Spiritual Disciplines

a Jesus thought...
And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21)

a Godly thought...
What postmodern people are crying out for is not better doctrine or clearer theology, but simply kindness in a chaotic and haphazard world. (p145 Frost & Hirsch)

a leading thought...
Leaders can only give out what they have taken in. If their leadership is to be like a channel of water, they must know how to receive resources of faith and courage for themselves. (p113 Harris)

a Dave thought...
Here is a piece from what is one of the most popular emerging church blogs in the world http://tallskinnykiwi.typepad.com/

Blogging is a spiritual discipline because to blog is to find oneself in a place of:
1. Praise (public acknowledgement) - "publish glad tidings daily"
2. Accountability. (Eph. 5: 21 "Submit yourselves to one another", quote from Athanasias)
3. Vulnerability (Daniel's window)
4, Given-ness (Freely you have received, gift economy, Prov 11:24)
5. Creative Naming (Adam, Neighbors in Ruth)
6. Repentance (editing/deleting/changing our mind in new media)
7. Fellowship (hypertext linking, Koinonia)
8. Evangelism (storytelling, blogging from our lives)
9. Integrity (writing matches our speaking, design reflects reality)
10. Posterity. (store/guard what has been entrusted, writing history)
There was also another one: Watchfulness ("watch and pray").

Now seeing blogging as a spiritual discipline is not something I would have considered 6 months ago but personal experience certainly changes your views. I see a spiritual discipline as something that keeps you spiritually fit, so believe it or not for me, blogging has improved my spiritual fitness. I have found that blogging has enabled me to consolidate biblical thoughts and has opened up very valuable spiritual conversations both online and face to face. It is often through the debates and conversations that God speaks to you and you really discover what are the essentials of the gospel rather than just personally feeding your soul with material you already believe in. So for those that are considering adding another spiritual discipline into their lives, I would like to recommend blogging.

Just a thought.