Spiritual Disciplines
Introduction
From the beginning Believers linked the desire for more of God to intentional practices, relationships and experiences that gave people space in their lives to "keep company" with the Lord. These intentional practices, relationships and experiences we know as spiritual disciplines. The basic rhythm of disciplines for the first believers is found in Acts 2:42: "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching [a practice] and to the fellowship [relationships], to the breaking of bread [an experience] and to prayer [another practice]."
The desire to know and love God fueled these disciplines. But as the early believers ran into new situations of want, conflict, temptation and persecution, they wanted and needed help to persevere in keeping company with the Lord. The book of Acts recounts a variety of ways the first-century believers made space for God as they faced difficulties:
Acts 3 - discipline of compassion,
Acts 4 - discipline of witness, intercession and detachment
Acts 7 - discipline of service
Acts 3:1, 10:9 - discipline of fixed hour prayer
Acts 14:23 - discipline of fasting
Acts 15 - discipline of discernment.
The desert father's passion to love and keep company with our Lord lead them to form communities characterized by spiritual rhythms that made space in their lives for God. These communities forged their lives around disciplines of fixed-hour prayer, memorization, devotional reading, service, chastity, simplicity, hospitality, and meditation.
In the 16th century, Scripture was translated into native tongues and made available to ordinary people. During that time common believers entered into disciplines of scripture study, witness, stewardship, discernment and intercession.
The modern era ushered industrialization, individualism, secular psychology, and globalization. Believers began to keep company with God through journaling, conversational prayer, accountability partners, small groups, mentoring and inner-healing prayer.
The technological age, with its peculiar temptations and desires, is opening paths into disciplines like slowing, centering prayer, and rediscovering classical discplines like solitude, silence, rest, spiritual direction and retreat.
Throughout the centuries the disciplines of prayer, confession, worship, stewardship, fellowship, service, attending to Scripture and the Lord's Supper have remained constant channels and disciplines of grace. It is not the disciplines per se that transform us. Without the work of God's Spirit within, practices guarantee nothing.
Consider Colossians 2:23:
"Such regulations [disciplines] indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence."
Disciplines done for the wrong reasons actually sabotage transformation and numb us toward God and the truth. When we use spiritual disciplines to gain secondary things like honor, success, approval and respect, we rob the discipline of its God-given grace.
Our Lord said of the most religiously disciplined people of his day:
"These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teaching are but rules taught by men." -- Matthew 15:8-9
Spiritual practices don't give us "spiritual brownie points" or help us "work the system" for a passing grade from God. They simply put us in a place where we can begin to notice God and respond to his word to us.
Spiritual disciplines give the Spirit of God space to brood over our souls. Spiritual transformation comes from partnering with God for change. We desire God. We bring our ache for change, our longing for connecting and belonging, our desperation to make a difference. Then we keep company with the Lord my making space for him through a spiritual discipline. Our part is to offer ourselves livingly and obediently to God. god then works within us doing what He alone can do. God comes to us as He wills, not as we demand. But unless we open ourselves to him through spiritual practices, we will miss His coming altogether.
Desiring God and not demanding an outcome keeps us in the risky place of waiting and longing. We do not know how God intends to conform us to His image. Becoming aware of what is true and false is essential for spiritual growth and it is not always comfortable. When we are waiting on God and nothing seems to be happening, we must remember this space is an opportunity. Our Lord said:
"Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly" -- Matthew 11:30
Spiritual disciplines open us to God.
Richard Foster divides the disciplines into inward, outward and corporate. Inward disciplines are practiced in private. Outward disciplines affect how we interface with the world. And corporate disciplines are practiced with others.
Dallas Willard distinguishes between engagement and abstinence. Disciplines of engagement connect us to the needs of others and the call to be God's heart and hands in this world. They address sins of commission. Disciplines of abstinence detach us from hurry, clutter and busyness, and open us to being with God alone. They remind us tha we are human beings, not human doings, and that God is more concerned with who we become than what we accomplish. They address sins of omission.
Spiritual disciplines can be catalogued in accordance with the acronym WORSHIP:
W= worship God
O= open myself to God
R= relinquish the false self and idols of my heart [repent, renounce]
S= share my life with others
H= hear the word of God
I= incarnate God's love for the world
P= pray to God
Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: practices that transform us. Adele Ahlberg Calhoun. pp.17-21
From the beginning Believers linked the desire for more of God to intentional practices, relationships and experiences that gave people space in their lives to "keep company" with the Lord. These intentional practices, relationships and experiences we know as spiritual disciplines. The basic rhythm of disciplines for the first believers is found in Acts 2:42: "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching [a practice] and to the fellowship [relationships], to the breaking of bread [an experience] and to prayer [another practice]."
The desire to know and love God fueled these disciplines. But as the early believers ran into new situations of want, conflict, temptation and persecution, they wanted and needed help to persevere in keeping company with the Lord. The book of Acts recounts a variety of ways the first-century believers made space for God as they faced difficulties:
Acts 3 - discipline of compassion,
Acts 4 - discipline of witness, intercession and detachment
Acts 7 - discipline of service
Acts 3:1, 10:9 - discipline of fixed hour prayer
Acts 14:23 - discipline of fasting
Acts 15 - discipline of discernment.
The desert father's passion to love and keep company with our Lord lead them to form communities characterized by spiritual rhythms that made space in their lives for God. These communities forged their lives around disciplines of fixed-hour prayer, memorization, devotional reading, service, chastity, simplicity, hospitality, and meditation.
In the 16th century, Scripture was translated into native tongues and made available to ordinary people. During that time common believers entered into disciplines of scripture study, witness, stewardship, discernment and intercession.
The modern era ushered industrialization, individualism, secular psychology, and globalization. Believers began to keep company with God through journaling, conversational prayer, accountability partners, small groups, mentoring and inner-healing prayer.
The technological age, with its peculiar temptations and desires, is opening paths into disciplines like slowing, centering prayer, and rediscovering classical discplines like solitude, silence, rest, spiritual direction and retreat.
Throughout the centuries the disciplines of prayer, confession, worship, stewardship, fellowship, service, attending to Scripture and the Lord's Supper have remained constant channels and disciplines of grace. It is not the disciplines per se that transform us. Without the work of God's Spirit within, practices guarantee nothing.
Consider Colossians 2:23:
"Such regulations [disciplines] indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence."
Disciplines done for the wrong reasons actually sabotage transformation and numb us toward God and the truth. When we use spiritual disciplines to gain secondary things like honor, success, approval and respect, we rob the discipline of its God-given grace.
Our Lord said of the most religiously disciplined people of his day:
"These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teaching are but rules taught by men." -- Matthew 15:8-9
Spiritual practices don't give us "spiritual brownie points" or help us "work the system" for a passing grade from God. They simply put us in a place where we can begin to notice God and respond to his word to us.
Spiritual disciplines give the Spirit of God space to brood over our souls. Spiritual transformation comes from partnering with God for change. We desire God. We bring our ache for change, our longing for connecting and belonging, our desperation to make a difference. Then we keep company with the Lord my making space for him through a spiritual discipline. Our part is to offer ourselves livingly and obediently to God. god then works within us doing what He alone can do. God comes to us as He wills, not as we demand. But unless we open ourselves to him through spiritual practices, we will miss His coming altogether.
Desiring God and not demanding an outcome keeps us in the risky place of waiting and longing. We do not know how God intends to conform us to His image. Becoming aware of what is true and false is essential for spiritual growth and it is not always comfortable. When we are waiting on God and nothing seems to be happening, we must remember this space is an opportunity. Our Lord said:
"Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly" -- Matthew 11:30
Spiritual disciplines open us to God.
Richard Foster divides the disciplines into inward, outward and corporate. Inward disciplines are practiced in private. Outward disciplines affect how we interface with the world. And corporate disciplines are practiced with others.
Dallas Willard distinguishes between engagement and abstinence. Disciplines of engagement connect us to the needs of others and the call to be God's heart and hands in this world. They address sins of commission. Disciplines of abstinence detach us from hurry, clutter and busyness, and open us to being with God alone. They remind us tha we are human beings, not human doings, and that God is more concerned with who we become than what we accomplish. They address sins of omission.
Spiritual disciplines can be catalogued in accordance with the acronym WORSHIP:
W= worship God
O= open myself to God
R= relinquish the false self and idols of my heart [repent, renounce]
S= share my life with others
H= hear the word of God
I= incarnate God's love for the world
P= pray to God
Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: practices that transform us. Adele Ahlberg Calhoun. pp.17-21
posted by Carl | 5:54 AM
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