[Street Address] [City], [State][Postal Code] A farmer is helpless to grow grain; all he can do is provide the right conditions for the growing of grain. He cultivates the ground, he plants the seed, he waters the plants, and then the natural forces of the earth take over and up comes the grain...this is the way it is with the Spiritual Disciplines - they are a way of sowing to the Spirit... By themselves the Spiritual Disciplines can do nothing; they can only get us to the place where something can be done. Richard Foster Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth
WEEK 1: PRAYER Prayer is simply communication with God: speaking and listening. Prayer can be divided into three categories: inward (supplication for self), outward (intercession for others), and upward (praise and thanksgiving for God). Philippians 4:6 (NLT) Don t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Say the Lord s Prayer daily (Luke 11:1-13). Focus on each phrase and its meaning for you and others. Has there been a time when someone prayed for you and it impacted you greatly? In what ways were you affected? Read Luke 11:1-13 (the Lord s Prayer). What do you learn about the character of God through this prayer? How will the teaching of Jesus change your prayer life? Have you had moments in life when it s hard to pray? Read Romans 8:26. How does God help us in those moments? Go on a walk. Instead of listening to a media device, use the time for prayer. Allow your thoughts to filter what is most pressing on your mind, and then focus on the present. Observe your surroundings. Focus on your breathing. Pray as you do a daily ritual, such as brushing your teeth. Use the Daily Office (A daily structure of prayer and ) to enhance your prayer time. Get the app called The Daily Office from This Mission of St. Clare. Pray thanksgiving prayers around dinner table. Write, draw, or paint prayers. Take a picture of something that reminds you of prayer and share it on Instagram or Facebook. #edenpdxprayer I John 17 Ephesians 3:14-21
WEEK 2: STUDY In study, the mind is concentrated in a particular direction in order to gain a clearer knowledge and understanding of truth. The goal of study is not just knowledge in and of itself, but the replacement of destructive habits of thought with new, life- giving habits. Study involves observation, careful thought, research and interaction with others. Above all, it requires a humble and teachable spirit, without which the truth cannot set us free. Romans 12:2 (NIV) Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God s will is- his good, pleasing and perfect will. Print and post Deuteronomy 6:4-9 in your home. Read it repeatedly until you have memorized it. If you have children, invite them to join you and memorize it as a family. Try setting aside some time each day to be quiet and concentrate on a reading, piece of art, or aspect of nature. Ask God to speak to you in the silent concentration. Choose a subject that you would like to learn more about this week. It may be a subject in, current events, history, etc. Spend time researching, reading and asking others who may have knowledge about the subject. Commit the process to God as an act of worship and make a fuller understanding of the subject your goal so that your knowledge may better equip you to serve Christ. Choose a passage of to study. Utilize various translations and read what commentators, Bible dictionaries and Bible encyclopedias have to say about the passage or words within it. (You can use online resources such as: biblegateway.com, bible.org, ntgateway.com, library.divinity.duke.edu/research, www.ccel.org.) What images or experiences do you think of connected to the word study? What do you think it means to know and be made free by the truth? Read John 8:3. What is the danger in pursuing knowledge just for the sake of knowledge? In what ways are you tempted to do this? How do you want to grow in this discipline? Who can you gather around you to help you in this endeavor? Take a walk in a park, near your work, or in your neighborhood. Make an extra effort to study the aspects of creation you see there. Get up close to the trees, wildlife, water, etc. Observe closely with the goal of greater understanding of God s creation.
WEEK 3: SUBMISSION Submission is an inward heart issue that in turn affects our outward actions. It is a matter of respect, truly honoring and considering another person. As we learn to value the other, we are then able to unconditionally love, to overflow with compassion, and to truly understand them. It is NOT: self hatred; loss of identity; self- contempt; an inward spirit of martyrdom. It IS: realizing you don't always have to have your own way and that your joy is not dependent on getting what you want; coming face to face with who you truly are inside; valuing other people s lives, opinions, and thoughts; being sensitive to the Holy Spirit at all times to know at which point to be submissive and which points it is okay to speak up or assert oneself. Philippians 2:3-4 (NASB) Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. When with a group/family this week, let someone else pick what to do for the evening (eat, watch, play, or read). Choose to find enjoyment in their decision, even if it s not something you would have picked yourself. Start or end each day this week reflecting on Philippians 2:1-15. Philippians 2 Matt 5:44, 39 Mark 8:34-35 John 13 What feelings, images, thoughts, stories, or reactions come to mind when you hear the word submission? What are some actions that seem humble, but aren t truly and act of submission? What could healthy submission look like in your life and in the life of our community? Reflect and explain why submission is a spiritual discipline? Is submission hard for you? Why or why not? Find an opportunity to spend time with someone and learn his or her story (coffee, dinner, walk, working on the car). Ask questions. Focus on active listening. Do not choose the fastest checkout lane at the store. For these couple of minutes, silence the cell phone. Don t check your watch or read a magazine. Be present in that time and space. Once it s your turn to check out, recognize the cashier and speak with them kindly.
WEEK 4: SIMPLICITY Simplicity has inward and outward dimensions. It is living a life of shalom- a Hebrew word meaning that all is at peace between God, others, and me. Our lives are simplified because we give attention and listen to only one Voice. Simplicity means we refuse to live beyond our means physically, emotionally, and financially. We live in a spirit of freedom and of joyous trust, realizing that all of life is a gift. We are freed internally from the control of others, money, and our own selfishness. Matthew 6:25-26 (NIV) Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? For a day, try to speak kindly, plainly, and honestly. This means not making your stories a little juicier or trying to make yourself look better. Think through or write out a money autobiography- - what has been your relationship to money and things throughout your life (child- present day you)? Spend time reflecting on what you discover. Philippians 4 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 Matthew 6:19-21 Author Richard Foster says, Simplicity calls us off of a lifestyle of go go go. This new peace/ unhurried pace of life should be modeled in the church community. Do you agree or disagree with him? If you agree, what impact does this new pace have on our lives individually and corporately? If you disagree, explain why you disagree. There seem to be two extremes: asceticism (denying any goodness of created things) and materialism (denying that created things have limitations). Reflect on the dangers of both extremes. What is the healthy middle ground? What does it look like in your life? What does it look like in the community of faith? Suggested reading: Simplicity by Richard Foster, Ruthless Trust by Brennan Manning, Everything Belongs by Richard Rohr Find new and creative ways to get in touch with our earth this week: grow something, walk through a new park, observe the colors, sounds and smells of the day Enjoy something without having to own it. Create a handmade gift for a friend, family member, neighbor, or church community this week. If you have children, create a box with sections for saving, spending, and giving. Encourage them to use this tool to help them live simply and generously.
WEEK 5: GUIDANCE Guidance involves hearing and obeying the voice of God. It is not only seeking His will in a specific matter, but is a constant way of life. God provides guidance to His people in two ways. One is individual guidance, where God gives each of His children divine instruction through, reason, circumstances, and through prompting of the Spirit in the individual s heart. In corporate guidance, God guides groups of people who gather in fellowship to seek the will of God. Both are important as we seek to live in response to God s voice. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT) Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Set up a mentor/accountability session with someone you trust this week. It could be as simple as answering the question, Are you closer in your relationship with God this week than last? Why or why not? Think about a song, poem, book, or painting that was influential to you during a hard time in life. Was it the lyrics? Melody? Artist s perspective? How did the artistic medium impact you? Take a walk. Choose one pressing issue impacting you, someone near you, or our world. Take time to meditate and reflect on that issue. Think of it from many different perspectives. Ask for God s guidance in your response to this issue. Try to spend the whole walk focusing on that one issue. As you intercede for others, do not assume you already know what to pray for. Listen for the promptings of the Spirit for ways you can help, encourage, and meet needs. Meet with a group of at least three people for the specific purpose of prayer. Quickly get in a posture of prayer. Spend time lifting each other up in prayer. If possible, spend time afterward reflecting on the experience of corporate prayer and how it differs from personal prayer times. How did God speak to you through someone else? Isaiah 1:17-20 John 14:6, 16:13 Acts 10:1-35 Acts 16:6-10 2 Corinthians 2: 12 Acts 21:8-14 Romans 8:14, 28-30 What are some of the benefits/dangers of corporate guidance? What do you understand the idea of a spiritual guide to mean? Are there dangers to the idea? Are there advantages to the idea? What should you drop from your life and what should you add to your life to reflect the guiding relationship with God? Pray with the psalmist: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139:23, 24). Praying and listening through the Word will lead to praying about God's desires for your life.
WEEK 6: WORSHIP Worship is an act of reverence that can be practice individually and/or in a corporate setting with other believers. It is recognition of the greatness of God the Creator in relation to the smallness of man and a response to God s Spirit as He seeks to connect with our spirit (John 4:20-24). Worship is transformational. As we focus on who God is and all that He has done, our hearts are moved to become more like Him. Any activity that causes us to focus our attention on the Triune God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) can be a pathway to worship. The purpose of worship is to give God the glory He is due and to help us better hear and respond to His voice as we seek Him. Revelation 4:11 (NASB) Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created. Read Psalm 33 every day for one week. Each day, focus on a different description of God from the psalm (ie: He loves righteousness and justice). How are YOU changed because of this focus? Read Isaiah 6:1-7. Close your eyes and picture yourself as Isaiah. What does God high and lifted up look like in your mind? In what ways are you a person of unclean lips? Ask God to cleanse your heart and give Him praise as your Savior. Visit a local waterfall, such as Multnomah Falls. Focus on the power of this creation of God. Sit silently and contemplate God s power and ask God s heart to respond to yours. Draw a picture or take a photograph of something that represents God s great love for you. Share it with a friend. Expectantly prepare your heart and mind for Eden s corporate Sunday evening worship. For this week, commit to listening to music in the car with the purpose of worshiping God. Choose music that helps focus and not distract your thoughts. Evaluate if this affected your relationship with God or others and how. and Resources 1 Chronicles 16:20 Revelation 4:11 Micah 7:7 Romans 1:25 John 4:20-24 Mark 12:30 What do you have a tendency to worship rather than the Creator? Why? What does it mean for you to worship God in Spirit and in Truth? What are some practical ways to love the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength? Pick one of these to put into practice this week. Have you ever been in a worship service where you tangibly felt the presence of God? If so, what activities or elements of the service contributed to the experience? Are these practices you could incorporate into your daily life? Suggested reading: The of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence Take a day to conscientiously thank God for every good thing you experience.