Richard Foster on the Discipline of Confession

From 'Celebration of Discipline':

"The Bible views salvation as both an event and a process. To converted people Paul says, 'Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling' (Phil. 2:12) … The Discipline of confession helps the believer to grow into 'mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ' (Eph. 4:13)."
p181

"Confession is a difficult Discipline for us because we all too often view the believing community as a fellowship of saints before we see it as a fellowship of sinners. We feel that everyone else has advanced so far into holiness that we are isolated and alone in our sin. We cannot bear to reveal our failures and shortcomings to others. We imagine that we are the only ones who have not stepped on to the high road to heaven. Therefore, we hide ourselves from one another and live in veiled lies and hypocrisy."
p181-2

"Bonhoeffer writes: 'A man who confesses his sins in the presence of a brother knows that he is no longer alone with himself; he experiences the presence of God in the reality of the other person. As long as I am by myself in the confession of my sins everything remains in the dark, but in the presence of a brother the sin has to be brought into the light.'"
p184, Original quote: Bonhoeffer, Life Together

"It is the will to be delivered form sin that we seek from God as we prepare to make confession. We must desire to be conquered and ruled by God, or if we do not desire it, to desire to desire it. Such a desire is a gracious gift from God. The seeking of this gift is one of the preliminaries for confessing to a brother or sister."
p189

"These people are found by asking God to reveal them to us. They are also found by observing people to see who evidences a lively faith in God's power to forgive and exhibits the joy of the Lord in his or her heart. The key qualifications are spiritual maturity, wisdom, compassion, good common sense, the ability to keep a confidence, and a wholesome sense of humour."
p190

Richard Foster on the Discipline of Service

From 'Celebration of Discipline':

"Radical self-denial gives the feel of adventure. If we forsake all, we even have the chance of glorious martyrdom. But in service we must experience the many little deaths of going beyond ourselves. Service banishes us to the mundane, the ordinary, the trivial."
p158

"Of all the classical Spiritual Disciplines, service is the most conductive to the growth of humility ... Nothing disciplines the inordinate desires of the flesh like service, and nothing transforms the desires of the flesh like serving in hiddenness. The flesh whines against service but screams against hidden service. It strains and pulls for honour and recognition."
p161

"True service rests contented in hiddenness. It does not fear the lights and blare of attention, but it does not seek them either. Since it is living out of a new Centre of reference, the divine nod of approval is completely sufficient."
p160

One reality must be clearly understood in the life of service. The very fact that we are finite means that to say 'yes' to one task of necessity means saying 'no' to other tasks.
p172

Clogged with Good Things

". . . shun anything that distracts you from seeking first the kingdom of God. It is so easy to lose focus in the pursuit of legitimate, even good things. Job, position, status, family, friends, security - these and many more can all too quickly become the centre of attention. George Fox warns, '. . . there is the danger and the temptation to you, of drawing your minds into your business, and clogging them with it; so that ye can hardly do anything to the service of God."
Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline, p115

Richard Foster on the Discipline of Simplicity

From 'Celebration of Discipline':

"Simplicity is freedom. Duplicity is bondage. Simplicity brings joy and balance. Duplicity brings anxiety and fear. The preacher of Ecclesiasties observes that 'God made man simple; man's complex problems are of his own devising' (Eccles. 7:29)"
p99

"To attempt to arrange an outward life-style of simplicity without the inward reality leads to deadly legalism."
p100

Speaking of contemporary culture: "Because we lack a divine Centre our need for security has led us into an insane attachment to things ... We crave things we neither need nor enjoy ... We are made to feel ashamed to wear clothes or drive cars until they are worn out. The mass media have convinced us that to be out of step with fashion is to be out of step with reality. It is time we awaken to the fact that conformity to a sick society is to be sick."
p100-101

"if riches increase, set not your heart on them."
Psalm 62:10

Speaking of Jesus: "He saw the grip that wealth can have on a person. He knew that 'where your treasure is, there will your heart be also,' which is precisely why he commanded his followers: 'Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth' (Matt 6:21, 19)"
p103
—
I suppose there's quite a difference between generating a high income and laying up treasures. You could have a lot of resources, being rich in terms of your bank balance, and yet refuse to use that bank balance in acquiring many possessions. Instead, we use those funds for resourcing the Kingdom. I've never thought it was wrong to be rich, but yet there is a very direct command not to lay up for ourselves treasure on earth. 'Set not your heart on them'. When you hear Christians that are very rich, but live a modest life and give really generously, it's incredibly powerful. They've adopted a level of discipline, self-control and love for Christ that is very evident in their outward behaviour.

"Sell your possessions, and give alms; provide yourselves with purses that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail"
Luke 12:33

"Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions"
Luke 12:15

"He calls all who would follow him to a joyful life of carefree unconcern for possessions: 'Give to every one who begs from you; and of him who takes away your goods do not ask them again"
Luke 6:30

"Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction"
1 Tim 6:9

"Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, "I will never fail you nor forsake you"
Hebrews 13:5

"Simplicity is the only thing that sufficiently reorients our lives so that possessions can be genuinely enjoyed without destroying us."
p105

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well."
Matt 6:25-33

"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"
p106

"As Jesus made clear in our central passage, freedom from anxiety is one of the inward evidences of seeking first the kingdom of God. The inward reality of simplicity involves a life of joyful unconcern for possessions."
p107

Richard Foster on the Discipline of Study

From 'Celebration of Discipline':

"The purpose of the Spiritual Disciplines is the total transformation of the person. They aim at replacing old destructive habits of thought with new life-giving habits. Nowhere is this purpose more clearly seen than in the Discipline of study."
p78

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
Philippians 4:8

"Many Christians remain in bondage to fears and anxieties simply because they do not avail themselves of the Discipline of study ... Jesus made it unmistakably clear that the knowledge of the truth will set us free. 'You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free' (John 8:32). Good feelings will not free us. Ecstatic experiences will not free us. Getting 'high on Jesus' will not free us. Without a knowledge of the truth, we will not be free."
p79

"Jesus, as you remember, reminds us that it is not just the truth but the knowledge of the truth that set us free (John 8:32)."
p82

"As I mentioned earlier, one of the principle objects of our study should be ourselves. We should learn the things that control us. We observe our inner feelings and mood swings. What controls our moods? Why do we like certain people and dislike others? What do these things teach us about ourselves?"
p91

Richard Foster on Fasting

"Some have exalted religious fasting beyond all Scripture and reason; and others have utterly disregarded it."
John Wesley

"Perhaps in our affluent society fasting involves a far larger sacrifice than the giving of money."
Celebration Of Discipline, Richard Foster, p66

"More than any other Discipline, fasting reveals the things that controls us. This is a wonderful benefit to the true disciple who longs to be transformed into the image of Christ. We cover up what is inside us with food and other good things, but in fasting these things surface. If pride controls us, it will be revealed almost immediately. David writes, 'I humbled my soul with fasting' (Ps. 69:10). Anger, bitterness, jealousy, strife, fear — if they are within us, they will surface during fasting."
Celebration Of Discipline, Richard Foster, p67

"Fasting helps us keep our balance in life. How easily we begin to allow nonessentials to take precedence in our lives. How quickly we crave things we do not need until we are enslaved by them ... Our human cravings and desires are like rivers that tend to overflow their banks; fasting helps keep them in proper channels. 'I pommel my body and subdue it,' says Paul (1 Cor. 9:27)."
Celebration Of Discipline, Richard Foster, p68

Prayer Ocean

"We could change the whole atmosphere of a nation if thousands of us would constantly throw a cloak of prayer around everyone in our circle or nearness. 'Units of prayer combined, like drops of water, make an ocean which defies resistance.'"
Celebration Of Discipline, Richard Foster, p54

Child-Like Confidence

"The reason God answers prayer is because his children ask"
Celebration Of Discipline, Richard Foster, p49

"Jesus taught us to pray for daily bread. Have you ever noticed that children ask for lunch in utter confidence that it will be provided. They have no need to stash away today's sandwiches for fear none will be available tomorrow. As far as they are concerned, there is an endless supply of sandwiches. Children do not find it difficult or complicated to talk to their parents, nor do they feel embarrassed to bring the simplest need to their attention. Neither should we hesitate to bring the simplest requests confidently to the Father."
Celebration Of Discipline, Richard Foster, p50.

I've heard pretty much the same account of prayer from three different sources in the last two weeks. I think God might be pointing something out to me...

Richard Foster on Prayer & Compassion

"... the bible tells us that great miracles are possible through faith the size of a mustard seed. Usually, the courage actually to go and pray for a person is a sign of sufficient faith. Frequently out lack is not faith but compassion ... Compassion was an evident feature of every healing in the New Testament ... In fact, if we genuinely love people, we desire for them far more than it is within our power to give, and that will cause us to pray."
Celebration Of Discipline, Richard Foster, p49

Satan Vs Holy Leisure

"In contemporary society our Adversary majors in three things: noise, hurry, and crowds. If he can keep us engaged in 'muchness' and 'manyness,' he will rest satisfied."
Celebration Of Discipline, Richard Foster, p19

"The church Fathers often spoke of Otium Sanctum, 'holy leisure.' It refers to a sense of balance in the life, an ability to be at peace through the activities of the day, an ability to rest and take time to enjoy beauty, an ability to pace ourselves ... we must pursue 'holy leisure' with a determination that is ruthless to our diaries."
Celebration Of Discipline, Richard Foster, p31

Prayer Problem-Solving

"If we turn on our television set and it does not work, we do not declare that there are no such things as electronic frequencies in the air or on the cable. We assume something is wrong, something we can find and correct. We check the plug, switch, circuitry until we discover what is blocking the flow of this mysterious energy that transmits pictures. We know the problem has been found and fixed by seeing whether or not the TV works. It is the same with prayer. We can determine if we are praying correctly if the request comes to pass. If not, we look for the 'block'; perhaps we are praying wrongly, perhaps something within us needs changing, perhaps there are new principles of prayer that need to be learned, perhaps patience and persistence are needed. We can listen, make the necessary adjustments, and try again. We can know that our prayers are being answered as surely as we know the television set is working."
Celebration Of Discipline, Richard Foster, p47-8

Richard Foster On The Importance of Prayer

Quotes from Celebration Of Discipline by Richard Foster

"Prayer catapults us on to the frontier of the spiritual life. Of all the Spiritual Disciplines prayer is the most central because it ushers us into perpetual communication with the Father."
p42

"To pray is to change. Prayer is the central avenue God uses to transform us. If we are unwilling to change, we will abandon prayer as a noticeable characteristic of our lives."
p42

"All who have walked with God have viewed prayer as the main business of their lives."
p43

"John Wesley says, 'God does nothing but in answer to prayer'".
p43

"For those explorers in the frontiers of faith, prayer was no little habit tacked on to the periphery of their lives; it was their lives. It was the most serious work of their most productive years."
p43

"For these, an all those who have braved the depths of the interior life, to breathe was to pray."
p44

"Certain things will happen in history if we pray rightly. We are to change the world by prayer. What more motivation do we need to learn this loftiest human exercise?"
p45