Celebration of Discipline

Have any of you read this book, Celebration of Discipline, by Richard J. Foster? My pastor gave it to me to when we decided to study the spiritual disciplines in our small group, and I've been working my way through it for the last few weeks. The Christian disciplines are not something I've been exposed to before in a formal way. Of course, prayer, worship, Bible study, and service are concepts familiar to almost all Christians, but I've never been in a church, small group, Bible study or class that explicitly taught these, or any of the other disciplines. It always seems assumed that Christians know how to do these things, and that they're doing them on a regular basis. I guess I just assumed the same thing, and I didn't feel the need for anyone to tell me how to pray or study the Bible or worship God. After reading this book, though, I wonder about that...

Most of what Foster says is fairly straightforward, straight from the Word, and applicable to my daily life. He gives deeper insight into the 'common disciplines' while also providing perspective on the ones we don't think about as much, such as solitude, meditation, submission, confession, and celebration. It's definitely worth a read if you have the time. I've been spreading it out and just reading one or two chapters a week. To say it's been majorly life changing might be overstating the case, but it has definitely impacted my walk with the Lord and given me a broader perspective on the 'basic mechanics' of a Christian life.

Unfortunately, many of today's churches are often so wrapped up in bringing in new people and leading them to Christ that they neglect the growth and discipleship of the believers they already have. Books like this one help me in my own study and walk with the Lord, and also bring up some really interesting and important topics for small group. Many of the disciplines Foster discusses (fasting, confession, submission, solitude, meditation, etc.) have either "fallen from favor" in the church, or have just been neglected to the point that most people don't recognize them as necessary parts of our lives as Christ-followers. If they were important in the church fifty or a hundred years ago, why aren't they still important today? So much wisdom and insight from early church leaders is never read or taught because it seems out-dated and archaic, and it is often difficult to understand. Foster does a great job of distilling and revitalizing these ideas and making them accessible to anyone who picks up his book.

If you've read it, what did you think? If you haven't, have you read any other books that focus on the basic Christian disciplines, or been in a church/Bible study/class that taught them?

What do you think small groups should be?

I'm looking for some feedback from you here. Any and all of you... so if you get a few minutes, think and pray about this and leave a comment...

This is something I've been praying about for a while now... Naomi and I are about to become the '20-something' small group leaders at our church. The church we attend, Connexion Church, is a new church plant that's only a few months old. This past week was the kickoff for our 'Connexion Groups,' and our group actually starts on the 11th. Since they're a new church, there's no established format for what small groups 'should' be. Naomi and I have talked with Pastor Joe on a few different occasions about what his and our vision for a small group is, and we've prayed about it a lot too. Here's my questions for you:

- Should small groups be Bible-study centered, or community centered?
- If they should be Bible-study centered, then what opportunities are there in a church for Christians to fellowship with and pray for each other, 'hang out', be accountable, spend time investing in each other's lives? Should these things be tacked on to the end of a Bible study each week? Every small group I've been to has made fifteen minutes or so for these things at the end of the time together when people are rushed to get back home to the kids, homework, etc. Do we just designate one day a month to be 'fellowship night?' Is that enough?
- We get Bible teaching on Sunday from the pastor, who spends a significant amount of time each week in preparing and praying over his message. Can a small group leader who has to coordinate who's bringing the snacks this week, how to get the kids fed and in bed before everyone comes over, and has been at work all day until 20 minutes before small group starts be an effective 'preacher?'

- If small groups are community-centered, where can we go for a group Bible study between Sundays? Most churches don't even have Sunday night services anymore, let alone the Wednesday night services that I grew up with as a kid. This is something I've hungered for for many years. I need that boost of being in God's house in the middle of the week. The small groups I've been in, even the Bible-study centered ones, haven't really fulfilled this desire. They invariably fall either on the side of a group opinion-fest about a particular passage of the Word, with no direction and not much learning, or on the side of some well-meaning but under-prepared individual reading from the three pages of notes he wrote at lunch that day.

I do know that some people have amazingly awesome small groups. Everything I've heard about the small group my sister and brother-in-law lead has been incredible. Lots of spiritual growth, lots of fellowship between believers, lots of building and actively developing relationships with God and with others, which is the ideal of a small group. But I think groups like that are rare.

So what are your opinions? What is the balance? I'd love to hear what you think. Thanks in advance for your input.

Awakening

Check it out. Our church and hundreds of others around the world participating in this for the last two weeks. What a powerful way to start out the new year, fasting and praying for God's will to be done in the church. There's five days left, and even if your church isn't officially participating, you still can. Juice fast, 'Daniel fast', fast from TV or Facebook or junk food... whatever God calls you to. Even if you don't fast, spend some time with us this next week praying for the leadership of your own church, for the leadership of your country, and for the awakening of God's people throughout the world. Stop 'being a Christian' and start living like you are one of God's chosen people!
This is the first time I've ever participated in an extended (more than a day) fast, and I have seen over and over in the last two weeks the incredible power of our Almighty God when His people earnestly seek His face. In my life, in my relationship with Naomi, and across the world in the testimonies people are sharing on the website. I don't know how I missed out on this for so many years. God is so amazing. I am so in love with Him.

3AM Friday morning

It's 3AM on Friday, and instead of being snuggled up next to my wife for another two hours, I'm sitting here in the office because I can't sleep. God's been changing things in my life over the last two weeks. He's been convicting me about being too comfortable with the way my life has been going. He's shown me all the earthly things that I take joy in while I sacrifice the joy I could be sharing with Him through a deeper relationship with Christ. It's been an unsettling time.

A few weeks ago I prayed that He would keep my life from being easy, knowing that I get complacent when I feel like I 'have things under control.' Well, the last two weeks definitely haven't been easy, and another difficult one is coming up, and despite what I might be feeling now, I'm grateful for it. Thank You, God for an uncomfortable life and for Your hand at work to change me to become ever more like You.