Secrecy . . .

This past week our group studied the spiritual discipline of secrecy. Author Coach D says, “the discipline of secrecy is abstaining from taking credit for the good deeds we do. When we practice secrecy, we arrange to do good things in such a way that others can’t even find out who did them.” He goes on to say that like other disciplines secrecy really calls us to explore and focus on our relationship with God through the light of total dependency.

I found myself even today as I write these comments asking some hard questions about “Whom I seek affirmation or recognition from?” There are times over the years I have stayed late after church or event to talk with people and I think I wanted the pastor or leader to take notices. One of the hardest parts of practicing the discipline of secrecy is to examine our motivations. Coach reminds his readers, “It is our motivation that makes the deed either praiseworthy or hypocritical.” Paul takes about this in Philippians 2:3-4, “Do nothing our of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interest, but also to the interests of others.”

After reading the chapter and Philippians I am left thinking about my own personal motivates and propose this question to us all, have you checked your motivations this week? And what will you do to being practicing secrecy this week?

Rest . . .

Right out the gate Coach D defines the spiritual discipline of rest as a “retreat from the frantic pace of life in order to be restored physically and spirituality. The practice of the discipline involves taking days off and vacations, and getting a full night’s sleep – every night.”

How do you define rest?

When was the last time you rested?

Simplicity . . .

Last week we talked about solitude and the ability to separate oneself from many relationships in order to focus our attention on the most important relationship we have, with our Father in heaven. Simplicity follows the same train of through, only focusing on things and not relationships. Simplicity calls us to “intentionally pare down our lifestyle toward the essentials to free ourselves from the tyranny of things and focus more on spiritual life” according to Coach D.

Like other disciplines simplicity is not about doing with out for the sake of doing with out. The purpose and the meaning of simplicity come from the ability to focus deeply on God with the renewed time and energy created by doing with out. Coach D does not call us all to live like the desert Fathers and Mothers, but to see their example and passion of giving “themselves to worship, study and service.”

Coach D says the reason for practicing the simplicity, as a discipline is “to break free from the mastery of materialism and refocus our eyes on God.” What is keeping you from practicing simplicity in your life?

How will you start today moving towards freedom in simplicity of life?

What are your thoughts on simplicity?

Solitude . . .

Being an introvert you would think solitude would be the easiest spiritual discipline for myself. But your wrong, being an introvert or extrovert really has nothing to do with solitude. True an introvert may find it easier to sit alone quietly process through the days events at dinner or read a book and ponder the deeper meaning of the text. Solitude has those elements, but it has much more and requires much more. According to Coach D “solitude is abstaining from people contact in order to be alone with God and get closer to Him. It is fasting from social contact in order to remove others form the God/me equation.”

Solitude is not just about getting alone; it is about moving closer to God and refocusing all our relationship with God being number one. Drury says, “Solitude reminds us of the order we should maintain in our relationships – God first, others second. A Christian who does not practice solitude is likely to be over reliant on friends and under reliant on God. Solitude corrects this imbalance.” Solitude may call us to leave all other relationships and focus on God, but it is for the encouragement of the community. When solitude is build in regularly in to one’s life, they return to community with new passion and focus that allows them to invest into the community.

Have to being getting alone to process your own thoughts or have you really entered solitude?

What has your experience of solitude thought you about yourself, God and the community?

When is your next time of solitude?