Hi Elise, Thank you for your comment. I never met Jack, but was discipled by his son Paul. And visited Rosemary in London. She’s an inspiration.
Ah, the vine. Our hope!

Thanks, Shelly–Sister-spirit!!

Thanks for clarifying. And yes — the irony! I have been dealing with the same sort of thing, in the exhausting work of “radical acceptance.”

you say “it is easy to abide, and that to stop abiding would take some serious and habitual rebellion.”

Not at all. It is not easy to abide. In fact, ironically, it’s a discipline–which i am just trying to learn. When stressed, or sad, or whatever, to just return to “loving kindness like a flood, to grace and love like mighty rivers,” and rest. It’s odd isn’t it, that it takes as much as discipline to abide and rest in his love as to edge up to it by other ways.

I love Foster’s book, and have practiced some of the disciplines–prayer, scripture, lectio divina.

I suppose what I was saying not very well, is that we should focus on Jesus, not disciplines, but the disciplines could fool us that we are getting better but only Jesus can change our hearts.

http://jessicaptomey.wordpress.com/2012/02/08/good-read-after-you-believe-why-christian-character-matters/

Just came across this blogger via Rachel Held Evans– the book she mentions, by N. T. Wright, sounds like it addresses this issue with a third path.

I am actually interested in the spiritual disciplines and in Foster’s book… perhaps because I haven’t had much spiritual discipline in my life… perhaps because I am already seeing some of the benefit of a rule in terms of daily office, mass, and private prayer. But yes — it seems to be key to regard any rule, any discipline, not as magic or a guarantee or something by which we can manipulate God or our blessings, but as simple obedience, offering, and trust — simply showing up.