Training for Transformation!
Spiritual Disciplines for 21st Century People
Dear Friends,
We have now begun our series…
Training for Transformation!
Spiritual Disciplines for 21st Century People
As I mentioned in our introduction service on February 18th, too often we think of our spiritual lives as just one aspect of our lives alongside other aspects, like our social lives, our financial lives, our professional lives. But the truth is, the term ‘spiritual life’ is simply a way of referring to our whole life, every moment of it, from God’s perspective.
God is not interested in our ‘spiritual life’ as a separate thing, God is just interested in our lives! Our relationship with God is the pivot around which all those other aspects of our lives turn.
Jesus isn’t promising a stress free, problem free life, he’s saying: let me do it with you, let me walk beside you and you’ll find that whatever load you are bearing becomes a whole lot easier.
We’re meant to live the strains, stresses and joys of human life in sync with the one who made us. When we do this and when the Holy Spirit abides in us, we are told that the fruits of the Spirit will flow from us. These are fruits such as peace, gentleness, joy, self control, goodness and faithfulness. Hopefully you’ve seen the vine which was sprung up in the Forum of our church building, cleverly put together by our youth team. It highlights the fruits of the Spirit but also the things that we need to let go of in our lives in order to let those fruit grow.
Throughout this season, we will be getting in training to live the kind of life Jesus promised for us. We’ll be exploring some of the spiritual disciplines which can help us along the way. Some will be traditional, such as reading Scripture and nurturing our prayer times. Others will be less familiar, such as learning to slow down and exploring how we can choose and experience joy in all circumstances. In fact, I’m excited to announce that the Sunday when we explore the theme of joy will be followed by a party for the whole church family, straight after the service. There will be food, fun and fellowship for no reason other than sharing the joy of being a family in Christ together. That will be on Sunday 28th April – don’t miss it!
Yours in Christ,
Lucy