First allow me to say that starting a community study like such again has captured me with excitement. I love reading your posts and comments and being encouraged by you at all hours of the day.
What struck me from our reading was the very first/short paragraph of the first chapter.
"Superficiality is the curse of our age. The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem. The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, BUT FOR DEEP PEOPLE."
Does that sound familiar?
"We believe that God is more interested in and people are more impacted by Character and Maturity rather than skill and ability"
Richard Foster wrote those words in 1978 and 33 years later the curse continues to dominate the Christian Church. I fall victim to this curse when i crack open my Bible and read God's word to become a better Christian that day! Or to gleam some "new truth" I can share with people and look spiritual - all in the name of nobility of course! But where this curse dominates me is every Sunday morning. I go to worship, sit in the pew, raise my hands, lift up my voice, and judge the worship leader on choice & execution of song. I then proceed to dissect the sermon- To the Glory of God ...of course! See where I am going......That behavior is not the answer to a hollow world.
The other real convicting part was page 2 - Thomas Merton's words, "But let us be convinced of the FACT that we will never be anything more than beginners, all our life." Wow such freeing words and piercing words at the same time. My hope is that I model that attitude and behavior to you all. That I will always be a beginner.....ALWAYS!
Finally, I was struck by page 10- Foster talks about the need to manage other people and how we can turn the Disciplines into laws. May we as an Admin team always Befriend, Encourage, MODEL, and Challenge the staff to a deeper and more intimate relationship with Christ rather than trying to manage them into relationship!
Extremely encouraged right now!!!!
-Reid
Thanks Reid. I too felt very challenged by Mr. Foster's words about relational ministry. To be relational is to be more vulnerable, sacrificial, kind, and generous than I am. Christ just gives, and He gives, and He gives. I can't live without Him but honestly, I can't really live with Him very well either. Your post pushes me to stop living with or without and instead surrender to him and receive moment by moment His new, never-ending kisses of grace. Thanks again.
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