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Spring: A Time for Cross Training

In our world, it seems the words “spiritual” and “discipline” don't always go together.

I would contend, however, that there is no genuine spirituality, no genuine Christianity, without some kind of spiritual discipline.

A few years back, Richard Foster wrote a book entitled Celebration of Discipline, in which he enumerates twelve tried-and-true spiritual disciplines that have benefited Christian men and women down through the ages. As we head into Lent, this time of “spring training” for the faithful, I want to share Foster’s list with you, along with my own thoughts about why these spiritual disciplines are so important for our ongoing growth in Christ.

1. Reading Scripture. The Bible is foundational for spiritual growth. It is God’s self-revelation, where he tells us who he is, and so a daily time of Scripture reading should be part of every Christian’s day. If you haven’t put this into practice, a good beginning might be to commit to five minutes a day, meditating on and praying about what you’ve read. Then, once a daily discipline is established, let it grow from there.

2. Daily Prayer. Anglicans have seen the Daily Office (Morning and/or Evening Prayer) as the framework for daily prayer, coupled with the Daily Office lectionary (the schedule of Scripture readings beginning on page 934 in the BCP). There are also simplified outlines of “Daily Prayer for Individuals and Families” on pages 136–140 of the BCP. And of course, you can always pray apart from a set liturgy. Whatever you do, be sure to commit to a certain time each day, lest a discipline of prayer elude you.

3. Fasting. Here is a discipline particularly appropriate for Lent. Jesus assumed his followers would fast—“When you fast…” he said in Matthew 6:16, not “If you fast”—since this is a discipline that strengthens the most important “muscle” when it comes to faith: the will.

4. Study. God made you with a mind and he wants you to use it! St. Paul writes, “Whatever is true … honorable ... just … pure ... lovely ... gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Phil 4.8, emphasis added.) Perhaps you could pick up a book this Lent that nurtures both mind and spirit.

5. Giving. Do you know that Jesus talked about money more than any other subject? Fr. Maceo used to say that you could tell what a person worshiped by looking through his checkbook. It’s true: there is no Christian “spirituality” that is not connected to stewardship and sacrificial giving.

6. Solitude. This is a hard one for many of us, but maybe you could find fifteen minutes a day this Lent to be quiet, to be alone with God. Or perhaps you could set aside one quiet day this season at a retreat center, or in the woods, or another place away from the world’s distractions.

7. Submission. It is hard to give in, but autonomy is not a Biblical value. We are called as Christians to respect those in authority over us and to submit one to another out of reverence for Christ (Ephesians 5:21). Might there be ways this Lent in which you could practice deferring to others, whether at work or at home?

8. Service. Maybe this Lent you could think of doing something for a person who could never, ever pay you back. You could serve with one of St. John’s outreach ministries, provide a meal for a family in need, or help take care of an elderly neighbor. The possibilities, of course, are endless.

9. Confession. It’s “good for the soul,” they say. Indeed, a spiritual discipline of Confession, either a daily recollection of your sins or sacramental Confession with a priest, is a hallmark of a soul that is being trained by the cross: dying to sin, and growing in grace.

10. Worship. “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” is one of the “Big Ten” (Exodus 20:8) and so faithfulness in Sunday worship should be a given. At St. John’s in Lent there are midweek opportunities for worship as well with our Wednesday night dinners and devotions. You can see this year’s schedule of speakers on page 8. It just so happens that our theme is “Disciplines of the Christian Life.” What do you know about that?

11. Guidance. We all need perspective from time to time, and we all seek it out when we’re making an important decision: trying to decide on a school for our kids, an investment for our future—maybe we need to ask one of our children how to program our television remote. Do you have a Christian friend to whom you can go for spiritual guidance this Lent? You certainly have a couple of priests who are available for that very purpose.

12. Celebration. It might sound strange, but celebration is also a discipline we need to learn. We all need to grow in our ability to rejoice in the goodness and grace of God. In fact, heaven will be just that—a celebration of God’s greatness, and I know some Christians who are in dire need of practice before they arrive! Maybe you can save this discipline for Easter season and think of some special ways to celebrate a risen life in Christ.

So there you are, twelve disciplines to consider this Lent from Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline. It is curious, I think, that some folks think that our spiritual lives should be sustained automatically, without effort, without the kind of care and discipline we afford our physical bodies when it comes to diet and exercise. But if we look at Scripture, we see that Christians are not couch potatoes; they are described as athletes, called to discipline. The author of Hebrews writes, “Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1b–2)

You see, even Jesus endured the discipline of the cross, believing the pain was worth the gain. And it’s the same for all of us who bear the name “Christian.” We are called to take up the cross and follow Christ, especially in this season of Lent, so that by embracing the disciplines of the spiritual life, we will be strengthened in the character of Christ and share more fully in his resurrection joy.

A blessed Lent and joyous Easter to you,