As I finish freshmen year at Olivet and continue my Christian journey, it is important to understand how to mature as Christ. I talked about the truth of the Bible, the comprehension of scripture, the implications of the Apostle’s Creed and Christian doctrines, and the discovery of sin in humanity. In addition, I talked about the community of Church, the theological analogies in the Great Divorce, and the beauty of holiness. After learning this knowledge, I understand how difficult the Christian walk is; however, Richard J. Foster’s Celebration of Discipline expresses different disciplines for a Christian to do as he walks in the footsteps of Jesus. Foster divides them in three categories: inward, outward, and corporal. I will illustrate Foster’s
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If we believe in individualistic Christianity, it would not make sense. The purpose of outward disciplines, such as simplicity, solitude, submission, and service, is to show what God has done in our lives. In other words, we express our relationship with God through actions. It is not to receive salvation through works, but to show our faith is alive throughout our Christian journeys (James 2:14-17 NIV). For example, simplicity teaches us to avoid materialism. As society changes, people want the latest fashion in clothes, technology, and status. They want enormous houses, stylish clothes, newest electronics, and fancy businesses; this could result in jealousy and vanity. In modern culture, people refuse to give to people; instead, they buy and buy for themselves. It is similar to Ebenezer Scrooge or the Grinch on Christmas; they value their own personal desires either to have abundance of wealth or to take away the joy of Christmas from people in Whoville. What outward disciplines do is to surrender our services for all. Through service, we do not only show compassion and love to others, but we let our light shine for them to see God and praise Him for his works (Matthew 5:16). We let God use us for His plan, displaying our gifts and representing Christ. In order for us to live in community, we must take care of people, animals, nature, plants, and land as God ordained in the Garden (Genesis …show more content…
It is not through our strength to do alone, but it is with our families and friends that unify us to build His kingdom on Earth. Confessing our sins to others build friendships with others around us (James 5:16). When people know about the trials we face, they can show compassion to listen to my story or think about times when they suffered through a similar situation I suffered. Instead of taking advantage of people when knowing their problems, we pray for God to give guidance for someone who is lost. Role models and leaders exemplify wisdom, giving us advice to avoid mistakes and confessing their weakness to save us from destruction. As a result, we worship God and celebrate family events together to unify God’s people with
If we believe in individualistic Christianity, it would not make sense. The purpose of outward disciplines, such as simplicity, solitude, submission, and service, is to show what God has done in our lives. In other words, we express our relationship with God through actions. It is not to receive salvation through works, but to show our faith is alive throughout our Christian journeys (James 2:14-17 NIV). For example, simplicity teaches us to avoid materialism. As society changes, people want the latest fashion in clothes, technology, and status. They want enormous houses, stylish clothes, newest electronics, and fancy businesses; this could result in jealousy and vanity. In modern culture, people refuse to give to people; instead, they buy and buy for themselves. It is similar to Ebenezer Scrooge or the Grinch on Christmas; they value their own personal desires either to have abundance of wealth or to take away the joy of Christmas from people in Whoville. What outward disciplines do is to surrender our services for all. Through service, we do not only show compassion and love to others, but we let our light shine for them to see God and praise Him for his works (Matthew 5:16). We let God use us for His plan, displaying our gifts and representing Christ. In order for us to live in community, we must take care of people, animals, nature, plants, and land as God ordained in the Garden (Genesis …show more content…
It is not through our strength to do alone, but it is with our families and friends that unify us to build His kingdom on Earth. Confessing our sins to others build friendships with others around us (James 5:16). When people know about the trials we face, they can show compassion to listen to my story or think about times when they suffered through a similar situation I suffered. Instead of taking advantage of people when knowing their problems, we pray for God to give guidance for someone who is lost. Role models and leaders exemplify wisdom, giving us advice to avoid mistakes and confessing their weakness to save us from destruction. As a result, we worship God and celebrate family events together to unify God’s people with