Opening the Spiritual Toolbox - an Introduction to Lenten Disciplines
Watching the Olympics from our couches is a real challenge. We root for them and marvel at their discipline. Jealous of their commitment?
We study the seven habits of highly effective people. We read Malcolm Gladwell who wrote Outliers about who gets to be successful and why. According to Gladwell, anyone who wants to become an expert in their field needs to invest 10,000 hours of time at it.
Yet we have trouble applying all this to our inner life.
We want things for our lives
deeper meaning, lower blood pressure, joy, peace
So we change our patterns
paleolithic diet (just because it’s a new pattern doesn’t make it a good one)
Spiritual Discipleship is taking the patterns of our life seriously
Discipline a part of early Christianity – disciple 269 times, Christian 3 times
path of Jesus, “people of the Way”
Beginning means a survey, counting the cost, developing a business plan, scoping out the terrain
Analogy of toolbox
many tools for spiritual discipline
sometimes house needs repair
sometimes needs addition
Coming series a celebration of the tools at our disposal - Prayer, mediation, fasting
More developed by Richard Foster 30 years ago - printed in bulletin
We’re doing inward disciplines
All these disciplines have triggers that initiate their action.
every time you . . . .
Norton Levering's Spiritual Triggers Catalysts,
Time - at meals, before bed, islam- call to prayer
Location - sanctuary, prayer closet,
Posture - fold hands - close eyes, yoga, kneeling
Sensation - hunger, pebble in shoe
Person - Daniel, Dali lama
Decision - diet, getting up
Object - cross, coin, Seder, communion
See? It’s easy – not a set of obligations, but a joyful challenge, an offering of a buffet, an invitation to deeper water
You already know this: Worship ultimate spiritual tool that embodies all the triggers.
Good job!
Author
- Dr. Bill Levering
- Kinda retired. Pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Valatie, NY