Spiritual Body-Building: a Reflection on the Disciplines

“We must always work at it, because not to persevere in the spiritual life is to go back.” – Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God

A short time ago, Foundry completed an eight week foray into the Christian spiritual disciplines. Attendance for the class was consistently between 25 and 30, all participating in mesmerizing discussions each Sunday morning. Why so much interest in ancient, sometimes uncomfortable, practices of the church? A few reflections from our class might answer that question.

Countless faith-induced activities could be considered “spiritual disciplines.” Prayer, Bible study, attending church, joining a small group, singing worship songs—all disciplines. Even regular contributions to this blog could be considered a spiritual discipline.

The keys to something being considered a discipline rather than simply an activity is the regular, deliberate practice of it and improvement of skill. It’s the difference between touring the gym and actually making it a part of your weekly schedule. Paul, in 1 Timothy 4:7-10, describes it this way:

… train yourself in godliness. 8 For the training of the body has limited benefit, but godliness is beneficial in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance. 10 For this reason we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.

He uses words like “train”, “labor”, and “strive” to emphasize that, while we are free in the Spirit, the Christian life requires work. Not work for salvation, but work that strengthens you while you live out your faith in this life. It may not feel good now, but as Hebrews 12:11 says,

No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

“Godliness” and “righteousness” are the goals. Why? Because that’s the fruit that grows on Jesus’s trees. That’s the air that Jesus breathes. That’s the ballpark where Jesus plays. (Okay, maybe I’m taking the metaphors a little too far.)

So, we spent our Sunday mornings highlighting some of the classic spiritual disciplines: study, meditation, fellowship, worship, celebration, prayer, fasting, solitude, silence, simplicity, service, sacrifice, and submission. (Not sure why so many start with the letter “s”!)

Some of us were more excited by the disciplines of engagement, like study, worship, and celebration. Others preferred the disciplines of abstinence, like solitude, silence, and sacrifice. Many had stories of how their lives had been shaped by the disciplines, especially in the face of great trials.

The class may have spurred some of us on toward a deeper, more powerful relationship with God. I believe the class gave us opportunity to relate to one another on a new level, sharing experiences that Jesus and his disciples shared, too. Should we expect an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on our church, now that a fraction of our assembly completed an eight week disciplines class? Perhaps. Certainly, God is forming and completing us individually and corporately. In the end, I hope the spiritual disciplines class provided an opportunity for us to train our spiritual muscles in preparation for whatever God has for us around the corner.