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What is a Discipline?

Discipline Any activity I can do by direct effort that will help me do what I cannot now do by direct effort John Ortberg, The Life You’ve Always Wanted, p. 51.

What is Spiritual Discipline?

Spiritual Discipline The means [of grace] by which we place ourselves where God can bless us along the path to spiritual growth. Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline, pp. 7-8.

Spiritual Discipline The activities of mind and body purposefully undertaken, to bring our personality and total being into effective cooperation with the divine order. Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines, p. 68.

Spiritual Discipline A channel of God’s transforming grace as we place ourselves in the path of God’s grace and seek him. Donald Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, p. 19.

Biblical BASIS 7b Train yourself in godliness, 8 for, while physical training is of some value, godliness is valuable in every way . . . 1 Timothy 4:7b-8 NRSV

Biblical BASIS 7b Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness. 1 Timothy 4:7b NASB

The Nature of the Spiritual Disciplines Spiritual Disciplines

Essence of Spiritual Disciplines A genuine spiritual discipline is a discipline of loving obedience offered to God with no strings attached. We put no conditions on it. We put no time limits on it. We add no expectations of how we want God to change us through it. We simply offer the discipline to God and keep on offering it for as long as God wants us to keep on. (Mulholland)

The Classical Spiritual Disciplines of the Christian Tradition Spiritual Disciplines

Spiritual Disciplines The very personalized spiritual disciplines to which God calls us are an integral part of the classical spiritual disciplines of the Christian tradition. They form the scaffolding, the structure, the support network within which the Spirit of God leads each of us as we journey toward wholeness in Christ. (Mulholland)

PRAYER Classic Spiritual Disciplines

PRAYER Relational, not functional Sacrificial offering of self to God Prayer of the saints as context Corporate in paradigm Classic Spiritual Disciplines

SPIRITUAL READING Classic Spiritual Disciplines

SPIRITUAL READING Formational, not informational Text controls us; we don’t Text is the subject, not object Contemplative, not analytic Classic Spiritual Disciplines

SPIRITUAL READING LECTIO: Reading MEDITATIO: Processing ORATIO: Responding CONTEMPLATIO: Yielding Classic Spiritual Disciplines

LITURGY Classic Spiritual Disciplines

LITURGY Worship Daily Office Study Fasting Classic Spiritual Disciplines Retreat