Nathan Foster has lived with the spiritual disciplines all his life, but has had to find his own unique path. As he sought – sometimes rebelliously – to develop habits that would enable him to live more like Jesus, he encountered problems both personal and universal. Gradually he discovered creative new ways to practice disciplines such as fasting, meditation and simplicity, to live as Jesus lived. With a foreword from Nathan’s father Richard, who provides a fresh introduction to each of the disciplines, The Making of an Ordinary Saint invites us to be formed into the likeness of Christ’s character.
Jadual kandungan
Contents
Foreword by Richard J. Foster 9
Introduction: Beginnings 13
Understanding Submission 21
1. Submission: Submitting to the Will of Wind and Children 23
Understanding Fasting 35
2. Fasting: Hunger in Dark Rooms 37
Understanding Study 47
3. Study: Practicing My Failures 49
Interlude: Discipline Hazard #1: The Self-Hatred
Narrative 58
Understanding Solitude 67
4. Solitude: Souvenirs from the Void 69
Understanding Meditation 77
5. Meditation: Cooking Chemicals in My Head 79
Understanding Confession 91
6. Confession: My Redemption Tour 93
Understanding Simplicity 107
7. Simplicity: The Gift of Boredom 109
Understanding Service 119
8. Service: Can I Be Your Martyr? 121
Interlude: Discipline Hazard #2: My Inner
Pharisee 131
Understanding Prayer 139
9. Prayer: Gifts from Bill 141
Understanding Guidance 153
10. Guidance: Embracing the Desert 155
Understanding Worship 167
11. Worship: Responding to the Divine Spark 169
Understanding Celebration 179
12. Celebration: Tattooed Joy 181
Conclusion: Endings and New Beginnings 189
Further Reading 195
Acknowledgments 198
Notes 202