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Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load.  Galations 6:1-5

In the discussion that came up last night of ways to practice the spiritual discipline of Service was the idea of ”bearing each others burdens”.  I admit this tends to be one commandment that I’m not sure exactly how to apply.  I’ve heard it said that this means -at the very least – empathizing with your brother when they are hurting.  But to me, only doing this feels shallow.  What do you think this commandment is actually requiring of us, and in what (practical) ways can we better live this out?

Spiritual Disciplines – Part 2 (Prayer)
can be downloaded here.

As we get ready to launch an upcoming series on Questions About Prayer, we asked you to submit the questions that you have about prayer. We got a large number of questions back (over 50 so far) and the list keeps growing. Here is just a sampling of the questions that we’ve received so far. If you think of some others you’d like us to consider, just post a comment or send us an email.

Scripture says that the prayers of the righteous are heard. What does it mean to be righteous? Is there anything Biblical about praying in a group? It seems that Jesus was almost always in solitude for prayer. Are there any advantages to ritual (liturgical) prayers? How often should we pray? Why pray if God already knows what your needs are? Regarding people who have the “gift of intercession,” what does that mean? Are there people whose prayers are heard more than others? Some say prayer is for the purpose of being in conversation with God, but it seems like a one-sided conversation. How can we know the difference between God speaking back to us and our own thoughts (particularly if the voice tells us something we are okay with). Are we supposed to feel anything (some presence, some connection) with God?

How does prayer’s effectiveness relate to God’s sovereignty? Can our prayers change God’s plan? What is the purpose of listening to someone else’s prayer (when someone prays in front of a group)? Is there any point for a non-follower of Christ to pray other than making a commitment? Does fasting make prayer more effective? How do I deal with verses like John 14:12 where God says he will do anything we ask when it seems like he doesn’t? Is there more power in greater numbers of people praying about something? What is the role of the Holy Spirit in prayer? If prayer is the way God’s people petition him to act, if his people don’t pray, does God not act? Is tacking on “if it is your will” to the end of our prayers really just a sign that we really don’t believe that God’s going to do what we ask? What is the difference between being persistent in our petitions (Luke 18) and grumbling (Exodus 16:8)? Does God sometimes answer prayer though a series of “coincidences”? If the purpose of prayer is to get to know God’s character, wouldn’t reading the Bible be more effective?

Spiritual Disciplines – Part 1 (Introduction and Simplicity)
can be downloaded here.

The Gospel of Matthew – Part 23
can be downloaded here.

Lately I’ve been thinking a great deal about a word; a way of thinking differently about the people around me. Namasté. Translated literally, this greeting means “I bow to you.” In yoga, it’s used with the meaning “The light in me honors the light in you.” To me, it’s a great reminder that God has created and deeply loves each of the faces–both new and familiar–I encounter every day.

I’m sad to admit how much easier it is for me to extend judgment and mistrust onto people I don’t know, rather than to choose to love them. In very tangible ways, I know God would have me be a presence of light and love so I can embody who He is. To me this means smiling at strangers instead of fearing them. It means choosing gentleness over annoyance when my neighbors are loud or I get cut off in traffic. It’s praying for people who hurt me and choosing to be patient. It’s looking people in the eye, treating them with dignity, and realizing that God loves them just as much as he loves me.

Everybody hurts, doubts, cries, experiences loneliness. I believe that God gave us our earthly relationships in part to model His healing love to each other. It’s not usually the response that comes most naturally, but it’s always within our control to choose love. And maybe that’s the closest we’ll ever get to Heaven on Earth.

And so, a humble Namasté to my Exodus family, who are so easy to love!

We’ve spent the last few couple of weeks talking about the spiritual disciplines of meditation, solitude, and silence.  John asked us to try and turn our radios off when we were in the car this week.  Just wondering if people tried doing this and how it went for them.