LIFESONGS OF CONTEMPLATION & ASCETICS
Part 4 in series, “LifeSongs*: Lives of Worship”
Rev. Todd G. Leupold Perth Bible Church Sunday February 3, 2008 AM
* Title inspired by the name of the song and album by “Casting Crowns.” Overall series inspired and, to some degree adapted, from the writings of Gary Thomas and Myra Perrine.
INTRODUCTION:
In the summer of 2003, Al Gini, a philosophy teacher at Loyola University in Chacago made some interesting comments on American Culture as it relates to work and leisure. As re-printed in the Newark Star-Ledger (Sunday, July 6, 2003) he wrote:
“My point is simple. Even if we love our jobs and find creativity and success in our
work, we also need not to work. . . We need not always be doing. In fact, we must
studiously do less, in order to be more. As a culture whose mythology is steeped in
the hard work of our pioneering forebears, though, we just don’t do nothing well. We
are not known as a nation of relaxers. We rarely deliberately devote ourselves to
idleness. We almost never slow down enough to experience the experience of not
doing anything at all. We rarely attune our inner ear to the needs of our inner self. We
usually do too much, and in the doing insulate ourselves from ourselves (And, I would
add, from Christ!). . . It is not our nature to let time pass. Unstructured time makes us
all at ease. As a friend once told me: ’Most of us will take time off, but very few of us
want to spend time with only ourselves. It’s too boring and scary. It’s a lot easier to do
something and just keep busy. . . Unfortunately, too many Americans, primarily men,
but increasing numbers of women too, only alter their patterns, habits and lifestyles when
they absolutely have to. . . Sadly, sometimes we only give ourselves permission to change
when we’re confronted by a crisis that we can use as an excuse.”
Do these words have a ring of truth here this morning?
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 46:1, 10
Intro 2:
What does the still and silent life mean to you? Peace or quiet chaos? Calm or frustration? Do you anticipate ’moments of silence’ as a wonderful opportunity to get closer to Jesus, or a challenge to stay awake? Do you view hermits and mystics as heroes or weirdos?
As we continue to examine the different Biblical ways in which our lives can “sing” as worship to the Lord, we will focus this morning to two temperaments that focus on quiet devotion.
I. THE CONTEMPLATIVE LIFESONG
A. INVENTORY
How would you answer the following statements?1
4 = very true, 3 = Often true, 2 = Sometimes true, 1 = Rarely true, 0 = Never True
1.I would enjoy reading about or talking with someone who knows God deeply so that I could learn how to have a more intimate friendship with Jesus.
2.I feel close to God when He speaks words of love to me as if He were my dearest friend.
3.I would enjoy having uninterrupted time each day to sit alone with Jesus, gazing into His face, listening to His voice or simply basking in the warmth of His love.
4.In my heart, I desire for God to be my closest friend and most intimate companion.
5.When I am with God, I tend to picture Him as my Shepherd, Abba, or Friend.
6.When spending time with God, I enjoy contemplating His love and affection.
B. PROFILE
The heart of the contemplative song is that of focusing on being with God as opposed to doing for Him. Being a “Mary” putting all else aside to just sit at the feet of Jesus, rather than a “Martha” running to and fro to do everything just right for Him.
As Dr. Perrine describes: “Contemplatives enjoy basking in the warmth of God’s love and spending extended time simply delighting in God’s presence. Their first work is the work of adoring God, and they see all of life as an opportunity to develop a deeper friendship with Jesus . . . for them, all of life is primarily about growing in intimacy with Jesus” (pg. 59).
Contemplatives carefully guard their schedules, always allowing for plenty of uncommitted time that is available for spontaneous “being” with Jesus!
Contrary to the typical American, as Professor Gini described, the contemplative makes a priority of what the early monastics called “holy leisure.” They understood that being in the presence of God is not something that can or should be hurried into nor hurried out of.
C. VALUES
1.Spiritual Wisdom John 5:17-20; 8:28-29
2.Renewed Strength Matthew 14:13-14
3.Safety Psalm 62:8
4.Perspective Isaiah 1:18
D. CAUTIONS: Hearing The Correct Voice
The biggest danger the contemplative must beware, is that of assuming that any or every voice, idea or ’revelation’ received through quiet meditation is equally valid or of the Lord!
Care must be taken not to confuse our own thoughts, biases, hopes, or imaginations nor the latent suggestions and influences of others (natural, or supernatural) with the voice and communication of Christ Himself.
David Wilkerson explains well how to know the difference: “There’s a way we can be protected from deception during deep, searching prayer. Our protection is in waiting. The voice of the flesh is always in a hurry. It wants instant gratification, so it has no patience. It’s always focused on self rather than the Lord, always seeking to rush us out of God’s presence.
Now, the voice of the enemy is patient, but only to a point. It can be soft, sweet, assuring and logical. But if we test it by simply waiting – that is, not acting on it right away, testing it to see if it’s the Lord’s voice – it will grow impatient and expose itself. It will suddenly become ugly and demanding, railing at us and condemning us. Then we can know it’s not the voice of God” (The Sound Of His Voice newsletter, March 4, 2002).
E. EXAMPLES
1.Jesus Luke 6:12; Matthew 14:23
2.OT Prophets – Elijah, Jeremiah, Isaiah Jer. 23:18; 42:7; Isa. 30:21
3.David Psalm 27:4,8
4.John the Baptist John 3:29
5.Cornelius the Centurion Acts 10:24
6.Peter Acts 10:13, 19-20
7.Paul Gal. 1:15-16; Eph. 4:21
While contemplatives tend to equate devotion to Christ with quiet stillness, others tend to engage in solitary devotion of another kind.
II. THE ASCETIC LIFESONG
A. INVENTORY
How would you answer the following statements?2
4 = very true, 3 = Often true, 2 = Sometimes true, 1 = Rarely true, 0 = Never True
1.I would enjoy having several hours to spend alone in silent prayer.
2.Praying alone or worshiping God in silence is usually more meaningful to me than seeking Him in a group setting.
3.When I am alone with God, I feel closer to Him, since I can most readily focus on His presence in quiet settings.
4.I would enjoy reading about the monastic life and learning how God calls some of His people to live a very simple life for His glory.
5.The thought of spending a few days at a monastery to pray and meditate upon the Lord in solitude sounds delightful.
6.Living an ordered life that utilizes the spiritual disciplines is very important to me.
B. PROFILE Isaiah 30:15; Psalm 119:62,164
Ascetics tend to feel closest to God through engaging in rigorous spiritual disciplines – especially those that tangibly emphasize the invisible chords between the physical and the spiritual.
They focus on the ways in which society, the flesh, and material things can hinder one’s spiritual intimacy with and holiness before God Almighty!
Thus, they engage in practices which create separation from society and material things and that are perceived to aid in subduing, dominating, punishing and/or cleansing the body. Examples may include fasting, vows of silence, chastity, poverty or isolation, flagellation, immolation (the physical marking, changing, or removal of a part of the body), physical hardships, etc.
The very word “ascetic” literally means “to labor, to work.” A spiritual ascetic, then, is one who intentionally and physically labors in order to produce or achieve a greater state of spirituality. Similarly, the Greek word from which we get “monk” means “solitary.” Monks are those who choose to live solitary (separated and alone) lives of ascetic worship and pursuit.
C. VALUES
1.ALL is Worship
There is no separation between the secular and the sacred. ALL is to be sacred or it is sinful.
2.Faith Physically Applied
Real faith must have external consequences. Anything physical is evil and therefore must be subdued by faith.
3.Discipline
The flesh and mind must be regularly disciplined in order for the spirit to ’break free.’
4.Perseverance
The battle between the spirit and the flesh, the society of humanity and the Kingdom of God will never let up or cease until Christ’s return and final redemption of humanity.
5.Focus on Holiness & Purity
6.Singular Focus on Christ
Achieved best by avoiding any and all distractions.
D. CAUTIONS
1.Over-Reliance on Human Effort
The tendency for aesthetics to focus on the spiritual achievements of their own effort, and less on the Word of God itself.
2.Self-Righteousness
The idea that the more I do, the more righteous I am. Therefore, to the degree I practice certain spiritual disciplines more than others, makes me more righteous and spiritual than them.
3.Distorted Understanding of Obedience
Attitude that obedience either IS or produces faith, rather than the more biblically accurate truth that obedience is to flow out (be a result or byproduct) of faith.
E. EXAMPLES
1.Daniel chap. 9 (prayer w/ fasting & sackcloth)
2.Joel chap. 1-2
3.John the Baptist Matthew 3 (alone, desert, camel hair, locusts)
4.Jesus Mt. 4:1-2; 8:20; Heb. 5:8; 1 Pt. 2:23
5.Monastics: Anthony giving away all his possessions and going to live in the desert, Bendict’s rigid devotion to a life of prayer and study exclusively, Francis who also gave up all possessions and found God most powerfully in nature, the Dominicans who focused on conquering through the intellect, and the famous Simeon Stylites (386-459) who lived for 40 yrs. on a pillar in order to stay in a perpetual stance of prayer while bringing body & soul into harmony.
SING OUT:
There is great value in both of these forms of worship. If either is already natural to you, be sure to embrace it biblically. If not, learn to make it at least an occasional part of your life of worship.
Matthew 6:33
