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Spiritual Maturity, Part 2

The Bible describes spiritual maturity in terms that are distinctly unsettling to modern ears with words such as fight, discipline or exercise as in "…discipline yourself for the purpose of Godliness." (1 Tim 4:7) The Greek word being translated is "gumnazo" from which we get our own English "gymnasium." We should perhaps ask, "What is the gymnasium used for?" Is it not primarily used for disciplined physical training? Certainly that is the idea Paul had in mind. It is the environment where athletes condition themselves, strengthening their various physical and mental abilities, refining them, and honing them. And what is the purpose of all this training and exercise? The purpose is twofold, I think: first, to win a prize, honour and recognition and second, to achieve a sense of personal accomplishment. This two-fold goal is worth all the time, effort, discomfort and even pain it may require. To the athlete dedicated to her sport, all else is secondary.

But the athlete does not train blindly. Paul says, "Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air." (1 Cor 9:26) The athlete knows and sees clearly the result of her effort. She sees the prize at the end of her effort; she hears the applause and feels the gratification. Without this, her efforts would soon weaken and she would falter. But as well as this vision, every athlete needs an intention or commitment to persevere toward her goal. Without this commitment, she will never force her body and mind to keep going when every cell and muscle and nerve in her is screaming out to quit. Finally, she needs the means to accomplish her goal. She must learn the skills and techniques of her chosen trade; otherwise she will never be more than a dabbler or dilettante.

Vision, Intention, Means. These are the three prerequisites for success in virtually all endeavours, including the spiritual. If this is true, and I believe it is, then before we can begin the work of sanctification for spiritual maturity in a reliable, consistent fashion-and only a reliable, consistent, and habitual practice will yield the kind of fruit we are after-we will need these three prerequisites.

Vision
The first step, then, vision, is needed in order for us to obtain knowledge of our intended goal. Without vision, we have no access to the information or state of being we intend to gain. Without vision we cannot count the cost, "For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?" (Luke 14:28) nor formulate the benefit. Our vision informs us and inspires us to travel the journey because we see the destination clearly.

Before beginning any trip abroad, most new travellers look at magazines and may buy various guides that describe the intended destination. The guides will commend the pleasures and benefits of the location as well as provide real information the traveller will need in order to enjoy the stay. Christians begin their journey by formulating a vision of the destination, the Kingdom of God. This is where Jesus started and it is where He tells us that we too are to start, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Matt 6:33) Willard accurately says this kingdom is "the range of God's effective will, where what God wants done is done."1 George Ladd describes the Kingdom in similar terms; "The Kingdom is primarily the dynamic reign or kingly rule of God, and, derivatively the sphere in which the rule is experienced. In biblical idiom, the Kingdom is not identified with its subjects. They are the people of God's rule who enter it, live under it, and are governed by it."2 The vision we need then is a vision of life in the Kingdom; our full participation as franchised citizens in God's economy.

But how are we to get such a vision? Do we follow our own thoughts, ideas and hopes? Or do we seek such a vision outside of ourselves, in something that originates beyond us as fallen souls? For me the answer is clear; the vision we seek is found in Holy Scripture. In the pages of the Bible we will find our vision because here God describes not only Himself but also the very qualities and characteristics of His effective will, His dwelling place, His Kingdom. It is the Kingdom of God that is the substance of our vision. If we do not see this vision, the vision given us in Scripture, our own vision will be obscure and fragmented and will not empower us to form the intention, the commitment, to transformation by the Holy Spirit, who is working through us.

Intention
Intention is the decision to act. Our decision to act is empowered by the Holy Spirit, partly by means of the vision given to us by our various activities, especially the reading and meditation upon Scripture. But we must beware that our intention is not counterfeit. Unfortunately, we often delude ourselves by pretending to intend. We knowingly let the worries and activities of the world take precedence over our intentions. We allow ourselves to be distracted and become busy. Most of the time we are not even aware of this circular pattern we weave with our lives-going round and round, and always seeming to come back to the place from which we started. These things keep us stupefied and drugged. They ensnare us. They seem to offer gratification and fullness yet as often as we partake of their pleasures we are left with nothing after but a spiritual hangover and a sense of "Is that all there is?" So we must be vigilant, and more importantly, we must let the Holy Spirit guide and teach us when we allow ourselves to loose this perspective.

Our choice then is to act or not. Some would say that after regeneration-the New Life-the choice is no longer our own, the decision-the intention toward Godliness-has been made for us. We will refrain for the present from examining this particular issue, and will only re-iterate our belief in the need for an effective intention if we are to be true followers of Christ. Such is the clear evidence of scripture, "…I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home. But Jesus said to him, 'No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.'" (Luke 9:61-62)

The decision then, is to do the very things Jesus has commanded us to do; it is simple obedience. We follow Jesus- we are His disciples-when we intentionally obey Him. But we can only obey Him if we trust Him. We cannot just believe things about Him, but must take Him at His word, as He presents Himself in the pages of scripture. According to Dallas Willard, " The idea that you can trust Christ and not intend to obey him is an illusion generated by the prevalence of an unbelieving 'Christian culture.' In fact, you can no more trust Jesus and not intend to obey him than you could trust your doctor and your auto mechanic and not intend to follow their advice." 3

Means (Methods)
Once we have a clear vision of the destination and have formed a clear and honest intention to make the journey, we then have to decide on the best mode of transport for arriving there. In our case the means or methods are the various activities, behaviours and attitudes that enable us to work with the Holy Spirit in His role as Paraclete, or Helper. He is of course our helper and our guide in the transformative process known as sanctification or spiritual maturity.
Now, there are a number of means or methods that can be employed for our purpose. Different Christian traditions have made more or less use of these means, depending on their own understanding of the place for such activities, and whether the activities are legitimate and able to hold up to biblical scrutiny. These activities have come to be known as spiritual disciplines. Three in particular have had universal acceptance as legitimate disciplines for maturing the believer: bible intake, meditation and prayer. In addition, there are several other practices that have traditionally been used by believers from many different faith backgrounds. These include fasting, solitude and silence, simplicity (or frugality) study, and the like. But whether our inclination is to accept some disciplines and reject others, we must be willing and humble enough to admit that to bear much fruit-as we are admonished by Christ to do-we must consent to regular, consistent actions and attitudes directed toward the abundant and righteous life that we have been promised.

Paul the apostle talked of such discipline many times, especially so to his spiritual son Timothy. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith." (2 Tim 4:7). Paul's idea of spiritual discipline was more than mental. It included both mental and physical aspects, hence his use of the word "gumnazo". In fact, Paul's life is a prime example of the holistic nature of discipline or exercise for spiritual maturity. But this was also the attitude and teaching of Jesus, as one would expect. In a well-known passage Jesus defines his own law by describing five aspects that together make up the Christian's character and God's expectation of him, "…AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH." 'The second is this, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'" (Mark 12:30-31) In this passage, Jesus identifies these aspects as heart, mind, soul and strength (of the body) and community (love for one's neighbour). But first we must understand two things about His teaching. We must understand what He means by the word love and what by the terms heart, mind, soul and strength (body). In the passage just quoted, the word translated by our word "love" is the Greek word "agapao" which in this context can mean a dear, deep and welcoming kind of love. (This is also the word used in 1 Cor 13:1-13, the so-called Love Chapter.) Now understand that the terms heart, mind, soul and strength (of the body) can, and in many cases should, be understood as being specific, independent definitions of our own sense of "I am-ness". But even though each is different, they also have much meaning in common. In the context of Jesus' traditional Hebrew culture, these terms were often blended together. They often were, if you will, different shades and tints of a single colour, rather than being separate and distinct colours. Understood this way, the terms used by Jesus are referring to a single idea, but coloured with nuance. In this sense, Jesus was using each term as a way of reinforcing His central message; that we must welcome God in a loving embrace by the whole person, without reservation, holding nothing back. It was an unconditional and intentional love. And too, this same unconditional, intentional love, this unconditional positive regard, to use the language of therapy and counselling, is the attitude we are to have toward others-our neighbours, as exemplified in the story of the Good Samaritan. (Luke 10:30-37)

Without further ado then and with this understanding in place, let us now conclude our article with a brief look at some of the traditional disciplines themselves. What follows is a very subjective list, with equally subjective comments. While I have chosen to look at only seven means for spiritual discipline, many more could be added. And too, there are many who would say that some of the means I have given are not very important or are suitable only for those of a like temperament. All valid criticisms, no doubt. But such as I understand; only that am I able to share. I will leave it to others to contribute what they are able and I pray that what follows will be helpful to someone, somewhere. In this context, it is important to understand that many things, if done for the glory of God, can be spiritual disciplines. Dallas Willard, in his book The Spirit of the Disciplines, quotes William Law, "He, therefore, is the devout man who lives no longer to his own will, or the way and spirit of the world, but to the sole will of God; who considers God in everything, who serves God in everything, who makes all the parts of his common life parts of piety, by doing everything in the Name of God, and under such rules as are conformable to His glory." 4

Bible intake
Bible intake primarily includes reading, hearing and memorizing. Volumes continue to be written about each one of these subject areas. But ours can only be a cursory look at this most important of disciplines. By reading (and hearing) the Bible, we are enabled to build up pictures in our minds and hearts about that most desirable of destinations, God's Kingdom. Thus is formed our vision. From the Bible we learn how to behave, how to conduct ourselves both individually and as members of communities. More importantly, we learn about God's graciousness in His dealings with His chosen people, first Israel and then the Church. Because of the Bible we learn about God's plan for our redemption and the resulting reconciliation with Him. In its pages we come to know God's Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. Finally, we learn how God will ultimately wind up His creation, and what will happen on the Day of Judgement.

There are many ways to take in the Bible. One simple method is to begin reading Genesis 1:1 and continue regularly through to Revelation 22:21, reading all sixty-six books. Even easier, buy a copy of your favourite version of the Bible on audiocassette or compact disk (CD) and then play it back. Better, in my opinion, is to follow a Bible reading plan. But whether you read or listen, there are a couple of things to know. First, read or listen attentively and prayerfully. That is to say, when you read or listen, pay attention. Discipline yourself to attend to the matter. Attention is one of the most necessary and powerful tools you have at your command. If you are tired or distracted, it is probably not a good idea to begin reading or listening. Better to wait until you are alert, able to focus and concentrate.

Reading the Bible should be an unhurried activity. Sometimes a passage may require repeated readings before you begin to understand the sense of it. Very often, Bible reading can become Bible study. This is especially true when the Holy Spirit calls your attention to a passage or verse. Thus it becomes important to give yourself a comfortable period of time in which to read. This will partly depend on the time you have available as well as the Bible reading plan you are using. (Two common formats are reading the Bible through in one year or in three years.)
Memorization is an integral part of Bible intake. It has many benefits not least of which is the power for remaining true to God, to be faithful, "Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You." (Ps 119:11) Having the very words of the Holy Spirit ready to our minds enables Him to more effectively and powerfully convict us when we go against His word and commit sin. This greatly aids our spiritual maturity. Having a repertoire of Scripture at our command will also greatly enhance your own ability to witness to others as well as to counsel those in crisis or who are being weighed down by trouble. Face it, we don't always have our Bibles close at hand and even if we did, there are situations that require immediate responses, not a groping and fumbling around for just the right passage. Memorization will also be used by the Holy Spirit to cause you to recollect a passage or verse for one reason or another, (perhaps due to a crisis) which then enables you to begin turning it over in your mind, discovering why it seems important. This then becomes a subject for your meditation.

Meditation
According to one authority, biblical meditation is, "…a conscious act of reflecting on the Lord and his revelation of himself in his Word, as opposed to the concept of 'loosing oneself' in a mystic experience."5 The words in the Old Testament that correspond to meditation have meanings such as murmuring, muttering, sighing, whispering and the like. Meditation, in the biblical sense, is the turning over in the mind of some subject, thought or idea. It is a reflective pondering such as Mary did when told what the shepherds had seen and heard the night of Jesus' birth, "But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart." (Luke 2:19) And again years later, after returning home from Jerusalem where she and Joseph had confronted their son as He was listening and asking questions of the teachers in the Temple, "And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart." (Luke 2:51) Meditation is not the same as contemplation, which is a kind of suspension of ideas, neither is it entirely like prayer, which is directed to God. Rather it is a kind of constructive worry: a close mental examination of a chosen idea. The closest kind of real-life activity to compare it with would be the forensic examination of a corpse, or perhaps a thorough medical exam. Meditation should be undertaken in a serious, worshipful fashion, as is fitting, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer." (Ps 19:14)

The technique of meditation is straightforward enough. One first chooses a subject upon which to meditate. This is best accomplished as part of your regular scriptural intake or study. The Bible provides us with all subjects that will be useful to us. This is in keeping with our belief that the Bible is the revealed word of God and contains everything of importance needed to live a righteous and grace-filled life. "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success." (Josh 1:8) A bible with a concordance or subject index is best. One that I have used for this purpose is the Thompson Chain Reference Bible. It contains a comprehensive list of subjects and the passages that contain either the word in question or (more helpfully) the idea being referred to. As you read, the Holy Spirit may lead you as you come across a passage, verse, word or name. Then again this may not happen. The Spirit's leading may just be a vague feeling or hunch, something you can't put your finger on. Learn to be sensitive to such feelings and you will be richly rewarded.

Ideally, meditation, like prayer, is best done alone, in a quiet place. "But when you pray go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you." (Matt 6:6) Sit comfortably, without strain or pressure, close your eyes, take a few deep breaths to calm and recollect yourself, pray for guidance and then bring to the forefront of your mind the subject you have chosen. Be very intentional now. Look at your subject; think about it. Ask yourself questions about it. Recall to mind what you have learned about it from God's Word. Ask more questions. Begin to look at the ideas that are associated with your subject and that inevitably arise as a result of your reflections. It's important not to restrict these ideas too much. This is a little like a brainstorming session. The danger here-and it always happens sooner or later-is that the train of associated ideas may extend too far, leading to ideas and thoughts that have absolutely nothing to do with your subject. This aimless and unintentional moving from idea to idea has been termed "monkey mind". When it happens, don't fuss. Instead just gently but firmly bring your consciousness back to your original idea and begin again. In a somewhat different context, Paul advises his pupil Timothy to, "…take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress may be evident to all." (1Tim 4:15) Even though he had other things in mind than meditation, its still good advice.

At the close of each session, you may choose to record your thoughts, observations and conclusions. This could be done as part of a journaling discipline. Making a record can help not only reinforce what you have gained, but also to suggest other areas that could be seeds for future meditations.

Prayer
Prayer takes place between yourself and God. While there are no absolute right and wrong ways to pray, some prayers seem to be more efficacious than others; they seem to get answered more often. In the Bible, the most important aspect of prayer is the motive: whether it came from the heart. Sincerity counts for everything in prayer "Thus says the LORD, 'Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? For My hand made all these things, thus all these things came into being,' declares the LORD. 'But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.'"(Is 66:1-2). In prayer, we remember whom it is that we are approaching and consequently we come to prayer with a sense of grateful humility.
Prayer has been defined as "conversation with God" and as "the experience of the presence of God." Both definitions are true and help to define two broad kinds of prayer, discursive and contemplative.

Discursive prayer is verbal. That is to say we talk with God using our own language, which God is perfectly able to understand. Discursive prayer may be vocal or silent, it matters not a whit to God. Nor does it matter if your prayers are spontaneous or carefully (and worshipfully) written and edited in advance. Discursive prayer that is vocal is used in groups when others can help us pray and share our concerns. When you are alone, you can pray out loud or in silence as seems appropriate to you or as the Spirit moves you. When we pray to God discursively, we should try to follow a pattern. We can discover different patterns of prayer in both the Old and New Testaments. One good example of an Old Testament prayer is found in Ezra 9:5-15 While the best example from the New Testament is that found in Matt 6:9, and which is commonly called the Lord's Prayer. A modern pattern, somewhat based on the Lord's Prayer, is one known as ACTS, which is an acronym for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication.

Adoration is the act of praising and proclaiming the worthiness of God. This part of your prayer enables you to focus on God's nature and His glory and to come into a right relationship with Him in prayer. It creates the sense of humility and contrition that God demands because of His inherent holiness and greatness. In other words it is worshipful. Confession is a requirement of Christians. We are to confess our sins to our holy God, thereby restoring the relationship we have with Him. Confessing our sins will also help us with our sanctification. As we are told by John, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) Thanksgiving is the outcome of our humility and contrition before God in whereby we offer our gratitude to Him for all the wonderful blessings we have received from His hand. It is a strong antidote to envy, and increases our love for and dependence on Him from whom all good things come. The final part of this prayer is Supplication. This is asking God for His blessing. Supplication can be for others in which case it is called intersession, because we are interceding on behalf of someone else and asking Jesus to intercede for that other. When supplication is for us, it is called petition. And yes, it is all right to ask for God's blessing for yourself. He knows you have needs and desires and He has told us in no uncertain terms to ask: "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." (Matt 7:7-8)

Praying Scripture can be a most efficacious way in which to pray. It can be effective because you are praying God's very own words back to Him. It is a practice that goes back to the early church (Eph 5:19) and is being used by many Christians today. But when praying the Psalms or any other part of the Bible, be sure to make it personal. Don't just read the words out loud or under your breath. Use the first person pronoun "I" and pray from your heart. See each verse as your very own prayer, from your heart with complete sincerity. This way your prayer will not just be an empty exercise, unpleasing to God.

Study
Bible study is an intense and purposeful examination of Scripture in order to understand it as completely as your own intelligence, perseverance and resources will allow. Bible study is more demanding than Bible reading. Sometimes in study you will examine every single word in a passage, which itself could be lengthy and complex. Often in Bible study, you will be required to consider aspects of history, archaeology, anthropology mythology and the like. Although possible, rarely does one study the Bible without the aid of other resources such as dictionaries, lexicons, and commentaries, not to mention the various study notes that may be found in the Bible itself. This is not to say that Bible study is difficult and obtuse. The Bible was written in the plain languages (Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek) of the period. As well, the human authors desired their readers or audience to clearly understand what was being read by them or to them. As it is the revelation of Himself and His plan for humanity, God the Holy Spirit (the real author of the Bible) wants us to understand what was written. In fact, the biggest problem with studying the Bible (or even reading it with an uncritical eye) is not the understanding, but the doing. What is so difficult about a passage like, "Do all things without grumbling or disputing?" (Phil 2:14) Surely it is not the understanding of it that is so difficult, but the doing of it.

There are many specific ways to study the bible but broadly speaking they all fall into two distinct types: deductive study and inductive study. Dismantling the part you are studying whether it is a book, chapter, verse or word is deductive study. You look at the parts of the passage or passages. You strive to understand the individual meanings of the various components of the passage by de-constructing them and their context. Conversely, inductive study means that you construct meaning from what you read. In the inductive method, context is everything because it helps you to build up your observations into a reasonable hypothesis that can then be tested.

While it is profitable to use one version of the Bible most of the time, especially for devotional reading, it is even more profitable to use several recognized versions when doing study. No single version of the Bible is perfect. Only the autographs (the original hand-written documents) are so. Therefore it behoves the student to use more than one version and to compare passages of one version with the same passages of another. When discrepancies are found, it is time to use yet a third translation or even to begin consulting various other resources, probably a good commentary first, followed by a dictionary and or a word study such as Zodhiates. My own favourite version of the Bible is the Updated New American Standard Bible (NASB). I also use the New International version (NIV) and a paraphrased version such as New Living Translation (NLT). The NASB is considered a more accurate translation (commonly called a word-for-word translation while the NLT and others like it are considered thought-for-thought translations or paraphrases). I also use the New King James Version (NKJV) and occasionally will use the standard King James Version (KJV) although I mostly read it for the glorious language, especially in books like the Psalms or the Song of Solomon.

Contexts, as said before, are everything in Bible study. The context can be large and panoramic or very precise. Context is usually found in the surrounding verses of the passage you are studying. It may explain the place or circumstances in which a particular passage is found and so give a fuller meaning, it may describe who is being addressed and therefore explain the reason for it. Context can usually be determined by asking questions like "Who said that?" "Why did they/she/he say it?" When did they/she/he say it?" "How did they/she/he say it?" "To whom were they/she/he speaking?" "Where did this happen?" "How/when did this happen?" "What caused this to happen?" When you read the Bible remember too that Scripture cannot, repeat cannot, contradict itself. If you are faced with a passage that seems to contradict another passage, you must find the answer in the context of which the problematic passage is a part. Invariably, the context in which each seemingly contradictory passage is found will be different.

Many who study the Bible, will mark their Bibles with pen or pencil, usually in colour. This is not my own practice. (Even wide-margin bibles do not have wide enough margins for notes.) Rather I often choose to make notes on separate pages of loose-leaf, which I then punch, and put in a three-ring binder. This becomes a living record of discoveries made and understanding deepened. I have even designed and used double-sided forms for capturing salient information about chapters, paragraphs, verses and words, which also go into a binder.

One of the most productive ways to study the Bible is to do topic or subject searches. It is here that I do most of my own study. For this purpose it is advantageous to have a reference Bible such as the Thompson Chain Reference. Contained in this version is an exhaustive index and list of subjects or topics found in the Bible. Looking up a topic in the index will lead you to references where that specific topic is found, along with topics related to it directly or indirectly. In many cases, the verses where the topic is an important feature are included alongside the reference itself, saving the effort of having to thumb through your pages in order to find the reference you need.

And all this studying for what? What good is it? Bible study is rather pointless and is just an exercise in mental gymnastics if it is done for its own sake. But Bible study done for the purpose of understanding God's Word and then acting on what you have studied and understood is the real and valid reason. Otherwise, you are no better than a mule that carries around a sackful of books on his back. As we are reminded by James, the brother of Jesus, "For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does." (James 1:23-25)

Fasting
Fasting is a discipline that has fallen on hard times. In the biblical period fasting was normative. (Neh 9:1). But fasting can actually be harmful if not done with care, so if you're not sure about how you will react during a fast please contact your doctor. The most common problem is low blood sugar. This can cause dizziness, trembling, feinting and so forth.

Fasting can take many forms. You may, like Daniel, fast from meat, eating only vegetables and legumes (beans, peas, lentils). You may fast during the day and eat only after sundown. You may go on strict juice fasts. You may fast from all sugar or refined food.

The form of the fast is less important than the reason for it. As described in scripture, fasting would most often accompany prayer (Neh 9:2-4). And this is the main reason for the fast. Fasting gives a sense of urgency and importance to prayer. It creates a strong link between the body and the mind, which forces one to concentrate to a sharper degree. In the Bible we are told to pray with boldness and tenacity and fasting helps us to do that. It demonstrates to God your willingness to sacrifice, it demonstrates your level of commitment to the object of your prayer. Fasting like this, when accompanying prayer, is also most usually done in solitude and silence. These too, heighten the ability to concentrate, as there are fewer distractions.

Solitude/Silence
It is quite common for Christians today never to be alone. It seems many of us go from cradle to grave in the presence of others and rarely do we relish the idea of being completely alone. We have growth groups, men's groups, women's groups and youth groups. We have support groups, ministry groups and discipleship groups. Christians consider fellowship a spiritual blessing, and so it is "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!" (Ps 133:1) But in our need for fellowship and the encouragement we get from others, we have forgotten to look at the flip side, which is solitude and the silence that almost always accompanies it. We forget that Jesus began His ministry alone, in the wilderness. It is ironic, I think, that this religion, for which fellowship is so important, was started by a solitary figure, alone in the unforgiving wilderness of Palestine. There He was alone the entire time until His encounter with Satan, "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil." (Matt 4:1) But this desert sojourn, as dramatic as it was, was not entirely unique, for throughout the gospels we read of Jesus leaving the crowds and the company of others, usually to rest or to pray. (Matt 14:23; Mark 1:35; Luke 4:42)

In the Old Testament we read of Moses and his forty-day retreat as well as other prophets such as Elijah (1 Kin 19:11-13) and Habakkuk (Hab 2:1). And in the New Testament we read of the apostle Paul going into Arabia for many years as part of his sanctification (Gal 1:17). In light of passages like these it is hard not to accept the fact that solitude is natural for our spiritual development.

But let us not misunderstand; this solitude is not isolation in a strict sense of the word since we are really seeking, in our solitude, the pure company of God, to feel His presence forcefully and clearly. Solitude is instead a kind of self-imposed quarantine for ridding ourselves of the deadly virus of worldliness and its myriad distractions. We have in mind therefore, solitude of a specific duration; it has a beginning and an end. Jesus was clear that as Christians we belong in the world but not of it, "I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world."
(John 17:15-16)

This, then, is the pattern Jesus taught: to periodically and purposefully remove ourselves from the world's hurly-burly and to enter His rest. Abiding there, we grow spiritually as we experience His presence and converse with Him openly and deeply. We then return to the world, sharing and distributing the wisdom gained and better able to be to be the salt and light that he has called us to be "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Matt 5:13-16)

It is instructive to remember that the things of the world resulted from mankind's Fall. They are, whether we like to admit it or not, the result of sin. As such, there is inherent danger for us when we unthinkingly give ourselves over to these distractions. But when we remove ourselves from the distractions (but not the temptations) by seeking solitude, we allow ourselves to see more clearly our relationship with our Maker, if only for a short time. For some, this is a frightening idea because most of us actually seek out distraction, whether it be the distraction of sex, idle conversation, the "boob tube", sports, drugs, work or even family. The thought of being truly alone with God, with Jesus, can be terrifying. It's akin to the situation that some empty nesters find themselves in. When the children are at home there is distraction aplenty. No need for a close examination of your married relationship, no need to feel threatened by the differences that have been quietly accumulating over the years. But when it is just you and your spouse, it can be a different matter. Now there may be a very real cause for concern. Likewise for many Christians who have spent a post-conversion life accumulating more things, and worse, more distractions. Living the distracted life, they are unable to live the abundant life. Hence the need and benefit of solitude as a normal part of our spiritual maturity
Of course, none of this is to say that you can't experience God's presence in your everyday life. You can and you must. But silence and solitude are very powerful in their ability to strip away non-essentials, leaving only the essence of your relationship with God. A simple analogy is bringing a train to a complete stop. The engineer could just remove his hand from the throttle and the train would gradually come to a stop, but a better way to stop the train is to also apply the brakes. Now many will say, "I'm too busy." "I have too many other commitments and obligations." But is it not really a matter of priorities? Are we truly so busy that we have no time for God, even though He entreats us? "But the LORD is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him." (Hab 2:20)

A tried and true method for incorporating silence and solitude into your spiritual life is simply to make a habit of rising from your bed early in the morning, before others are astir. Giving yourself this time alone will allow you to incorporate your other disciplines as well and affords you ample time for uninterrupted prayer. Many are those who find such a regular practice greatly beneficial as a spiritual discipline even though it may take a while to appreciate the benefits. But of course such a practice will force you to change certain other habits that may run counter to it; staying up late watching television for instance. Make no mistake: the time you give up will be amply rewarded by a God who sees into our hearts and knows why we do the things we do. Another variation is to regularly (or as often as possible) set aside a whole day devoted to the discipline of solitude. You may choose to go to a park or a beach or some other secluded spot, away from the hustle-bustle of people and their noise. When I do this, I usually take along my Bible, my notebook and perhaps a favourite book by an admired Christian author. But often, I never open my books, instead spending the day in quiet worship of God for His wondrous creation, praying to Him or just being still in His presence, "Be silent before the sovereign LORD." (Zeph 1:7).

Worship
Worship comes last in this list of disciplines because, for me, it is both culmination and fulfillment of all that has gone before. In worship, all that we have learned and gained through the various disciplines for spiritual maturity come to their fullest and finest expression. In this sense, worship is an act of discipline in its own right as well as the evidence of what we have become through our struggle and perseverance. Worship in the context of spiritual discipline has two aspects: corporate and personal. In its personal aspect it is a spiritual discipline while in its corporate or gathered aspect it is the fulfillment of our entire spiritual walk, the embodiment of our faith, if you will.

To worship means to give credit, to ascribe worth or to give proper due to the one worshiped, "Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him; Worship the LORD in holy array." (1 Chr 16:29) It means essentially to willingly, joyfully, and intentionally admit and proclaim the absolute value that is God's because, and only because, of whom He is. But how are we to do that? When it comes to New Testament worship, we are told by Jesus "God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:24) This statement sets the tone for all that is authentic in Christian worship. The context of this verse is Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. (John 4:3-7) In this verse, Jesus describes God as spirit (pneuma) literally translated as breath or wind. Spirit is immaterial, resident throughout space, timeless and powerful. Likewise, man's spirit is that which is immaterial, invisible and so on. Man's spirit is, according to Spiros Zodhiates, "…the element in man which gives him the ability to think of God."6 In another place, Jesus says, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the [Holy] Spirit is spirit." (John 3:6) Which is to say that only spirit is able to worship spirit. In today's lingo, we say, "It takes one to know one." Same idea. So Jesus is saying that worship is occurring when our own spirit is in right relationship to God, who is spirit. This idea is made explicit in the previous verse where Jesus says in part, "…for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers."
What I take all this to mean is that worship is that act whereby "deep speaks unto deep." (Ps 42:7) That is, a person's redeemed spirit gives credit and due to God for the glory God deserves. This leads to the second part of Jesus remark; that we are to worship in truth. Now in John's gospel, we find the word truth used twenty-five times and linked with Jesus who described Himself as "the truth." (John 14:6) This being the case, it is only when we are worshiping Him that we are worshiping in truth. As well, if we are to worship in truth, our worship must accord with God's law as found in the Bible, "Then, You came down on Mount Sinai, and spoke with them from Heaven; You gave them just ordinances and true laws…." (Neh 9:13) "The judgments of the LORD are true, they are righteous altogether." (Ps 19:9b) The psalmist understood the truth of God and was full of praise in his description of the authentically worshiping one, "But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night." And what is the result of this worshipful meditation? "He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers." (Ps 1:2-3) So we worship, we ascribe worthiness to God, when our worship is done by the inner person, our spirit, and whose object is the truth of Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, all the while being dependant upon and consistent with the truth of God's word as He has revealed it to us.

In this context, worship, it has been said, is a covenant renewal ceremony.7 That is to say; it is a ceremony or activity in which God re-enacts in summary His covenant of grace. In this ceremony, we--His ecclesia, His called out ones--respond to the promise of the covenant with love, adoration and gratitude. We recognize, through the giving of our response, that Jesus Christ is the sum and substance of all of Scripture. He is the fulfillment of all of God's promises to us and in Him we trust God to maintain His covenant and this we celebrate in worship when we gather, "For as many as are the promises of God, in Him [Jesus] they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us." (2 Cor 1:20) So then--since "through Him is our Amen" (that is, our assurance and guarantee of God's favour)--when Jesus is not central to our worship, it is not worship at all.

And our worship must include the hearing of God's Word as part of the re-enactment of the divine drama of grace. We must have the Pastor, Elder or another in their place, recite and expound to us God's redemptive word so that we may then respond in humility and contrition, acknowledging God's grace, and praising Him with profound gratitude for what He has accomplished. Our corporate response is to be expressed, minimally, through reciting or singing of psalms, hymns or spiritual songs (Eph 5:19). But we must remember that it is recognition of our own sinfulness and unworthiness, and gratitude for God's decision to free for Himself a people through Christ's sacrifice, that is our true worship. This is our personal worship and not the specific style such worship may take.

Our worship has a different emphasis when seen as a spiritual activity performed by the disciple. In this case our worship is what we do each hour and each day. It is what we purposefully do in acknowledgement of the reconciliation we have received through the blood of Christ. But it is also what we do as a means for spiritual maturity or sanctification. It is in fact the very activities that we have been discussing and others besides. Paul says, "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." He goes on, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." (Rom 12:1-2)
Paul is saying that we are to make the things we do, our various activities, into sacrificial acts.

These sacrificial acts are our personal worship. It is through these personal acts of worship-these many and varied acts of love and sacrifice of self-that we ascribe worthiness to God. These acts may be mundane and common or they may be special and purposeful, as are the spiritual means we have been discussing. He also tells us that we are not to conform ourselves with the world. That is, we are not to be in agreement with the values considered important by those of the world that are apart from God's Kingdom. Finally he says that when we act in this way-making all our activities worship and not allowing ourselves to be in agreement with the world-we will prove, that is, demonstrate through trial and effort, that the will of God is good and beneficial. As a result, our whole demeanour becomes saturated with the fragrance of worship and all that we do becomes the natural expression of one who abides in the Kingdom.

These then, are just some of the traditional spiritual disciplines. The list, as has been said earlier, is subjective and short. It is my hope that the reader will now have a greater understanding of the meaning and importance of discipline for the purpose of Godliness. I pray that God will kindle a flame in your heart for understanding and practicing these and other disciplines. For we have His assurance and promise, that He will, "…give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be my son." (Rev 21:6b-7)

Endnotes:

1. Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart, (Colorado Springs, NavPress, 2002). I am indebted to Willard for his understanding and explanation of Vision, Intention and Means.

2. George Eldon Ladd, "The Kingdom and the Church". (In A Theology of the New Testament, Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 1974) 105-19

3. Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart, (Colorado Springs, NavPress, 2002).

4. Dallas Willard, Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives, San Francisco, HarperCollins, 1988

5. Lawrence O. Richards, Richards Complete Bible Dictionary, (Iowa Falls, World Bible Publishers 1984)

6. Spiros Zodhiates, ed., The Complete Word Study New Testament, (Chattanooga, AMG Publishers, 1991) 948

7. Michael Horton, A Better Way. Rediscovering the Drama of God-Centered Worship, (Grand Rapids, Baker Books 2002)