A Forgotten Joy: Exercise of the Spiritual Disciplines--Silence & Solitude

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Have you ever thought or heard someone say, "It's not enough to just read the Bible and pray. The Christian life requires more than that"? If not, now you have. Could this thought actually be true? Unfortunately, I don't think the answer is as concrete, pre-fabricated, or boxed up with a pretty little bow on it as some of us would like for it to be. The very statement, in and of itself, reeks of performance based undertones--and for me personally, the fastest way to get me NOT to do something is tell me I have to. Perhaps the question we ought to ask ourselves is not merely, "is it enough," but instead, "in what ways, be it mysterious or obvious, are Jesus longing to commune with us in a day-to-day relationship??" And maybe to take it one step further, "in what ways am I longing to interact with Him?!?"

As we consider what John Wesley called "acts of piety" and examine how incorporating the joy of the ancient "spiritual disciplines" into our daily lives it is beneficial to think in terms of a human relationship. My relationship with my wife, mentor, friends, family, or anyone else for that matter, would not experience growth if the only time we spent together was merely an hour one day a week and/or a regimented 15 minutes a day. Now of course, those relationships would survive, but that is quite a different animal than growth. How can we connect and interact with this mysterious and divine God who calls us His friends? Just like I share life with those who mean something to me, how can I share life with this Creator??? This is what we discussed this past Sunday night, and what we're discussing in our Sunday night gatherings for the next two weeks. If ya want more info, feel free to email me.