Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster drives the Christian to practicing spiritual disciplines. Foster divides his book into three sections covering twelve spiritual disciplines: meditation, prayer, fasting, study, simplicity, solitude, submission, service, confession, worship, guidance, and celebration.
This is a great book. Foster is clear and deals with the ‘real-ness’ of doing these spiritual disciplines. The only shortcomings of the book were that in some chapters he didn’t give much depth as to why we should be doing these things and that he was very ‘optimistic’ about a wide-range of practices. A worthy note: this book was #11 on the top 50 most influential books that have shaped evangelicals (Christianity Today).
Let me highlight a chapter that particularly spoke to me: Simplicity (pp 79-95)
Foster says that simplicity is “an inward reality that results in an outward life-style.” The “lust for affluence in contemporary society is psychotic” because it loses touch with reality. Our desires are set on “things that we neither need or enjoy.”
“Covetousness we call ambition.
Hoarding we call prudence.
Greed we call industry.”
Jesus declared war on materialism: “no one can serve to masters” (Luke 16:13), “where your treasure is your heart will be also” (Matt 6:21), the rich young ruler is told to shed his wealth for the kingdom (Luke 19), and the rich farmer whose life centered on hoarding was called a fool (Luke 12:16-21). To this, Foster attacks extreme self-denial: “Asceticism makes an unbiblical division between a good material world and an evil material world.”
“The central point for the Discipline of simplicity is to seek the kingdom of God and the righteousness of his kingdom first and then everything necessary will come in its proper order.” He clarifies his point further: “The person who does not seek the kingdom first, does not seek it at all.”
Foster closes the chapter with ten helpful tips for increasing simplicity in our lives:
- Buy things for their usefulness rather than their status.
- Reject anything that is producing an addiction in you.
- Develop a habit of giving things away.
- Refuse to be propagandized by the custodians of modern gadgetry.
- Learn to enjoy things without owning them.
- Develop a deeper appreciation of the creation.
- Look with a healthy skepticism at all “buy now, pay later” schemes.
- Obey Jesus’ instructions about plain, honest speech.
- Reject anything that breeds the oppression of others.
- Shun anything that distracts you from seeking first the kingdom of God.
