Anglicans discussion
This topic is about
Celebration of Discipline
Non Anglican Authors
>
Celebration of Discipline (Intro and chapter one)
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Karen L.
(new)
-
rated it 3 stars
Jan 29, 2012 06:53PM
We will start reading and discussion on February 12, 2012. See you then!
reply
|
flag
I may join in as well, life here on the edge of nowhere has a tendency to be a little bit overwhelming and crazy...
can't wait . I'll search my bookshelves for my copy. It's there somewhere :)
Yay, I can't wait too!Ian, Life can be so overwhelming at times. I feel this book is coming into each of our lives during a dively appointed time. I know God is telling me to slow down. I look forward to letting this book challenge my relationship with the Lord and challenge how I practice the disciplines of the faith.
I found it! :} Its in remarkably good condition considering how very long I've owned it. Inside there are loads of underlined bits and even little points I'd written in the margin in my youthful enthusiasm.lol.I'm happy to see it includes the study guide in my versian. If you like I could share the study questians Foster asks at the end of each chapter:they may help our discussion?
Elaine wrote: "I found it! :} Its in remarkably good condition considering how very long I've owned it. Inside there are loads of underlined bits and even little points I'd written in the margin in my youthful en..."Hi Elaine! I love your new goodreads profile pic! ...By all means post the study guide questions. That would help us all get more out of the book. My hubby has a study guide around somewhere?? I will have to see if I can find it.
I will pop in later today with some thoughts about the intro.
Here goes...Well, I found my husband's study guide for "Celebration of Discipline." I am curious to see what versions of books others have and also what study guide Elaine has. Sometimes these things get updated. My copy of Celebration of Discipine is the "Special 20th Anniversary Edition." The study guide that I found has a copyright of 1983 and is published by Harper Collins Publishers.This is from the study guide and is titled "Introduction: The Good Life." If we expect to enter wholeheartedly into the experience of the Spiritual Disciplines, we must understand clearly that these Disiplines open us to the Good Life. Their purpose is not to make life miserable but joyful, not to put us in bondage but to set us free, not to confine but to liberate.
After reading the intro in Foster's book, I feel excited to be on this journey. I am doing this book in my church with our adult Sunday school and am finding it challenging. It takes time to grow in the spiritual disciplines. I have found that as I try to put into practice having quiet time to read this book, and to meditate, pray and delve into learning, that I encounter a real battle to still my racing thoughts and distractions. So right now I am going to pray for those of us who want to do this, that God might give us his grace to not give up so that we might keep at this study and indeed practice what we learn...Amen!
I feel much like Richard Foster as he pastored his church trying to help people in their neediness. He felt helpless, and I must say that often I feel that same helplessness. He was lead to read and study the devotional masters of the faith so that he could gain substance. This book is what he learned.
Chapter one: The Spiritual Disciplines: Door to Liberation
page 1. The classical Disciplines of the spiritual life call us to move beyond surface living into the depths...they urge us to be the answer to the hollow world.
I want this. Lord help me.
Elaine, I hope you can share some of your thoughts and pick a question or two that you like from your study guide. There are so many good questions that he poses.
Ian, are you out there? I hope you join us! All are welcome to jump into this discussion. Please do come :)
What a thoughtful start to our discussion Karen, and a resounding Amen to your prayer. I too feel excited to be starting on this journey.Heres some questians from the study section at the end of my chapter. There are so many I'll just post 2 or 3 .
1 what struck you most forcefully about this chapter?Didd you disagree with , identify with certain areas or find something difficult to understand?
2If you were walking on the narrow ledge of which Foster speaks, which side would you fall from most often? Explain how that can be seen in your life.
3What is a primary requirement to embarking on this journey?Are there things that would keep you from fulfilling this requirement.
OK, my responses!
several things struck me. Mainly the excitment Karen speaks of that this is the path to blessing and a means of Gods Grace and not a set of rules or boring religious practices. I like the way Foster says again and again that the disciplines are not an end in theselves but a journey towards the goal of deeper intimacy with God and inner transformation. The desire for holiness and intimacy with God has been my lifes passion and never leaves me. I have failed so many times,, keeps you humble ! lol
2 Now this is a great questian. In my youth I definately tried to conquor sin by my own efforts and basically lived in that valley of moralism . After a lifetime of seeing its uselessness and stupidity I have stopped stiving and know God loves me totally as I am. I must avoid the other side now but I still have that burning desire for trasformationso this is unlikely. I love how Foster shows the balance between what God gives us through grace and our response; placing ourselves in His presence so He can work in us. So simple and so wonderful.
3 I guess the prerequisites for embarking on this journey are mainly an awareness of need and a desire to BE different. A knowledge of sin and our own inability to help ourselves. When I was young I had written that Pride would stop me but now I am aware that for me its laziness that may spoil this journey for me. Spiritual laziness, as in its very easy to talk about prayer etc but its so hard to actually do it. It does require a committment of time and will and a committment to keep going when I don't "feel like it" . If anyone would like to pray specifically for my journey please pray that my laziness would be dealt with. Maybe the Lord will transform it into perseverance. :)
Now I'll shut up for a while!
Thoughts on question 1 from chapter 1: I love the scripture that Foster uses to get his message of our need for God and our inabilitly to do good things for ourselves,page 5 " out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks...I tell you, on the day of judgementmen will render account for every careless word they utter." (Matt. 12 :34-36) Foster talks of how we can try really hard to be good, but under pressure that careless word comes out. Oh so true. There are areas in my life where when I am under pressure I can say some very unkind things. I am terrible when I loose something, but I have found that when I freak out over a lost item in front of my family, that if I stop, pray in front of them and apologise, that I do feel more peace. Usually I then find the lost item and I feel quite humbled at my tyrade. I hate that I struggle in this area, but the only thing that seems to help is daily prayer. When I am praying more and allowing the Holy Spirit to search my soul, then I am more humble and act kindly towards those that I love.
The example from Luke 7:36-50 has just come to my mind as a good example of someone who let God into her waekness. I want to be her.
Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman
36 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”
40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,[a] and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
There is no easy way to growing in Christ...I have got to give the Lord my weakness and lean completely on him!
Oh dear, I only answered one question!Lol!
Question 1. Right away he talks about the "need for deep people" and that is where I hope to grow in this study. So he caught my attention quickly. Question 2. First came the faith and "by faith alone" but soon; as a new Christian the do's and don't were so important; I wanted to do everything right...right away! Over the years the pressure has to be released and that is when the exploring a various prays came. Now the need to grow again, but deeper and with more understanding.
Question 3. Well my intentions and goals are no more than new directions to go; but if I wander to far astray God know just how to pull out the rug from under me and redirect the path! I walk now, not run so that I can take the time to learn what is there for me to see and hear from those around me.
Wanda I am so happy that you've joined us in reading this book . You a great and wise asset to the discussion
Hi Wanda, it IS very nice to have you joining with Elaine and I!"3.What is a primary requirement to embarking on this journey?Are there things that would keep you from fulfilling this requirement?"
I think having a thirst for God is the primary requirement. In our adult Sunday school class we talked about how we all actually have prayed asking God to help us want Him more. We can't even want God without His help!
I think what would keep me from fulfilling this requirement is being too busy. I am a home schooling Mom, and have been home with my kids since they were born. So often I feel the pressure to do stuff, to be busy, almost for the sake of being able to tell others what great things I have done. Being too busy wears me out quickly. I battle this often. It is getting a little easier to say "no."
Hey, anybody out there? I'm still reading, slowly;as I am sharing the book and taking reading turns with my husband.Holy week is a good week for this kind of reading, especially for the "Meditation," chapter.
I'm still reading,in a very hitty missy way. I try and put a chapter into practice before moving on. I was surprised how very inspiring I found the chapter on fasting as I expected to just skim over that one :)
I am so glad that I am not the only one who takes a VERY long time on books like this! I have a few books that I just keep studying and so they remain unfinished, but I want to really take time to practice what I am learning. Our Adult Spiritual formation Class at Church studied this book last spring, but is going to revisit its interesting topics in this falls' class. I am glad to be able to do that.
