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There are many other activities that could, for the right person and upon the right occasion, be counted as spiritual disciplines.
The above is not a complete ‘authorized’ list . It is just a guide – a guide that will hopefully not only
inspire you to act, but inspire you to think. God is a very creative being – just look outside! The first Scriptures
of the Gospel of John reveal to us that Jesus is the very word that breathed the cosmos into existence; to become like Christ,
we, too, must be creative. A relationship with Jesus is a relationship that not only leaves room for creativity, but calls
it, beckons it, is thrilled with it. We must be creative and experiential and find new ways to challenge ourselves to grow
more intimate with God, and to become more like Jesus of Nazareth.
Which disciplines must be central to our lives will be determined by the chief sins and struggles of our life. Arrogance,
envy, wrath, sloth, avarice, gluttony, and lasciviousness – the “seven deadly sins” of theological and literary
history – along with many other real sins and struggles are not phantoms or jokes, but hard-bitten realities whose dreadful
effects can be seen by looking out your bay window. They call for an incomparably hard-nosed, tough response on our part,
supported by infinite grace.
To answer the question above, the activities mentioned – when we engage in them conscientiously and creatively and adapt
them to our individual needs, times, and place – will be more than adequate to help us receive the full Christ-life
and become the kind of person that should emerge in following him. Once more, these disciplines are not set-in-stone, but
are foundational; if we take discipline in our life seriously, the disciplines will help guide us right no matter what disciplines
we may add.
“Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For
my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light." – Jesus, Matthew 11:29,30, NLT
It’s real.
It’s here.
It’s now.
What are you going to do about it?
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