Strength
Learning to rely on God
Exercise
Strength in the context of Spiritual Exercises is about developing inner fortitude and resilience as we practice our Christian faith.
How?
By building our spiritual muscles - giving us the building blocks of faith and tools for learning them..
Spiritual strength brings us deeper joy by increasing the depth of our knowledge and understanding of the Christian faith.
It brings us closer to God through understanding how ever present and powerful God’s love is.
We all have limits. We all have bad days. We all fail sometimes, and we all make mistakes. These are the consequences of being human.
’You’re stronger than you think you are,’ my husband jokes with me. It’s a joke, because he’s (badly) quoting Winnie the Pooh, and he knows I hate that!
Mostly because it’s not true. I’m not stronger than I think I am! In fact, I think I’m very strong, and when I get down it’s often because I’ve been reminded, yet again, where the edges of my strength are.
I can’t do everything myself. I do sometimes hurt others. I have not always given my best. I sometimes quit and go home.
It’s at these points that I’m reminded that spiritual strength is not about me - it’s about God. It’s about relying on God when I’m past my own abilities. And even when I’m not.
It’s about believing in a God who is so much bigger and stronger than whatever it is we’re afraid of, whatever it is we can’t handle.
Strength is our first YLWG Exercise.
The Strength Practices are:
Service: Caring for others and realizing it’s not really our resources we’re sharing. And how the more we share God’s love, the more love we receive.
Study: Learning more about the Scripture and traditions of the faith and how God’s love has sustained us over time. How God keeps his promises.
Confession: Realizing, in our weakness, we all fail at love sometimes. And returning to right relationship with God through repentance and forgiveness.
Testimony: Telling our own stories of relationship with God. Even stories about the times we’ve wandered away from God’s love and returned with celebration. Especially those stories.
’When you see one set of footprints in the sand, that’s where I carried you.’ My husband also teases me with the ‘footsteps in the sand’ poem, because I personally find it so cheesy (also, there are lots of hilarious versions of this on the internet!).
But the sentiment is true: it’s God’s strength we rely on, especially when ours fails.
Engaging in Strength Practices helps us see how true it is.
’I can do all things through him who strengthens me.’
(Philippians 4:13)
Strength Practices
Service:
Set 1: '...Give your coat also' - The scale of the kingdom of God
Set 2: 'You cannot serve God and wealth' - what is our 'ultimate authority'?
Set 3: 'The one who showed mercy' - serving the stranger
Set 4: 'Who is my neighbor?' - Serving those who are near
Study:
Set 1: Approaching Scripture
Set 2: Methods of Bible Study
Set 3: What is 'Christian tradition?'
Set 4: My place in church history
Confession:
Set 1: Sin, forgiveness and the Bible
Set 2: Worship and confession
Set 3: Preparing for confession
Set 4: Schedule the Sacrament of Reconciliation (or a private confession rite)
Testimony:
Set 1: ‘I was blind but now I see'- how we know about Jesus
Set 2: ‘Testimony’ and ‘Witness’ - how are they different?
Set 3: Testimony and Community - 'listen to the defense I now make before you'
Set 4: ‘This is my story, this is my song' - why your witness is crucial
Thank You!