Simplify
Part 1 of Personify Faith
Introduction
2020 began with people using the Marie Kondo method only to keep things that “sparked joy” to clear out clutter. Many thought that was as much simplifying as was going to happen this year. Then a global pandemic came and everything shut down. We found our lives suddenly, unexpectedly, much simpler. There was no shopping to be done beyond basic groceries (if you could find those). Youth extra-curricular activities, which fill so many people’s non-work or non-school hours, vanished. All meetings were reduced to 30-minute Zoom calls. Social events were called off or moved to a virtual setting. Our day planners were chucked out the window in place of slower pursuits—puzzles, baking, gardening, walking, and reading. Even our Sunday mornings had a different, slower feel as we gathered to worship around the television or computer in our pajamas, hot beverage in hand. For some of us, the abrupt shift felt like whiplash, and we were left floundering for what we should be doing. Others exhaled for the first time in a long while and settled into the slower rhythms of quarantine life. The swirl of a material culture built on status and possessions seemed to be locked outside the calm of our homes. How long will this sense last, though?
There is some irony in beginning a new spiritual formation study with a lesson on simplifying your life—here, add something into your life that you are trying to simplify! Yet, we must be intentional in our simplification. This is not an excuse to simply “check out” of everything, including what God would have you do to build the kingdom on earth, as it is in heaven. My hope is that this week can be a time of reflection on what should stay and what should go. In my own life, it was only after I quit teaching to stay home full-time with my boys that I had space to sense where God was leading me. The result of this time of simplification was a call to go to divinity school. I probably would have never have had the space to hear God if I had not simplified my life first. I pray you can identify areas of your life that you make more complex or complicated than they need to be. The goal is to refocus on the most important priorities and streamline both our time, thoughts, and our possessions. Simplify with an eye to your top priorities in life. In our quest to personify faith we must have time, space, and intention to listen to God.
“How many undervalue the power of simplicity. But it is the real key to the heart.”
—William Wordsworth
Day of Preparation
Opening Prayer
Dear God,
Open our hearts to hear new meaning in familiar scriptures. Let these words do more than just enter our head. Help them to reshape our hearts. Guide us in learning from wise teachers from the past. Amen.
Scriptural Teachings
A theology professor of mine says, “What the Bible shouts, I shout, and what the Bible whispers, I whisper.” If there is anything that the Bible shouts about it is a right relationship with money, possessions, and the material culture. It probably is also the one area that we most like to mute. From the beginning of Genesis, we see Abram, in Chapter 11, being called to leave his family land (a source of much wealth and stability) and go to into an unknown land. Two of the ten commandments deal directly with possessions (thou shall not steal or covet), and we can also see how money could become an idol that God would not have us worship. Wisdom literature from Proverbs 23:4-5 implores the reader: “Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.” The reminder to us is that all wealth is fleeting—a lesson that 2020 has reminded us of as we have watched the stock market roller coaster, unemployment rates rise, and business closings increase. What have you coveted in the past? Do you wear yourself out to get rich? How do you determine the use of financial resources in your home?
The prophets continue with their condemnation of the rich that oppress the poor. Amos refers to the wealthy women of Samaria as “Bashan cows,” concerned only about their own luxury and pleasure (Amos 4:1). Isaiah says that fasting is pointless if one is not sharing food with the hungry or sheltering those in need (58:6-7). Part of the call to justice by the prophets is a right relationship with our possessions. What is your relationship with your possessions? How do you determine what to give away to others each month? Do you like to give a little to a lot of organizations or a larger sum to one? Do your donations go to create the type of justice the prophets call for?
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus has much to say about our need to simplify. In the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6, he says,
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
If we notice, this passage is more than about possessions. Jesus wants us to simplify our life like the nature we see around us so that we can depend fully on God’s righteousness. Do you worry about the things that Jesus mentions here? Do you trust God with these things?
When we are honest with ourselves, much of the complication in our lives or “busy-ness” is due to status or wealth seeking. We take on too much at work without setting appropriate boundaries. We network to advance our career trajectory. We sign our kids up for loads of extra-curricular activities so that they are not left behind their peers in the race to college admissions. We shuttle them to sports practices and other activities with scholarships and status looming in the background. We spend money buying the types of clothes or car or house that advertising companies and HGTV have told us that we deserve and need to fit into society. Our bank accounts are flipped upside down where give our donations or offerings based on what is left over at the end of the month or year rather than as a committed percentage upfront. It is so hard, though, to swim against the current of materialism and consumerism that defines our culture. What can we realistically do about it?
Wisdom from the Past
In the 13th century, a Franciscan nun named Clare wrote a series of letters to Agnes of Prague, daughter of the King of Bohemia. She wrote to encourage the young woman, who had given up her opulent life of royalty for a simple life of faith. Agnes had “swum upstream” through a radical shift in her lifestyle. In Clare’s first letter, she includes many scriptural passages to support Agnes’s decision, which went against secular wisdom. Read the excerpts below and note the scripture references Clare uses.
Letter of St. Claire to Agnes of Prague
“O blessed poverty, who bestows eternal riches on those who love and embrace her!
O holy poverty, to those who possess and desire you God promises the kingdom of heaven and offers, indeed, eternal glory and blessed life!
O God-centred poverty, whom the Lord Jesus Christ Who ruled and now rules heaven and earth Who spoke and things were made, condescended to embrace before all else!
The foxes have dens, He says, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man, Christ, has nowhere to lay His head, but bowing His head gave up His spirit.
If so great and good a Lord, then, on coming into the Virgin's womb, chose to appear despised, needy, and poor in this world, so that people who were in utter poverty and want and in absolute need of heavenly nourishment might become rich in Him by possessing the kingdom of heaven, then rejoice and be glad! Be filled with a remarkable happiness and a spiritual joy!
Contempt of the world has pleased You more than [its] honours, poverty more than earthly riches, and You have sought to store up greater treasures in heaven rather than on earth, where rust does not consume nor moth destroy nor thieves break in and steal.
Your reward, then, is very great in heaven! And You have truly merited to be called a sister, spouse, and mother of the Son of the Father of the Most High and of the glorious Virgin. You know, I am sure, that the kingdom of heaven is promised and given by the Lord only to the poor: for he who loves temporal things loses the fruit of love. Such a person cannot serve God and Mammon, for either the one is loved and the other is hated, or the one is served and the other despised.
You also know that one who is clothed cannot fight with another who is naked, because he is more quickly thrown who gives his adversary a chance to get hold of him; and that one who lives in the glory of earth cannot rule with Christ in heaven.
Again, you know that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Therefore, you have cast aside Your garments, that is, earthly riches, so that You might not be overcome by the one fighting against You, and that You might enter the kingdom of heaven through the straight path and narrow gate.
What a great laudable exchange: to leave the things of time for those of eternity, to choose the things of heaven for the goods of earth, to receive the hundred-fold in place of one, and to possess a blessed and eternal life.”
Agnes’s step was a radical one, but one she felt like she needed to take to center her life in Christ. How does your life go against the “wisdom” of the world? Are you, as Romans 12:2 says, conformed to this world or transformed by God? Agnes of Prague’s path may not be ours, but we can examine our own lives and how we can live more faithfully. Tomorrow we will begin to act to that end.
Closing Blessing
Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season, and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, in the provisions for our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your name, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Day of Action
Opening Prayer
Dear God,
Prepare us for action today as we seek to simplify our lives so that there is margin for us to be attentive to your work in the world. Help us to see places that we can grow into more faithful followers. Turn our attention to your priorities, not our own. Guide our steps. Amen.
Scriptural Reflection
Begin today by examining the following scripture verses that address simplifying our lives. Jot down a central thought of each passage.
Acts 2:42-46
Philippians 4: 11-13
1 Timothy 6:6-10
Hebrews 13:5-6
How do these verses resonate with your life? Does one seem to address where you are in your life right now more than the others?
Call to Action
In some ways, our lives may be simpler now than they were just a year ago. We may not have excess money to spend. We may be more focused on meeting each day as it comes rather than planning far ahead. Our social commitments may be lower than ever. It is a good time, then, to consider moving forward what should be eliminated permanently and what elements should be retained. Is your life simpler today? What things do you miss? Going forward, do you see your priorities shifting? Where in your life is there still excess?
Richard Foster in Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth gives ten essential principles to the spiritual practice of simplicity.
1) Buy things for their usefulness rather than their status.
2) Reject anything that is producing an addiction in you.
3) Develop a habit of giving things away.
4) Refuse to be propagandized by the custodians of modern gadgetry.
5) Learn to enjoy things without owning them.
6) Develop a deeper appreciation for creation.
7) Look with healthy skepticism at all “buy now, pay later” schemes.
8) Obey Jesus’s instructions about plain, honest speech.
9) Reject anything that breeds the oppression of others.
10) Shun anything that distracts you from seeking first the kingdom of God.
Since this is our day of action, select one of the habits above to cultivate today. You may find that you need to do a clean out of a closet or cabinet to give things to people in need. You may need to clear out your Amazon cart. You may need to open a library account or donate to a non-profit. You may need to simply sit outside in nature and appreciate the world around you. You may need to re-evaluate the types of television or commercials you are viewing. You may need to address an addiction head-on. You may need to remove yourself from a toxic relationship. You may need to disengage from social media for a time. You may need to examine your calendar closely. You may need to write out a list of your top five priorities to filter all other commitments through. Spend some time in prayer for guidance.
Which of these practices will you try today? What need in your life will this address?
Closing Blessing
May God the Creator fill you with gratitude for your creation.
May God the Savior fill you with gratitude for your salvation.
May God the Comforter fill you with gratitude for your new life.
Amen.
Day of Reflection
Opening Prayer
Dear God,
Help me to learn from my experiences this week. Let these activities refocus my heart on you. Guide me in creating a more faithful pattern of living simply. Amen.
Reflection
Begin today by writing about your action experience this week. How do you feel this activity helped you simplify some aspect of your life? Where do you see margin growing in your life? How will you turn over the extra resources of time, money, energy to God?
Modern Perspectives
In 2014, Nathan Foster, son of spiritual disciplines advocate Richard Foster, skeptically began a journey through the different disciplines outlined in his father’s book, Celebration of Discipline. In Nathan’s book, The Making of an Ordinary Saint: My Journey from Frustration to Joy with the Spiritual Disciplines, he recounts his action steps to practice the disciplines. He often ends up at a much different place spiritually than he expects. He learns that most disciplines take a lifetime of practice and tending to, but they are worth the effort. In his chapter on simplicity, he notes his father’s description of “simplicity being an inward reality that results in an outward lifestyle.” This sense of contentment is what both Jesus and Paul refer to in their writings. The Quakers would refer to this as the “divine center.” Do you know people that seem to have a “divine center”? Why do you think that is? When have you felt this sense of well-being before?
After participating in a media fast, Nathan Foster recognized the impact of the material world around him: “I use consumerism as a drug—something to look forward to, to cheer me up, to excite me.” I see myself in this statement, too. Every frugal Midwesterner knows the rush of getting a good deal! Take a walk around your house. Where could you share your belongings with others in need? Do you have a consumerism habit? How can you simplify your home, calendar, commitments, and desires?
In The Divine Conspiracy, Dallas Willard writes about the bondage of wealth. He describes how best to understand our treasures:
“Treasures are things we try to keep because of a value we place on them. They may be of no value whatsoever in themselves; nevertheless, we take great pains to protect such things. Of course, we may also treasure things other than material goods, for example, our reputation, or our relationship to another person, business or our country. The most important commandment of the Judeo-Christian tradition is to treasure God and his realm more than anything else.
Everyone has treasures. This is an essential part of what it is to be human. To have nothing that one treasures is to be in a non-human condition, and nothing degrades people more than to scorn or destroy or deprive them of their treasures.
A main part of intimacy between two persons is precisely mutual knowledge of their treasures. Treasures are directly connected to our spirit, or will, and thus to our dignity as persons.”
Thus, when we lay up treasures in heaven, we are investing our lives “in what God is doing, which cannot be lost.” Essentially, by living simply, we are trying to shift our focus from living temporally to living eternally. We are not getting rid of all our treasures, but we are putting our treasures in the proper perspective.
How might this work practically in our world? For example, in raising children or grandchildren, one might ask: “What do I want my child to be like when they leave my house? What personality traits are important? What values do I want him or her to have? What practical skills should they know? What information will they need?” Note that I did not include what college or training program you want them to be in or what sports scholarship you want them to have. We are talking about guiding the formation of a follower of Christ that will go and do God’s calling on their lives (not what we want them to do). Once you have a picture of the endpoint, you can filter their education and activities through that lens. Rather than being pressured by society to hop on a high-speed highway to nowhere, you, as God’s caretaker for your child, can ask if this activity contributes to the original vision. The same thought process could take place with regards to our goals as a professional in the work place. It is hard work that we will need to engage in again and again in our daily lives. Our goal this week is to recognize the value of simplifying to align with our true priorities and determine some strategies to move in that direction. Do you put first things first?
In Doing Busy Better: Enjoying God’s Gifts of Work and Rest, Glynnis Whitwer shares five essential questions for helping to identify your priorities. She writes that “with so many good opportunities in my life, it felt almost impossible to identify what was God’s best.” She filters new commitments through the lens of these questions: “What can only I do? What has God entrusted to me? Am I a good steward of what I already have? What passion (or dream) has God put in my heart? What has God asked me to do that I haven’t done yet?” It is not about simply being more productive. We must focus on doing the things well that are ours alone to do. Having a good sense of our priorities will help us better make decisions about how to keep balance in our lives. Are you overwhelmed by your current commitments? Can you filter your schedule through these five questions?
Let us end this week with words from one of the greatest advocates of simplicity, St. Francis of Assisi. Francis was born into a wealthy merchant family in Italy. Certainly, his family had high expectations as to what he should be and do. As a young man, though, he realized that his wealth and possessions could not bring him the same joy that a simple life of following God could. He gave up all he had to live as a monk and preach. The Rule of St. Francis from 1223 directed brothers not to receive coin or money, to possess nothing, and to work to provide simply what was needed as corporal necessities for themselves and their brothers. Instead of material possessions, Francis took pleasure in God’s created world. So, today, we will conclude our discussion of simplicity with one of his most beloved poems. Go out today and spend some time in God’s treasured world.
Closing Blessing
The Canticle of the Creatures
By St. Francis of Assisi
Most High, all-powerful, good Lord,
all praise is yours, all glory, all honor,
and all blessing.
To you, alone, Most High, do they belong.
No mortal lips are worthy to pronounce your name.
All praise be yours, my Lord,
through all you have made,
and first my lord Brother Sun, who brings the day;
and through whom you give us light.
How beautiful is he, how radiant in all his splendor;
Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.
All praise by yours, my Lord, through Sister Moon
and the stars; in the heavens you have made them,
bright, and precious, and fair.
All praise be yours, my Lord,
through Brothers wind and air, and fair and stormy,
all the weather’s moods,
by which you cherish all that you have made.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Water,
so useful, humble, precious and pure.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
through whom you brighten up the night.
How beautiful is he, how cheerful!
Full of power and strength.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through our Sister
Mother Earth, who sustains us and governs us,
and produces various fruits with colored flowers
and herbs.
All praise be yours, my Lord,
through those who grant pardon for love of you;
through those who endure sickness and trial.
Happy are those who endure in peace,
By You, Most High, they will be crowned.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Death,
From whose embrace no mortal can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin!
Happy those she finds doing your will!
The second death can do them no harm.
Praise and bless my Lord, and give him thanks
And serve him with great humility.
Sources
Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard J. Foster
Closing blessings from The Worship Sourcebook
The Making of an Ordinary Saint: My Journey from Frustration to Joy with the Spiritual Disciplines by Nathan Foster
The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard
Doing Busy Better: Enjoying God’s Gifts of Work and Rest by Glynnis Whitwer
Documents of the Christian Church edited by Henry Bettenson and Chris Maunder
http://www.slr-ofs.org/st-clares-letters-to-st-agnes-of-prague.html
http://www.liturgies.net/saints/francis/writings.htm