The Rhythm Of The Christian Life

Discover Life as God Intended Hurried and exhausted, we are looking for a better way to manage all the demands in our lives. We think that if we could simply learn to balance everything, we would be happier. But our problem isn’t balance. What we actually need is to rediscover the rhythm. God has created a pulse for our lives, and for centuries Christians lived into that intentional rhythm, one that has been all but lost today. In this book, Wright invites us to find true joy and wholeness as we embrace the two core realities that every person experiences in life: •moments alone: times of solitude when we are with God alone •moments together: times of intentional fellowship with others In our efforts to maximize our time, we often set unrealistic expectations for our “quiet time” and our social relationships. The result is a failure to hear the ancient rhythm that shows how these dimensions of our lives should complement each other. Embracing the rhythm of the Christian life, and living it wholeheartedly, is the task of all believers, not just some of us. As Christians, our whole life consists of loving God and loving others— just like Jesus did. Explore The Rhythm of Christian Life and recapture the joy of life as God always intended.

Who are you becoming? And how will you get there? Spiritual transformation is not a one-size-fits-all journey. Each of us has a particular identity, gifts, values, roles, and purpose. Thus we each need distinct spiritual rhythms that are designed to help us live out that vocation and calling. In this practical book Alastair Sterne shows how we can craft a life of more intentionality, becoming Christlike in ways that fit who we are. First we discover who God made us to be, in all our distinctiveness. Then we enter into spiritual practices that flow out of that particular sense of identity, with fourfold rhythms that point us upward to God, inward to self, withward in community, and outward in mission. Our vocation is our identity uniquely lived out before God, bringing our being and doing together. You can live a life that is more aligned with who you are meant to be. Discover spiritual rhythms that move at the pace of grace, and align you with your unique identity and calling in Christ.

"Abide in me," Jesus tells us, "and you will bear much fruit." Yet too often we forget that fruit needs different seasons in order to grow. We measure our spiritual maturity by how much we do rather than how we are responding to our current spiritual season. In Spiritual Rhythm, Mark Buchanan replaces our spirituality of busyness with a spirituality of abiding. Sometimes we are busy, sometimes still, sometimes pushing with all we've got, sometimes waiting. This model of the spiritual life measures and produces growth by asking: Are we living in rhythm with the season we are in? With the lyrical writing for which he is known, Mark invites us to respond to every season of the heart, whether we are flourishing and fruitful, stark and dismal, or cool and windy. In comparing spiritual rhythms to the seasons of the year, he shows us what to expect from each season and how embracing the seasons causes our spiritual lives to prosper. As he draws on the powerful words of Scripture, Mark explores what activities are suitable or necessary in each season--and what activities are useless or even harmful in that season. Throughout the book, Mark weaves together stories of young and old, men and women, families, couples, and individuals who are in or have been through a particular season of the heart. As Mark writes, "I pray that this book meets you in whatever season you're in, and prepares you for whatever seasons await. I pray that it helps you find your voice, your stride, your rhythm, in season or out. Mostly, I pray that you, with or without my help, find Christ wherever you are. And that, even more, you discover that wherever you are, he's found you."

How to bring peace to your home. Create your own Mother's Rule of Life, a pattern for living that combines the spiritual wisdom of the monastery with the practical wisdom of motherhood. With the help of your own rule, you can get control of your own household, grow closer to God, come to love your husband more, and raise up good Christian children.

Have you ever felt a tension between developing your internal spiritual life and the call to outward service in the world? Those of us who are more naturally activists risk becoming bitter, tired and burned out. Those of us who gravitate toward the contemplative life may struggle to connect our spirituality with the world around us. How do we allow the life of Jesus to flow through our whole bodies into our everyday lives? This book is a result of how Tom Smith held these questions in tension, as Eugene H. Peterson reflects in his foreword: "There is a back story here that is helpful in understanding Tom Smith's fierce focus and energetic imagination. He grew up in South Africa during the years of apartheid. . . . He also was aware that the Rwanda genocide took place in a population mostly Christian. He became a pastor in a flourishing South African church and then came to North America. He experienced the temptation to degenerate church into a consumer program. . . . This book is a witness to what takes place when names trump numbers and stories with their accompanying metaphors keep relationships personal and prayerful." Having Jesus in our hearts is not enough. Jesus calls us to a spirituality that involves our everyday actions and interactions with others and extends our sphere of influence. In this raw, honest, whole-life approach to Christian formation, Tom Smith introduces us into a "rhythm of life" that that brings flourishing to our personal spirituality that then extends to our service in the world.

It is truly amazing how the operations of the human heart are so closely related to spiritual function and power in our lives. There are three main arteries that supply the heart itself with life-giving oxygen and nutrients. If either of these arteries is clogged or blocked in any way, it will not allow the heart to function to its fullest capacity. It may even cause death. In the spirit realm, we have the Love of God that is displayed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirt. We need the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit working corporately to operate to our fullest capacity in the kingdom of God. A lack of a right understanding (clogged) or just complete ignorance (blocked) of the function of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirt will not allow you to operate to your fullest capacity in the kingdom of God. Not realizing how powerful God's love is and not understanding the roles of each person will limit all things that are possible to those who believe. Without God, we are spiritually dead! Learn the rhythm of life and live life to the fullest. Matthew 1:28-30 (emphasis mine) said, "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me--watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

Ken Shigematsu shows that spiritual formation is more than just solitude and contemplative reflections. Spiritual formation happens in the everyday, in each and every moment of life. For those caught up in the busyness of work, family, and church, it often feels like time with God is just another thing on a crowded “to-do’ list. Ken explains how the time-tested spiritual practice of the “rule of life” can help bring busy people into a closer relationship with God. He shows how a personal rule of life can fit almost any vocation or life situation. In God in My Everything, you will discover how to create and practice a life-giving, sustainable rhythm in the midst of your demanding life. If you long for a deeper spirituality but often feel that the busyness of life makes a close relationship with God challenging—and, at times, seemingly impossible—this book is for you.

Your personal rule of life is a holistic description of the Spirit-empowered rhythms and relationships that create, redeem, sustain and transform the life God invites you to humbly fulfill for Christ's glory. All of us have an unwritten personal rule of life. We wake at certain times, get ready for our days in particular ways, use our free time for assorted purposes and practice rhythms of work, hobbies, and worship. There is already a rule in place that you are following. Isn?t it time to give up your unwritten rule and prayerfully write one that more closely matches the heartbeat of God? In this practical workbook Stephen A. Macchia looks to St. Benedict as a guide for discovering your own rule of life in community. It is a process that takes time and concerted effort; you must listen to God and discern what he wants you to be and do for his glory. But through the basic disciplines of Scripture, prayer and reflection in a small group context you will be lead forward in a journey toward Christlikeness. The invitation is transformational, so brace yourself for sweet release. By letting go and trusting God, you will receive the gift of life in its fullest and richest form.