Who would have thought that teaching about ancient spiritual practices would have had such a profound impact on modern people? The truth of the matter is that most churches that attempt to be "relevant" typically forget to do things that the culture would think irrelevant. Yet, it is the very "irrelevant" practices, such as the spiritual disciplines we have been covering at The Orchard, that have the most profound impact. We typically spend so much time and effort focusing on "real life" teaching that we forget the spiritual IS the real life! It is in fact, more real than simply the physical life. Crush a man's spirit and you will crush the man! You can teach a man about the spirit. You can explain what a spirit is. Only the man who knows how to get in touch with his spirit will know what REAL life is. Every thing pours out of our spirit. (Seek first The Kingdom of God...) When we get in touch with what is real, what is relevant - the spiritual life - we begin to experience Real life. It is the spirit that sustains, gives life, and revives a person. It is also the spirit, when crushed, that drains life, beats a person down and even - when completely crushed - can lead to death.
Maybe what the "contemporary" Church needs to do is to look at some of the practices of the early Church. The Protestant Reformation brought about many needed changes. However, The Protestant Reformation - as time progressed - seems to have lost many of the early Church traditions. The loss of spiritual disciplines in The Church may be the very cause of the weakening of The Church in America. The testimonies of how the fast has effected people and their spiritual development has been wonderful. Next, we will be covering simplicity, solitude and developing an personal askesis. (Look the word up.) Can't wait to see what God continues to do the the "irrelevant" practices for relevant people!
