Reflections on Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun
What difficulties or compulsions make it had for you to stop?
The most difficult thing for me to stop is my active mind. I get bored very easily. Most evenings, I have either the TV on, my phone in my hand or I’m busy with homework or church. I am extremely busy daily and my days off from my full-time job are catch up days for rest other commitments I have. So, it is extremely difficult for me to just be.
How does taking a Sabbath enhance your enjoyment and worship of God?
When I do intentionally take a Sabbath on a regular basis, I have an anticipation of spending my day with the Lord. It’s a sweet, relaxed time with Him. Most other times, I really need to ask Him to help me slow down so I can be with Him.
What makes a Sabbath day nourishing and replenishing to you?
My Sabbath day is incredibly refreshing. It allows me to rest in His love and strength. I can be nurtured and, through His love and peace, I am able to recharge. The time with Christ is refreshing. The 23rd Psalm says that He gives me rest. He restores my soul. He comforts me. This is my Sabbath.
What happens to you when you go without regular rhythms that allow you to rest in God?
Regular rhythms spending time with God is extremely important to me. When my life begins to get too busy and my regular routines begin to become irregular, I immediately feel it in my patience with others. The Lord gives me the peace and patience to be able to show others the love of Christ in my daily life. Without that regular rhythm, my foundation of peace begins to crumble. As a result of that, my patience and kindness begin to falter.
Work on Spiritual Exercise 3 and reflect on your experience in 100-200 words.
Begin your Sabbath gently on Saturday evening. Light a candle. Invite the presence of Christ to guide you through your Sabbath. Eat with family. Go to sleep early, speaking peace to each other. Pray for Christ to give you deep, refreshing sleep. Rest in His arms. Commit your dreams to the LORD.
As I read this assignment this week, I was looking forward to having a quiet refreshing Sabbath. Unfortunately, due to work commitments I was not able to complete this task on Saturday evening. I will be attempting to set aside a Sabbath this week and am in the process of rearranging my schedule to make it a possibility this week.
I do feel the Spirit leading me to be more intentional in setting aside a Sabbath day for rest. This assignment is confirmation regarding this. My pastor and I have been having conversations about the topic and we’ll be reading the book The Emotionally Healthy Leader, in which chapter 5 is titled “Practice Sabbath Delight”. (Scazzero) I am looking forward to continuing to learn and put into practice the discipline of taking a Sabbath each week.
Reflections on The Holy Spirit: so… what’s the big deal? by Jerry Cook
On page 24 of Jerry Cook’s book The Holy Spirit: So… What’s the Big Deal? The author speaks about the contrast between the church following the power of the Holy Spirit and when she goes out without. This paragraph struck a chord with me! I have been witness to both types of scenarios. This “war cry” stirred my spirit with the longing to see the church operate in the Holy Spirit. So much so, that during the week, the Lord opened doors to witness and proclaim the importance and glory that is the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. My hope is that this longing and the opportunities continue.
Reflections on Invitation to a Journey by M. Robert Mulholland
Being Formed! That was such a simple yet profound statement I read in this book. To allow Christ to form or transform me into what He wants me to be and to be silent. As Mulholland states, “Silence is one of the primary disciplines that help us give up control…” (Mulholland Jr.)
Works Cited
Calhoun, Ahlberg Adele. Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices that Transform Us. Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 2005.
Cook, Jerry. The Holy Spirit: So… What’s the Big Deal? North Charleston: Jerry Cook, 2013.
Mulholland Jr., M. Robert. Invitation to a Journey. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2016.
Scazzero, Peter. The Emotionally Healthy Leader. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005. Print.
Discovering His Vision 
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