Many of you have commented to me about how great Jan looks these days. She has changed a lot of her eating habits, and has begun an exercise program to help her to maintain these changes in behavior. She looks fabulous, as many of you have attested. I cannot tell you enough how much it has changed not only her appearance on the outside, but the way that she feels about herself on the inside. She is like a brand new woman!
Some have asked me how she has managed to accomplish this goal. When I begin to share what she's been doing, it always comes back to the acknowledgment of it being a "lifestyle change." She isn't starving herself, nor is she on some fad diet that will make her want to bounce back in a year or so. No, she's changed her whole mindset - not just about food, but about life itself. She is feeding herself what she truly needs, and she is not being deprived!
It is not just about what she eats, or how much. It is about her attitude toward food. She has begun to grow and mature in her understanding that food isn't just about filling her belly, but about nourishing her whole being. But it isn't just about the food - She has begun to exercise as well. She is training her body to become healthier - as a way of praising God.
All too often, it seems as though most folks think that the Christian walk is characterized by just one thing: our participation in worship alone. But this is ludicrous. If we expect to be spiritually nourished through only one hour of worship a week, the soul is deprived. Starvation sets in. Just as we cannot hope to be nourished on only one meal per week, we cannot hope to be spiritually fed and nourished during only one hour of worship each week. Daily sustenance is needed for our life, health and wellbeing, especially in our faith lives.
This past week, I was sharing a plan that a friend of mine and I have been working on that is loosely modeled after the Walk To Emmaus image of the three-legged stool of a Life in Christ. We called the program "Companis," which comes from the Latin meaning "to break bread with someone." It is designed to draw us into a closer communion with one another in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is an invitation for those who claim Christ to grow in their knowledge, piety, and action (as the Walk to Emmaus model goes). Working on the idea that we Wesleyan Methodists are rooted and grounded in our covenantal relationships, the Rev. George Bradley and I developed a model of discipleship that has three components: Spiritual Discipline, Communal Worship, and Social Outreach. These three aspects, when viewed as an integral part of one another, move the disciple along a path toward a more fulfilled life in Christ.
Worship is an active part of the Christian experience. We surround ourselves with other Christians in order to reaffirm who we are, and whose we are. We surround ourselves with others of the faith in order to hold one another accountable. We surround ourselves with others of like minds and like hearts so that together, we can support one another in our various needs. Together, our voice is stronger when we praise the living God.
The invitation is designed to draw one deeper into communion with Christ through the learning and adopting of the classic and contemporary spiritual disciplines of the faith - daily Bible study, prayer, reflection, meditation, journaling, etc. Participating in a weekly small group Bible study with others will inspire you and challenge you in ways you've never imagined. Drawing on the experiences of those who have gone on before us moves us closer to what God had in mind for us from the very beginning. Spending time with God individually allows us to hear and discern the will of God more clearly, and moves us into a deeper relationship with Christ. We become more in tune with the Holy Spirit's direction and guidance in the everyday issues and problems of life. The more we practice these disciplines, the more in tune we become. The more in tune we become, the closer our walk with Christ will be.
Such discipline informs and inspires us to begin to see the love of God in our neighbor, to hurt when our neighbor hurts, and to act accordingly. This model of social outreach shares what we've learned of the love of God with those in need, and inspires a deeper commitment to Christ, not only in ourselves, but in those whose lives we have touched. Both of these help us to daily fall in love with God all over again, and to become a part of the worshiping community of Christ.
Companis. It means to "break bread with someone." It is a gift of growing closer to Christ. It has been said that "the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." The next step is simple: will you grow closer to Christ? Start with the basics. The spiritual disciplines of the faith. Then see your neighbors the way God sees them. And above all, come to the community of faith in worship of our God. The next step is right in front of you. Will you take it?
See you in Church!
Grace and peace,
Brad
