Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth

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What does it look like for you to bring playfulness into your life? How could you take yourself less seriously? Can you gather with your mates to play games over Zoom just for the sake of fun? Do you have any friends that just ooze joy?Ask them about it and spend time with them. What can you learn from them?

For years I had followed traditional Christian writings and practices, growing ever more disenchanted with the hollowness of the experience. In my private readings I'd immersed myself in wider and deeper worlds, searching, searching. 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. In conclusion, Celebration of Discipline is a book that emphasizes the importance of discipline in personal and spiritual growth. Through the book, readers are encouraged to develop good habits, exercise self-control, and practice spiritual disciplines such as prayer and meditation. One of the most important aspects of discipline is self-control. Self-control is the ability to control one's emotions, desires, and actions. It is the key to achieving personal success and happiness. When we have self-control, we are able to resist temptation and make better decisions. We are also able to focus on our goals and work towards achieving them.Make peace with yourself, and understand that there is not a single person in this world without any blemish. Key Lessons from “Celebration of Discipline” After the foreword, introduction and opening chapter (all of which are worth reading), the book is divided into three parts: The Inward Disciplines 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.

This book, recently published at the time, grabbed me so aggressively I nearly fell on the floor. It was the missing link I'd been searching for, the connection between Christian thought and spiritual practice. I stayed up all night reading it, and to this day consider it one of the most important books in my life. It set my life loose, on a journey of discovery that continues to this day. Have you ever allowed yourself to be taken advantage of and had it turn out to be destructive rather than redemptive? On the other hand, we can’t simply single out one group and neglect the rest, so it’s all comes down to your openness. About Richard Foster What I love the most about the book is his reminder that the pursuit of a Christ-centered life is all about change and bringing ourselves closer to God. To pray is to change. To confess is to change. To worship is to change.The book also provides practical tips for implementing these disciplines in daily life. For example, Foster suggests setting aside a specific time and place for prayer and meditation, simplifying our lives by decluttering and reducing distractions, and seeking guidance from spiritual mentors or communities.

The only discipline I took major umbrage with was, surprisingly, prayer. The thoughts in there were so out of line with my own way of praying that I didn't even attend that session for fear that I would flip my shit completely; I'm sure that study was improved by my absence. My prayers are for God's will and the wherewithal to see it. Use me to speak Your words, do Your work here on Earth this day, etc. That's how I roll it out in the morning, I give a thankee sir in the evening, and throw out some feelers throughout the day, and it doesn't need to be any more complicated than that. If I'm praying for someone else it's for His will to be done there also, or I'm pissed off at the person and trying to get over it. The chapter in this book even went so far as to suggest that my prayer can change God's mind. Why? I figure He's got it under control even if I don't see it at the time. And though George Carlin was an atheist, he can explain my sentiments here more succinctly than I ever could.Fasting is feasting,” says Foster (p. 55) to introduce the idea that fasting sets one free from the tyranny of desire. He cautions readers about jumping right into a long fast, suggesting several practical ideas for moving gradually into the experience. He also emphasizes four steps in study: 1) repetition (p. 64), 2) concentration (p. 65), 3) comprehension (p. 66), and 4) reflection (p. 66). I was impressed with his warning under study that, “All too many people rush to the application process and bypass the interpretation stage.” (p. 69) Richard James Foster (born 1942) is a Christian theologian and author in the Quaker tradition. His writings speak to a broad Christian audience. Born in 1942 in New Mexico, Foster has been a professor at Friends University and pastor of Evangelical Friends churches. Foster resides in Denver, Colorado. He earned his undergraduate degree at George Fox University in Oregon and his Doctor of Pastoral Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary, and received an honorary doctorate from Houghton College. [1] In terms of personal growth, discipline plays a crucial role in developing good habits. Whether it's exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet, or practicing good time management, discipline helps us to establish routines that lead to success. Self-control and self-mastery are also important aspects of discipline, as they allow us to resist temptation and make choices that align with our values and goals. By practicing discipline, we can achieve personal goals that might otherwise seem out of reach. Prayer is one of the most important spiritual disciplines. It is a way of communicating with God and expressing our love, gratitude, and needs. Through prayer, we can seek God's guidance, ask for forgiveness, and intercede for others. Regular prayer helps us to develop a deeper relationship with God and trust in His plan for our lives. Those two are intertwined; you can’t reach stability and success while rejecting to take full responsibility for your actions. In the meantime, you can bring leadership into play, to expand your viewpoints and agenda.

Meditation on Scripture | Centring Down | Meditation on Creation | Meditation on events of our time Silence is one of the deepest Disciplines of the Spirit simply because it puts the stopper on all self-justification.Submission to the world – as part of an international community, to each other and to the wider creation.