As we take our next step in our understanding of Christian spiritual practice, it is essential to remember that the goal of our practice is not “discipline,” but relationship. We are not aiming to be good at “spirituality,” but to love – and, ultimately, to be loved by – God.
Relationship does require discipline (and thus the language of “spiritual discipline” is not incorrect). But we must always think of our discipline in light of relational connection.
In that light, we turn now to five of the most elemental commitments that must be made to the relational process of spiritual growth. These “rules” as I have called them, derive from the great spiritual writers of the Christian tradition and articulate some fundamental vows we must take (with ourselves) about the life of faith.
In this episode explore Kirk’s First Rule of the Spiritual Life (stolen shamelessly from St. Benedict), the vow to show up.
This is a sermon that was originally presented at Canvas (a Presbyterian church in Irvine, CA), April 12, 2015. To learn more about Canvas, click here!
