Well my friends, I regret to say, that this is the end.

After re-reading all of my posts, I can only think, Whew, what a colorful, dizzying whirlwind of a semster. I feel like I've grown so much, just through taking this class. This class: the best one I've had yet (and I've had some fantastic ones!!) If anyone in these past few months asked me how I was, I could, and did, honestly answer, "Brilliant. I'm taking this great class called Spiritual Formation and am learning SO much." Now, in this final post, I am going to answer some questions to look back on the whole journey, to see just how much I've actually learned.

Foster says spiritual disciplines are not designed to be ends in themselves, but are intended to facilitate a person's journey into greater freedom in living a Christ-like life. How did you practice of the disciplines this semester (either some in particular or all together) help you grow in your faith in and obedience to God?
 
I've developed some good habits this semester. Through the discipline of studying, I was reminded that reading the Bible regularly is both essential and approachable. Even though I probably won't be studying the Bible in depth regularly, there has been one long-term change in my life due to this practice: I've been reading the Bible just about every morning for over a month!! I had doubted I would ever get into that habit even at the beginning of the semester, but God has His own ideas!

Through this semester, I was reminded by studying the disciplines (among other things) that I often set the bar too low for my spiritual life. For too long I've been just getting by with only sporadic time spent with God. I have not been striving for excellence, but have been surviving on the minimum amount of fuel. I feel like this semester has been a turning point in my spiritual life. Now I really want to spend those extra few minutes with God, get up early to read His Word, and spend time in prayer, solitude, and worship. My prayer life is significantly altered. Now I have learned a little of what it means to listen to God in prayer, and hear his voice. I have more confidence that God will meet me in worship.

Wow that sounded really ideal. In reality I am still so far from where I need to be! I'm so excited to have grown, but now I'm a little afraid that this eagerness will fall off now that I'm not focusing on those disciplines as I have been in class. The exciting thing is that this is only one stretch of the road. God has promised to sanctify me, and so He will.

What were some of the distractions or hindrances that kept you from practicing, or practicing to the fullest, the assigned disciplines this semester? What does this show you about yourself? How do you plan to address this area (or these areas) of struggle?

Honestly, it was making the time that kept me away. I often didn't make practicing the disciplines more of a priority than homework or my social life. This reveals to me that I lack trust in God. If I was trusting Him by submitting my spiritual life to Him first off, the rest of life would follow. I need to remember to put God first. I should take that 10 minutes to quick run outside and pray, or to meditate, or I should commit to fasting once a week. I'm planning on commiting to a month of fasting (of some variety) at the beginning of the year, to kick things off the right way.

Identify three disciplines you thing mesh well together and explain how you see them interrelating. How would you plan to practice them together?

Solitude, fasting, and worship seem to work well together. Fasting clears our minds, solitude allows for that clarity to come into focus, and worship draws our minds to God Himself. Fasting and solitude can sound like lonely, sad disciplines, but if practiced the right way, can force us to be dependent on God, which could lead into joyful worship. I would set a day aside without food, only drinking water, and refrain from facebook or other things that I use mindlessly. If possible, I'd pick a day where I could spend an hour or two out in nature, by myself, a place that I could sing or dance in worship where I wouldn't be seen! Why not? What a great way that would be to celebrate Christmas break!

Identify one discipline you would urge a new believer to practice. How would you instruct them in the discipline? Why do you think this deicipline is especailly well suited to the formation of a new believer?

I think study might be most valuable for a young Christian. It all depends where they are at spiritually. However, many fresh believers are full of joy and excitement and very aware of the new freedom they have in Christ. To study would temper that reality with truth. In their enthusiasm they could glean a lot from being in the Word regularly, truth that would last their whole lives. They would be less prone to the errors of new believers if they were grounded in truth.

Spiritual disciplines fortfy believers against some of the universal struggles and weaknesses all Christians battle against. Identify and describe an area of weakness you observe in the Kuyper College student population. What spiritual discipline, if corporately practice, would target ths area of weakness and why?There are so many strengths in the Kuyper community it's hard to pinpoint a weakness! Kuyper tends to be very strong in worship, confession, and prayer.

Perhaps solitude is a discipline Kuyper could benefit from. The sense of community is so strong at Kuyper that focused time spent alone with God would relieve so much of the stress students feel. We are all being pulled in so many directions: School work, jobs ministires, worship, social life, etc. So many students enter the week feeling drained. Life rolls on, leaving precious little time to re-center.  To strip all of that goodness away and find the heart of our relationship with God could only refresh us and remind us of what really matters. To practice this discipline corporately might help us to do it regularly, and with accountability. Our whole education experience will be much more profitable if we put God first.

What advice would you give to the next class of spiritual formation students at Kuyper College who will be practicing these disciplines?

Oh, ENJOY! Take the time to steep in each discipline; your homework and other duties will wait, I assure you! God wants your heart more than your work, so give Him your time! This could be a turning point in your relationship with Him! Be open to change, to think about things differently. Be warned: your pride may be damaged and Self de-throned. Take heart, God is going to work great things in you if you open yourself up to Him!
I would take this class again in a heartbeat if there were no other strings attached. And who know, maybe I'll even post again, from time to time? In fact, I'm sure I will. But until then, I'm overflowing with thankfulness for the opportunity I've been granted to peel away so much of the rubbish that has gotten in between God and I. I've come before God's presence, to see Him as I have never before. The great thing is, that there is so much more of God to see! As I grow, I will only see how much more glorious He is, how much more there is to His infinity. What lies ahead, even this next semester? I can't wait to find out. It has been a sweet journey, but the road goes ever on and on.

It's you and me, Father, until the end, and beyond.
Thank You for the opportunity for your Spirit to touch mine in worship.
Thank You that you've already forgiven me, and forgotten my sins!
Thank You for meeting me in times of quiet.
Thank You for speaking to me, for perfecting my prayers.
Thank You for life, this precious gift. Help me to use it well, all for You.
Thank You that I need nothing, nothing but You.
Thank You for Your Word, the opportunity to know You.
 Help me to submit to others, to submit to You. Thank you for submitting yourself as a servant to us, in Your sacrifice in coming to this world and dying for us.
Thank You for all of the material things you've blessed me with. Thank you for friendships. They are such a beautiful loan!
Thank You for peace, for Your incredible creation that is our temporary home.
Thank You for the opportunity to take this class, to learn, to grow with others, to deepen friendships.
Thank You for Your work, already accomplished.
Thank You for Your faithfulness to stay with us and sanctify us.
Thank You that you will come again, You will heal us completely, You will take us to dwell with You.
Take my life. Let me abandon myself wholeheartedly to live for You, always.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APuNsloL-8o&feature=slpl

The idea of submission has been abused and twisted to connote demeaning servitude. A Biblical perspective allows submission to God to be a means of liberation and freedom. Foster writes, "It is the ability to lay down the terrible burden of always needing to get our own way. The obssesion to demand that things go the way we want them to go is one of the greatest bondages in human society today." God is in control anyway. A headstrong will only deprives us of the joy of aligning our will with God's. "In submission we are at last free to value other people," Foster writes. "Their dreams and plans become important to us...We discover that it is far better to serve our neighbor than to have our own way."

Foster notes 7 major areas of submission: to God, to Scripture, to our family, our neighbors, to the Church, to the broken and despised, and to the world as an environment. This week, I practiced submission by trying to be aware of my motives in all of these areas. The foundation of practicing submission lies in self-denial.Was I seeking to serve my self, or was I putting others first? Was I submitting to others in the use of my time, words, and thoughts? I began each morning with a simple prayer of submission to God.

This week I found many times when I had moments where the choice needed to be made to honor God with my thoughts or actions, or else I would just "do my own thing." When the choice was not conscious, I would often choose to think my own thoughts, not God's. I realized that I need to be more sensitive to the Spirit.

As I tried to practice submission to others, I found joy as I quieted myself just a little more in converation, trying to hear others' needs and thoughts. It was freeing to make the point of each conversation (at least that was my intention) to be the joy of others, not to promote my thoughts. Yes, I did not keep this focus in every conversation. But it was a refreshing thought, taking off the stress of trying to make sure every conversation went the way I wanted it to.

A lot of thoughts buzzed around in my head this week. What am I supposed to be doing in life?  Which people should I be serving, and where should I spend my time? What character flaws do I need to address? I've become more aware of the ways that I'm not reaching my full potential as a child of the King. Wouldn't submitting to God mean pruning away those areas in my life that are not in accordance with His life? Actually, no. If I try to fix myself, I'm focusing on just that- myself. To submit to God would be to look at His life, not mine and to let Him lead me wherever He sees fit. By submitting to Him, my life will reach its fullest and richest potential.

At one point, I felt overwhelmed by all the changing my heart needs! I wearied, just at the thought of how I'm never going to be perfect in this life and how much killing of self is ahead. Then I remembered a verse from the chapter I've been memorizing, Isaiah 40:28: "Dost thou not know, hast thou not heard? that the everlasting Lord, the Creator of the ends of the world, does not weary, fainteth not, neither is weary." God is not just faithful, but His faithfulness never tires either. Fixing ourselves in our own strength does not glorify God, and it only exhausts us. In submission we find rest. Complete dependence means denying self, and brings God the glory He deserves. God becomes our strength, not ourselves. This is the heart of submission.

"Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice, and let me sing always, only, for my King.
Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect, and use every power as Thou shalt choose.
Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.

~Francis Havergal

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