Streams of Living Water :: Social Justice - The Compassionate Life

As I finished this chapter of Foster's book I felt the need to slow down and really reflect on this "stream". The contemplative and holiness tradition fit into my experiences of Christianity, but (sadly) social justice hasn't. This is changing. In an act of what I can only see as divine providence some dear friends in our church gave me Shane Claiborne's The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical. The impact has been instant, refreshing, and unnerving. I've known God is writing a new chapter in my life for a while now; new concepts are birthing new convictions. While this is exciting, it is also scary. Conviction demands action, and action requires sacrifice. I'm beginning to realize why little tweaks and fixes haven't equated to the "new life" promised in the Scriptures. You can't look with the same eyes and see something different, you can't feel with the same heart and love divinely, you can't live the same life and live new life.

I find myself looking at Jesus in fresh ways, and realize more than ever His radical call, His challenge to convention. Okay...this feels more like a ramble than a post so I'll stop, but there is an awakening occurring, not as much a shedding of the old as it is a realization of what it was always intended to mean.

"If you want to make minor, incremental changes and improvements, work on practices, behavior or attitude. But if you want to make significant, quantum improvements, work on paradigms."

- Stephen R. Covey

"...you have heard it said, but I say..."

- Jesus

Insights from Heschel on The Holiness Tradition

I continue to be stirred by Foster's exploration of the "Holiness Tradition - The Virtuous Life". It's good to be reminded that our actions matter, they have eternal significance.

I've also found myself returning to the works of Abraham Heschel for insight on the role of virtuous deeds from a Hebraic perspective. Here are a couple of quotes that have been good to reflect on...

"There are three starting pints of contemplation about God; three trails that lead to Him. The first is the way of sensing the presence of God in the world, in things (Isaiah 40:26); the second is the way of sensing His presence in the Bible (Exodus 20:2); the third is the way of sensing His presence in sacred deeds (Exodus 24:7)." (italics mine)

"Ultimately, then, the goal of religious life is quality rather than quantity, not only what is done, but how it is done."

Abraham Heschel

Quote for Thought

Thought of this while studying through the "Holiness Tradition" in Foster's Streams...

"Faith is not a silent treasure to be kept in the seclusion of the soul, but a mint in which to strike the coin of common deeds."

"The dichotomy of faith and works which presented such an important problem in Christian theology was never a problem in Judaism. To us, the basic problem is neither what is the right action nor what it the right intention. The basic problem is: what is right living? And life is indivisible. The inner sphere is never isolated form outward activities.

Abraham Heschel

Stations on the Road to Freedom :: Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Discipline

If you set out to seek freedom, then learn above all discipline of soul and your senses, so that your passions and limbs might not lead you confusedly hither and yon. Chaste be your spirit and body, subject to your own will, and obedient to seek out the goal that they have given. No one discovers the secret of freedom but through self-control.

Action

Dare to do what is just, not what fancy may call for; lose not time with what may be, but boldly grasp what is real. The world of thought is escape; freedom comes only through action.
Step out beyond anxious waiting and into the storm of events, carried only by God's command and by your own faith; then will freedom exultantly cry out to welcome you spirit.

Suffering

Wondrous transformation! Your strong and active hands are tied now. Powerless, alone, you see the end of your action. Still, you take a deep breath and lay your struggle for justice, quietly and in faith, into a mightier hand.
Just for one blissful moment, you tasted the sweetness of freedom, then you handed it over to God, that he might make it whole.

Death

Come now, highest moment on the road to freedom eternal, Death, put down the ponderous chains and demolish the walls of our mortal bodies, the walls of our blinded souls, that we might finally see what mortals have kept us from seeing. Freedom, how long we have sought you through discipline, action, and suffering.
Dying, now we behold your face in the countenance of God.

Streams of Living Water :: Contemplative Tradition

"Deep within us all there is an amazing inner sanctuary of the soul, a holy place, a Divine Center, a speaking Voice to which we may continuously return."

Thomas Kelly

My time with Foster has been refreshing. The first "stream", and the foundation upon which the rest are built, is the Contemplative Stream, or the prayer-filled life. To begin with the prayer-filled life has been a sweet reminder of my dependency on Christ, and His faithfulness and reality in my life.

It's so easy for me to be "contemplative" in the morning. The slow but deliberate awaking of creation gently quiets my soul and reminds me of the transcendence of life and the simple beauty of being. What is not so easy is to maintain that awareness during my drive to the office. One thing I've become aware of is my need to develop a living posture of prayer, by that I mean living life in constant awareness of and attention to not only God himself, but the concerns of His heart rather than my own. It's easy to acknowledge God, but to align my heart's desires with His requires yielding of my personal "rights" and a humble submission to my responsibilities as His son. This is surprisingly not burdensome, but inspiring to realize my part in His story of rescue, redemption and restoration.

Adele Calhoun's book Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us is a great companion on this journey. While Foster does an incredible job of explaining the traditions through definition and living examples, practical "how to's" are more left to the reader. Calhoun's book is a perfect supplement in this area.

Foster concludes with an invitation to the adventure of "a loving attention to God and a growing union with God." I accept.

Streams of Living Water

I started reading a book I've had for a long time but forgot about. Richard Foster's "Streams of Living Water: Celebrating the Great Traditions of Christian Faith." I mentioned last week the burden to achieve greater integration in life. Life can be so fragmented, and I feel like that fragmentation is hindering my desired growth and maturity in Christ. I don't want to merely learn more...I want to be more. A being that leads to action that works as a catalyst for faith, hope, and love.

As I looked through "Streams" what struck me was the holistic nature of Foster's ideas and the sense of grounding in the life of Christ that he draws them from. His thoughts are divided into 6 streams of tradition...

• Contemplative Tradition - The Prayer-Filled Life
• Holiness Tradition - The Virtuous Life
• Charismatic Tradition - The Spirit-Empowered Life
• Social Justice Tradition - The Compassionate Life
• Evangelical Tradition - The Word-Centered Life

If you've read it I'd love to hear your thoughts. If your interested and can pick it up it'd be great to have a running discussion.