Richard Foster’s book “Celebration of Discipline” written in 1977 popuylarised the idea of spiritual disciplines, practices to help Christians grow spiritually. His list, rooted in monastic ideas dating back to the early church included: meditation, prayer, fasting, study, simplicity, solitude and submission. My personal take is that really those things are ways of creating time… Continue reading Spiritual discipline
Tag: meditation
Cultivating time with God
One of the best privileges we have as believers is that we get to know and spend time with God, hearing him speak to us and talking to him. I would encourage Christians to be spending time with God each day. Note, two things here. First, I don’t say that you must read your Bible… Continue reading Cultivating time with God
The secret to good sleep
When we were going through a particularly challenging period, I remember an older pastor asking me “Are you able to sleep through the night.” Insomnia is of course a significant emotional health warning and many of us will have at different times struggled with it, finding ourselves unable to drift off or alternatively being suddenly… Continue reading The secret to good sleep
Pancake Day announcement: Lent series
I hope you are enjoying tucking into your pancakes. If you are like me, then you probably are in the habit of enjoying this particular day cut off from the moorings of its context as the last day before Lent. The idea was that you used up your eggs, flour, milk and sugar before abstaining… Continue reading Pancake Day announcement: Lent series
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints
Today we lay to rest my mother’s body. It’s part of the process of saying goodbye. We as a family had the opportunity to say our goodbyes to mum in those last few days and hours. Mum is already present with Jesus, which means in the words of Scripture that she is “absent from the… Continue reading Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints
A little more meditation
On Sunday, I wrote about the phrase “place me like a seal over your heart” (Song of Songs 8:6) and suggested an approach to meditation where we take time to chew over a verse or even a short phrase. It is possible to work through a longer passage, especially a Psalm or a series of… Continue reading A little more meditation
“Place me like a seal over your heart”
Our engagement with Scripture includes both taking in and understanding significant sections of Scripture and focusing on the small details. It’s about studying God’s Word and thinking it through but it is also about applying it practically. A crucial part of this is meditation. Christian meditation is not about emptying your mind or even focusing… Continue reading “Place me like a seal over your heart”
2023 daily devotionals
I’ve tried to include some form of regular devotional piece on Faithroots over the past few years. I hope this is useful for those looking for something to assist with their daily meditation. This has include #DailyDose audio podcasts and through last year, an article most days taking us into a little more detail in… Continue reading 2023 daily devotionals
Psalm 23 -a reflective paraphrase
God is my provider and protector. I never run short. His provision is inexhaustible and overflowing. He has brought me to a place of peace and plenty. He refreshes and renews me. I find strength in him alone. He leads down the exact path he planned and prepared for me All the glory goes to… Continue reading Psalm 23 -a reflective paraphrase
How can we help people to let Christ’s word dwell in them richly?
My friend Steve Kneale has frequently pointed out that we are not commanded to “read the Bible every day.” That’s a shock for a lot of us evangelicals because we grew up believing that was the command. That’s not to say that reading the Bible isn’t a good, helpful and enjoyable thing for many. Nor… Continue reading How can we help people to let Christ’s word dwell in them richly?
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