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| Thanks to Carrie at Reading is My Superpower for the Link-up | |
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| Title: Celebration of Discipline Author: Richard J. Foster Genre: Christianity/Spiritual Formation |
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Superficiality is the curse of our age. The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem.
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Synopsis: (From Goodreads)
A newly repackaged and updated 40th anniversary
edition of the timeless guide that has helped numerous seekers discover a
richer spiritual life infused with joy, peace, and a deeper
understanding of God, updated with a new introduction by the author and a
new section: "Entering the Great Conversation about the Growth of the
Soul."
Hailed by many as the best modern book on Christian spirituality, Celebration of Discipline
explores the "classic Disciplines," or central spiritual practices, of
the Christian faith. Along the way, Foster shows that it is only by and
through these practices that the true path to spiritual growth can be
found.
Dividing the Disciplines into three movements of the
Spirit, Foster shows how each of these areas contribute to a balanced
spiritual life. The inward Disciplines of meditation, prayer, fasting,
and study offer avenues of personal examination and change. The outward
Disciplines of simplicity, solitude, submission, and service help
prepare us to make the world a better place. The corporate Disciplines
of confession, worship, guidance, and celebration bring us nearer to one
another and to God.
Foster provides a wealth of examples
demonstrating how these Disciplines can become part of our daily
activities—and how they can help us shed our superficial habits and
"bring the abundance of God into our lives." He offers crucial new
insights on simplicity, demonstrating how the biblical view of
simplicity, properly understood and applied, brings joy and balance to
our inward and outward lives and "sets us free to enjoy the provision of
God as a gift that can be shared with others." The discussion of
celebration, often the most neglected of the Disciplines, shows its
critical importance, for it stands at the heart of the way to Christ. Celebration of Discipline will help Christians everywhere to embark on a journey of prayer and spiritual growth.
〰First Thoughts〰
Five years ago during my degree program at CCU, I quickly read through Foster's book as part of research for a class project. This time around, I'm taking each chapter slowly while working to more strongly implement the disciplines outlined in the material.
I've always believed that the tenets of Christian theology included both theory and practice. The basic (or "classic" as Foster deemed them) spiritual disciplines are no exception. Not only do I want to teach the disciplines well, but I want to live them even better than I teach them.
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