I feel like this is the most basic of topics to write about in a blog on discipleship and leadership. Scan through my other blog posts and you’ll find other things I’ve written about and around this topic. 

Yet in the past month, I have had more conversations with people around this that I felt the prompt to write the same things over again.

Question: Do you have good rhythms of faith? 

Now I recognize that we need good rhythms in all aspects of life – physical, emotional, marital, friendship, eating, etc. And in reality, everything should be seen as spiritual and faith focused. But I think you know what I mean when I use the term rhythms of faith.

I preached about this yesterday at a church in Lithuania where my wife and I are currently serving for two months. I spoke of the key areas of scripture, prayer and community as part of our regular faith rhythms.

As a refresher, here is a list of spiritual rhythms / disciplines from Richard Foster.

1. The inward disciplines

Meditation – Prayer – Fasting – Study

2. The outward disciplines (inward realities resulting in outward lifestyles) 

Simplicity – Solitude – Submission – Service

3. The corporate disciplines

Confession – Worship – Guidance – Celebration

He will also refer to these in two categories – disciplines of abstinence and of engagement.

Interestingly, there is also a resurgence in writing about this, particularly regarding solitude and silence, in religious writings, particularly in Protestant circles that I hang out in. I have listened to many podcasts with these writers and I’m grateful for their contribution through writing. Yet in listening to them, from what I am hearing, they often sound defeated, as though the beauty of this continues to elude them, even as they talk and write about it.

And beyond this, secular writers are talking about rhythms of life. Perhaps not about faith per se, but balance of life, mental health, finding solace. It all sounds like finding peace on the inside, faith. But in North America at least, people have less and less peace. It seems we like talking about it but no one wants to do anything about it.

So why are we, who claim Christ as the centre of our lives, not living lives that demonstrate how much in love we are with our Saviour, the God of all creation? Why is everything else more important? Why do we allow society, our friends, our work responsibilities, and social media posts, to disciple us more than we turn to the one who gives us his Spirit and all power? Jesus said the his yoke was easy and his burden was light.

I’ve quoted these before but I’ll quote them again

“Most people don’t live their lives, they simply accept their lives.”

“We have uphill aspirations and downhill habits.”

When will we decide to make the main thing the main thing? Why do we allow everything else in our lives to take priority?

You can’t have a relationship with someone you don’t spend time with, talking to, listening to, learning about. Yet we seem to adjust our lives to make room for everything else but our relationship with God. Why is this the case?

Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful! Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. Deuteronomy 8

But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Revelation 2

From the beginning of the bible to the end, nothing seems to change. For many, God is something we have “on the side.” Glad he’s there when I need him. And, he’d better come through when I call on him in times of trouble or I’ll complain that he doesn’t love me. I’ll deconstruct my faith and tell everyone about it. I’ll even blame “the church” for God not being there for me.

Does this sound like a rant? Perhaps. We declare what we truly believe and what is important to us by the time we spend. And let me be clear – the goal is not to checkbox rhythms of faith. The rhythms are always a means to an end. Just like buying my wife flowers, taking her out for dinner – these are not the goal. The desire is a deep and meaningful relationship with my wife. The same can be said for meaningful friendships or parent/child relationships.

So, I will ask again? Do you have good rhythms of faith? And if your answer is no, but I’ll start next week, then you’ll never start. You’ll spend the next 30 years talking about “next week”. 

God, who created you, created you out of love. He reaches out to enjoy you and for you to enjoy him. Next week? How about now?

For the kingdom.

Jesus was with his disciples celebrating the passover meal. As he was talking with them, Jesus declared that one of them would betray him. Of course this brought much confusion to them all. In Matthew, Judas asks “Am I the one?” In Luke the disciples ask each other, who is the one? Am I the one?

This question, “am I the one”, has been resonating with me the past few weeks. It has become quite profound for me to reflect on actually. Am I the one? Or, perhaps better, which one am I?

Throughout the Gospels, people were often asking this question about Jesus – Is he the one we’ve been waiting for? Some even wondered if John the Baptist was the one. Now John made it very clear that “the one” who was to come was so amazing that he wasn’t even worthy to untie his sandals. Yet Jesus clarified that John was “the one” who had been called to go before and prepare the way, the second Isaiah, and John lived that calling.

With respect to John, it is interesting to think about the time he was in prison and sent his disciples to Jesus to clarify if he was “the one” or should they look for someone else. After Jesus lists off all of the amazing things he did, he makes the crazy statement, “Blessed is the one who does not fall away on account of me.” What is interesting here is that Jesus, with all the good he had done for others, was not going to rescue John from prison, and John was going to be executed shortly after. Would John still choose to believe that Jesus was “the one” even if he didn’t come through as John would have liked?

Abraham was “the one” who asked to leave his home to a land he would be shown. Moses was asked to be “the one” to lead Israel out of Egypt. Jonah was asked to be “the one” to go to Nineveh, and he didn’t initially. And on and on we could go.

So I’ve been asking myself this question: which one am I? Am I the one to betray? Am I the one to deny? Am I the one who walks away because Jesus isn’t responding as I would like him to respond? Which one am I?

Am I the husband I am being called to be? Am I the father, the grandfather I am to be? Am I the neighbour, the friend, and church member? Am I the one?

And this question has been pushing me to think in the moment. Will I be “the one” this next hour as I attend this meeting and present? Will I be “the one” as I meet that person for discipleship and their growth in Christ? 

When I am treated poorly in a situation, which “one” will I choose to be? 

It is such a simple idea, yet it is having a profound impact on my thinking and my actions. 

Which one am I being in my life, on this day, for this hour, in this minute? Am I the one that God is calling me to be? For the sake of his Kingdom?

Which “one” are you?

For the Kingdom.