The Journey

Lately . . .

2010-02-11T13:51:00.000-06:00

So we tore down a shed. There was a lady down the road from our Youth Center who had a tree fall on her shed/garage during the last hurricane. We noticed that it was in real bad shape and approached her about it. She said that she needed help getting it removed from the property. Several people had been by to tell her they’d help, but had never returned. Well, obviously, she hadn’t talked to a youth group cause all I had to do was tell the kids we were gonna knock down a building, and they were pumped. We had a blast.

From there, God has opened up some really awesome doors. I have met several people in the community who actually do this kinda work. There is an organization called Faith Communities that takes Federal Grant money and repairs homes with hurricane damage.

So we have been busy as of late, planning service projects. Some of them seem a little out of our league for the time being. There are a lot of people who need roof repair, but we don’t really have anyone in our church that is qualified to do roof work. So we’re gonna hold off on the roof work for the time being. We’re gonna try to being by having a community clean up during our Spring Break. I’m working on lining up a few specific projects: building a handicap ramp at someone’s house, cleaning up a lot where we might be planting a neighborhood garden, etc. Other than that, we’re trying to rent a big dumpster so that we can go around and haul off trash that people in the community haven’t been able to get removed.

The point of all this is to get involved where God is already working. To reach out into the community in ways that meet needs and in ways that offer no benefit for us. Will we try to share the Gospel? Yes, we will; to anyone who will listen. Will we try to invite people to church? Yes we will; but rather than try to bring people to church, we’re gonna try to take Jesus to them.
I ask for your prayers in this. That we be lead by the Holy Spirit and not by our own desires.

Forget about God's Will For Your Life

2009-12-28T15:12:00.001-06:00

I’ve been reading Francis Chan’s “The Forgotten God”. There is a chapter entitled “Forget about His Will For Your Life!”

Chan’s point is that many of us are so interested/worried/caught up in trying to discover God’s will for our lives, that we miss out on serving Him in the present. Read it in his own words:

“I think a lot of us need to forget about God’s will for my life. God cares more about our response to His Spirit’s leading today, in this moment, than about what we intend to do next year. In fact, the decisions we make next year will be profoundly affected by the degree to which we submit to the Spirit right now, in today’s decision” (Francis Chan, The Forgotten God, p 120).

He goes on to talk about how he believes that “part of the desire to ‘know God’s will for my life’” is due to fear. We are scared in making the wrong decisions and/or acting outside of His plan/will for our lives. But all too often, this only leads us to paralysis. In our search for what following God actually looks like and feels like, we often fail to actually follow. What if we act on the wrong thing? But Chan points out that God never promised to give us a 5, 10, or 20 year plan of action.

In fact, if you look at the examples in Scripture of people that God called like Abram, David, Moses, or Paul. You will see that God only gave them a few details to start with and didn’t give them anymore information until they acted on what they already knew.

So while the Bible does not tell us that God will inform us of the plans He has for our lives in advance; it does tell us repeatedly, that we will never be alone. God has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us.

The point of all this? Well, I encourage you to get Francis Chan’s book and read it for yourselves. It is very convicting. But, I’ll let you in on the summary:

God does have a plan for your life, but He never promised to fill you in on the details in advance. If you want to follow Him, you must start by obeying Him today. Don’t worry about the plans that God has for you. If you follow Him now, I guarantee that He’ll lead you to the right place. So for now, begin with learning to listen to His Spirit and serving Him now. Surrender your life to Him now. I can guarantee that you will not end up where He desires if you do not yield to His Spirit daily.

The Beginning . . .

2009-12-22T13:23:00.000-06:00

For a while now, God has placed a burden on my heart. I’ve felt the desire/need to get our youth ministry involved in serving in our community. I’ve spent quite a bit of time asking God to lead me and give me discernment.

The issue: In the Youth Ministry, we do a lot of things like summer camp, CIY, Midwinter Retreat, etc which require a lot of traveling. To do those things, also requires a lot of money; therefore, we do a lot of fundraisers. On average, we spend about $20,000-$25,000 per year on trips, camps, conferences, and activities.

Now don’t get me wrong, these are all quality events, well worth the time and effort; so I don’t feel that we are “wasting our money” by choosing these things. The teachings, the worship, the programs all teach great things.
But, we go to these events every year. Last year, we took over 60 students to these events. Sometimes, students are convicted to act on what they learn and hear, sometimes they are not. And normally, by December, they have forgotten or given up on what they felt such great conviction on during the summer.

The questions that God has laid on my heart concerning these things: “How many events do we need to attend to truly follow Christ?”, “ How many times do we need to go to an event before we start living what we believe?”. If we take an honest look at ourselves, how different are our lives from the people who have not accepted Christ? Is there evidence that we allow God to lead us? Are we truly living our lives in submission to the Holy Spirit?

The simple fact is that we are spending $20,000-$25,000 per year only on ourselves. That seems very selfish to me. We go, year after year, and not much really seems to change as a result of these expenses.

So to summarize,
1. We spend a lot of money taking students to events to learn how to deepen and strengthen their lives with God.
2. Very few people seem to be impacted by these events in any real and lasting way.

Also, I’ve been researching the local out-reach ministries in town to see what kind of opportunities are available, but honestly, none of them really “feels right”. Not that their not good programs; they are. They are filling needs. But, none of them have been resonating with the burden that I feel God has laid on me.
The other night, I was watching Extreme Makeover: Home Edition with my family, and the group went to build a house for a lady who ran a “youth center” in a low income area of town. In addition, the group went around and did some mini-makeovers for some of the kids who lived in that neighborhood.

While watching this program, I felt the Spirit move inside of me. It was like He was saying, “This is what I’m talking about”. You should be helping people in the community who live in substandard living conditions.

So the next day, I contacted Gene Palmos, the head of our Missions Ministry Team. It appears that God had been putting the same thing on his heart as well. So we hoped in his truck and drove around the community near our church. There were dozens of houses that we could see of that needed repair, painting, cleaning, etc.
We saw one house where a tree had fallen on a garage. The lady who owned the house just happened to be outside, so we stopped to talk to her. She said the tree had fallen on her garage during Hurricane Dolly, over a year and a half ago. She wants it torn down and removed but just can’t afford it.

So, we, now, have our first project: remove a garage to be set up for early January.

While there are many service opportunities in our area, it appears that the Holy Spirit is calling us to do something that is not being done. I feel He is calling us to reach out into the community to offer help to those who cannot help themselves.

The goal of this is to accomplish one thing: to bring glory to God. But there is a catch: I don’t want us to do it in the traditional way. See a need, go out and ask for money, help, etc. I feel that we need to rely solely on God for success. In other words, if God does not show up, then it will fail.

Can you imagine how students will be impacted when they are involved in something that has no chance of success unless God shows up? Can you imagine what will happen to their faith when they see Him move?

There will be more to come.

Hate it!

2009-12-15T03:40:00.002-06:00

I hate it when I can't sleep. I've been laying in bed for 3 hours and still can't seem to fall asleep.

I've been reading Francis Chan. Specfically, "Forgotten God". It's about how the church in the Western world has misunderstood, misinterpreted, and misused the Holy Spirit.

It's really made me question myself and what I really believe. Don't get me wrong, I know what I believe:

1. The Holy Spirit is part of the Trinity; equal to but distinct from God. I can't really explain it, but I've felt Him so I know He's real.
2. Every believer receives the Holy Spirit upon conversion. This was promised by Jesus, confimred by the apostles and evidenced through out the New Testament by believers.

However, does my life show evidence of the Spirit? Does my life show evidence that I really believe the Spirit lives in me and acts through me, giving me strength to do God's will?

If I'm honest, most of the time it doesn't. Most of the time, I strive to do things my way; to do what I want and I try to do it with my own strength.

And I don't think I am alone in this either. When I look around at the modern church, I don't see many people living by the Spirit as the Bible teaches. This really makes me sad, but how can I do anything about it unless I begin to live by the Spirit as well.

So that has become my mission: to yield my life to the Holy Spirit, to seek His will, and to do as He bids me.

Please pray for me as I seek Him. I know He lives within me, and if I don't feel His presence, it is because I have shut Him out. Pray that I am able to yield my life to Him more and more each day.

jrb

2009-12-10T22:59:00.002-06:00

There are times, and specific things, that just push my buttons. That shouldn't really be a big surprise, because everyone is that way.

The problem is just that sometimes we, or I, let the issues cloud our reactions. For instance, when we get angry about a situation and take it out on someone who may be involved, but really has little or no control over the situation either.

I owe an apology to a person for just that reason. Forgive me for not responding in the right way.

Who We Are

2009-12-05T14:03:00.001-06:00

Ever look in the mirror and not like what you see? Sure, we have all had moments where we regret decisions that we have made, actions that we have taken, and words that we have spoken. However, I also find that this a completly absurd concept. Why?

Because we are who we choose and decide to be! We are the product of each of our thoughts, decisions, and actions.

The majority of people (Christians included) go through life in a fog, not really paying attention to what's going on around us, about the decisions we're making, and about the way we live our lives?

Now wait a minute, you might say! That's not true, I pay attention!

Really? Do you? Do you really take the time to consider the possible outcome and results for your actions, your words, your decisions? Do you take the time to form a plan that will lead you to attain all of those dreams you have, or for the ones that God has for you?

Most of us simply live in the moment; not giving any thought to what we're doing or how what we are doing will affect our lives or the lives of those around us.

In reality, every thought that we entertain, every word that we speak, and every decision that we make, leads us down a path. They lead us down a path that, for better or for worse, makes us into the people we have and will become.

So who are you? Are you satisfied with who you've become? Do you think God is satisfied with who you've become?

The truth is that you and I are the people whom we've chosen to be.

And if we're not satisfied with that, then we have to decide to change. We have to change what we allow ourselves to think about, how we make our decisions, and what words we choose to use.

And if we feel that God is not satisfied with who we have become, then we must be instrumental in making sure we seek His guidance for what we allow ourselves to think, to descide, and to speak.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Ghost Hunting

2009-08-05T01:29:00.002-05:00

I went Ghosthunting tonight w/ Tim, Blake & Craig. No, I don't believe in ghosts; it was just something to do. Anyway, we went to Orphanage Rd in search of a burnt down orphanage. We found some old rubble that might have been it, who knows. We also found a grave yard. It was supposed to be filled w/ children from the orphanage who died in the fire, but it wasn't. It seemed to be a hispanic graveyard. Not even spooky. We had a good time and got a lot of walking in. I'll probably have chiggars from wading through the tall grass. Anyway, it's time for bed. I have 2 service projects in the morning. Seems I need to be in 2 places at once.

Finally Home

2008-07-01T01:05:00.003-05:00

Well, I got home today. I have just spent the past 12 days traveling to CIY, attending CIY, and returning from CIY. I live in probably one of the southern most cities in the USA and we attending CIY in Michigan, probably the furthest CIY away from us. 3,500 miles. 4 days up, 5 days of conference, and 3 days back. The whole reason that we decided to go to CIY in Michigan was to visit Mars Hill Church and see Rob Bell preach. We called to make sure he was going to be there and he was. However, for some reason, I decided to call the day before we left, AND he decided to take a sabbatical for the summer. Can you believe it.

On our second day, we stopped at Gurnee, IL where we met up with Mike, Trish, and Brooke LeFevre. We all went to Six Flags and had a great time. We then went back to their house to spend the night and go to church with them the next day. Since we didn't have to go to Mars Hill, we stayed an extra day with the LeFevre's. We hoped a train and went into Chicago to Navy Pier. We had a great time. It was awesome to see the LeFevre's again.

Next we took off to CIY. This year's theme is MOVE. It was based in Acts and focuses on allowing the Holy Spirit to move in you. It was one of the best CIY's I've ever attended. Holland , MI is awesome. It was a beautiful town. We walked around for a few hours one day and went to Lake Michigan. Everyone there swears it's a beach, but we kept trying to tell them that you can't really have a beach on a lake. But we were wrong. It was beautiful The beach was huge.

We had a lot of great times during the trip. It was awesome. I have attended many CIY events, all of which took only hours to get to. I'll admit that I dreaded the trip. But it was really great. It gave us a lot of time to hang out, cut up, focus on God, etc. Zach spent a lot of time preparing videos, testimonies, and daily devotions. They really helped us get prepared to be at CIY.

It was a terrific trip. I have a wonderful group of "crazy teenagers".

But, I'm glad to be home. I'm tired, and I'm off tomorrow.

Praise the LORD for a great week, safe travels, and great news (more on that later)!

p.s. You can check out our CIY Journal Blog at: http://ciyjournal.blogspot.com/

To Trust or Not to Trust!

2008-06-16T21:43:00.002-05:00

We know what we believe. But, do we believe what we know? If only we could answer with an unqualified yes. If only our faith came close to equaling our knowledge.

Look at all we know: God loves us; he tells us that all things work together for those who love him; he says he will always guide and protect us; he makes our paths straight; he promises to comfort and calm us. How different our life would be if we accepted each one of these as truth. Why is it that we believe in eternal life, yet we doubt God’s concerns for us during our time on earth?

God declares, I will not leave you nor will I forsake you. Intellectually, we may know what this; still, we sometimes feel alone and abandoned. There is a vast difference between what God says, and how we think. We somehow get it in our heads that God should take care of us in a certain way. When he does not, we conclude that we are alone and cut off from him.

Our rational minds, as worldly as they are, should tell us that God would not and could not act contrary to his word. It does not make sense that God would love us and abandon us at the same time. What is more likely is that we are the ones who forsake him because of our selfish and worldly ways. We need to begin trusting him more and ourselves less. It's time that we start believing all that we know, rather than what we think we know.

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adapted from a devotion from: http://www.devotionsforlife.org/

Thought I'd do better

2008-05-26T00:25:00.002-05:00

I've been so terrible about bloging. I'll admit that I have been really busy, but I had intended to post more.

The activities that I have been planing like RioFest and CIY have required more detail than I have ever planned before. That's not a bad thing, it's just different. Anyway, it has required a lot more time than in the past.

Life has been crazy lately. We're trying to sell our house in AL. We have two offers, and hope one of them will work out. Mean while, both our cars broke down, we borrowed the church van, and it broke down.

Luckily, our tax return check just arrived which will allow us to pay our bills on time. It's been rough paying for bills here and in Huntsville at the same time.

I spend most of my time on the computer and phone working out details for the many activiites we have going on.

Anyway, now that summer is here and most of the activities are planned, I hope to get back to discipleship.

It's still a mystery!

2008-04-29T22:21:00.004-05:00

Today, I was pondering the mystery that is life. How does the soul/spirit interact with our physical body? We sense something: pain, pleasure, etc. That sense goes to the brain and is relayed is reacted to. So far we have a simple reflex. But when we decide to act in a way that is uncommon to out natural reflex, such as choosing to endure pain rather than pulling away, we have to think and make a conscious choice. So our consciousness, our soul, chooses to act in a certain way. It somehow tells our mind what to do, and our mind sends out a signal telling our body not o react. How does that happen?

How does our soul connect to our body? How does it interact with our body in a way that allows it to influence and affect our bodies actions?

That is just amazing to me. We can control tv's, radios, and the like remotely; but that is just a simple response or command. It's not total control.

Regardless, it's amazing how it works.

Self-Defense

2008-04-21T20:07:00.002-05:00

What is it that makes us want to defend ourselves? I'm not referring to defending ourselves from some sort of physical attack, but of defending our reputation. When someone says something derogatory about us, we defend ourselves. When someone says something derogatory about a friend or someone we love, we feel the need to defend their honor. Why? The Bible tells us that God is our Defender. If we are attacked for being righteous, then the Holy Spirit will speak for us. What we need to concern ourselves with is how we act. We need to be righteous; we need to be holy as He is holy.

So long as we are doing what is right in His sight, we should have no need to defend ourselves. In all reality, very little that we say in our defense usually makes a difference anyway.

If you speak the truth, then you should not have to swear or promise. Your word can and will be your bond. It may take a while for people begin to trust you as you begin the process of speaking truth and not taking vows, but eventually, people will begin to see your seriousness and understand that you are a person of integrity.

On the same token, we should not fear what others think about us or say about us. If we sin and are found out, then it's only the truth coming out. God's Word tells us that everything wicked that is done in darkness will be made known. If someone speaks ill about or against us, simply let it go. What good comes from arguing and fighting with others over it? What we are really seeking is to restore our (or someone we love's) reputation or good standing.

For believers, we are not our own; our bodies were bought at a price and belong to Christ. Our reputation is not our concern; we have no right to a good reputation. He will watch over and protect us and use us no matter what others think of us so long as we obey Him and love Him.

Blinds. . . UGGHH!

2008-03-29T22:04:00.005-05:00

I set out to paint the bedroom and bathroom this weekend. I finished the bedroom except for the trim. I need to get to that but it's all oil base. I really don't like oil base paint. And it's over carpet. That makes me really nervous. I started the bathroon but haven't finished yet. I had to get new blinds for the bed room. I would actually prefer about any job in the world to hanging blinds. I hate it. They're heavy, awkard, and hard to deal with. I finally got them up, but it took way to long and I lost my patience several times. UGHH.

I really need to work on that. I get so frustrated on some things. I don't know why a few things make me really mad, and most other things don't affect me at all. Anyway, the difficult part is over. I'm tired though. It took me two days of painting and working to complete it.

Saying Bye to a Brother

2008-02-18T23:31:00.001-06:00

Today, I flew to Huntsville, AL to see one of my dearest friends for the last time. He has been battling cancer for a while now, and it seems that his time is coming rapidly to a close. I sat beside his bed tonight watching him. He has lost so much weight, that he was hardly recognizable. This man that was so full of life, so loving, tender, compassionate; now lay in delirium. He is not really conscious. He has been in a lot of pain, and the medicine that he is on now makes him delirious. I don't even think he knew I was there.

It is very hard to see him this way. I remember him teaching Sunday School, playing music, playing with children, cutting up and having fun. Now, he can hardly stand.

Life is hard. I was in the hospital room with his two children and one grandchild. I was thinking how difficult this must be for them to have to watch their father slowly waste away. It was difficult for me to lose my mother suddenly, tragically; but, it was quick. I know that she did not suffer long.

Death is not kind. It robs us of life. And life is what we were meant to have. Life in abundance. I remind myself that this was not the way God designed the world to work. He designed a place without death. However, death always remained a possibility because if man were to be completely free, then every possible choice had to be available. Man chose to sin. And with sin's entrance into the world came pain, separation, and death.

Now, we live in a world where we are separated from our loved ones by disease, sickness, tragedy, etc. But that was not God's plan. That's not what was intended. That is the result of a choice that we made. He is not to blame for death. In fact, God made a way for us to still have life even though death lays claim over us. He sent His Son who gave His life as a ransom for our sins. When we choose to give our lives to Him and follow Him, we enter into this new life. We become a new creation. We may still taste death in this life, but that is not the end. We will be raised to new life on the day that Jesus returns.

On that day, I will see Robert again. For I know who he is and how he lived. I know how he loved Jesus. Soon, his suffering will be over and he will rest in the peace of God's eternal kingdom. Until that day . . . .

I love you, brother.

Practical Ideas and Exercises for the Practice of Spiritual Disciplines

2008-01-23T23:34:00.001-06:00

God is inviting us to go on a journey into his heart and into the good life made available through Jesus: "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (John 10:10). But entering into this abundant life takes more than wishful thinking; it takes a well-thought-out, feasible plan.

We all struggle to live out what we believe and know is right. So, the first part of this plan is a balanced vision, which we find when incorporating into our lives practices seen in Jesus' life and the history of the Church. These practices, or spiritual disciplines, mature us in traditions of life and faith.

Pick one exercise out of one of the following areas that you would like to work on. Remember that these ideas are merely suggestions and contain no rules or standards. Feel free to adapt or modify them to fit your needs and situation.

However, before you begin, let me offer a few words of caution:

Caution 1: Avoid vague goals.
Solution: make your goals measurable (i.e. read one chapter of the Bible each day).

Caution 2: Don't try to do the impossible or unprofitable.
Solution: Be sure your plan is attainable. If your not sure, ask a camp sponsor.

Caution 3: Don't distance yourself form the exercises.
Solution: Personalize the activities by doing them frequently and trying new ones.

Caution 4: Refrain from Procrastination.
Solution: Make specific plans now (I.e. "I will pray for 10 minutes every morning at 7:30 am).

Caution 5: In spite of Cautions 3 & 4, don't allow yourself to become rigid or legalistic.
Solution: Be flexible when planning by focusing on the interior practice, not the exterior activity.

Above all, remember to reach a goal or become "holy" is not the reason we practice Spiritual disciplines; it is to experience the presence of God in our lives. Even in our failure we are learning and experiencing new and valuable things. Keep your emphasis on God and not on the method. This is difficult initially, but will become easier with time.

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Contemplative Tradition: The Prayer-Filled Life

...focuses upon intimacy with God and depth of spirituality. This spiritual dimension addresses the longing for a deeper, more vital Christian experience.

As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for thee, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God (Ps. 42:1-2b).

Exercises
1. Pray for 10 minutes each morning or evening.

2. Pray without words (in silence) for five minutes each day.

3. Offer a short prayer throughout the day (for example, the Jesus Prayer "Lord Jesus, Have mercy on me, a sinner" or the verse "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and tight spirit within me [Psalm 51:10]).

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Holiness Tradition: The Virtuous Life

...focuses upon personal moral transformation and the power to develop "holy habits." This spiritual dimension addresses the erosion of moral fiber in personal and social life.

Train yourself in godliness, for, while physical training is of some value, godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come (1 Tim. 4:7b-8).

Exercises
1. Work on taming your tongue; speak only when necessary.

2. Resolve to overcome temptation with silence and prayer. Instead of fighting or running from temptation, stand in silence, praying for God to give you strength.

3. Be a "gossip buster." Whenever you of someone you are with begins to gossip, quickly end it. Guide the conversation to a different subject.

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Charismatic Tradition: The Spirit-Empowered Life

...focuses upon the charisms of the Spirit and worship. This spiritual dimension addresses the yearning for the immediacy of God's presence among his people.

Be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts (Eph. 5:18b-19).

Exercises
1. Search the Scriptures to discover your spiritual gifts. Romans 12:6-8 and 1 Corinthians 12: 8-11 list gifts that we are to strive for and exercise as members of the body of Christ. Read the passages, pray about them, and seek understanding.

2. Pray for the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that we must "ask" for the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13). Do you feel that the Spirit is present and active in your life? If not, spend some time this week in prayer asking the Lord for the Holy Spirit's real and life-giving presence.

3. Spend time reading about the "fruit" of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 lists the fruit, or "virtues," of the Spirit. The presence of that fruit is a sure sign that God's Spirit is working in your life. Choose one virtue that you would like to increase and pray for its increase, and seek ways you can nurture its growth.

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Social Justice Tradition: The Compassionate Life

...focuses upon justice and shalom in all human relationships and social structures. This spiritual dimension addresses the gospel imperative for equity and compassion among all peoples.

But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream (Amos 5:24).

Exercises
1. Write a supportive letter this week to someone you feel may be needing a word of encouragement.

2. Help a friend in need. Do you know someone who needs assistance? Volunteering to help is a simple way to care for your neighbor.

3. Serve others with your words. Protect people's reputation and speak well of others as a way of serving them. Kind words are great deeds.

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Evangelical Tradition: The Word-Centered Life

...focuses upon the proclamation of the evangel, the good news of the gospel. This spiritual dimension addresses the need for people to see the good news lived and hear the good news proclaimed.

"I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die" (John 11:25-27).

Exercises
1. Read the Bible for fifteen minutes a day. Choose a method of reading (for example, tackling a chapter or a section a day) and follow it. Let the Bible influence the course of each day.

2. Talk about your faith in Jesus Christ with a friend here at camp this week.

3. Meditate on a psalm once a day. The psalms are wonderful prayers that help us commune with God. Let the words of the psalmist be your words. Read them slowly, over and over, until they become your prayers.

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Incarnational Tradition: The Sacramental Life

...focuses upon making present and visible the realm of the invisible spirit. This spiritual dimension addresses the crying need to experience God as truly manifest and notoriously active in daily life.

We have this treasure in earthen vessels (2 Cor. 4:7).

Exercises
1. Choose a day this week to do everything in honor of God.

2. Remove the barrier that keeps God outside. Imagine that you are wearing a full-body armor that keeps God's Spirit out of the innermost parts of your being. Remove the armor, invite God in and wait until you feel that the work is complete, giving thanks at the end.

3. Receive Communion or Eucharist. Receive it joyfully, knowing that Christ is truly present to you and longs to strengthen and teach you daily.

The Spiritual Disciplines and Questions of Examine

2008-01-23T23:31:00.001-06:00

Richard Foster divides the Spiritual Disciplines into six traditions that correspond to the complete and balanced life of Jesus Christ. Jesus displayed each of these traditions or characteristics in His life. Our goal as His disciples is to imitate Him and His lifestyle. The six traditions are listed below followed by a series of questions called Questions of Examen.

The modern world has basically abandoned the practice of examining the inner self. The Questions of Examen are tools to be used in correspondence with the Spiritual Disciplines and Exercises that fall under the corresponding tradition.

However, more information on and a better explanation of these traditions and the Common Disciplines can be found in Richard Foster's Streams of Living Water and The Spiritual Formation Workbook. Both of these books are available online at Amazon.com or the Renovare Website: http://www.renovare.org/

Contemplative: The Prayer-filled life
By God's grace, I will set aside time regularly for prayer, meditation, and spiritual reading and will seek to practice the presence of God.

Questions of Examen:
In what ways has God made his presence known to you since our last meeting? What experiences of prayer, meditation, and spiritual reading has God given you? What difficulties or frustrations have you encountered? What joys and delights?

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Holiness: The Virtuous Life
By God's grace, I will strive mightily against sin and will do deeds of love and mercy.

Questions of Examen:
What temptations have you faced since our last meeting? How did you respond? Which spiritual disciplines has God used to lead you further into holiness of heart and life?

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Charismatic: The Spirit-Empowered Life
By God's grace, I will welcome the Holy Spirit, exercising the gifts and nurturing the fruit while living in the joy and power of the Spirit.

Questions of Examen:
Have you sensed any influence or work of the Holy Spirit since our last meeting? What spiritual gifts has the Spirit enabled you to exercise? What was the outcome? What fruit of the Spirit would you like to see increase in your life? What disciplines might be useful in this effort?

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Social Justice: The Compassionate Life
By God's grace, I will endeavor to serve others everywhere I can and will work for justice in all human relationships and social structures.

Questions of Examen:
What opportunities has God given you to serve others since our last meeting? How did you respond? Have you encountered any injustice to or oppression of others? Have you been able to work for justice and shalom?

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Evangelical: The Word-Centered Life
By God's grace, I will share my faith with others as God leads and study the Scriptures regularly.

Questions of Examen:
Has God provided an opportunity for you to share your faith with someone since our last meeting? How did you respond? In what ways have you encountered Christ in your reading of the Scriptures? How has the Bible shaped the way you think and live?

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Incarnational: The Sacramental Life
By God's grace, I will joyfully seek to show forth the presence of God in all that I say, in all that I do, in all that I am.

Questions of Examen:
In what ways have you been able to manifest the presence of God through your daily work since our last meeting? How has God fed and strengthened you through the ministry of word and sacrament?

The Discipline of Celebration

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Without a joyful spirit of festivity the Disciplines become dull,
death-breathing tools in the hands of modern Pharisees

Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline

We have a disadvantage, today, when it comes to understanding the Spiritual Discipline of Celebration because we have become stimulated in this area. Americans celebrate everything: football games, parades, holidays, birthdays, freedom, CD releases, movie grand-openings, etc. In fact, we celebrate so often that celebration has lost much of its meaning. Scripture points out that "the joy of the Lord is our strength" (Neh 8:10). Richard Foster further states that, "Celebration brings joy into life, and joy makes us strong" (Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 191).

I find it very sad to see people who make a habit of "church hopping" in order to find a church home where they can be "happy." "Joy is not found in singing a particular kind of music or in getting with the right kind of group or even in exercising the charismatic gifts of the Spirit . . . Joy is found in obedience" (Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 193).

Often, Christians try to "pump people up with joy." It is as if we expect that followers of Jesus should always be joyful and happy. However, it is possible to try to "pump people up with joy" too quickly. We must always allow God time to work in people's lives. Genuine joy is manifested when we are obedient to God's will for our lives. Yet if we have not developed a pattern of discipline in our lives that frequently places us in a position where God can uses us, speak to us, and grow in us, then what reason do we have to celebrate? "Joy is the end result of Spiritual Disciplines' functioning in our lives. God brings about the transformation of our lives through the Disciplines, and we will not know genuine joy until there is a transforming work within us" (Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 193). However, if we do not allow our practice of Spiritual disciplines to produce joy in us, then sooner or later, we will give up on them.

In the spiritual life only one thing will produce genuine joy, and that is obedience" (Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 192.

To elicit genuine celebration, obedience must work itself into the ordinary fabric of our lives. . . For example, some people live in such a way that it is impossible to have any kind of happiness in their home, but then they go to church and sing songs and pray "in the Spirit," hoping that God will somehow give them an infusion of joy to make it through the day. They are looking for some kind of heavenly transfusion that will bypass the misery of their daily lives and give them joy. But God's desire is to transform the misery, not bypass it (Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 192-3).

The means that God uses to teach us joy is through "redeeming and sanctifying" our run-of-the-mill, everyday, ordinary lives. So let us now look at how God infuses us with joy in our everyday lives.

The Apostle Paul tells us to:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! . . . not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4: 6-7).

To possess inward solitude means that we do not fear being alone, for we understand in the depths of our being that we are never and will never be alone. In the same regard, it also means that we do not fear being with others for they have no sway or control over us and our beliefs.

So what exactly does he mean by "Rejoice in the Lord always"?

Luckily, Paul goes on to answer this in the verses following. To be able to "rejoice in the Lord always," we must first of all learn to "not be anxious about anything" "We have been trained since we were two years old to be full of care. We shout to our children as they run to the school bus, "Be careful," that is, be full of care. The spirit of celebration will not be in us until we have learned to be 'careful for nothing.'" (Foster, 195). We can only learn to be carefree when we learn to trust in God and rely on Him completely. When we rely on Him and take everything to Him "by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving," then "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard [our] hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Phil 4:7).

Yet, "Prayer and trust by themselves are not adequate to bring us joy" (Foster, 195). Paul goes on to tell us that we must guard our mind and thoughts:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you (Philippians 4: 8-9).

By focusing our lives on the good things that God has provided and by constantly thanking Him for these things, we will become joyful; we will realize our reasons to celebrate. And once we decide to focus on these things, we will become so full of these things that most of our problems will seem small and insignificant.

Learning the Discipline of Celebration is crucial to our spiritual health. For without joy, we will not be able to persevere in anything we do. However, the three things Paul mentioned: 1) to not be anxious about anything, 2) to take everything to God and to trust in Him to supply all of our needs, 3) and to focus our attention on the excellent things of God are all acts of the will. They are things that we must deliberately choose to do, and this is why celebration is a Spiritual Discipline.

The Discipline of Celebration is meant to add "a note of gaiety, festivity, hilarity to our lives" (Ibid, 196). Of all people, Christians should be the "most free, alive, and interesting. Unfortunately, many deeply religious people are known to be life-less and boring. It is true that our souls "can become weary with straining after God just as our body can become weary with overwork" (Ibid, 196). But celebration is meant to fill us with joy.

"The most important benefit of celebration is that it saves us from taking ourselves too seriously" (Foster, 196). It give us a new perspective. It teaches us to see that "the causes we champion are not nearly so monumental as we would like to believe" (Ibid, 196). Once we are freed from our "inflated view of our own importance, we also are freed of a judgmental spirit" Others do not look so awful, so unspiritual. Common joys can be shared without sanctimonious value judgments" (Ibid, 196-7).

Finally, one of the best characteristic of celebration is that it naturally multiplies itself. "Joy begets joy. Laughter begets laughter" (Ibid, 197).

I would like to mention a word of caution. We must be careful to avoid false-celebration: celebration when there really is nothing to celebrate. In the same light, we must also watch ourselves against pretending "to celebrate when the spirit of celebration is not in us" (Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 193).

Our children watch us bless the food and promptly proceed to gripe about it—blessings that are not blessings. One of the things that nearly destroys children is being forced to be grateful when they are not grateful. If we pretend an air of celebration, our inner spirit is put in contradiction. (Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 193-4).

True celebrations springs forth from a heart of joy. It is not something that we must force. Practice yes, coerce no.

We practice celebration by allowing ourselves to sing, shout, and dance. "Because of the goodness of God, the heart breaks forth into psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Worship, praise, adoration flow from the inner chambers" (Ibid, 197). Think of how little children celebrate. They become so excited that they cannot contain themselves. They sing, and dance, and shout, and laugh. How many adults do you know who act this way when they are excited. There is nothing wrong with this type of behavior at the appropriate time just as there is nothing wrong with silence at the appropriate time. Everything that God has created is good. Anything can be misused and abused, but in and of itself, God created us to be filled with joy and celebration in His presence.

This article completes my review of Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline. It is a wonderful book with many insightful tips on incorporating the practice of the Spiritual Disciplines in one's life. I hope that these articles have inspired you to draw closer to God in your own spiritual walk.

May God fill you with His peace and joy as you continually seek Him.

The Discipline of Guidance

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In many ways the church today is experiencing a re-awakening. "Many are having a deep and profound experience of an Emmanuel of the Spirit—God with us; a knowledge that in the power of the Spirit, Jesus has come to guide his people himself" (Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 175). Yet as powerful and as important as this awakening is, it remains insufficient. It is not enough to experience or understand the Spiritual discipline of Divine Guidance in a personal sense, we must also come to understand it in a corporate sense. "I do not mean 'corporate guidance' in an organizational sense, but in an organic and functional sense. Church councils and denominational decrees are simply not of this reality" (ibid, 175).

Today, there is plenty of excellent information and resources available on how God guides His people through Scripture, through reason, through circumstances, and even through the promptings of His Spirit. But there is very little information in the area on how God leads us through His people, the body of Christ.

God does guide the individual richly and profoundly, but he also guides groups of people and can instruct the individual through the group experience" (ibid, 176). To see evidence of this, one only needs to spend some time reading the book of Exodus. God led Israel out of Egypt and through the desert for forty years. He guided them personally. All an Israelite needed to do to become aware of God's guiding presence was look up and see the pillar of fire by night or the cloud of smoke by day. However, it was not long into their exodus that the people of Israel found God's "presence to awful, too glorious and begged, 'Let not God speak to us, lest we die'" (Exodus 20:19 in Foster, 176). At this point, Moses became their mediator.

Thus began the great ministry of the prophets whose function was to hear God's word and bring it to the people. Although this was a step away from the corporate leading of the Holy Spirit, there remained a sense of being a people together under the rule of God. But a day came when Israel rejected even the prophet in favor of a king. From that point on the prophet was the outsider. He was a lonely voice crying in the wilderness; sometimes obeyed, sometimes killed, but almost always on the outside. Patiently God prepared a people and in the fullness of time Jesus came. And with him dawned a new day. Once again a people were gathered who lived under the immediate, theocratic rule of the Spirit (ibid, 176).

In 1 Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul describes how God leads His people by using the analogy of the church being parts of one body. The essence of what he teaches them is that: "No one person [possesses] everything. Even the most mature [needs] the help of others. The most insignificant [has] something to contribute cool" (ibid, 179). The point is that we are all necessary and that God uses all of us in guiding us in His ways.

During the Middle Ages, not even the greatest saints attempted "the depths of the inward journey without the help of a spiritual director" (Ibid, 185). Yet today, most Christians would not even consider searching out such a mentor.

A Spiritual Director is a person who leads someone to the inward teachings of the Holy Spirit; he is "God's usher, and must lead souls in God's way, and not his own" (Baker in Foster, 185). Such a person leads through example, by his own personal holiness. He is one who has advanced farther in his spiritual life. However, his leadership is not to be thought of as superior to that of the disciple; he simply serves as an adviser to a friend. In other words, they are "both learning and growing in the realm of the Spirit" together (ibid, 185).

All this talk of "soul" and "spirit" might lead us to think that spiritual direction deals only with a small corner or compartment of our lives. That is, we would go to a spiritual director to car for our souls the way we might go to an ophthalmologist to care for our eyes. Such an approach is false. Spiritual direction is concerned with the whole person and the interrelationship of all of life.

Spiritual direction, like our spiritual formation, applies to the sum total of our lives. If we do not seek it in all of our affairs, we might as well not seek it. For we are all on a journey, and every day we make choices that determine the destiny of our journey. The purpose of a spiritual director is to assist us in recognizing our blind-spots and weaknesses; to assist us in our growth and pursuit of the Living God.

So how does one find a spiritual mentor? As with all other things in this world, one should begin with prayer. We state our need before our Creator and wait patiently for Him to make the arrangements. Yet we must make a few arrangements on our own.

1. We must be willing to believe that we can learn from our brothers and sisters. "If you cannot listen to your brother, you cannot listen to the Holy Spirit" (Vogt in Foster, 187).
2. We must understand that others are more spiritually mature than we are. They have gone "further into the divine Center" than we have.
3. We must understand that there are many forms of spiritual direction:

a. Preaching
b. Small group ministry
c. Study and memorization of the Word
d. Accountability/Discipleship groups, etc.
e. Meeting weekly for coffee and prayer

There are a few dangers in corporate guidance that need to be mentioned. The most destructive danger is manipulation and control by leaders. "If corporate guidance is not handled within the larger contest of an all-pervasive grace, it degenerates into an effective way to straighten out deviant behavior" (Foster, 187).

Matthew 12:20 points out the gentle nature of Jesus in dealing with others, "A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory." It was not his way to be manipulative or controlling. If we are to imitate Him, we too must show compassion and tenderness to others.

There is also danger in becoming "a hard-hearted and stiff-necked people to hinder Spirit-inspired leaders" (ibid, 188). It is true that leaders need to be held accountable by those they lead, they still need the freedom to lead.

If God has called them to lead, they should not have to bring every detail of life to the community. We must never be seduced by Western democratic ideals into believing that every person must have an equal say about every triviality in the community's life.

We must always make sure that corporate guidance is married to Scripture. God's Word must penetrate all of our thinking and decision making. God's Spirit will NEVER go against or be in opposition to the written Word.

Yet we must remember that corporate guidance is:

. . .limited by out finitude. We are fallible human beings and there are times when, despite our best efforts, our own prejudices and fears keep us from a Spirit-led unity. Sometimes we simply see things differently. Paul and Barnabas, for example could not agree on whether to take John Mark with them on their second missionary journey. Luke says 'a sharp contention' developed between them (Acts 15:39). We should not be surprised if we have the same experiences in our ministry efforts (ibid, 188).

Foster points out than when (not if) these times occur "that we be kind to each other" (ibid, 189). For we can no one thing for sure:

The aim of God in history is the creation of an all-inclusive community of loving persons, with Himself included in that community as its prime sustainer and most glorious inhabitant (Willard in Foster, 189). We cannot become this community without God's love and guidance, and we cannot maintain this community unless we love as Christ loved the church.

The Discipline of Worship

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Which would you prefer?

-A spouse that tells you they love you ten times a day . . . Or one who's faithful to you alone, consistently doing the things that show they care?
-A significant other who gives you homemade cards with "you're the best thing in my life" messages . . . Or one who respects you, honors, you, and doesn't date around on you?
-Kids who tell you how much you mean to them . . . Or kids who are trustworthy, caring, enough to obey you because they believe you want their very best?
-Friends who keep reminding you that you're their best friend . . . Or those who are there when you need them most, never stabbing you in the back when you're not around?

If you're like me, your answer is . . . BOTH. I want the words and the actions. I'm guessing the same can be said about you. Well, God is no different. The worship He's after is a BOTH kind of worship (Giglio, The Air I Breathe, 67-68).

Ah, worship. To truly worship is to come before the throne of God, yet worship seems to divide more churches than any other subject. To save time and space, we will dispense with one great myth right from the beginning: worship is not just music. Worship is "words and the actions," to quote Louie Giglio from above. We cannot honor and praise God with our lips if we do not honor and praise God with our lives. And we cannot honor and praise God when we gather together for corporate worship if we do not honor and praise Him every other day of our lives. Simply put, "Worship is our response to the overtures of love from the heart of the Father. . . Singing, praying, praising all may lead to worship, but worship is more than any of them. Our spirit must be ignited by the divine fire" (Foster, 158-159).

If Jesus is to be Lord, then worship must be a priority in our lives. Our first command is to love the Lord [our] God with all [our] heart, and with all [our] soul, and with all [our] mind, and with all [our] strength (Mark 12:30). "The divine priority is worship first, service second. Our lives are to be punctuated with praise, thanksgiving, and adoration. Service flows out of worship. Service as a substitute for worship is idolatry" (Foster, 161).

The proper function of the Levitical priests was to "come near to me to minister to me" (Ezekiel 44:15). For the Old Testament priesthood, ministry to God was to precede all other work. And that is no less true of the universal priesthood of the New Testament. One grave temptation we all face is to run around answering calls to service without ministering to the Lord himself (Foster, 161).

The church, as a whole, is being called back to worship today. We are called to approach the throne of God with a holy expectancy that we will actually hear the "voice of God."

Brother Lawrence understood this very well. He knew that because he experienced the presence of God while he worked in the kitchen that he would experience God in the times of worship. He states, " I cannot imagine how religious person can live satisfied without the practice of the Presence of God" (Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God, 32).

Worship is a Spiritual discipline because of our fallen nature. We no longer have a natural oneness with our Creator. So we must learn an ordered way of life that sets us before God so He can transform and renew us. To learn to worship, we must learn to still ourselves. We must learn to go about our daily routine in a "perpetual, inward, listening silence" so that we can hear and listen to God (Foster, 166).

If we are accustomed to carrying out the business of our lives in human strength and wisdom, we will do the same in gathered worship. If however, we have cultivated the habit of allowing every conversation, every business transaction to be divinely prompted, that same sensitivity will flow into public worship" (Foster, italics added, 166-7).

For most, the thought of living every waking moment in the presence of God seems impossible; however, I believe that is simply because we do not fully understand the Holy Spirit's role in our lives.

When we have been under [Jesus] tutelage for a time, we see how it is possible . . . We wake up in the morning and lie in bed quietly praising and worshiping the Lord. We tell him that we desire to live under his leadership and rule. Driving to work, we ask our Teacher, "how are we doing?" Immediately our Mentor flashes before our mind the caustic remark we made to our spouse on the way out the door. We realize we have been living in the flesh. There is confession, restoration, and a new humility. . . We stop at the gas station and sense the divine urging to get acquainted with the attendant, to see her as a person rather than an automaton. We drive on, rejoicing in our new insight into Spirit-initiated activity. And so it goes throughout our day: a prompting here or a drawing there, sometimes a bolting ahead or a lagging behind our Guide. Like a child taking first steps we are learning through success and failure, confident that we have a present Teacher who, through the Holy Spirit, will guide us into all truth (Foster, 167).

To fully hear the divine whisper, we must stop listening to the roar of the world. We must practice "stilling" our soul. It is unrealistic to think that we will ever hear God unless we slow down. I understand that we neither can nor should stop working; however, we can, through practice, learn to "still the activity of our flesh so that the activity of the Holy Spirit dominates the way we live" (Foster, 167).

Here are a few simple steps that may help in your experience of worship:

1. Learn to practice the Presence of God daily.

2. Try other forms of expressing your worship to God. Worship Him when you are alone, in group Bible Study, by enjoying nature, by laughter, etc. Worship is giving thanks to God for what He has done.

3. Find ways to prepare yourself for corporate worship. Go to be early on Saturday night so that you will be re-freshed in the morning. Show up before the service early and take a few minutes to let go of the distractions in your life.

4. Learn to let go of any personal agenda in corporate worship. The language of corporate worship is not "I" but "we." Our desire must be to have God's Spirit rest on our congregation not on just ourselves so that we can all be of "one mind, one body."

5. Learn to be dependent on God for anything that happens. "Look forward to God acting and moving and teaching and wooing and winning. The work is God's not [ours]" (Foster, 173).

6. Learn to absorb distractions with gratitude. Rather than becoming upset by the distractions and noise during a service, take control and conquer it. When children are making too much noise, bless them. Be thankful they are alive and healthy. "Become wiling to relax with distractions—they may be a message from the Lord. . . Learn to simply receive whatever happens in a gathered worship experience, rather than feeling that distractions somehow deter you from worshipping God" (Foster, 172).

7. Learn to offer a sacrifice of worship. Many times we may not feel like worshipping; we need to kneel before Him and admit, "Lord, today I don't feel like worshipping, but I desire to give You this time. It belongs to You." Go to worship praying, expecting, and looking for God to do something new in your life.

Worship is something that we do; it's a lifestyle we adopt. Studying the theology of worship has its advantages, but we can only learn to truly worship by worshiping. For it is how we respond to God's love and all He has done for us that truly matters.

The Discipline of Confession

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Confession is a difficult spiritual discipline for many Christians to embrace because "we all too often view the believing community as a fellowship of saints before we see it as a fellowship of sinners" (Foster, 145). We often believe that others are "much more holy" than we are, and as a result, we bury our sins and failures beneath the surface of an "I've got it all together" fascade. We feel that everyone has it together but us, so we hide from each other and "live in veiled lies and hypocrisy" (Foster, 145).

To break this unholy chain of bondage, believers must realize that the people of God are first of all "a fellowship of sinners" (Foster, 145). For only then will we,

. . . realize that we are nor alone in our sin. The fear and pride that cling to us like barnacles cling to others also. We are sinners together. In acts of mutual confession we release the power that heals. Our humanity is no longer denied, but transformed (Foster, 146).

The discipline of confession is so very powerful. While it's redemptive process remains a mystery, we know it changes our status before God. It brings reconciliation and unity where there was once division and angst. Unfortunately, it is so often over-looked. Do you know what it feels like to be "unforgiven?" Are you still struggling with secret sin in your life?

The person who has known forgiveness and release from persistent, nagging habits of sin through private confession should rejoice greatly in this evidence of God's mercy. But there are others for whom this has not happened. . . . We have prayed, even begged, for forgiveness and though we hope we have been forgiven, we sense no release. We doubt our forgiveness and despair at our confession. We fear that perhaps we have made confession only to ourselves and not to God. The haunting sorrows and hurts of the past have not been healed. We try to convince ourselves that God forgives only the sin; he does not heal the memory. But deep within our being we know there must be something more. People have told us to take our forgiveness by faith and not to call God a liar. Not wanting to call God a liar, we do our best to take it by faith. But because misery and bitterness remain in our lives, we again despair. Eventually we begin to believe either that forgiveness is only a ticket to heaven and not meant to affect our lives now, or that we are not worthy of the forgiving grace of God (Foster, 147).

The author of Hebrews states that Jesus' sacrifice was final and sufficient for all mankind. And Jesus has ordained us into His priesthood so that we can take this forgiveness to others. Deitrich Bonhoeffer writes: "A man who confesses his sins in the presence of a brother knows that he is no longer alone with himself; he experiences the presence of God in the reality of the other person" (Bonhoeffer , Life Together, 116). Confession brings us forgiveness and freedom. Forgiveness from our sin and its bondage; freedom from the chains that hold us to our ingrained patterns of sin.

I have an accountability partner with whom I meet every Thursday morning. Sharing my life an opening up has never been extremely difficult for me because I come from a very open and expressive family. However, my openness is very limited. I share my feelings, my mess ups, and sometimes my heart; but I am always reluctant to share my deepest darkest sins. As we spoke about last month, there is always a risk of having these things used against you. Confession is risky. However, it is the only door to freedom. There are many sins that cannot be overcome privately. We simply do not have the strength or resources to overcome some things on our own. So, we must reach out in desperation for the help of others. Confession to my accountability partner has allowed me to overcome some very difficult areas in my life. The love and acceptance that my friend has shown me has made me more aware of the love that God has for me as well. It has also made me more forgiving of others. I have become less likely to point out the faults of others because I vividly remember where I have come from.

So the question remains, how do I begin to confess?

St. Alphonsus writes, "For a good confession three things are necessary: an examination of conscience, sorrow, and a determination to avoid sin" . . . "An examination of conscience" . . . is a time where a soul comes under the gaze of God and where in His silent and loving Presence this soul is pierced to the quick and becomes conscious of the things that must be forgiven and put right before it can continue to love One whose care has been so constant" . . . Sorrow as it relates to confession is not primarily an emotion, though emotion may be involved. It is an abhorrence at having committed the sin, a deep regret at having offended the heart of the Father. Sorrow is an issue of the will before it is an issue of the emotions. . . . "A determination to avoid sin" . . .we ask God to give us a yearning for holy living, a hatred for unholy living. . . It is the will to be delivered from sin that we seek from God as we prepare to make confession. We must desire to be conquered and ruled by God, or if we do not desire it, to desire to desire it. Such a desire is a gracious gift from God. The seeking of this gift is one of the preliminaries for confession to a brother or sister" (Foster, 151-153, italics added).

When opening ourselves up to the "gaze of God" we must be prepared to come face to face with our true selves and the sin in our lives. And I am not referring to our outward sins here but the sins of our heart: lust, pride, greed, hatred, bitterness, fear; as well as the sins of the flesh: sloth, gluttony, adultery, murder, etc. For when we seek forgiveness through confession, our hearts will be revealed to us. Not all at once mind you, but it will happen. And no of us will like what we find. Jeremiah 17: 9-10 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? 'I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve'" (NIV). To be faithful to God and to continue in our maturity towards Christ-likeness, we must learn to discipline of confession.

Let me reassure you that confession is usually far more complicated when analyzed than it is in practice. "Remember the heart of the Father; He is like a shepherd who will risk anything to find that one lost sheep. We do not have to make God willing to forgive. In fact, it is God who is working to make us willing to seek His forgiveness" (Foster, 153).

The only warning that I would give in regard to confession is that we must have a "definite termination point in the self-examination" lest we "fall into the permanent habit of self-condemnation" (Foster, 153). Confession should begin with sorrow, but because it brings forgiveness, it should end in joy. Don't let Satan take you down the path of self-loathing. It will be easy, for you will see horrible things in your heart. But remember the love of God and move on.

Before closing, there is a practical matter of whom we should go to to confess. Theologically, any believer can receive our confession; however, it is unfortunate to say that not every believer has the empathy, understanding, or physical maturity to handle it. Some people would be horrified at knowing our personal sin; others, not understanding the true nature of confessions, "would shrug it off with a 'That's not so bad'" remark. My suggestion is that you prayerfully consider whom you choose to confess to. A good list of qualifications to look for would be: "spiritual maturity, wisdom, compassion, good common sense, the ability to keep a confidence, and a wholesome sense of humor" (Foster, 153). It would be best to form a relationship such as in an accountability partnership and meet weekly to encourage and mentor one another.

The Discipline of Service

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If there is no element of asceticism in our lives, if we give free rein to the desires of the flesh . . .
We shall find it hard to train for the service of Christ.

Deitrich Bonhoffer

For many believers, service is an extension of their faith. It is their faith in action. Yet having the heart of a servant is a very difficult thing from the simple act of serving. The Spiritual Discipline of service is more than a radical denial of self. In choosing to be a servant, we willingly submit ourselves to the mundane, the ordinary, and the trivial. Through this, we experience many "little deaths" of reaching beyond ourselves and sacrificing for the sake of others. In many ways, true service can be more difficult than martyrdom. Yet Jesus' words to us are very clear:

Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them (John 13:14-17, NIV).

Jesus is not telling us to completely do away with authority and leadership for that would be impossible. But He has "redefining leadership and rearranging the lines of authority" (Foster, 127). Jesus teaches us that there are those who have true spiritual authority, and not everyone has this authority. However, godly authority is never to be used to manipulate or control others. It is a leadership of function not of status. Yet even from a position of leadership and/or authority, we are to be servants of all.

To properly understand the discipline of service, we must clearly distinguish it from "self-righteous service:"

Self-righteous service comes through human effort. It expends immense amounts of energy calculating and scheming how to render service. . . It is impressed with the "big deal" (big projects). . . It requires external rewards. It needs to know that people see and appreciate the effort. . . It is highly concerned about results. It eagerly waits to see if the person served will reciprocate in kind. It becomes bitter when the results fall below expectation.. . . It picks and chooses whom to serve. . . It insists on meeting the need even when to do so would be destructive. . . It is affected by moods and whims. It can serve only when there is a "feeling" to serve". . . It is temporary . . . Insensitive . . . Fractures community" (Foster, 128-129).

True Service comes from a relationship with the divine Other deep inside. We serve out of whispered promptings, divine urgings. . . True service rests contented in hidden-ness. It does not fear the lights and blare of attention, but it does not seek them either. . . True service is indiscriminate in its ministry. It has heard the command of Jesus to be the "servant of all" (Mark 9:35). . . True service ministers simply and faithfully because there is a need. . . True service is a life-style. It acts from ingrained patterns of living. . . True service builds community. It quietly and unpretentiously goes about caring for the needs of others. It draws, binds, heals, builds (Foster, 128-130).

True service is a result of giving up control; of submitting to the will of God in our lives. God uses this discipline to teach us humility. Humility is one of those character traits that can never be attained by seeking. The more we chase after it, the farther it is from us, and the minute we think we have attained it, we simply prove otherwise by our own arrogance.

Yet this is not to say that there is nothing that we can do. "When we set out on a consciously chosen course of action that accents the good of others and is, for the most part, a hidden work, a deep change occurs in our spirits" (Foster, 130). The result serving from a pure heart is that we become humble. For "nothing disciplines the inordinate desires of the flesh like service, and nothing transforms the desires of the flesh like serving in hidden-ness" (Foster, 130). In as much as our "flesh" whines about service, it screams against doing service in secret. Our flesh will strain and fight for recognition and praise. To refuse to give in to these longings of the flesh is to crucify our pride and our arrogance.

In 1 John 2:16, we read:

For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world (NIV).

Of the "lust of the eyes", C. H. Dodd says:

The "lust of the eyes" refers to the failure to discipline the natural human passions. . . "lust of the eyes" refers to "the tendency to be captivated by outward show." He defines the "pride of life" as "pretentious egoism." In each case the same thing is seen: infatuation with natural powers and abilities without any dependence upon God. That is the flesh in operation, and the flesh is the deadly enemy of humanity" (Dodd in Foster, 130-131).

Many people are hesitant to enter into a life of service despite Jesus' words that all believers are to do so. In a way, we fear service, for the act of serving means that we might "be taken advantage of" or " be walked on by others." So we must be clear about yet another common misunderstanding.

There is a huge difference between choosing to serve and choosing to be a servant.

When we choose to serve, we are still in charge. We decide whom we will serve and when we will serve. And if we are in charge, we will worry a great deal about anyone stepping on us, that is, taking charge over us. . . . But when we choose to be a servant, we give up the right to be in charge. There is great freedom in this. If we voluntarily choose to be taken advantage of, then we cannot be manipulated. When we choose to be a servant, we surrender the right to decide who and when we will serve. We become available and vulnerable (Foster, 132).

To live out the Discipline of service is not the same things as performing specific acts of service. For the discipline of service is more than a list of things that we do for others or a code of ethics, it is an attitude that we adopt, a style of life that we choose to live.

"As in all the Disciplines, it is possible to master the mechanics of service without experiencing the Discipline" (Foster 134). To truly be servants, we must be aware of the world around us. We must understand what service our world needs so we can fill that need. Then we must seek to meet those needs; not when it is convenient for us, but whenever the divine "whispering prompts" us.

Service must be selfless. We must not expect in return. A good exercise is to read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 and substitute the word service for the word love. To serve others is to act out our love for them and for our God. So these words would truly be authentic:

Service is patient, service is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. service does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Service never fails

All Richard Foster quotes taken from Celebration of Discipline

The Discipline of Submission

2008-01-23T23:04:00.001-06:00

Of all the Spiritual Disciplines none has been more abused than the discipline of submission.

Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline

Somehow, mankind has a knack for taking things that God intended for good purposes and turns them into bad things. Nothing can put people into bondage like religion, and nothing can do more to manipulate and destroy people than a deficient teaching on submission. So we must be careful to ensure that we properly discern and teach this discipline.

The goal of Spiritual Disciplines is freedom, and each discipline has its corresponding freedom. In and of themselves, disciplines are of no value. They are only valuable because they can direct us into a proper position before God so that He can enter and change our lives.

"What freedom corresponds to submission? It is the ability to lay down the terrible burden of always needing to bet our own way" (Foster, 111). The idea that things have to go our way plagues our western modern society. We spend weeks, even months, in a stew all because some little thing did not go as we had wished. We act as if our very life hangs on certain issues; we even get ulcers over it.

Yet, most things in life that we fret over are not really as important as we make them out to be. Most decisions that we make in life are not major decisions. If we could only come to recognize this, then we could hold them lightly.

So how do we practice submission?

1. The best way to practice submission is to simply hold one's tongue. Silence and submission go hand in hand. Biblical teaching on submission focus's primarily on the spirit with which we view other people. Scripture does not attempt to set forth a series of hierarchical relationships but to communicate to us an inner attitude of mutual subordination. Read 1 Peter 2:18. It is altogether possible for servants to serve their masters without a spirit of submission. Outwardly, we can do what people ask and inwardly be in rebellion against them. The Old Testament told us not to murder, but Jesus, in the New Testament, stressed the importance of our inner attitudes towards others and made clear that it is just as wrong to hate as it is to murder. The discipline of submission frees us to love unconditionally.

2. The basis of understanding the discipline of submission is found in Jesus' statement: "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Mark 8:34). Do you know the freedom that comes with giving up our rights? It means that we are set free from the anger and bitterness that consume us when someone doesn't act toward us in the way that we think they should. Western society has completely lost this whole concept. It is as foreign as trying to speak Latin. For self-denial conjures up all sorts of images of groveling and self-hatred. "Yet, Jesus did not equate self-denial with self-hatred. Self-denial is simply a way of coming to understand that we do not have to have our own way. Our happiness is not dependent upon getting what we want" (Foster, 113).

3. In the same way, self-denial (submission) does not mean that we lose our identity. Did Jesus lose his identity when He set His face toward Golgotha? Did Peter lose his identity when he responded to Jesus' call, "Follow me!" (Jn 21:19). No, they found their identity in their acts of self-denial.

4. Further, self-denial is not the same as self-contempt. Self-contempt claims that we have no worth, no value; and that if we do have worth, that we should reject and deny it. Self-denial declares that we have infinite self-worth and teaches us how to realize and appreciate it. Jesus points out that self-love and self-denial are not in conflict. More than once Jesus made it quite clear that self-denial is the only sure way to love ourselves (Matt. 10:39; 22:39).

5. Learning the discipline of submission means learning the freedom to give way to others. It means that we value their interests, needs, and desires above our own. In this way, it releases us from self-pity and self-indulgence.

Our primary difficulty with this discipline is that we have failed to properly understand Jesus' teaching on it. His teaching on leadership is entirely upside down: Leadership is found in becoming a servant. To be victorious, we must surrender! Power is found in being submissive. "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it" (Mark 8:35).

But make sure to understand that Jesus not only taught this style of leadership, He also lived it. Jesus shattered the leadership style of His day when He:

1. Took women seriously
2. Was willing to make time for little children
3. Washed His disciples feet
4. Freely suffered and died on across

It is impossible to explain the revolutionary character of Jesus' life and teachings. He called into being a whole new order of leadership. And then stated, "I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you" (Mark 9:35). "It is a life of voluntary submission of freely . . . of accepted servant hood" (Foster, 116).

Are there limits to submission? Yes, but not as most would think. "The limits of submission are at the point at which it becomes destructive. It then becomes a denial of the law of love as taught by Jesus and is an affront to genuine biblical submission (Matt. 5,6 and 7 and especially 22:37-39)' (Foster 120).

We cannot and are not to submit to authorities who would have us deny the One true God. Both Peter and Paul demonstrated this in the New Testament (Acts 4:19-20; 5:29; 16:37). We must understand that submission reaches its limits when it becomes destructive. We must also be willing to "meekly refuse a destructive command and be willing to suffer the consequences" (Foster, 120).

Sometimes the limits of submission are easy to define:

A wife is asked to punish her child unreasonably. A child is asked to aid an adult in an unlawful practice. A citizen is asked to violate the dictates of Scripture and conscience for the sake of the State. In each case the disciple refuses, not arrogantly, but in a spirit of meekness and submission.

However, sometimes the limits of submission are extremely difficult to determine:

What about a marriage partner who feels stifled and kept from personal fulfillment because of the spouse's professional career? Is this a legitimate form of self-denial or is it destructive? What about a teacher who unjustly grades a student? Does the student submit or resist? What about an employer who promotes his employees on the basis of favoritism and vested interests? What does the deprived employee do, especially if the raise is needed for the good of his or her family?

These are very complicated questions, and unfortunately, there is no law of submission that covers every human relationship. After all, if we had a book of rules to cover every situation, then we wouldn't need dependence upon God.

Finally, let me point out a special issue that relates to this discipline. Jesus' teaching on authority run completely opposite to the thinking systems of this world. Spiritually, authority does not reside in positions, titles, tenure, or degrees; spiritual authority is God-ordained and God-sustained. Human institutions may acknowledge this authority or they may not; it makes no difference. The person with spiritual authority may have an outward position of authority or may not; again, it makes no difference. Spiritual authority is marked by both compassion and power. But here is the difficulty, How do you personally deal with people who are in "positions of authority" but who do not possess spiritual authority? Since Jesus made it clear that position does not give authority, should this person be obeyed? Can we not rather disregard all humanly ordained authority and only look for and submit to spiritual authority?

The answer is neither simple, nor impossible. Scripture commands that we live in subordination and submission to human authority until it becomes destructive. Again both, Peter and Paul call us to be obedient to the pagan State because they understood the great good that resulted from the human institution of government.

We should constantly be in prayer for such people that they will be filled with God's power and authority. We could also try becoming their friend to help lead them, ourselves, into a right view of leadership and submission.

May God Bless You as You Seek Him.

The Discipline of Silence and Solitude

2008-01-23T23:02:00.001-06:00

Let him who cannot be alone beware of community . . . .
Let him who is not in community beware of being alone.

Deitrich Bonhoeffer

In silence, we close ourselves off from noise, whether that be music, words, or any number of natural things. In our modern world, total silence is extremely rare. In fact, what we today call "quiet" usually only amounts to "a little less noise." Many people have never experienced silence and do not even know that they do not know what it is. Our households and offices are filled with whirring, buzzing, murmuring, chattering, and whining of the multiple contraptions that are supposed to make life easier (Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines, 163).

And in some curious way, these noises comfort us. Likewise, the absence of noise petrifies us. Have you ever experienced absolute, complete silence? It is terrifying.

So daunting to us is silence that it drives many of us to constantly seek noises and crowds. We buy radios and MP3 players to strap to our bodies when we aren't in cars. We buy video games and portable DVD players to occupy our minds when we are alone. Think what it says about the inward emptiness of our lives if we must always turn on the television or radio to make sure something is happening around us.

We are addicted to words. They are the most powerful weapon of manipulation that we possess. Because we are so afraid of what others think about and see in us, we use our words to correct and control others' understanding of our behavior. Have you ever tried to go a whole day without talking? Try it, and you will see how much you have come to rely on words and their power to control and manage your environment. We fear silence. For if we remain silent, who will take control? Yet, this tendency is so sad, for if we do not learn to be silent before God, we will never completely allow Him to take control of our lives. Also, it is only through silence and solitude that we learn to develop freedom from the ingrained habits that hinder our growth towards maturity in Christ.

We fear silence because it rips down the walls and forces us to face the realities of our aloneness and lack of control.

There remains another way, however; the disciplines of solitude and silence. By acquiring and developing these disciplines, we can cultivate within ourselves a heart of solitude that destroys the chains of loneliness.

So what exactly is the discipline of solitude and silence? Solitude is actually more a state of mind and heart than it is a place. In fact, crowds, or the lack of them, have little to do with these inward attitudes. One could leave this modern world behind to live as a desert hermit and never experience solitude.

To possess inward solitude means that we do not fear being alone, for we understand in the depths of our being that we are never and will never be alone. In the same regard, it also means that we do not fear being with others for they have no sway or control over us and our beliefs.

Deitrich Bonhoeffer said,

Let him who cannot be alone beware of community . . . . Let him who is not in community beware of being alone . . . .
Each by itself has profound pitfalls and perils. One who wants fellowship without solitude plunges into the void of words and feelings,
and one who seeks solitude without fellowship perishes in the abyss of vanity, self infatuation, and despair.

So how do we begin to develop the discipline in a world so full of noise and distraction? The heart of solitude is silence. "Without silence there is no solitude" (Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 98). Silence doesn't focus so much on the absence of speech as it does on the presence of listening. Simply to refrain from talking for a day is not silence unless we focus our attention on listening for God's voice. It is for this reason that solitude and silence are inseparable. They work together to allow us to "see and hear". There is an old proverb that says "all those who open their mouths, close their eyes."

The Apostle James points that the tongue is a powerful tool; it can be used both for great evil or for great good. To abstain from talking all together would eliminate its potential for evil, yet it would also eliminate its potential for good. However, it is easier to remain silent than to speak with moderation. A disciplined person is one who learns to do what needs to be done when it needs to be done. In the same fashion, a person disciplined in silence and solitude is one who can say what needs to be said when it needs to be said in an appropriate manner. So to remain silent when we should speak is just as wrong as speaking when we should remain silent. Through the pracitce of solitude, we learn when to speak and when to refrain from speaking. Control is the key.

Of all the disciplines of abstinence, solitude and silence are the most fundamental in the beginning of our spiritual lives, and they are the ones that we must return to most often in order to regain our strength and maintain our course.

Only when we truly learn to be silent will we learn to speak the words that need to be spoken when they need to be spoken. "When solitude is seriously pursued, there is usually a string of initial success followed by an inevitable letdown—and with it a desire to abandon the pursuit altogether" (Foster, 103). We have the feeling that we are not getting through to God. Often people pull away and try to blame others:

The preacher is such a bore. The hymn singing is too weak. The worship service is so dull. We may begin to look around for another church or a new experience to give us "spiritual goose bumps (103).

Many people never make it through this step. They turn back, but that would be a mistake. Yet God must move us through such a time to allow us to take our focus off of the things around us and center on Him alone.

Things to do

Spiritual disciplines are things that we do. They are actions that we must take and not merely states of mind. We must not forget this or take it for granted. It is easy to talk about having a heart of solitude, but talking about it or even dreaming about it, won't create its reality within us.

1. Take advantage of the "little solitudes" through out your day. The early moments in bed before your family disturbs you, the quiet moments and fresh feel of your morning shower, etc. There can be little moments of rest and refreshment when we stop to enjoy the beauty God has used in creating a flower or a child.

2. Find or develop a "quiet place" designed for silence and solitude. Find a place inside or outside your home where you can be with God uninterrupted.

3. Do an experiment. Do deeds without giving any explanation for doing them. Record how you feel in a journal. Note how often you try to justify your actions to control how people see you. Yet, instead of speaking, let God be your justifier.

4. Learn the skill of plain speech. Speak honestly. Do what you say you will do.

5. Try to live an entire day without words at all. Do it not as a law but as an experiment. Make sure to note your dependence on words as you remain silent when you feel you just must speak. Find new ways to relate to others

6. Four times a year, withdraw for three to four hours for the purpose of reorienting your life goals. During this time, re-evaluate your goals and objectives in life. Set realistic goals but be willing to dream and stretch.

7. Finally, try to take a retreat once a year with no other purpose in mind but seeking solitude.

The fruit of solitude is an increased sensitivity and compassion for others.

The Discipline of Simplicity

2008-01-23T22:56:00.001-06:00

People nowadays take time far more seriously than eternity

Thomas Kelly

We live in an age where busyness and complexity are the norm. Instead of having a hobby with which to occupy our time, most Americans have three or four hobbies that consume their time. John Ortberg in his book, "The Life You've Always Wanted," states it this way, "We suffer from what has come to be known as 'hurry sickness.' One of the greatest illusions of our day is that hurrying will buy us more time" (Ortberg, 77).

Meyer Friedman defines hurry sickness as "a continuous struggle and unremitting attempt to accomplish or achieve more and more things or participate in more and more events in less and less time, frequently in the face of opposition, real or imagined, from other persons."

People who suffer from "hurry sickness" are never satisfied in spite of all their hurrying. They can never move fast enough or get enough accomplished. Hurry sickness has become so common and so accepted that our culture that we have even developed a new word to describe this type of behavior: Multi-tasking. Yet in spite of all the things we accomplish and become involved in, what we miss the most in our lives is depth and meaning. Our lives have been cursed by superficiality because depth always develops slowly over time.

Imagine if you will that your family doctor just gave you a diagnosis that your life depends on your ability to "ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life." What would you do? Would you change your schedule? Your priorities? The way you live your life if your very life depended on it?

What if your very life does depend on it? "Hurry is the great enemy of the spiritual life in our day. As Carl Jung wrote, 'Hurry is not of the devil. Hurry is the devil'" (Jung in Ortberg, 77). Hurry cuts to the heart of relationships and to our call to follow Christ. The most tragic side effects of hurry sickness is that it diminishes our capacity to love. "Love and hurry are fundamentally incompatible. Love always takes time, and time is one thing hurried people don't have" (Ortberg, 81).

So what can we do to stop our lives from being consumed by "hurry-sickness"? One of the most important things that we must do is develop a skill that Ortberg calls "slowing." We must deliberately choose to place ourselves in positions where we simply have to wait. For example: get in the longest line at the grocery store, get behind the longest line of cars at a red light (or behind that eighteen wheeler), eat your food slowly, take off your watch for a day, etc. Many people, especially Type-A people, believe that they will not be able to accomplish as much if they do not rush; however, "researchers have found that there is simply no correlation between hurry or Type-A behavior and productivity" (Ortberg, 84).

What we are talking about is otherwise know as the Spiritual Discipline of Simplicity. Simplicity is an inward reality that express itself outwardly through the way we live our lives. Basically, it is finding our center in life (God) and basing all of our life's decisions around that center. It does encompass what we do (our behavior) but has much more to do with who we are (our attitudes and values) and in whom we place our priorities (in ourselves or in God). Richard Foster states, "We deceive ourselves if we believe we can possess the inward reality [of simplicity] without its having a profound effect on how we live. To attempt to arrange an outward life-style of simplicity without the inward reality leads to deadly legalism" (Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 79-80).

Simplicity is based upon the principle of making the "main thing the main thing." In Matthew 6:33, Jesus tells us to, "seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." To develop simplicity in our lives, we must put our priorities in the right order. We must be determined to put God first in our lives. Truth be known, the person who does not seek God's Kingdom first, does not seek it at all. For as worthy as any other cause, concern, or person may be, the moment they take precedence over our efforts to "seek first His kingdom," they become idolatry.

Yet, to develop the discipline of simplicity does not necessarily mean that our lives will become any less busy. Simplicity doesn't necessarily control the quantity of things we do as much as it controls the type of things that we do. Once we have our lives focused or centered on God, then all our decisions, our priorities, and our goals will be easy to determine because everything we do will emanate out of our desire to please God and seek His will. So what we choose to become involved in will have a singleness and unity in purpose: God's purpose.

We begin to simplify our lives through inward focus. See "hurry sickness" is not primarily about having a disordered schedule, it is about having a disordered heart. So we must begin by adjusting our attitude, our heart. To begin this, we must realize and accept two principles:

Everything that we have is a gift from God. It is God's business, not ours, to care for what we have been given.

Once we have realized and accepted these two principles, we are ready to make the inner reality of simplicity become real, for inner simplicity can never be genuine until there is an outward expression of it. Yet, let me give a word of caution: Every attempt to give specific application to simplicity runs the risk of turning into legalism. Always remember that simplicity, like prayer, meditation, or any other Spiritual Discipline is only a means to an end, not the end in itself. The purpose for simplifying our lives is to attain singleness and purity of heart. If we do not reach that, we have failed. Everything we do must come forth out of love. Following rules without love = legalism.

Richard Foster lists "ten controlling principles" for the outward expression of simplicity. I shall briefly summarize them here.

1. Buy things for their usefulness rather than for their status. For example, consider your clothes. Most of us have no need for more clothes. Stop buying to keep up with the latest fashions. Buy only when new clothes are needed and buy practically.

2. Reject anything that is producing an addiction in you. Learn to distinguish between a real psychological need and an addiction. Eliminate or cut back on the use of addictive, non-nutritional drinks: alcohol, coffee, tea, Coke, etc. If there is any form of media (TV, radio, magazines) that you realize you cannot live without; you need to get rid of it. Refuse to be a slave to anything but God.

3. Develop a habit of giving things away. If you are becoming attached to some possessions, consider giving it to someone who needs it. De-accumulate. Get rid of that mass of stuff that clutters your home and life. Give it away.

4. Refuse to be propagandized by the custodians of modern gadgetry. Modern propagandists try to convince us that we must obtain the newest model of this or that because it features some new ability that will make our lives easier. The truth is that time saving devices almost never save time. Remember point number 1.

5. Learn to enjoy things without owning them. Our culture puts so much emphasis on owning things. "If we own it, we feel we can control it; and if we control it, we feel it will gives us more pleasure" (Foster, 93). This idea is an illusion. Borrow and share with others. Remember that we don't really own anything, we only manage it for God.

6. Develop a deeper appreciation for the creation. "Simplicity means to discover once again that 'The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it.' (Ps 24:1) (Foster, 93)."

7. Look with a healthy skepticism at all "by now, pay later" schemes. The Bible views charging interest as an unbrotherly exploitation of another's misfortune and a denial of community. These schemes are a trap that only deepen our bondage. Avoid them like the plague.

8. Obey Jesus' instructions about plain, honest speech. Avoid speaking flattery and half-truths. If you promise to do something, do it. Refuse to be apart of jargon and abstract speculations. They tend to confuse rather than inform and illuminate. Simply put, let your yes's be yes's and your no's be no's.

9. Reject anything that breeds the oppression of others. This is one of the most difficult and sensitive issues for us to face, but face it we must. Do we sip our coffee and eat our bananas at the expense of exploiting Latin American peasants? Does our lust for wealth mean poverty for other? Should we buy products that are made by forcing people into dull assembly line jobs? Take a deeper look at the stuff you purchase. Who or what are you really supporting. Refuse to further the evils of this world by supporting them with your money.

10. Shun anything that distracts you from seeking first God's Kingdom. It is easy to lose focus even if we pursue good things. We must be diligent and deliberate about seek God. As Brother Jim Bliffen has said, "It is wrong to do good when something better should be done." We must always keep our priorities in the right place and our focus on the right thing: God.

Over the next month, re-evaluate your life. Look at the activities you're involved in. What are your priorities, your values, your goals. It is not enough for us to say that God, or church, or our family is important to us. We must show it by giving of our time and attention. Take the time to practice the art of "slowing". I pray we all learn this discipline before our life has passed us by.

Wisdom is learning these truths sooner rather than later.

The Discipline of Fasting

2008-01-23T22:54:00.001-06:00

Our human cravings and desires are like rivers that tend to overflow their banks;
fasting helps keep them in their proper channels.

Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline

In our modern day, fasting is not really looked upon in a positive light. Richard Foster comments that fasting, "has come under a general disrepute both in and outside the Church . . ." (Celebration of Discipline, 47). One reason for this is that many religious institutions through out history have used fasting, as well as other Spiritual Disciplines, in inappropriate and even abusive ways. We can even see evidence of this in Jesus' day (Matthew 6:16-18). Another reason that fasting has been looked down upon is due to a modernized propaganda which tells us that:

if we do not have three large meals each day, with several snacks in between, we are on the verge of starvation. This coupled with the popular belief that it is a positive virtue to satisfy every human appetite, has made fasting seem obsolete (Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline, pp. 47-48).

While it would be accurate to say that the human body can only survive a short time without air or water, it can survive for an extended period without food before starvation begins (I would refer to Illusionists David Blane's recently publicized 40 day fast). In fact, when done correctly, fasting can have beneficial results in both the physical and spiritual realm.

So what does Scripture have to say about fasting? Throughout Scripture the term fasting is used to refer to abstaining from all type of food for spiritual purposes ("food" consists of both solid and liquid food but not water). Unfortunately, our society has become so secularized that many people's attempts at fasting have become motivated either by vanity or by a desire for power. Yet spiritual fasting is not a hunger strike with the purpose of trying to gain some sort of political power or to attract attention to a particular cause. Fasting is also not the same as dieting. Dieting stresses going without food for mere physical purposes, not spiritual ones (Foster, ibid, 48 paraphrased).

So I guess the question that remains is: Why should we fast? Primarily, because fasting can bring about spiritual breakthroughs in our lives that cannot happen through any other means. It is not something that we do simply to try to get God to do what we want.

1. The central focus of fasting is to center ourselves on God.
2. More than any other discipline, fasting reveals the things that control us. This is a wonderful benefit to the true disciple who longs to be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ (55).
3. Fasting reminds us that we are sustained "by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Matt. 4:4).
4. Humans have a unique capacity to crave things that we do not need to the point of becoming enslaved by them. Fasting helps us keep our balance in life when we allow non-essentials things to take precedence.

Simply put, fasting is feasting on God.

It is sobering to realize that the very fist statement Jesus made about fasting dealt not with how to fast but with the question of motive (Matt. 6:16-18). It is a sign of false religion to use the things of Godfor our own end (Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 54). However, if you take the time to study Jesus' words in Matthew 6, there is almost unconscious assumption that giving, praying, and fasting are all to be a regular part of Christian devotion. He assumes that fasting will be a regular part of our religious experience.

Foster points out that fasting is a means of God's grace and blessing that should no longer be neglected. However, for those who desire to fast, please take the time to become acquainted with some basic information on how to perform a fast (Foster, ibid, 57, paraphrased).

1. As with all disciplines, a progression should be observed. Begin with a partial fast of twenty-four hours; many have found lunch to lunch to be the best time. This means that you would not eat two meals. Fresh fruit juices are excellent to drink during the fast. Attempt this once a week for several weeks (57).
2. You will be fascinated with the physical aspects of your experience, but the most important thing to monitor is the inner attitude of the heart. Outwardly you will be performing the regular duties of your day, but inwardly you will be in prayer and adoration, song and worship (57).
3. Break your fast with a light meal of fresh fruit and vegetables and a good deal of inner rejoicing (57).
4. After two to three weeks you are prepared to attempt a normal fast of twenty-four hours. Drink only water but use healthy amounts of it. You will probably feel some hunger pangs or discomfort before the time is up. That is not real hunger; your stomach has been trained through years of conditioning to give signals of hunger at certain hours. In many ways the stomach is like a spoiled child and a spoiled child does not need indulgence, but needs discipline (57).
5. It should not go without saying that you should follow Jesus' counsel to refrain from calling attention to what you are doing. The only ones who should know you are fasting are those who have to know.
6. After having achieved several fasts with a degree of spiritual success, move on to a thirty-six hour fast: three meals. Conclude the fast the same as discussed above for twenty-four hours.
7. With this accomplished, it is time to seek the Lord as to whether he wants you to go on a longer fast. Three to seven days is a good time period and will probably have a substantial impact on the course of your life. But it would be wise of you to seek medical counsel before going on a fast of this length or longer.

Medical professionals and nutritionists can testify that there are many positive physical benefits from fasting; however, we must never forget that we are to fast for spiritual benefits: to feast on God. If our fast is focused on anything else, we are simply missing the point. Further, fasting is not something that Jesus commanded us to do. It is something that we choose to do to grow closer to Him. I will remind you that fasting can bring about spiritual breakthroughs in our lives that cannot happen through any other means.