Devotion 8.13.18

We’ve begun a summer series focused on the book, Invitation to a Journey: A Road Map for Spiritual Formation by Robert Mulholland Jr.  We’ll explore the concept of spiritual formation that he compares to a journey and look at it through the lens of summer vacation we’re so familiar with.

Did you ever hear the phrase, “I’ll pull this car over if you don’t stop….” while you were on a trip with your family growing up?

Discipline is hart to accomplish on road trips, but our parents figured it out didn’t they?  The word, “discipline” isn’t one we generally get excited about but when we’re talking about the spiritual journey and spiritual disciplines it’s meant to be understood positively.  It doesn’t mean it will be easy or convenient, but it should not be considered something harsh.  Mulholland says that we need to find the sweet spot, somewhere between the extremes – on one side, the avoidance of discipline for the sake of constantly finding comfort, and on the other side, the imprisonment of discipline where it’s looming over you like a threat if you don’t do things exactly right.

There’s a tension and we have to embrace that tension.  God brings us to that in Philippians, “Work out your own salvation…for God is at work in you.” Phil.2: 12-13

You’ll be doing the disciplines (prayer, Scripture, meditation, silence, etc) but God is going to be at work in them.  And you’ll know what to do, but they may challenge you.  To borrow a phrase from recovery ministry, “the work may be simple and clear, but that doesn’t mean it will be easy”.  

Think about the disciplines you’ve tried in the past and what has gone well and what has been more challenging for you.  We’ll be diving into multiple disciplines in the coming days to learn more of how God would use them to grow us.

Blessings!

Dan Borkenhagen

Associate Pastor

Hope Lutheran Church & School