GROWING TOGETHER

Discipleship is a life of cooperation with God, and it is by his grace that we are progressively changed and conformed to the likeness of Christ. By making a regular practice of prayer, study, fasting, solitude, worship, and other spiritual disciplines, we learn to live in attentiveness to Jesus and create opportunities for God’s transforming work. The common spiritual disciplines are fundamental, yet the possibilities are endless. Here are some suggestions. You, no doubt, will think of many more ways to enter into attentiveness and adoration and thanksgiving.

1. Read the Psalms with the understanding that they describe reality in God’s kingdom. Keep a journal, making note of what they teach you about God. Consider the attributes of God. Consider God’s concern for all of creation and his interaction with his people. Begin your reading by asking the Holy Spirit to renew your mind concerning the majesty and goodness of God. Read slowly and with your heart. Linger over a verse or phrase, allowing the Holy Spirit to write it on your heart.

2. Find a postcard or an index card. Write George Herbert’s poem on the card:

Teach me, my God and King,
In all things thee to see,

And what I do in anything
To do it as for thee.

Place the card in a prominent place so that you see it often. Memorize the poem and make it your prayer. Pray this prayer throughout your day asking God to show you his presence in all places and situations. Let the tasks of your day, particularly the ones you dislike, be “done as unto the Lord.” Be prepared to be surprised and take delight in God’s presence.

3. Let creation be your laboratory. Using all your senses see what you can discover and observe about the glory and goodness and wisdom and power of God, our Creator and Sustainer. This is a kind of active listening and attentiveness. Find a place where you can observe the wonder of the world. Pay attention to color and shape, light and shadow, sound and smell and texture.

If you live in a city, you might go to a park or a rose garden (I am writing this as I sit in a rose garden in Los Angeles). If you live near an ocean, you could walk along the shore or sit overlooking the sea. The forest, prairie, desert, rivers, or mountains are all places where God’s divine nature and eternal power can be seen. Sit quietly with no particular goal. Delight in the works of God’s hands. Enjoy the friendship you have with the Father through Jesus.