Spiritual Disciplines

While reading the Spiritual Disciplines Handbook, I did not expect to come across a spiritual discipline that would be a perfect combination of my own idea of spiritual formation, and a wonderful way to connect with the Lord. What I mean by this, is that I was wanting to create a gratitude journal, but I wanted it to be deeper than just a list of things that I was thankful for. That is why I fell in love with the idea of writing responses to the questions that were posed in the Spiritual Disciplines Handbook, but still taking a few minutes to write a list of things that I am grateful for! A journal like this is also a great way for me to see the strong points in my day or week, and the areas where I need improvement. Since journaling has always

Wilhoit, James C.. Spiritual Formation as it the Church Matters. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academics, 2008.

Practicing the presence is ‘to develop a continual openness and awareness of Christ’s presence living in oneself’. It involves turning your mind to a Christward direction, constantly being thankful and doing everything for God. This reflective essay will cover numerous aspects of the spiritual discipline of practicing the presence, including my original understanding, a significant Christian historical figure, and denomination comparison. Furthermore, different personal experiences of practising the presence, specifically individual, group and corporate, as well as a reflection on my original ideas and closing with ways to encourage practising the presence in ones daily Christian walk.

From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” Small group environments help every part grow into their right place in the body. “Discipleship is about providing a means by which we begin to shepherd people in the direction of maturity.” It requires effort and intentionality to help people grow, discover their gifts and use them for the health of the body.

21). I agree, it is vital that the disciple is involved in an intentional, ongoing plan that challenges themselves to greater Christ-likeness which manifests itself in the nurturing of others toward wholeness. This is what we are called to do when we become children of God. Christian Spiritual formation cannot happen in solitude; therefore, the purpose of spiritual formation is to ultimately lived out in community. This aligns with my view of personal and corporate spiritual formation. If we are not conformed to the image of Christ, we cannot incarnate in our relationships with others. Therefore, if we say we love God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit we are to love others. The image of Christ will be seen as the ultimate reality of human wholeness, the consummation for which each heart longs (Mullholland, p. 21). Therefore, God’s people has a role in healing brokenness and injustice in the world (p. 21). We are to be the salt and light of the world (Matthew

To critique the AASW Submission it is essential to identify views on poverty historically and presently within Australia. Key problems and issues put forward the coherency of key arguments possible counter arguments to the ones presented

Poverty is growing rapidly in our community, more and more people are becoming homeless due to the lack of employment. More than 2.5 million Australians are living below the poverty line, including 603,000 children. It is unsettling to know that the people of our community are experiencing hardship. We want to confront poverty and make it a thing of the past. The Australian Government is sending money abroad, helping other countries when there are people right in front of our door steps that are in need. Our approach is to stop wasting millions and millions of dollars on events, such as the 100 year Anzac commemoration (Costing over 300 million) and instead, use that money to lower the rate of uneployment and to reduce the number of people

There are approximately 2.3 million people living below the poverty line in Australia alone. What isn’t happening is ending this epidemic with the main contributors of poverty including housing, education, employment and food security, many of those most people are taking for granted. (ACOSS, 2012)

What is spiritual formation? That is a question many evangelical Christian’s began to wonder as it became a popular topic of discussion within many Christian churches in the past twenty years. Dallas Willard in this article takes a look at that question throughout this excerpt from a book he wrote in 1999. Throughout this piece he takes an in depth look at what spiritual formation looks like in different contexts. He begins with what it might look like for the average person walking down the street, but then transitions to what it should look like in the life of a believer in Jesus. Willard is thorough in giving us what spiritual formation is and even why it is such an important part of the life of a Christian.

My model for spiritual formation in the local church would include spiritual, relational, and missional aspects such as personal devotions, spiritual friendships, participating in corporate worship, and serving God’s Kingdom.

Planet earth has seven different continents. On these continents, there are different countries, within these countries there are several different states and territories. In these territories, there are various cities, and each city or town has its own society and culture. Much has changed over time, heaps of these changes are material changes like technology, transportation, and fashion. Then, there have also been non-materialistic changes such as societal norms (women’s rights, gay marriage, racial equality). One matter which has not changed throughout history is the use of substances and their addictions. The use of different types of substances has increased over time and now there persist numerous different types of addictive drugs from

Obviously, a spiritual assistant must be knowledgeable about Franciscan spirituality and have a thorough understanding of the secular Franciscan way of life.

Rather in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interest of others” (Philippians 2:3-4). To receive joy in serving we must build spiritual unity between one another other by putting others before ourselves. This is accomplished by serving others not for personal benefit, rather for the benefit of others as modeled by

Throughout the semester I have developed an understanding for the spiritual disciplines; silence, solitude, and Sabbath; which has taught me how to live an intention Christ-centered life. The disciplines have not only helped my personal daily life, but they have also helped me better understand Christ himself. I can, without a doubt, say that I know that God gave us the gifts of spiritual disciplines to help guide us in the crazy culture we live in. I have gained a new appreciation for the maker of our world as He has gone out of His way to love on us, and all He asks us in return to practice disciplines and grow closer to him. The disciplines have have taught me that seeking God is about more than just saying a prayer before bed. Instead, it is practicing the disciplines and seeing His faithfulness through the actions. My practice of silence has taught me that the world is a loud place full of so many distractions. This specific practice has helped me seek God, in a deep way, by committing to listening to him in silence rather than wondering why I could never here him in the midst of the crowds. My practice of solitude has become a sort of Bible study time for me. A time to be alone and remember all the good our King has done and will continue to do for us. My practice of Sabbath has helped me start of each week with a positive outlook. Surprisingly it has also given me a deeper understanding of academics as well as it forces me to get my homework done before my day of

The fifth question on practices that allow one to grow spiritually, Les answers “Bible reading, prayer, and fellowship with other believers. These are the biblical examples of spiritual tools.” This is truly the model by which one can grow spiritually. In my experience, being in fellowship with fellow believers is the only way to be protected spiritually, grow spiritually, and connect with others spiritually. This small group model, or fellowshipping coupled with daily prayer and meditation of God’s word keeps us moving and stretching ourselves to develop a deeper understanding of God’s nature and this will allow us to become more secure in our