Liturgy for Life : WK 5 - THU

Reflecting On The Journey

John 8:31-32 (NIV)
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

I love these words of Jesus from the Gospel of John. Jesus is so clear in His clarification of what the absolute truth is. The word ‘hold’ in this passage is the same word interpreted as abide and to remain. So Jesus is saying, 'If you abide, if you remain in my teaching, you are really my disciples.' Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

All of the spiritual exercises we have practiced in this series guide are not the end. They're not the goal and the master of the spiritual life with Jesus. They are a means to serve us in creating the necessary space to aid us in giving Jesus our attention. They help us shift our focus and look away from the busyness and hurriedness of our lives, as well as the many distractions, so we can look to, listen to, and pay attention to Jesus. They help us live life with Jesus, rather than living life for Jesus. They are things we can do to provide space for us to grow in our relationship with Jesus. This is what Jesus is most concerned about — our relationship with Him. He created us to have the most incredibly intimate relationship with Him that is real and authentic, transparent and vulnerable, and founded and rooted in His sacrificial love for us, no matter what.

We were created to abide, to remain with Jesus in this life and for eternity. This is why He came, died, and rose again, so nothing would get in the way of us remaining with Him for eternity. And just like any healthy and genuine relationship, it takes effort. The practices are a great way for us to lean into our relationship with Jesus. They are an avenue and a means to provide a way for us to connect with Jesus. We won’t ever merely drift into an amazing relationship with Jesus, just like no one ever drifts into an incredible marriage relationship. Some type of ritual and discipline has to be involved. Suppose I am ritualistic about my relationship with my wife. In that case, I’m going to be very intentional about putting effort into and exercising various practices that will help me know her better, love her more, and strengthen our relationship, things such as spending quality time with her and not just sporadically whenever it happens. I’m going to plan dates with her so we can share life in fun and personal ways. I’m going to learn how to be a better communicator and a better listener. These are just a few things that will strengthen our relationship and enable us to experience a deeper, more profound love together.

1. How are you seeing ritual, a liturgy for life with Jesus, as essential and life-giving to your relationship with Him?
2. What are some of the spiritual practices we have studied in this series that you have found helpful in experiencing Jesus?
3. Are there any practices you sense Jesus is inviting you to try on?