Last Sunday I shared a gem of a quote from the great Stanely Hauerwas in his commentary on the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Bridesmaids. He said
In a time in which you are unsure of the time you are in, it is all the more important to do what you have been taught to do.
I proposed on Sunday, that we are, in fact, sure of the time we are in. We are squeezed in the in-between time — the time between the world as it is and the world as it will be — the time between Jesus’s first appearance and His second coming.
Despite being sure of the time we are in, I would argue that it is still important to do what we have been taught to do. “What we have been taught to do,” I believe, is to stay faithful to the disciplines that keep us connected to God and to one another.
In his sermon titled “The Means of Grace,” he reminds us of these disciplines — what we have been taught to do by scripture, by our tradition, and by wisdom of those who came before us.
· “prayer, whether in secret or with the great congregation”
· “searching the Scriptures (which implies reading, hearing, and meditating thereon)”
· “receiving the Lord’s Supper, eating bread and drinking wine in remembrance of Him”
In a later sermon titled “The Scripture Way of Salvation,” John Wesley restates these and adds one more:
· “public prayer, family prayer, and praying in our closet” (private prayer)
· “receiving the supper of the Lord”
· “searching the scriptures, by hearing, reading, meditating”
· “fasting…as our bodily health allows”
As you can see, these are not impossible feats of faith. They are the simple, everyday practices that form our hearts, souls, and minds so that we can be more and more like Jesus. Wesley says that they are “the ordinary channels of conveying [God’s] grace to the souls of men.”
How do you commit yourself to these practices? What are the daily disciplines of faith that form you? Are there others that God is calling you to consider?
Small groups are a great way to try a new discipline of study, prayer, or fellowship; and there are lots of upcoming small group opportunities. We’d love for you to join us during Advent for these small groups!
Looking forward to growing with you,
Mary Beth