Spiritual Habits Class

If you aren't able to join us for our Spiritual Habits class on Tuesdays, you can still explore these practices on your own. Each week we'll post some info like discussion questions we're covering in person and the scriptures we'll be reading during the week.

THE INWARD PRACTICES

Sept 9: Dinner / Meditation
Sept 16: Prayer
Sept 23: Fasting
Sept 30: Study

THE OUTWARD PRACTICES

Oct 7: Dinner / Simplicity
Oct 14: Solitude
Oct 21: Submission
Oct 28: Service

THE CORPORATE PRACTICES

Nov 4: Dinner / Confession
Nov 11: Worship
Nov 18: Guidance
Nov 25: Celebration
Dec 2: Dinner / Wrap Up
Dec 9: Conclusion

Week One: Meditation

Set aside 10 minutes at least 2 or 3 times this week to meditate.

  • The most important aspect of meditation is quiet. You need quiet to hear God.
  • No specific position for sitting etc. is required. Just find what will be a comfortable position for ten minutes.
  • Meditation is about being present in the current moment.
  • Concentrate on your breathing. Feel your breath come in and out. You may want to visualize your breath as it enters and exits your body.
  • If you're having thoughts that distract you from focusing on your breathing, just acknowledge the thought and then let it go.
  • God's name, Yahweh, is the sound of breath. You may want to breathe God's name. Yah - Breathe in. Weh - Breathe out.
  • Palms Up/Palms Down. In this method, you hold your hands out palms down and ask God to help you let go of something (ex. anger, anxiety, or other burdens). Open your hands to let the burden go. You then hold your hands out palms up and tell God, "I am ready to receive from you now." (Ex. Give me peace, instead of fear. Give me forgiveness instead of anger. Or just be open to what God has to give.)
  • You may want to meditate on scripture by focusing on individual words or meanings within a short verse. Or by visualizing a story or a place or image from scripture.

Discussion Questions
1. Do you agree that the curse of our age is superficiality or shallowness? If you tend to agree what are indications in our culture that illustrate this? If you tend to disagree what are indications in our culture that illustrate this?
2. What do you think is the purpose of having spiritual habits?
3. What do you see as obstacles for you to establish some of these spiritual habits in your life?
4. How do you understand the balance between what only God can do in your life and what effort is required on your part?
5. What are you most hoping to gain from this experience? 

Scripture Readings for the Week