Our Eleventh Reading: Seeking Guidance In Community

This summer we're reading through selected excerpts from Spiritual Classics, an anthology of writings about the habits faithful Christians have practiced for centuries.

Seeking Guidance In Community

• page 284, John Ruusbroec, Spiritual Espousals (ca 1350 AD)
• page 291, Ignatius Loyola, The Spiritual Exercises (ca 1500 AD)

Glen sez: For the record, I found the Ruusbroec reading exceeedingly weird and I'm not quite sure what it has to do with the topic of corporate guidance. It was more of a primer on how to experience God more fully. I'm all in favor of that, but I can't help but feel that I'm missing something. Anyone have better insight?

The Ignatius of Loyola piece, on the other hand, was extremely clear and helpful. In particular, I thought rules 9 and 13 from the first set and rules 6 and 8 from the second set were very good.

I should also point out the G. K. Chesterton piece (perhaps the best reading in the entire book) is on the next page after the Ignatius of Loyola pace. Reread it. Or even read in place of the Ruusbroec piece. ;)

The worship post is still attracting comments, including a very substantial one from an alumn who says "I HATE WORSHIP" - check it out.

Our Tenth Reading: The Habit of Worship

This summer we're reading through selected excerpts from Spiritual Classics, an anthology of writings about the habits faithful Christians have practiced for centuries.

The Habit of Worship

• page 258, Charles Wesley, O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing (ca 1750 AD)
• page 271, Andrew Murray, excerpts (ca 1850 AD)

Glen sez: Cool stuff here, folks.

Charles Wesley is one of my favorite historical figures (along with his brother John and their friend George Whitfield), and this hymn is one of his masterpieces (although it's not my favorite - I like Christ The Lord Is Risen Today and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing more, for example). This man knew God and knew how to lead others closer to God through his songwriting.

One of the recommended exercises is to sing the entire hymn through. In case you can't remember how it goes, you can hear a classic organ version of the hymn at http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/o/o138.html or a more modern guitar-driven version at http://igracemusic.com/hymnbook/hymns/o04.html

And Andrew Murray is the bomb slash diggity dot com. Seriously - if you've never read anything by him you're missing out. In this reading I was struck by his metaphor about astronomy. Very helpful.

Questions

• What's your current favorite worship song?
• Who is your favorite worship songwriter?
  

Our Ninth Reading: The Habit of Submission

This summer we're reading through selected excerpts from Spiritual Classics, an anthology of writings about the habits faithful Christians have practiced for centuries.

The Habit of Submission

• page 171, John Milton, poems
• page 190, Alan Paton, Instrument Of Thy Peace

Glen sez: This somehow became "famous literary figures week" in our readings. We didn't do that on purpose. It's pretty cool, though.

How interesting that at the age of 23 Milton already felt like a failure. There's a lesson there for Stanford students, if you dwell on it. And I love that his most famous line is born out of one of his darkest moments (no pun intended).

And the writing by Paton intrigues me. He quotes a passage I had been thinking about for other reasons (Exodus 4:11-12), in which God declares that He causes us to be as we are (not that He merely allows it - He causes it). Very interesting concept when put in relation to the idea of submission to God.

Both of our readings focus on the discipline of submission to God, which is at the heart of Christianity - but they neglect the discipline of submission to earthly authorities. That's a much less celebrated aspect of Christianity. Meditate on that for a while - it will prove salutary.

Our Eigth Reading: The Habit of Solitude

This summer we're reading through selected excerpts from Spiritual Classics, an anthology of writings about the habits faithful Christians have practiced for centuries.

The Habit of Solitude

• page 149: Thomas a Kempis, from The Imitation of Christ
• page 160: Paul Tournier, "A Listening Ear"

Glen sez: Solitude is to relationships as fasting is to food. And like fasting, solitude has an existing cultural counterpart that makes it complicated. For fasting, the cultural counterparts are dieting and eating disorders, and they've built triggers in our brain that co-opt this vital spiritual discipline. We're fasting and all of a sudden realize that it's about us and our body image and not about God. For solitude, the cultural counterparts are hobbies and workaholism - we get alone and do our own little thing and get into a groove and it turns out to be about us and our pleasure and not about God. Solitude for us can become a rationale excusing our isolation from community. I like these readings because they remind us that solitude isn't a goal - it's a tool.

Also, has anyone else noticed that when I don't post questions I get MUCH more feedback than when I do?