What are the spiritual disciplines that you have found most transformative in your journey of faith?
I can think of at least seven or eight spiritual practices that lead to growth in faith, but four stand out to me as the ones most meaningful in my own spiritual journey.
1/ Prayer Prayer is listening to God, talking to God, and being in God’s presence, sometimes in silence. Prayer is meeting God with an open heart.
2/ Bible reflection I love my daily time in God’s word. It’s when I am most open to listening for the prompting of the Holy Spirit. I have also found that a short time in God’s word every day (well, most days!) is better than a marathon of Bible reading.
3/ Giving Giving is releasing resources (that are God’s to begin with) for the work of the church, the development of leaders, and care of the poor and suffering. Most faithful people I know are also generous people.
4/ Serving Hands-on service of others reminds us that all people are created in God’s image and that we are our brother’s keeper. I think that serving others face-to-face also puts us in a place to listen to them and hear their stories.
What I like about these four spiritual disciplines is that they connect us to both God and our neighbors.
What do you think?
+ Pastor Matt
P.S. I have a new cell phone and email address: 419-349-0181 shepherdmatt@pm.me