Reflections on Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster, part one.

Over the next few weeks, I’m gonna be sharing some thoughts on the various chapters of Richard Foster’s
Celebration of Discipline. For those who have never read or heard of this book, it’s basically a call to a return of the spiritual disciplines as a means to a deeper faith and walk with God. Each chapter after the introduction is a brief review of each discipline, and a short primer on the practice and use of each. Here’s the 12 of them:

THE INWARD DISCIPLINES
Meditation
Prayer
Fasting
Study

THE OUTWARD DISCIPLINES
Simplicity
Solitude
Submission
Service

THE CORPORATE DISCIPLINES
Confession
Worship
Guidance
Celebration

Sometimes my thoughts will be coherent and very in-line with what the book is talking. Sometimes, I’ll have been reading and my mind will have wandered off, and whatever results is what you get to read.

Today’s Discipline: Simplicity

Ah, simplicity. Seems like such a uh.. simple word, but is such a confusing word. How can believers in the rich West live simply when even if they were in poverty by America’s standards are still doing better than 25% of the world or more? I don’t know, don’t ask me.

I more aim to discuss the underlying current in Western Christianity that a decent chunk (~10%) of the population of the U.S. can be rich and still maintain some form of detachment from their possessions. And before you stop reading all that follows and just haaaave to go down there and get your Abschicken on, hear me out. Actually, hear Richard Foster out. He’s smartererer than me.

He [Jesus] knew that “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also,” which is precisely why he commanded his followers: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth.” (Matt. 6:21, 19). He is not saying that the heart should or should not be where the treasure is. He is stating the plain fact that wherever you find the treasure, you will find the heart. p. 83

Jesus speaks to the question of economics more than any other single social issue. If, in a comparatively simple society, our Lord lays such strong emphasis upon the spiritual dangers of wealth, how much more should we who live in a highly affluent culture take seriously the economic question. [emphasis added] p. 83

I guess my real beef is that the line of thought goes something like this, or at least its how I’ve heard it, and I think its just pure BS.

1. Christian ministries and lost rich people need wealthy Christians to provide a means to financial concerns/means to relationships.
2. Therefore, wealthy Christians must be perfectly acceptable in the eyes of God.
3. I like money.
4. Since God likes wealthy Christians, and I like money, I should strive for wealth!

Now don’t get me wrong, I fully understand God has placed people in to places of ridiculously powerful and rich positions as means to glorify himself. But that doesn’t really have anything to do with me, unless I feel that is my specific calling.

Personally, I truly hope God never places me in such a calling. In my eyes, that would be a burden to carry, not a joy to fulfill. Enough rambling, comment if you agree/disagree/like ponies.

FL: Wha?? – Wanna see what an ants nest would look like if we filled it with rubber and somehow pulled it out of the earth? Well, I’m not sure I would either, but these doods did, and here it is. Makes me feel alittle less bad about stomping on ant hills, they got like a whole city under there that didn’t even notice.