Spiritual Discipline #1: SOLITUDE
(“Living Dangerously”, by Frank Mercadante)
What Is The Discipline Of Solitude?
Our training to become spiritually fit begins with the spiritual exercise of solitude, which basically means to step back from people, the media, and other interactions, in order to be alone with God. So often our life is filled with haste, hurry and distraction. Just as we cannot accurately see the contents of a storefront display while driving by at the speed limit, we can’t get a good view of our life if we’re always in high gear. Without solitude we find ourselves following the frenzied flow of traffic with no real directions. Solitude is the needed rest stop that gives us time to examine the direction we are taking so that we can journey toward the priorities of God’s Kingdom rather than toward the values and priorities of the world around us.
How Do I Begin?
Solitude is usually practiced with other spiritual exercises, such as silence, prayer, study, and meditation. We will look more closely at these activities in the months ahead. For now, however:
| • set aside special times and places where you can be alone with God |
| • use those times to read or meditate on Scripture, to pray or to be silent in God's presence |
| • if this is new for you, start by taking 5 minutes, and gradually extend that time to 15, 30 or 60 minutes |
| • consider taking a half-day or one-day retreat |
Spiritual Discipline #2: SILENCE
> more info
Spiritual Discipline #3: MEDITATION
> more info
Spiritual Discipline #4: FASTING
> more info
Pastor's Blogs
Solitude
• Monday, Nov 10, 2008
• Thursday, Oct 23, 2008
Suggested Reading for Understanding Spiritual Disciplines
1. “The Celebration of Discipline”, by Richard Foster
2. “The Spirit of the Disciplines”, by Dallas Willard
Either one of the above books is highly recommended for anyone wanting to both understand and practice the various spiritual disciplines that will be featured on this website. |
