright to ask us to read (it's more comfortable than answering a question point-blank!).
33. Compliment our grasp of your language. We don't feel like we're making progress. We are painfully aware of our errors & the words we don't understand. Tohave a native speaker tell us we're doing good (as long as it's a truthful statement) means a lot. Just don't be surprised if we deny it.
...For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me....Matthew 25:31-46
Living in a country where I didn't speak the language fluently has opened my eyes to the experience of being a foreigner in a strange land. Here are some of my thoughts which can hopefully be applied to the internationals in your communities.
*disclaimer* These statements are true for me, but they won't apply to every international you ever meet.
1. Just because I don't initiate conversations does not mean that I do not want to talk. It's just that talking is highly intimidating. I'm learning about indefinite past tense, imperfect past tense, perfect past tense, pluperfect past tense, present tense, present progressive, simple future, compound future, conditionals, and new vocabulary every day. I get them mixed up and I get confused sometimes, which makes communicating difficult.
2. Just because I don't speak your language well, that does not mean that I'm stupid. I'm working on my second language, which means I make a whole lot of errors, but just because I speak like a four-year-old does not mean that I have the intelligence of a four-year-old. (Side tangent: I haven't faced this problem in our host country, but many Americans have this mindset. Some international students are learning English as their second, third, fourth+ language. They are intelligent. Saying that foreigners need to speak English in America does not help them learn it any better, but having conversations with them does.)
3. I need your patience. It takes me a while sometimes to get the correct words together in the correct order with the correct conjugation (I hope). Please be patient with me as I try to express myself in another language.
4. Please speak slowly, clearly, and without slang or idioms. Each word you say needs to be translated in my mind. Please use simple words that are clearly enunciated. I probably won't understand slang or idioms. Abbreviations, acronyms, and slang are very difficult for me to understand.
5. Please talk to me. I desperately want conversations in the language I am learning. I want to connect with people. It's just that I'm equally terrified of having these conversations.Talk to us after church. Conversations are nice, even if we don't initiate often.
6. Invite me into your home. Invite me to the store with you. Invite me over for a meal of your typical food. It will make my day to know that you want to spend time with me.
7. Encourage me. The task of learning another language is sometimes overly-daunting. I don't always feel like I am progressing. To hear a native speaker (sincerely) telling me that I am doing well is very encouraging to me.
8. I don't repeat back things you say to be annoying or talk more, but to make sure I understand. There is a strong temptation to just nod my head and agree with whatever you say. When I try to rephrase what you just said back to you, I'm trying to make sure that I heard, translated, and understood correctly. Please be patient as I check for understanding.
9. That look of panicked confusion is genuine, especially if we are in a noisy environment. The noisier it is, the more difficult it is for me to hold a conversation in another language.
10. I am exhausted. Learning a new language, especially by immersion, is exhausting. If I withdraw a bit, it's nothing you did, but rather, my brain is full at the moment.
11. If I understand a joke in your language, celebrate with me because it is a big deal. I don't catch many jokes, but the few I do, I'm happy for hours & hours.
12. I get my social cues from you locals. Please don't send me through the line first or what-have-you. I want to watch you to know how I should behave.
13. There is a delay between when you speak and when I comprehend. If you use a lot a gestures, my comprehension probably will go up.
14. Subtitles for movies, even if they are in the language I am learning, will really help my comprehension.
15. We are not snobs or stuck-up people too good to associate with you. When we hang out in a group of people with the same native language, it's because they are like security blankets & it's comforting to know that if I can't understand what you just said, maybe my friend would have understood and could help me. Many times, when I hang with "my people" I do so because I am just scared and intimidated. I don't always have to courage to leave my friend who speaks my language.
16. If I make silly errors with word placement, it could be because in my native language, that is the word order.
17. If I stumble over the names & places in the Bible, or countries of the world in general, it's because I'm learning every name, place, & country with my new language's pronunciation. It is hard when suddenly Jesús is Jesus, Moisés is Moses, Belén is Bethlehem, and so on. I am relearning everything in these categories.
18. Please don't judge me for using a paraphrase Bible or a different translation than you. KJV has hard words that aren't in our common vocabulary. I'm just want to understand what I'm reading. God speaks through His Word, regardless of the translation.
19. Hug me (if I am a hugger). I don't get hugs from my family.
20. Write it out for me. I read better than I speak.
21. Let me tell stories about my traditions.
22. I'm less intimidated by being asked to read aloud than to answer questions on the spot. It's a great way to include me without fear. I may not follow the discussion or the lesson, but I can read aloud.
23. Sometimes I will completely blank on a word in my new language. I will be explaining something and then bam...I don't know the word I want. I will then proceed to skirt around the word & use many more words than necessary to describe the word I lack.
24. I will stammer and stutter my way through pronouncing words in my new language. I'm not stupid, your language is just hard to pronounce.
25. Call me by name. It makes me feel a part of your group.
26. Take me under your wing. Invite me with you to the store, on errands, shopping, especially if I'm car-less.
27. Make an effort to learn or speak my first language. Even a few words can brighten my day.
28. I will have hard days when I don't want to deal with my new language. On these days I will seek out those in my language group to de-fry my brain.
29. Some parts of the day are easier or harder to speak or understand my new language.
30. I don't catch jokes. If you joke with me, I will take you seriously.
31. In church, if you want us to participate, say our name & then ask us your question. We aren't opposed to participating, but we are intimidated. Sometimes we don't translate if we think you are addressing someone else.
32. In church, it's alright to ask us to read (it's more comfortable than answering a question point-blank!).
33. Compliment our grasp of your language. We don't feel like we're making progress. We are painfully aware of our errors & the words we don't understand. Tohave a native speaker tell us we're doing good (as long as it's a truthful statement) means a lot. Just don't be surprised if we deny it.
...For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me....Matthew 25:31-46
Saturday, January 13, 2018
The Spiritual Discipline of Worship
Foster describes the Spiritual Discipline of Worship as our human response to the love God shows us.
There are different practices, approaches, and styles of worship, but worship is more than just our way of singing, praying, or praising God. It is responding to God. We can worship God in many ways. For instance, one can pray silently, with a partner, corporately, standing, sitting, flat on the ground, or in many other ways. One can sing acapela, with piano &/organ, with guitar &/worship band, inside, outside, alone, or with others. The focus of this chapter is not to prescribe the one "perfect" way of worship, but to show how our acts of worship can be offered up to God as a Spiritual Discipline and sacrifice.
We worship God's character (who He is and the traits that He has). We also worship God because of what He has done. Worship isn't (or at least shouldn't) be limited to 1-3 hours per week. Worship should be a thread throughout our days and lives that is present more than it is absent. It should take priority over non-essential activities and is the well from which our acts of service spring.
When we practice worshiping God, we become attuned to talking to Him (prayer) and worshiping Him throughout our days. We can praise Him, give thanks to Him, adore Him, even as we bring our requests before Him.
In the Bible, when people gathered to worship, (most of the time) they expected God to show up. Foster challenges us to enter our times of worship with a sense of Holy Expectancy.
We go about our day, do our tasks, and interact with people, all while listening for God and expecting Him to guide & teach us. When we do this throughout our week, we are able to walk into our designated corporate worship time (aka the church service) and expect to meet God there. Foster recommends that we go into our services early to adore God and contemplate who He is. We can pray for our worship leaders and pray for the people coming into the service. We can reflect on Christ's character, roles, and titles.
Foster considers worship a Spiritual Discipline because it involves bringing an order to our actions and lives so that we spend time in God's presence. God can and does speak to us through this Discipline. Foster outlines some of the "avenues" or methods that we can worship God.
*Be still. When our hearts and minds are churning, busy, and active, it is hard to hear God's quiet voice. By being still and listening intently, we can let the Spirit guide our actions and words. Sometimes, this looks like total silence, but other times, it looks like less noise.
*Be full of praise. We are told to offer up a sacrifice of praise. In the Book of the Psalms, the call to sing, shout, dance, rejoice, adore, and praise is a frequent message. Praise allows our emotions to enter into worship along with our minds, hearts, and bodies. We can kneel, raise our hands, clap, bow down, dance, and do so much more to worship with our bodies as well. Sometimes, we are called to worship God through praise with our bodies; other times, we use our bodies to express the spirit of adoration or humility.
*Be mindful of God's presence. Paul told believers to pray without ceasing. Those prayers can be our method of adoring, praising, and giving thanks to God. We can worship God one-on-one throughout the week and corporately in a weekly service.
*Be open to different methods and styles of worship. We can worship alone, in small groups, and in larger worship services.
*Be prepared for corporate worship services. Get ready for the corporate worship service by preparing for it the night before. We can set out our clothes and other tangible things. We can also, with the Spirit's guidance, examine ourselves and our past week, taking time to confess and repent when necessary. We can review our church's hymns and Scriptures for the service. We can go in early to church to prepare our hearts and minds for worshiping God.
*Be willing to let go of our agendas, plans, worries, and preferences. In times of worship, we not only submit to each other, but also to the Lord. We are seeking God corporately (together as the Body of Christ) and expect to see Him move in the service.
*Be dependent on God, especially in worship. God is the source of everything good and holy. When we worship Him, we are coming before Him and keeping Him as the center of the experience.
*Be thankful for distractions. If we idolize the perfect worship service, we are missing the point. Thank God for the noises, interruptions, and other distractions. Ask God to accept the ideal and the non-ideal in the worship setting, as well as in life in general.
*Be sacrificial in worship. We don't always "feel" like worshiping. We don't always like or prefer the songs or styles in corporate worship. We don't always like everyone we worship with. Worship anyway. Worship is not about us, but about praising the Holy Lord.
*Be obedient as the service ends. If we are exactly the same, service after service, we might be in danger of seeking after the thrills of worship without seeking to be made more Christ-like through each God-guided encounter. When we enter God's presence, we are changed by it. We receive instruction in following God's way more and more each service.
Worshiping God is not about my preferences or my comfort zone, but about pouring my heart, my mind, my image, and all of myself into the act of worship. It is important to keep in mind that people worship God in different ways. There is diversity in how people worship God in a service and throughout one's life. In a service, we may see people standing, kneeling, or sitting as they worship. Sometimes I must worship through boisterous singing; other times through being still. There are many ways to worship the One True God.
These are ways we can enter into God's presence, but as always, the means and methods are just that. We can go through the motions or choose to fully seek after God.
May we worship God fully as we learn to do so more each day.
There are different practices, approaches, and styles of worship, but worship is more than just our way of singing, praying, or praising God. It is responding to God. We can worship God in many ways. For instance, one can pray silently, with a partner, corporately, standing, sitting, flat on the ground, or in many other ways. One can sing acapela, with piano &/organ, with guitar &/worship band, inside, outside, alone, or with others. The focus of this chapter is not to prescribe the one "perfect" way of worship, but to show how our acts of worship can be offered up to God as a Spiritual Discipline and sacrifice.
We worship God's character (who He is and the traits that He has). We also worship God because of what He has done. Worship isn't (or at least shouldn't) be limited to 1-3 hours per week. Worship should be a thread throughout our days and lives that is present more than it is absent. It should take priority over non-essential activities and is the well from which our acts of service spring.
When we practice worshiping God, we become attuned to talking to Him (prayer) and worshiping Him throughout our days. We can praise Him, give thanks to Him, adore Him, even as we bring our requests before Him.
In the Bible, when people gathered to worship, (most of the time) they expected God to show up. Foster challenges us to enter our times of worship with a sense of Holy Expectancy.
We go about our day, do our tasks, and interact with people, all while listening for God and expecting Him to guide & teach us. When we do this throughout our week, we are able to walk into our designated corporate worship time (aka the church service) and expect to meet God there. Foster recommends that we go into our services early to adore God and contemplate who He is. We can pray for our worship leaders and pray for the people coming into the service. We can reflect on Christ's character, roles, and titles.
Foster considers worship a Spiritual Discipline because it involves bringing an order to our actions and lives so that we spend time in God's presence. God can and does speak to us through this Discipline. Foster outlines some of the "avenues" or methods that we can worship God.
*Be still. When our hearts and minds are churning, busy, and active, it is hard to hear God's quiet voice. By being still and listening intently, we can let the Spirit guide our actions and words. Sometimes, this looks like total silence, but other times, it looks like less noise.
*Be full of praise. We are told to offer up a sacrifice of praise. In the Book of the Psalms, the call to sing, shout, dance, rejoice, adore, and praise is a frequent message. Praise allows our emotions to enter into worship along with our minds, hearts, and bodies. We can kneel, raise our hands, clap, bow down, dance, and do so much more to worship with our bodies as well. Sometimes, we are called to worship God through praise with our bodies; other times, we use our bodies to express the spirit of adoration or humility.
*Be mindful of God's presence. Paul told believers to pray without ceasing. Those prayers can be our method of adoring, praising, and giving thanks to God. We can worship God one-on-one throughout the week and corporately in a weekly service.
*Be open to different methods and styles of worship. We can worship alone, in small groups, and in larger worship services.
*Be prepared for corporate worship services. Get ready for the corporate worship service by preparing for it the night before. We can set out our clothes and other tangible things. We can also, with the Spirit's guidance, examine ourselves and our past week, taking time to confess and repent when necessary. We can review our church's hymns and Scriptures for the service. We can go in early to church to prepare our hearts and minds for worshiping God.
*Be willing to let go of our agendas, plans, worries, and preferences. In times of worship, we not only submit to each other, but also to the Lord. We are seeking God corporately (together as the Body of Christ) and expect to see Him move in the service.
*Be dependent on God, especially in worship. God is the source of everything good and holy. When we worship Him, we are coming before Him and keeping Him as the center of the experience.
*Be thankful for distractions. If we idolize the perfect worship service, we are missing the point. Thank God for the noises, interruptions, and other distractions. Ask God to accept the ideal and the non-ideal in the worship setting, as well as in life in general.
*Be sacrificial in worship. We don't always "feel" like worshiping. We don't always like or prefer the songs or styles in corporate worship. We don't always like everyone we worship with. Worship anyway. Worship is not about us, but about praising the Holy Lord.
*Be obedient as the service ends. If we are exactly the same, service after service, we might be in danger of seeking after the thrills of worship without seeking to be made more Christ-like through each God-guided encounter. When we enter God's presence, we are changed by it. We receive instruction in following God's way more and more each service.
Worshiping God is not about my preferences or my comfort zone, but about pouring my heart, my mind, my image, and all of myself into the act of worship. It is important to keep in mind that people worship God in different ways. There is diversity in how people worship God in a service and throughout one's life. In a service, we may see people standing, kneeling, or sitting as they worship. Sometimes I must worship through boisterous singing; other times through being still. There are many ways to worship the One True God.
These are ways we can enter into God's presence, but as always, the means and methods are just that. We can go through the motions or choose to fully seek after God.
May we worship God fully as we learn to do so more each day.
Friday, January 12, 2018
Practicing Spiritual Disciplines: The Back Story
I talked to my pastors at the end of last year about Spiritual Disciplines. (I always speak of this topic in capital letters in my mind). I was wanting to learn more about them and how to practice them, but I didn't quite know where to start.
They lent me several exceptional books on the subject. The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives by Dallas Willard is a phenomenal book that focuses on the What and Why of Spiritual Disciplines. The Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard Foster focuses more on the How behind the Spiritual Disciplines.
In fact, I blitz-read Foster's book last fall, with a plan forming in my mind. I asked for an e-book version of The Celebration of Discipline so that I could return the borrowed book and still be able to go through it again more slowly in order to put what I read into practice.
My plan for this year is to focus on a different Spiritual Discipline each month. I will reread its chapter and focus on worshiping God through the practice of each additional Discipline.
Richard Foster's book divided the Disciplines into 3 groups, with 4 Disciplines in each section:
1) Inward Disciplines-meditation, prayer, fasting, study
2) Outward Disciplines-simplicity, solitude, submission, service
3) Corporate Disciplines-confession, worship, guidance, celebration
This layout allows me to select a different Discipline for each month. These aren't the only Disciplines out there, but these are the ones I am starting with.
Each month, I will hopefully have a little devotional thought to share on the different Disciplines.
Why, Liz? Why are you studying the Spiritual Disciplines? The simplest answer I can articulate is this: "Jesus practiced them and I must follow my Lord's example."
Jesus commanded His disciples, His followers, to obey Him and keep His commands. Did I mention that disciple and discipline come from the same root word, by the way?
Two questions keep popping into my mind as this new year opens:
*If someone casually observed me, would they come to the conclusion that I am a Christian?
*If someone came to that conclusion, would they be intrigued to know more about my Savior or would they be repulsed?
The hard truth is that my life looks all to similar to a moral non-Christian's life.
I present a frazzled, harried picture of a Christian's life far more often then I care to admit.
I won't be going out and joining a convent (I'm pretty sure that I'm ineligible as a wife), but the Spirit is serenading me to come and learn from Him. Come and follow the path He laid out in His Word and His inspired traditions. Then I will meet with Him as I go about my life in His world. Then the answers to the questions in my mind will be yes instead of no.
They lent me several exceptional books on the subject. The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives by Dallas Willard is a phenomenal book that focuses on the What and Why of Spiritual Disciplines. The Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard Foster focuses more on the How behind the Spiritual Disciplines.
In fact, I blitz-read Foster's book last fall, with a plan forming in my mind. I asked for an e-book version of The Celebration of Discipline so that I could return the borrowed book and still be able to go through it again more slowly in order to put what I read into practice.
My plan for this year is to focus on a different Spiritual Discipline each month. I will reread its chapter and focus on worshiping God through the practice of each additional Discipline.
Richard Foster's book divided the Disciplines into 3 groups, with 4 Disciplines in each section:
1) Inward Disciplines-meditation, prayer, fasting, study
2) Outward Disciplines-simplicity, solitude, submission, service
3) Corporate Disciplines-confession, worship, guidance, celebration
This layout allows me to select a different Discipline for each month. These aren't the only Disciplines out there, but these are the ones I am starting with.
Each month, I will hopefully have a little devotional thought to share on the different Disciplines.
Why, Liz? Why are you studying the Spiritual Disciplines? The simplest answer I can articulate is this: "Jesus practiced them and I must follow my Lord's example."
Jesus commanded His disciples, His followers, to obey Him and keep His commands. Did I mention that disciple and discipline come from the same root word, by the way?
Two questions keep popping into my mind as this new year opens:
*If someone casually observed me, would they come to the conclusion that I am a Christian?
*If someone came to that conclusion, would they be intrigued to know more about my Savior or would they be repulsed?
The hard truth is that my life looks all to similar to a moral non-Christian's life.
I present a frazzled, harried picture of a Christian's life far more often then I care to admit.
I won't be going out and joining a convent (I'm pretty sure that I'm ineligible as a wife), but the Spirit is serenading me to come and learn from Him. Come and follow the path He laid out in His Word and His inspired traditions. Then I will meet with Him as I go about my life in His world. Then the answers to the questions in my mind will be yes instead of no.
Thursday, January 11, 2018
Producrastivination: Productively Procrastinating
The title of this post is not a typo, but rather it is a weird mash-up of Productivity and Procrastination: hence Produ-cras-tivination. (Pronounced: Pro-duh-crass-tiv-ih-nation)
I have the reputation of being an achiever, a go-getter, a highly productive person, but my dark secret is that I do procrastinate like the rest of humanity. I just justify and rationalize it through productivity.
Here's an example to show what I mean: I'm giving a mission lesson at my church. Today is Saturday and I teach on Wednesday night. My lesson will be based on a series of blog posts (on the Advent Conspiracy)...but I hadn't finished writing the third post...or reading the last two chapters of the book...or reviewed my former posts to see how they would flow together as one lesson. So today, I updated my scrapbook, pre-sorted pictures with my husband for his scrapbook, did 2 loads of laundry from dirty clothes basket to folded & put away, I took an hour-long walk, caught up on dishes (twice), and my list goes on.
You see, my brain resists mindless procrastination, where I binge watch shows or spend all day on facebook, but it is much more willing to accept a delay of an important task if I am doing other necessary tasks. I still procrastinate, but I do so productively.
Sometimes I find that a little bit of Producrastivination can help me along quite nicely with my to do list. By avoiding that one thing I'm not eager to do, I get a lot of other things done. Getting things done feels great! But the sweetness of accomplishment has a bitter drop in it: even while I am doing all these other things, the task I'm avoiding is hovering in the back of my mind, waiting.
Typically, I am using Producrastivination to avoid the most important thing for me to get done, while I am checking off good, but small, tasks off my to do list.
It feels good to get a lot done, but it feels better to know that I am spending my time on what is most important. Producrastivination is entertaining, but learning to prioritize is far more critical. Learning to stay focused and on-task will help combat Producrastivination.
Why is this an important topic? Ephesians 5 contains a warning about how we use our time. This link will take you to 4 parallels of Ephesians 5:15-21: the Message, NIV, KJV, and NASB. We're going to zero in on verses 15 and 17 below:
Don’t waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness...Don’t live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants. (MSG)
Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil...So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (NASB)
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil...Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.(NIV)
See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil...Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. (KJV)
Far too often, we as the Church majors in minor things and leave the major things undone. We waste our time on useless work and busywork. We are careless and don't think about our lives in an eternal perspective. Harsh? Yes. Too harsh? I'm not sure. When you listen in on church conversations and board meetings, how much time is focused on earthly things versus heavenly tasks? We form committees to discuss carpet colors, but fail to train our church members in sharing our faith. Lord, forgive our Producrastivination!! Teach us to prioritize and do Your work!!
Do we understand what God wants from us?
Are we doing it?
Are we making the most of our time here on earth?
Are we making the most of the opportunities God is giving us?
Are we redeeming our time in a wise manner or are we foolishly squandering it?
There will be the Judgment Day. Every day brings it closer. Jesus tells us that we will have to give an account for every empty word that we speak (Matthew 12:36). When we face judgment, I don't want to admit that I was an expert Producrastivinator, accomplishing earthly things at the expense of heavenly tasks.
What about you?
Do you use Producrastivination to get little things achieved while avoiding the important things?
How do you combat Producrastivination?
I have the reputation of being an achiever, a go-getter, a highly productive person, but my dark secret is that I do procrastinate like the rest of humanity. I just justify and rationalize it through productivity.
Here's an example to show what I mean: I'm giving a mission lesson at my church. Today is Saturday and I teach on Wednesday night. My lesson will be based on a series of blog posts (on the Advent Conspiracy)...but I hadn't finished writing the third post...or reading the last two chapters of the book...or reviewed my former posts to see how they would flow together as one lesson. So today, I updated my scrapbook, pre-sorted pictures with my husband for his scrapbook, did 2 loads of laundry from dirty clothes basket to folded & put away, I took an hour-long walk, caught up on dishes (twice), and my list goes on.
You see, my brain resists mindless procrastination, where I binge watch shows or spend all day on facebook, but it is much more willing to accept a delay of an important task if I am doing other necessary tasks. I still procrastinate, but I do so productively.
Sometimes I find that a little bit of Producrastivination can help me along quite nicely with my to do list. By avoiding that one thing I'm not eager to do, I get a lot of other things done. Getting things done feels great! But the sweetness of accomplishment has a bitter drop in it: even while I am doing all these other things, the task I'm avoiding is hovering in the back of my mind, waiting.
Typically, I am using Producrastivination to avoid the most important thing for me to get done, while I am checking off good, but small, tasks off my to do list.
It feels good to get a lot done, but it feels better to know that I am spending my time on what is most important. Producrastivination is entertaining, but learning to prioritize is far more critical. Learning to stay focused and on-task will help combat Producrastivination.
Why is this an important topic? Ephesians 5 contains a warning about how we use our time. This link will take you to 4 parallels of Ephesians 5:15-21: the Message, NIV, KJV, and NASB. We're going to zero in on verses 15 and 17 below:
Don’t waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness...Don’t live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants. (MSG)
Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil...So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (NASB)
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil...Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.(NIV)
See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil...Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. (KJV)
Far too often, we as the Church majors in minor things and leave the major things undone. We waste our time on useless work and busywork. We are careless and don't think about our lives in an eternal perspective. Harsh? Yes. Too harsh? I'm not sure. When you listen in on church conversations and board meetings, how much time is focused on earthly things versus heavenly tasks? We form committees to discuss carpet colors, but fail to train our church members in sharing our faith. Lord, forgive our Producrastivination!! Teach us to prioritize and do Your work!!
Do we understand what God wants from us?
Are we doing it?
Are we making the most of our time here on earth?
Are we making the most of the opportunities God is giving us?
Are we redeeming our time in a wise manner or are we foolishly squandering it?
There will be the Judgment Day. Every day brings it closer. Jesus tells us that we will have to give an account for every empty word that we speak (Matthew 12:36). When we face judgment, I don't want to admit that I was an expert Producrastivinator, accomplishing earthly things at the expense of heavenly tasks.
What about you?
Do you use Producrastivination to get little things achieved while avoiding the important things?
How do you combat Producrastivination?
Sunday, January 7, 2018
31 Ways to Pray
We sometimes get stuck in a rut. We create our routine and then go on auto-pilot. This can be a good thing, but it can be harmful to our prayer times.
When it comes to praying, it is good to branch out and pray big prayers that encompass the world. Our God is a big God, capable of doing great things, but we don't ask for His help for a lot of things.
Perhaps a far worse charge against us is the smallness of our prayers. We pray for those we know and for those close to us, but we fail our global brothers & sisters by neglecting to pray for them. God cares for all of the world, but most of our prayers center around us and maybe 100 miles around us.
How did we get to the point where we don't care enough for our global family to faithfully intercede on their behalf? When is the last time that you prayed for your city? State? Country? Continent? World? How often do you pray for things that happen in Europe, Africa, or Asia?
Here is a list of ways to pray that may stretch your prayers and grow your faith. But don't take my word for it, try it yourself.
1. A.C.T.S. Prayer: This acronym stands for Adoration (Praise God for Who He Is), Confession (Admit Your Faults & Sins to God), Thanksgiving (Thank God for What He Had Done), and Supplication (Ask God for What You Need). By taking time to adore God, confess our sins, and thank God BEFORE we state our requests, our focus is taken off of ourselves.
2. Pray on your fingers. If you google 5-Finger Prayer printables or handouts, you will see a variety of these prompts. Essentially, you use each finger as a reminder to pray for a certain group of people.
*Thumb: pray for your family & friends (those who are closest to you)
*Index Finger: pray for your parents & teachers (those who point the way)
*Middle Finger: pray for leaders & authorities (those who stand the tallest)
*Ring Finger: pray for the weak, sick, or needy (this is your weakest finger)
*Pinky: pray for yourself (this is your last finger and the smallest one too)
3. Pray the Scriptures: Use actual prayers in the Bible and pray along with the speaker of the prayer or find another type of Scripture and pray it too. Pray for prophesies to come to pass. Pray for believers to follow God's commands. Pray for tragedies in Scripture to not be repeated again.
4. Pray with a Journal: Write out your prayers. Track when you started to pray for something to happen and leave space to record how God answered that prayer!
5. Pray for the Persecuted: Sign up to get email reminders from groups like the World Watch List to pray for the persecuted church around the world. Learn about countries where persecution is rampant.
6. Pray for Your Enemies and Persecutors: Pray for those who dislike and even hate you. Pray for those who consider themselves your enemies. Pray for your country's enemies. Pray for those who are persecuting the church.
7. Pray the Lord's Prayer: Take the familiar words of the Lord's Prayer and pray through different translations and Bible versions. Pray it slowly and meaningfully.
8. Pray while Walking: Prayer walking ties exercise with letting the sights of your community drive your prayer requests. Pray for the family who will move into the empty house. Pray for the person who lost their shoe somehow. Take what you see and offer it as a prayer to God.
9. Pray the Hours Away: It is called many different names, but you can look up the Divine Hours, the Divine Office, Praying the Hours, or Fixed Hour Prayers. Set alarms to remind you to pray throughout the day. Traditionally 6 am, 9 am, 12 pm, 3 pm, 6 pm, and 9 pm are observed, with monks and nuns sometimes even praying at 12 am and 3 am as well.
10. Pray Without Speaking: Prayer is called a conversation, but a lot of times, we preform a monologue before God and then leave without waiting for His response. Take time to wait silently before God. Take time to listen to what He is saying. Be still and know that He is God.
11. Pray Through the News: Pray through the newspaper, news report, or news article. Pray for those arrested. Thank God for the good. Ask Him to intercede in the different events. Pray for the victims and the perpetrators.
12. Pray with the Words of Those Who Have Gone Before You: Find prayers that you think are beautiful and pray them. Pray with the Book of Common Prayer and Daily Prayer Books.
13. Pray for Those on the Margins of Society: Pray for the widows, the orphans, the stranger (refugee, immigrant, legal or otherwise). Pray for the single parents and the addicts. Pray for the homeless.
14. Pray with a Friend: Go before the throne of God with another believer. Pray together and pray faithfully for lives to be changed.
15. Praise God for Your Blessings: Thank God for everything that you can think of. Praise Him for all the good you have in your life and thank God for all the evils that are not in your life.
16. Pray for the Lost: Pray for missing children, prodigal children, and those rebelling against God. Pray for them to be found and to be submit to Jesus' lordship.
17. Pray by Percentages: Research how much of the world is in Asia, Africa, Europe, Central & South America, the Middle East, and North America. Take an hour and for every population percentage, spend a minute in prayer for that world region. Pray for countries, cities, people groups, religions, leaders, and events that you look up.
18. Pray for God's Promises to Come to Pass: Pray for us to fulfill our part of God's promise and humbly ask God to fulfill His part. Pray for His prophesies to come to pass (see Daniel and the end of the exile) or to be averted (see Jonah and Nineveh).
19. Pray for People in the Places You Know: Pray for the people in the cities in your county, the people in the states in your country, and the people in the countries in the world.
20. Pray for those who Practice Different Religions: Pray for Jewish, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Atheists, and others to come to faith in Christ.
21. Pray for Missionaries: Sign up for emails to get global prayer prompts from missionaries around the world.
22. Pray about Upcoming Events: Pray for tests, travels, birthdays, holidays, and more!!
23. Pray for the Displaced: Pray for those who are displaced by war, persecution, or violence. Pray for the refugees and those who drive them away.
24. Pray for the Things on God's Heart: Pray for Justice, Repentance, and Restoration to take place. These are only a few of the things that God is passionate about.
25. Pray for the Rich and the Famous: They need prayers too. Pray for celebrities, politicians, and other people who are in the news. Pray for them to realize their need of God's saving grace.
26. Pray for the Children: God has a special place in His heart for children. Pray for their safety, protection, and salvation. Pray for those in troubled homes and empty homes.
27. Pray for God's Word to be Spread: Pray for the Gospel to be heard by all people. Pray that they repent of their sins and follow Jesus. Pray for people to have access to the Bible, even if it is illegal in their country.
28. Pray for Stateless People: Pray for people who are rejected by their countries of origins. Pray for those who made it to refugee camps, but have no citizenship status. Pray for them to find their home in Heaven.
29. Pray for Those Facing Troubles: Pray for those who are facing physical, financial, or emotional troubles. Pray for the depressed, the lonely, the empty. Pray for the poor, the rich, and the greedy. Pray for those in pain.
30. Pray for God's Kingdom to Come: Pray that His church will live out His teachings. Pray for His Kingdom to come soon.
31. Pray for the Sick. Pray for those who are newly ill, chronically ill, and those who are baffling their doctors. Pray for those with bad knees, backs, and hearts. Pray for physical healing, but pray for their sin-sick hearts to be healed more.
What other prayer prompts can you think of?
What else should we be praying for?
This list gives ideas for a month of prayers, but it only scratches the surface. Let us be faithful in praying for the world in this digital age that lets us know prayer prompts (in the form of news) almost instantly. We have the information at our fingertips. Will we use it to pray not only for those we know, but for those we don't know?
When it comes to praying, it is good to branch out and pray big prayers that encompass the world. Our God is a big God, capable of doing great things, but we don't ask for His help for a lot of things.
Perhaps a far worse charge against us is the smallness of our prayers. We pray for those we know and for those close to us, but we fail our global brothers & sisters by neglecting to pray for them. God cares for all of the world, but most of our prayers center around us and maybe 100 miles around us.
How did we get to the point where we don't care enough for our global family to faithfully intercede on their behalf? When is the last time that you prayed for your city? State? Country? Continent? World? How often do you pray for things that happen in Europe, Africa, or Asia?
Here is a list of ways to pray that may stretch your prayers and grow your faith. But don't take my word for it, try it yourself.
1. A.C.T.S. Prayer: This acronym stands for Adoration (Praise God for Who He Is), Confession (Admit Your Faults & Sins to God), Thanksgiving (Thank God for What He Had Done), and Supplication (Ask God for What You Need). By taking time to adore God, confess our sins, and thank God BEFORE we state our requests, our focus is taken off of ourselves.
2. Pray on your fingers. If you google 5-Finger Prayer printables or handouts, you will see a variety of these prompts. Essentially, you use each finger as a reminder to pray for a certain group of people.
*Thumb: pray for your family & friends (those who are closest to you)
*Index Finger: pray for your parents & teachers (those who point the way)
*Middle Finger: pray for leaders & authorities (those who stand the tallest)
*Ring Finger: pray for the weak, sick, or needy (this is your weakest finger)
*Pinky: pray for yourself (this is your last finger and the smallest one too)
3. Pray the Scriptures: Use actual prayers in the Bible and pray along with the speaker of the prayer or find another type of Scripture and pray it too. Pray for prophesies to come to pass. Pray for believers to follow God's commands. Pray for tragedies in Scripture to not be repeated again.
4. Pray with a Journal: Write out your prayers. Track when you started to pray for something to happen and leave space to record how God answered that prayer!
5. Pray for the Persecuted: Sign up to get email reminders from groups like the World Watch List to pray for the persecuted church around the world. Learn about countries where persecution is rampant.
6. Pray for Your Enemies and Persecutors: Pray for those who dislike and even hate you. Pray for those who consider themselves your enemies. Pray for your country's enemies. Pray for those who are persecuting the church.
7. Pray the Lord's Prayer: Take the familiar words of the Lord's Prayer and pray through different translations and Bible versions. Pray it slowly and meaningfully.
8. Pray while Walking: Prayer walking ties exercise with letting the sights of your community drive your prayer requests. Pray for the family who will move into the empty house. Pray for the person who lost their shoe somehow. Take what you see and offer it as a prayer to God.
9. Pray the Hours Away: It is called many different names, but you can look up the Divine Hours, the Divine Office, Praying the Hours, or Fixed Hour Prayers. Set alarms to remind you to pray throughout the day. Traditionally 6 am, 9 am, 12 pm, 3 pm, 6 pm, and 9 pm are observed, with monks and nuns sometimes even praying at 12 am and 3 am as well.
10. Pray Without Speaking: Prayer is called a conversation, but a lot of times, we preform a monologue before God and then leave without waiting for His response. Take time to wait silently before God. Take time to listen to what He is saying. Be still and know that He is God.
11. Pray Through the News: Pray through the newspaper, news report, or news article. Pray for those arrested. Thank God for the good. Ask Him to intercede in the different events. Pray for the victims and the perpetrators.
12. Pray with the Words of Those Who Have Gone Before You: Find prayers that you think are beautiful and pray them. Pray with the Book of Common Prayer and Daily Prayer Books.
13. Pray for Those on the Margins of Society: Pray for the widows, the orphans, the stranger (refugee, immigrant, legal or otherwise). Pray for the single parents and the addicts. Pray for the homeless.
14. Pray with a Friend: Go before the throne of God with another believer. Pray together and pray faithfully for lives to be changed.
15. Praise God for Your Blessings: Thank God for everything that you can think of. Praise Him for all the good you have in your life and thank God for all the evils that are not in your life.
16. Pray for the Lost: Pray for missing children, prodigal children, and those rebelling against God. Pray for them to be found and to be submit to Jesus' lordship.
17. Pray by Percentages: Research how much of the world is in Asia, Africa, Europe, Central & South America, the Middle East, and North America. Take an hour and for every population percentage, spend a minute in prayer for that world region. Pray for countries, cities, people groups, religions, leaders, and events that you look up.
18. Pray for God's Promises to Come to Pass: Pray for us to fulfill our part of God's promise and humbly ask God to fulfill His part. Pray for His prophesies to come to pass (see Daniel and the end of the exile) or to be averted (see Jonah and Nineveh).
19. Pray for People in the Places You Know: Pray for the people in the cities in your county, the people in the states in your country, and the people in the countries in the world.
20. Pray for those who Practice Different Religions: Pray for Jewish, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Atheists, and others to come to faith in Christ.
21. Pray for Missionaries: Sign up for emails to get global prayer prompts from missionaries around the world.
22. Pray about Upcoming Events: Pray for tests, travels, birthdays, holidays, and more!!
23. Pray for the Displaced: Pray for those who are displaced by war, persecution, or violence. Pray for the refugees and those who drive them away.
24. Pray for the Things on God's Heart: Pray for Justice, Repentance, and Restoration to take place. These are only a few of the things that God is passionate about.
25. Pray for the Rich and the Famous: They need prayers too. Pray for celebrities, politicians, and other people who are in the news. Pray for them to realize their need of God's saving grace.
26. Pray for the Children: God has a special place in His heart for children. Pray for their safety, protection, and salvation. Pray for those in troubled homes and empty homes.
27. Pray for God's Word to be Spread: Pray for the Gospel to be heard by all people. Pray that they repent of their sins and follow Jesus. Pray for people to have access to the Bible, even if it is illegal in their country.
28. Pray for Stateless People: Pray for people who are rejected by their countries of origins. Pray for those who made it to refugee camps, but have no citizenship status. Pray for them to find their home in Heaven.
29. Pray for Those Facing Troubles: Pray for those who are facing physical, financial, or emotional troubles. Pray for the depressed, the lonely, the empty. Pray for the poor, the rich, and the greedy. Pray for those in pain.
30. Pray for God's Kingdom to Come: Pray that His church will live out His teachings. Pray for His Kingdom to come soon.
31. Pray for the Sick. Pray for those who are newly ill, chronically ill, and those who are baffling their doctors. Pray for those with bad knees, backs, and hearts. Pray for physical healing, but pray for their sin-sick hearts to be healed more.
What other prayer prompts can you think of?
What else should we be praying for?
This list gives ideas for a month of prayers, but it only scratches the surface. Let us be faithful in praying for the world in this digital age that lets us know prayer prompts (in the form of news) almost instantly. We have the information at our fingertips. Will we use it to pray not only for those we know, but for those we don't know?
Friday, January 5, 2018
Something Greater than My Rights
Independence.
Freedom. Of Religion. Of Speech. Of the Press. Of (peaceful) Assembly.
My Rights. To Bear Arms. To Vote. To a Speedy Trial.
Suffice to say, Americans value Independence, Freedom, and their Rights. We have gone to war over these values. We lived through a polarized era known as the Cold War that pitted American values against Communistic values. We take each other to court to protect our rights and get revenge for perceived slights.
We take our preferences, our view of the world, our values, and say that anyone who contradicts these things is threatening us and stepping on our rights.
What if our rights, freedoms, and independence were never meant to be the hill we stake our claim on and are willing to die on? What if there is something (or rather Someone) who is greater than our rights?
I do not like to make or take phone calls, but I will for the good of the places I work and volunteer at.
I do not like to run, but I will if someone's life is in danger and I can somehow help.
I do not like cucumbers, papayas, haggis, or cinnamon candy. I will never seek these out on my own, buy them for my consumption, or order them at a restaurant. But if you make a cucumber salad, that goes along with your haggis entree and papaya cobbler, before we adjourn to the living room to snack on cinnamon candy, I will eat a Liz-sized portion of everything. Why? Because you made it for me.
The (unofficial) motto of the mission field is "Where He leads me, I will follow. What they feed me, I will swallow."
America teaches us to value our independence and our rights above all else, but sometimes, especially when a friend from another culture makes us a meal, we eat anything we're not allergic to because we value our relationship with other people. That is how I ended up eating cow-stomach-soup. It's surprisingly chewy.
Life is a tricky mixture of knowing when to stand your ground and when to yield.
Paul kept teaching the Corinthians that as Christians, they (and we) have the right to do anything (1 Cor. 6:12 & 10:23), but not everything is beneficial.
To paraphrase Jesus (Matt. 12:6), we value our rights, but something great than our rights is here.
We have the right to demand our rights, but this is not always beneficial. One of my favorite passages of Paul's epistles is Philippians 2. This is probably a familiar passage, so see if these key phrases stir your memory: be like-minded, value others above yourselves, look to the interests of others, have the same mindset as Christ.
I have the right to demand my way, but I think to follow Jesus' and His path, I must lay down my rights and surrender my freedoms. The call to follow Christ is a call to die to ourselves, so we can fully live in Him.
Freedom. Of Religion. Of Speech. Of the Press. Of (peaceful) Assembly.
My Rights. To Bear Arms. To Vote. To a Speedy Trial.
Suffice to say, Americans value Independence, Freedom, and their Rights. We have gone to war over these values. We lived through a polarized era known as the Cold War that pitted American values against Communistic values. We take each other to court to protect our rights and get revenge for perceived slights.
We take our preferences, our view of the world, our values, and say that anyone who contradicts these things is threatening us and stepping on our rights.
What if our rights, freedoms, and independence were never meant to be the hill we stake our claim on and are willing to die on? What if there is something (or rather Someone) who is greater than our rights?
I do not like to make or take phone calls, but I will for the good of the places I work and volunteer at.
I do not like to run, but I will if someone's life is in danger and I can somehow help.
I do not like cucumbers, papayas, haggis, or cinnamon candy. I will never seek these out on my own, buy them for my consumption, or order them at a restaurant. But if you make a cucumber salad, that goes along with your haggis entree and papaya cobbler, before we adjourn to the living room to snack on cinnamon candy, I will eat a Liz-sized portion of everything. Why? Because you made it for me.
The (unofficial) motto of the mission field is "Where He leads me, I will follow. What they feed me, I will swallow."
America teaches us to value our independence and our rights above all else, but sometimes, especially when a friend from another culture makes us a meal, we eat anything we're not allergic to because we value our relationship with other people. That is how I ended up eating cow-stomach-soup. It's surprisingly chewy.
Life is a tricky mixture of knowing when to stand your ground and when to yield.
Paul kept teaching the Corinthians that as Christians, they (and we) have the right to do anything (1 Cor. 6:12 & 10:23), but not everything is beneficial.
To paraphrase Jesus (Matt. 12:6), we value our rights, but something great than our rights is here.
We have the right to demand our rights, but this is not always beneficial. One of my favorite passages of Paul's epistles is Philippians 2. This is probably a familiar passage, so see if these key phrases stir your memory: be like-minded, value others above yourselves, look to the interests of others, have the same mindset as Christ.
I have the right to demand my way, but I think to follow Jesus' and His path, I must lay down my rights and surrender my freedoms. The call to follow Christ is a call to die to ourselves, so we can fully live in Him.
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