The bird feeders and baths, the raised-bed garden and the plants, the shrubs and trees that ring our back yard are in many ways a classroom for me. They require some of our regular attention to thrive. The truth is, sometimes they receive it – and other times they languish for want of attention. Nonetheless, I find that these are one of the primary ways that God gets my attention to teach me the significance of living a mindful, intentional life in Christ.
In her book about the gift of spiritual disciplines, Marjorie Thompson notes the following.
Certain kinds of plants need support in order to grow properly. Tomatoes need stakes, and beans must attach themselves to suspended strings. Creeping vines like clematis and wisteria will grow on any structure they can find. Rambling roses take kindly to garden walls, archways, and trellises. Without support, these plants would collapse in a heap on the ground. Their blossoms would not have the space and sun they need to flourish, and their fruits would rot in contact with the soil. We would be unable to enjoy their beauty and sustenance. When it comes to spiritual growth, human beings are much like these plants. We need structure and support. Otherwise our spirituality grows only in a confused and disorderly way. The fruit of the Spirit in us gets tangled and is susceptible to corruption, and the beauty of our lives is diminished. We need structure in order to have enough space, air, and light to flourish. Structure gives us the freedom to grow as we are meant to. – Marjorie Thompson in Soul Feast
Thompson’s observation causes me to stop and ask: “What is the structure of your day-to-day life, Jon? Are you providing your soul with the support and structure needed for the fruit of the Spirit to be visible and at work in and through you, or are you simply allowing yourself to be tangled in a sea of activity?”
One of the ways I seek to embrace the gift of structure in my life, for the sake of others, is for time in the early morning with the scriptures, readings and prayers found in, Upper Room Disciplines. Each week we are invited to see God through the lens of scriptures from the Old and New Testaments. Each week a different pilgrim invites us to consider their thoughts, struggles, and encouragement as the scriptures speak to their life and experience. Every pastor in our district has this guide. I sense that many are faithfully using it.
This same daily devotional also contains a guide to Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer which can serve like a trellis for roses; like stakes to prop up our tomatoes that would otherwise rot. The Upper Room Disciplines also provides a guide for a weekly gathering of friends who are sharing in the daily readings, a way of sharing in a group that invites a look-back at the fruit that each group member has gleaned from their readings and experiences, with intentional time to listen to scripture, reflect together on what was heard in the listening, pray together, and blessing and sending each member on their continuing journey, as each person joins with Jesus in mission.
None of this is new. It’s a continuance of what Paul urged the Christians in Macedonia (Philippi) to practice twenty-plus-centuries ago.
I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. 9 Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies. Philippians 4:8c-9 | MSG
Still In ONE Peace,
Jon (the Methodist)
If you would like to view past editions of How Sweet the Sound, follow this link: https://sounddistrictnc.org/category/from-the-ds/