Phase 1 Week 8 The Outward Discipline of Solitude March 9--15

[Steve Smith]

Phase 1 Week 8 The Outward Discipline of Solitude 

Dear students your reply each week should show interaction with the text book. Don't try to do the assignment without first reading the assign chapter. This week's reading is Richard Foster, Celebration of the disciplines the chapter on; The Outward Discipline of Solitude. Your reply should address the specific question number, there are three questions below. 

Secondly, after you have post a reply read and reply to the post of a fellow classmate.     

Comment: 

1.   Loneliness is inner emptiness, solitude is inner fulfillment. 

2.   Foster gives us examples of Jesus spending time alone. Should we incorporate this practice in our lives? How?

3.   “Real silence, real stillness, really holding one’s tongue comes only as the sober  consequence of spiritual stillness” 

Blessings and I look forward to reading your post

[(jlc126)]

[Anish Kuriachen]

Dear All,

Please see my response below in Blue.

with Prayers and Blessings

Anish

On Mon, Mar 9, 2015 at 1:18 PM, Steve Smith <youthlea...@gmail.com> wrote:

Phase 1 Week 8 The Outward Discipline of Solitude 

Dear students your reply each week should show interaction with the text book. Don't try to do the assignment without first reading the assign chapter. This week's reading is Richard Foster, Celebration of the disciplines the chapter on; The Outward Discipline of Solitude. Your reply should address the specific question number, there are three questions below. 

Secondly, after you have post a reply read and reply to the post of a fellow classmate.     

Comment: 

1.   Loneliness is inner emptiness, solitude is inner fulfillment. 

Loneliness is a state of being consumed by the feeling of rejection, not relating or having a need or needs met. This feeling consumes the mind even when you are in the midst of a crowd. Loneliness can lead to many mental issues that can create difficulty in having a relationship and fellowship with others. It can also lead to crippling and depilating issues such as chronic depression that consumes the daily function of the individual life. While solitude is also a state of mind, that is chosen by an individual who is choosing to limit interaction with individuals physically or mentally.  This action is usually setting aside time, place or environment to have an alone time to capture or release thought patterns. This time of solitude is necessary when and individual seeks to bring understanding and or healing with difficult situation that affects lives. 

2.   Foster gives us examples of Jesus spending time alone. Should we incorporate this practice in our lives? How?

This practice should be incorporate into our lives with the same passion as prayer and fasting.  We need this time to come apart and regroup or regenerate our mind so we can be effective leaders in our home, church, job and community.  But we should look into another fact that even though Jesus is alone, He is contacting with His Father in heaven. I will say “When world look at Jesus, He was alone, but in a spiritual view He was with Father.” Same way we should have clear contact with God. Some people prefer early morning, but to me time doesn't matter, but we should spend valuable time with God. 

3.   “Real silence, real stillness, really holding one’s tongue comes only as the sober  consequence of spiritual stillness” 

This is an area in many believers’ lives that constant work and control is needed.  The tongue is a weapon that can be used to ‘make’ or ‘kill’ a person.  Many lives can be saved by keeping still and holding onto silence. If we take to ‘heart’ what the bible states, ‘be angry and sin not’ and use it as a ‘measuring rod’ it can be helpful with developing our spiritual stillness with our tongue. If we are silent when we should speak, we are not living in the Discipline of silence. If we speak when we should be silent, we again miss the mark. 

Blessings and I look forward to reading your post

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "New Jersey Emerging Leaders" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to new-jersey-emerging...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--

Thank You

Best Regards
Anish

[Steve Smith]

Anish I enjoyed reading your post. Jesus said I am never alone because the Father is always with me.

Dear All,

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to new-jersey-emerging-leaders+unsub...@googlegroups.com.

For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

[(jlc126)]

My brother Anish, I truly appreciate your contribution to this lesson. I have learned much from your post and I am anticipating your future lessons comments. Blessings!

[Aaron P]

Hello everyone,

1. Loneliness is inner emptiness, solitude is inner fulfillment.

When you think of loneliness it usually comes with a negative connotation. People are lonely because they feel no one loves or cares about them. This is where the feeling of emptiness, depression, and brokenness are born. Being in a state of "spiritual solitude" allows you the place to be in tune with God. We live in a world where distractions are everywhere you look. When we are distracted nothing gets accomplished and the world is in control of our thoughts and actions. But being in a place of solitude you are submitting and allowing God to be in full control. The inner fulfillment occurs when we allow Gods peace, knowledge and love reign throughout our hearts.

2. Foster gives us examples of Jesus spending time alone. Should we incorporate this practice in our lives? How?

-Before reading this chapter I knew that Christ spent a lot of time alone seeking peace and praying. But after reading this chapter and seeing how important silence is to our growth spiritually, it all makes sense as to why Christ would set this example. As Followers of Christ I feel we should all incorporate this practice in our lives. The silence allows not only your mind to open but it opens your "heart" to receive whatever word the Lord may have for you. The dedicated space in the house is a great place to start. This place should be your haven for peace and quiet.

3. “Real silence, real stillness, really holding one’s tongue comes only as the sober consequence of spiritual stillness”

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. (‭Proverbs‬ ‭18‬:‭21‬ NIV). As humans we tend to speak first or react first before we think things through. Our words whether right or wrong can effect people's lives. If we don't have an outlet in our lives that will allow Christ to speak to us then we will be doomed by our tongue. Without spiritual stillness, solitude we can't equip ourselves with the love of God to speak life into people.

[joscelyn cameron]

I am blessed by your post brother Aaron-and I do agree that for all we experience on a daily basis, we would instead find peace and fulfillment if we hand over control of our lives to God.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "New Jersey Emerging Leaders" group.
To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/new-jersey-emerging-leaders/y_tK1ybIrdU/unsubscribe.
To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to new-jersey-emerging...@googlegroups.com.

For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--
Cameron,J

[prodigalson973]

On Monday, March 9, 2015 at 1:18:24 PM UTC-4, Steve Smith wrote:

[prodigalson973]

This was very insightful, I didn't even equate loneliness to the psychological manifestation of depression. That makes sense though and means that sometimes we can be freed from that depressive state in the healing of arms of His solitude. Awesome! 

On Saturday, March 14, 2015 at 11:39:49 PM UTC-4, Anish Kuriachen wrote:

Dear All,

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to new-jersey-emerging-leaders+unsub...@googlegroups.com.

For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.