H.E.A.R.

I’m conducting an experiment.  I got this idea from a book I reviewed recently, Disciple Her, by Kandi Gallaty.  She recommended a journaling technique I’m trying out as part of my own spiritual discipline.  It’s based on the acronym H.E.A.R.  So far, I’ve been doing well, using the verse from my daily devotional as a starting point.  Here is one of my first tries:

Highlight:

“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another above yourselves.”  Romans 12:10

Explain:

The apostle Paul is speaking to the believers in the Roman church.  After setting forth the basics of faith in Christ, he here moves on to practical application — in this instance, how we as believers should behave as members of Christ’s body.  Church members should love one another as family, sacrificially, always being willing to put the needs of others first.

Apply (generally and specifically):

These verses apply to believers today as well.  How can we love outsiders into our fellowship if we are not sincerely devoted to one another in a close, loving way?  Without sacrificial love, we are in danger of turning into a religious “club”– simply a group of people who adhere to a particular philosophy of life.  This means I must love all of my fellow members this way.  I must listen carefully and respectfully to their opinions, and do my best to understand and meet their needs.

Respond:

Heavenly Father, I ask for your help.  It is difficult for me to put others first, because I like having things go my way.  Sometimes I feel angry, or hurt or unappreciated. I often become irritable when my routines are disrupted.  Show me how to put those feeling aside and do what’s best for others, even the others who seem unlikeable.  Help me to love my fellow members sacrificially by reminding me of the example Jesus, who lived and died for me.

Amen.

If anyone else decided to give this journaling method a try, I would love to hear from you.  God loves you and so do I!

 

Lenten Discipline

This article was originally published in our denomination’s magazine, The Lutheran Ambassador.  I thought it would be appropriate to post during this season of Lent.

Are you a disciplined person?  Do you go to the gym or walk regularly to exercise your body?  Do you take all the training offered in your workplace so that you can advance in your career?  Do your read child development books and Parents Magazine in the hopes of becoming the best mom or dad you can be?

All of these activities require discipline, and most of us are willing to practice discipline when the end result is important to us.

Lent is a season of spiritual discipline. At the time of the Reformation,  when some wanted to eliminate Lent,  Martin Luther argued for keeping it saying,

“Lent, Palm Sunday and Easter week should be retained, not to force anyone to fast, but to preserve the Passion history and the gospels appointed for that season”  Luther’s Works 53:90

Adopting a Lenten practice has real spiritual value.  It can help us develop self-control by detaching our desires from worldly things.  We may identify more strongly with Christ’s suffering and meditate on the true meaning of discipleship.  It is a concrete way to express sorrow and repentance for our sins.

Most often I hear people say they are observing Lent by giving something up (in the case of Lutherans, this is usually coffee or desserts, which seem to be our particular vices!)  There is nothing wrong with fasting for Lent, especially if we are avoiding something which is a particular area of sin or a distraction for us.  I am an avid reader and I sometimes “fast” from all secular reading during Lent.  This opens up more time for reading the Bible and devotional literature.  You might “fast” from watching TV for the same reason;  or give up recreational shopping or eating out and donate the money you save to a worthy cause.

Adding something to your schedule is another way to practice spiritual discipline.  If your church has a weekly Lenten service, go — this is a discipline that will help you grow in your faith!  One year our congregation shared our favorite Bible verses and committed ourselves to memorizing one new verse each day during Lent. It was marvelous to see the variety in God’s word and an incentive to strengthen our spiritual muscles.  You might try setting aside extra time for prayer, offering your services to a local ministry, or writing notes of encouragement to people who need God’s love.

We are each unique, so be creative in finding the Lenten exercise that stretches an increases your faith.  If you think of Lent as a journey, you may very well end up in a new place when it is over.  Make it a time of exciting discovery instead of that dreary season you have to endure on the way to Easter.  Have a blessed Lent as you seek his face.

 

Keeping the Right Focus

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

I’ve been taking a prediabetes class through the local senior center since May.  This involves setting goals, establishing disciplines (exercise, calorie counting) and sticking to them.  Often it’s tedious, but it pays off.  So far I’ve lost eleven pounds and now have a healthier diet and fitness routine.  It’s been especially hard to maintain during the last three weeks while I’ve been living out of suitcases and running back and forth between two homes (neither of them mine).  Still, I’ve managed to keep up.  I’m hoping at my next class I’ll find I’m still on track.

This reminds me that spiritual discipline is especially necessary when the environment becomes chaotic.  I haven’t done so well on this front.  My husband and I had made a resolution to pray together in the mornings and afternoons — and it hasn’t been happening.  I skipped a church committee meeting this week and my personal prayer life hasn’t been what it should. I’ve allowed myself to occasionally wallow in self pity.  My environment is definitely influencing me more than I am influencing my environment.

This week I’m going to fix my eyes on Jesus.  I’m going to focus on my spiritual routines and not use temporary problems as an excuse to neglect the most needful things.  That kind of discipline will lead to more lasting results than a reduction in my blood sugar levels.

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”(2 Corinthians 4:18)