This fall, our “Practices for The Suburban Stronghold” have been all about FREEDOM.
In September, Centering Prayer invited us to get FREE from the noise of our world, and the noise in our heads. We learned how to daily turn our thoughts over to Christ and be with God in humble silence. In October, Sabbath-keeping invited us to get FREE from the busyness and stress of our overly-scheduled lives. We learned how to stop, rest, delight, and contemplate the reality that we are no longer slaves to what we do, but children of the Good God who holds the whole world in His hands.
Which brings us to this Sunday…
In November, let’s get FREE from our stuff. Through practices of contentment and simplicity, guided by my friend Mark Scandrette‘s profoundly practical book Free, let’s learn how to spend our time and money on the things that matter most. “The scripts we’ve inherited about material prosperity are wearing us out, robbing our joy, and destroying the planet,” explains Mark. And during the month of November, our practicing community will explore the more beautiful way of Jesus. Here’s how Mark describes the journey…
Mark is the founding director of ReIMAGINE – a center for integral Christian practice based in San Francisco. And over the last year, he’s become a friend and mentor. In fact, his book “Practicing the Way of Jesus” (along with an epic six hour afternoon with him in San Fran), has inspired our experiment more than anyone else. I can’t overstate his influence on The Practice.
And I can’t wait for you to meet him! This Sunday night (November 2nd), Mark will be at the Practice to launch us into “Free”, teach a number of practices, and help us name what matters most. God willing, Sunday night will set the stage for the whole month, so please make sure you can join us.
Friends, the invitation of Jesus is freedom, joy, and life to the very full. We don’t have to live exhausted and anxious lives. We don’t have to follow the script of our world and chase after the things that will never satisfy. Through Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit, we really can learn how to be FREE. Let’s do it together…
Grace,
Aaron