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Celebration of Discipline

Richard Foster started a revolution when Celebration of Discipline hit the shelves. It evoked rejoicing in one camp, as the disciplines represented liberation from self-interest and fear. But it also evoked a sense of panic, because he boldly embraced disciplines like meditation that had become taboo in many Christian circles.

The disciplines are meant to bring God’s abundance into our lives, but Foster adds we must be careful that our zeal for them does not turn into merely external righteousness or legalistic drudgery. Rather, they inspire childlike joy—the kind that “naturally exudes from a spirit set free from entanglements.”

The book is divided into three parts, addressing inward disciplines, outward disciplines and corporate disciplines. Inward disciplines include meditation, prayer, fasting and study. Foster clearly delineates between the Christian meditation eluded to by the psalmist (“As for me, I will meditate on Thy precepts”), and Eastern forms of meditation which stress the need to become detached from the world and caught up in the bliss of nirvana.

Outward disciplines include simplicity, solitude, submission and service. I appreciate Foster’s treatise on simplicity—he reminds us how Jesus strongly emphasized the spiritual dangers of wealth, and warned against the spirit of slavery that comes with an idolatrous attachment to wealth. In this day of rampant materialism and unchecked consumer spending, it was a breath of fresh air to be reminded that God is to be the supplier of all our needs.

Corporate disciplines are less talked about, it seems, but are every bit as important as the others. Confession, worship, guidance and celebration should be evident in any body of believers. Worship and celebration are easy—but confession? Foster reminds us we must view the believing community as a fellowship of sinners before we view it as a fellowship of saints—otherwise we imagine we are the only ones dealing with sin and temptation, and are horrified at the thought of actually telling anyone else. The discipline of confession brings an end to pretense. Only when we confront and confess our frail humanity can we know God’s empowering grace.

Even if the reader cannot agree with everything Foster writes, he is worth reading to be reminded of these life-giving, spiritually enriching disciplines.