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Rhythms of Grace and Discipline :: The Weekend Reading List

Our minds consistently underestimate the impact of daily rhythms. Most people want to live healthy lives, but get discouraged when they can’t commit to extended times of exercise.

The American College of Cardiology released surprising research that shows running just five minutes a day decreases a person’s likelihood of dying from a cardiovascular cause by 45%. The study reveals short excursions increase overall health and lifespan as significantly as running 150-minutes a week.
What is true for our bodies is also true for our souls. Yet how much more do we underestimate the impact of spiritual rhythms?
The flesh resists this daily humiliation, first by a frontal attack, and later by hiding itself under the words of the spirit (i.e. in the name of ‘evangelical liberty’). We claim liberty from all legal compulsion, from self-martyrdom and mortification, and play this off against the proper evangelical use of discipline and asceticism; we thus excuse our self-indulgence and irregularity in prayer, in meditation and in our bodily life. — Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Though Bonhoeffer’s critique can appear like an attack on what it means to live centered on grace and not law, his intention is the opposite. The Cost of Discipleship is the theologian’s manifesto showing how spiritual disciplines, practiced well, are not contradictory to grace, but extensions of it.
“Godly discipline is being disciplined in the strength of the Holy Spirit, with the purpose of sanctification,” writes Sarah Walton. Her post on spiritual disciplines and grace explores how spiritual disciplines are practiced in the life of Christians who are, “fully aware that justification comes only through salvation in Christ.”
The danger of confusing [disciplines with legalism] is that we can lose the important spiritual disciplines which are crucial to our growth, sanctification, protection, and intimacy with Christ. — Sarah Walton
Spiritual disciplines result in godly change. Nearly anyone can self-will reasonable amounts of self discipline or patience — which may be why the writers of scripture reveal the mark of the Christian not to be one-off character traits, but a life marked by the Fruit of the Spirit.
Paul wrote of the Fruit of the Spirit as the transferable attributes of God. Quite simply, if a person lives closely with God they will begin to exhibit his character. True Fruit of the Spirit are lived in concert: peace in gentleness; patience in love; joy in self-discipline. This balance only comes as we live in discipline and are strengthened by the Spirit.
Renewing emphasis on a discipline of faith, like scripture reading, prayer, or solitude, can reorient our lives. These seasons of renewal don’t have to be massive — committing to memorize the New Testament or praying two hours a day — the long-term impact of daily rhythms is significant.
In his TED talk on creating change, Google engineer Matt Cutts shares, “I learned that when I made small, sustainable changes, things I could keep doing, they were more likely to stick. There’s nothing wrong with big, crazy challenges. In fact, they’re a ton of fun. But they’re less likely to stick”
“So here’s my question to you: What are you waiting for? I guarantee you the next 30 days are going to pass whether you like it or not, so why not think about something you have always wanted to try and give it a shot! For the next 30 days.” — Matt Cutts
Today’s Reading
2 Samuel 14 (Listen – 5:57)
2 Corinthians 7 (Listen – 2:58)
This Weekend’s Readings
2 Samuel 15 (Listen – 6:06) and 2 Corinthians 8 (Listen – 3:25)
2 Samuel 16 (Listen – 4:03) and 2 Corinthians 9 (Listen – 2:26)
The Weekend Reading List
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TBT : The Cost of a Soul

2 Corinthians 6.2
Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
By Charles Haddon Spurgeon
God’s servants are called to take many different positions. They are ambassadors under one aspect; they are workers under another. As ambassadors, they are ambassadors for Christ; as workers, they are workers together with God.
Oh, how much it costs to win a soul! I mean, not only how much it cost the Savior, so that he broke his very heart over it, and poured out his life’s blood; but also how much it must cost the messenger of peace! He must know how to ask fervently and beg earnestly; and when even this fails, he must still go on toiling, laboring, as a worker together with God.
As servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities,  beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left;  through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise.
We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything. — The Apostle Paul
All these things Paul and his brethren were to be and to do in order to win souls for Christ. Just as the hunters in the cold North seek after furs, and try all sorts of plans to catch the wild creatures on which they grow.
They will trap them, or snare them, or shoot them; but, somehow or other, they will get them. They will be on the alert all day, and all night, too. They will learn the habits of every creature they have to deal with, but they will get the furs somehow. And so must the true minister of Christ be willing to be anything, to do anything, to suffer anything, to bear reproach and shame, to be nothing, or to be all things to all men, if by any means he may save some.
*Excerpted, and language updated, from Christ’s Sympathy with His People, delivered May 26, 1904.
Today’s Reading
2 Samuel 13 (Listen – 6:39)
2 Corinthians 6 (Listen – 2:31)
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The Surprising Results of Forgiveness

2 Corinthians 5.18

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation
“Forgiveness flounders because I exclude the enemy from the community of humans even as I exclude myself from the community of sinners.” — Miroslav Volf
Yesterday we examined harrowing acts of restoration following the Rwandan Genocide. On the other side of the same continent, and also in 1994, a recently freed political prisoner took the presidential office in South Africa.
Of the moment when Mandela was released from 27 years of imprisonment and forced labor Ghanna’s President, John Dramani Mahama writes for the New York Times;
The world was spellbound. We wondered what we would do if we were in his shoes. We all waited for an indescribable rage, a call for retribution that any reasonable mind would have understood…
Yet, the man insisted on forgiveness. “To go to prison because of your convictions,” he said, “and be prepared to suffer for what you believe in, is something worthwhile. It is an achievement for a man to do his duty on earth irrespective of the consequences.”
Mandela’s life illustrates the reality that when we have been hurt there is a debt which must be paid. We can either force the perpetrator pay, or we can forgive. Mandela’s presidency, and his legacy of dismantling structured racism in South Africa, were the results of his decision to forgive — the decision to absorb the debt.
When someone really wrongs you, there’s always a loss. You’ve lost reputation, or you’ve lost some opportunity you didn’t have and you never will get again. There’s a real debt. It’s not a monetary debt, but there’s a debt. You feel it, and you feel the person owes you. You feel the person is liable to you, but what are you going to do? — Timothy Keller
Moralism demands we forgive. The gospel goes farther. Jesus not only teaches about forgiveness, he offers up his life and blood of as payment for our own debts, as well as those we incur as the result of others’ sins. As I’ve written before, forgiveness is less about mustering up an emotion and more about extending the forgiveness God has already offered.
The weight of this reality did not escape Paul, who saw forgiveness as a foundational task in evangelism. “In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ — God is making his appeal through us.”
Today’s Reading
2 Samuel 12 (Listen – 5:25)
2 Corinthians 5 (Listen – 3:14)
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Harrowing Images of Restoration

2 Corinthians 4.8-9

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed… struck down, but not destroyed.
“I burned her house. I attacked her in order to kill her and her children, but God protected them, and they escaped.” — Godefroid Mudaheranwa, Rwandan Genocide perpetrator
“In this world you will have trouble,” says Jesus. The hope of the gospel is not the removal of suffering, but the reorientation of followers of Christ toward it. We can be struck down, but we will not be destroyed. While we have few examples of what this looks like, some of the most striking come from our darkest hours.
Over 800,000 people were slaughtered during the the Rwandan Genocide in 1994. The perpetrators were merciless, even using AIDS infected men as a tool of systematic destruction. Of the 250,000 women who were raped, 67% were intentionally infected with HIV. Homes were burned and children were massacred as the majority of an ethnic group was consumed by the fangs of evil running rampant.
“He killed my child, then he came to ask me pardon. I immediately granted it to him because he did not do it by himself — he was haunted by the devil… Before, when I had not yet granted him pardon, he could not come close to me. I treated him like my enemy. But now, I would rather treat him like my own child.” — Epiphanie Mukamusoni, Rwandan Genocide survivor
These words, recorded as part of a New York Times photoessay, are in many ways the direct result of the work being done by Association Modeste et Innocent. The group is the Rwandan branch of Pax Christi International Catholic Peace Movement and is dedicated to modeling, teaching, and facilitating reconciliation between perpetrators and survivors.
There are no simple answers to those who have been struck down. In the last two years, half of the 20,000 children who were conceived in rape have dropped out of school to care for their families, the prison system is overrun by crimes of genocide, and 70% of survivors have a monthly income of less than $8.00.
Yet faith has given a way of forgiveness — which has opened the door for reconciliation — and created a path for life to move forward. The woman who escaped Godefroid Mudaheranwa’s attack, mentioned above, now says this:
“I used to hate him. When he came to my house and knelt down before me and asked for forgiveness, I was moved by his sincerity. Now, if I cry for help, he comes to rescue me. When I face any issue, I call him.” — Evasta Mukanyandwi, Rwandan Genocide survivor
Jesus’ promise in saying “you will have trouble,” is this: “Take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Today’s Reading
2 Samuel 11 (Listen – 4:25)
2 Corinthians 4 (Listen – 3:02)

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The Intense Happiness of Grace

2 Corinthians 3.7-8
Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory?
The Intense Happiness of Grace
By Martin Luther
Paul undertakes to explain the difference between the righteousness of the Law and the righteousness of faith. The righteousness of the Law is the fulfillment of the Law according to the passage: “The man that does these will live in them.” The righteousness of faith is to believe the Gospel according to the passage: “The righteous will live by faith.”
The Law is a statement of debit, the Gospel a statement of credit. By this distinction Paul explains why [good works], which is the commandment of the Law, cannot justify, because the Law contributes nothing to our justification.
Indeed, works do follow after faith, but faith is not therefore a meritorious work. Faith is a gift.
When we believe in Christ we live by faith. When we believe in the Law we may be active enough but we have no life. The function of the Law is not to give life; the function of the Law is to kill. True, the Law says: “The man that does them shall live in them.” But where is the person who can do “them,” i.e., love God with all his heart, soul, and mind, and his neighbor as himself?
Paul has nothing against those who are justified by faith and therefore are true doers of the Law. He opposes those who think they can fulfill the Law when in reality they can only sin against the Law by trying to obtain righteousness by the Law.
The Law demands that we fear, love, and worship God with a true faith. The law-workers fail to do this.
All evils would have overwhelmed us, as they shall overwhelm the unbelievers forever, if Christ had not become the great transgressor and guilty bearer of all our sins. The sins of the world got Him down for a moment. They came around Him like water. Of Christ, the Old Testament Prophet complained: “Your fierce wrath goes over me; your terrors have cut me off.”
By Christ’s salvation we have been delivered from the terrors of God to a life of eternal felicity.
*Excerpted and language updated from Martin Luther’s A Commentary on Saint Pauls Epistle to the Galatians.

Today’s Reading
2 Samuel 10 (Listen – 3:19)
2 Corinthians 3 (Listen – 2:25)

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