Ragged: Spiritual Disciplines for the Spiritually Exhausted

Gretchen defines spiritual disciplines on page 7 as:The spiritual disciplines are the holy-therapy exercises to ground us in the reality of God’s sufficient work. They are the recovery work on our human souls traumatized by the Fall (Gen 3). They don’t earn us grace. They awaken us to the reality of grace.So what does this mean? Spiritual disciplines are things that we do both individually and as part of a community to encourage spiritual growth in ourselves and others. The disciplines Gretchen chooses to address in this book are rest, scripture reading and memorization, prayer, fasting meditation, confession, generosity, lament, and discipleship. By far, the most impactful chapters for me were the ones on rest, scripture reading, confession, and lament.When Christians talk about spiritual disciplines, we tend to look at them as a form of generating our own growth. We see them as a means of justification or sanctification of our own doing. If only we read the Bible an hour every day, God would give us everything we want, taking verses like Matthew 6:33-34 out of context to suit an earthly blessing rather than a spiritual reality. This begs the question of how do we know when we’ve done enough? Is one hour a day fine or should I do more to show God that I’m really dedicated? This is a way we turn a gift (the ability to read the Bible) into a law. Some other Christians may focus too hard on the word discipline and associate it with punishment, as if God is more focused on our unrighteousness than Christ’s righteousness that is imputed on us.Gretchen takes neither approach and instead affirms that both our justification and sanctification come from Christ, so that we are able to freely serve Christ. We can’t manipulate God into giving us more earthly blessings because His kingdom is not of this world and likewise, our blessings will come from a more spiritual significance. Gretchen also makes the distinction that discipline and punishment are not the same thing. Jesus already took on the punishment for our sins, but discipline comes from love. It is a way that God guides us to the truth so that we don’t stray.One of the biggest strengths of the book is that Gretchen makes it a point to emphasize that the Christian life is not to be lived in isolation. Throughout the book, she points to the necessity of experiencing spiritual disciplines as a Christian community. I actually think the most eye opening part for me was the communal aspect of the spiritual disciplines. As far back as the Enlightenment, Western Christians have taken to the idea that the Christian walk is “just me and my Bible.” As we turned toward the Great Awakening, men like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield furthered that mindset by emphasizing having a personal relationship with Christ. Now, I’m not criticizing having a personal relationship with Christ, but we don’t only experience our faith alone. Being part of a church means being part of a covenant community. So when Gretchen brings up how each spiritual discipline is done both individually and communally, she is bringing us back to the way the faith has historically been practiced. A way that I would argue is stronger than our individualized American Christianity.Gretchen also illustrates how the individual sides of spiritual disciplines and the communal sides of spiritual disciplines are a symbiotic relationship. This is best shown in the chapter on Bible reading (specifically pages 100-103), where she talks about how we read the scriptures individually and then bring our individual understandings together through Bible studies and how we can also learn and grow from our pastors on Sunday mornings.My biggest takeaway in all of this was the ability to have peace about being imperfect or inconsistent with showing the spiritual disciplines. It’s so easy to get caught up in a guilt cycle because I know I should do it, but I don’t do it and sometimes I don’t even want to do it, if I’m honest. But this is where the importance of prayer comes in and the importance of relying on your local church to edify you in these seasons where it’s hard and remind you that this is something that God has given to us, not a burden. This is something that Gretchen touches on in every chapter, she constantly brings us through the law and gospel in a very beautiful way, while truly appreciating that some aspects of our faith are mysteries and that we’ll never be perfect.Once you start thinking of spiritual disciplines as a gift, you can begin to experience the rest and comfort that God provides in them.Gretchen takes spiritual disciplines and moves them from the first use of the law to the third use of the law. These things are a gift. They’re something we get to do, not something we have to do. There is no eternal punishment for not doing them.This book is not a self help book. It is not a guide on how to want to read your Bible or 10 Steps to Becoming a Better Christian. Gretchen’s writing style draws you in. She captures your heart, imagination, and intellect as she weaves scripture and personal anecdotes throughout the book to illustrate her points in a way that is easy to connect with and resonate with. Several moments throughout the book even gave me goosebumps to read and see how God used spiritual disciplines to bless Gretchen. That said, I am not sure that this would be something that I would give a new believer. Partly because when you’re new to the faith, there’s already so much that you absorb like a sponge, but also because a new believer may need a little bit more education before they could really appreciate it. I do think this is a book that you would appreciate rereading a few times.If you’re a fan of Dr. Pimple Popper like I am, you’ve probably seen her excising black heads and cysts before and you know that it’s not just as simple as just squeezing it to pop it out. She normally ends up scraping the inside of the crater left in the skin to make sure that all of the dead flesh is truly removed, then stitching it back up so that the hole closes, never to be filled again. This is what God is doing with our hearts and I truly believe this is what is happening while you read Ragged.

Any book that’s about Spiritual Disciplines (things you do) while trying to offer the good news of the Gospel seems to need to fall on one side between Law and Grace. They seem to either say, “you need to read your Bible every day to be saved” or “don’t worry about what you do, you’re already saved, it’s ok if you never read your Bible.”In this book, Gretchen does neither. Instead, she presents the Gospel, and talks through and works with the reader through all the disciplines as a way to grow and deepen a relationship with God and Jesus, while continually reminding us that we are already saved and that it’s Jesus, not works that save us. The end goal is not daily prayer, Bible reading, fasting, or any of the other (good and right) disciplines. The end goal is to deepen our relationship with God, and she keeps that goal firmly front and center. What good is daily Bible reading, if it doesn’t bring you before God? But also, what good does serving his people so much that you have no time or energy to draw near to him do?Each chapter has a history/treatise on why each discipline is important, ways in which it can seem difficult to master it, and then some practical tips for trying, all wrapped in the assurance and reminder that God has already redeemed you, and that we’re not redeemed by works.This book is for people who are trying. Trying to read their Bibles every day. Trying to volunteer. Trying to serve, but constantly feel like they’re coming up short and feeling ragged.Because again, while a perfect Bible reading plan score is good, it’s not what saves us. God alone saves us, and sometimes he interrupts our perfect study times to show us that it’s not only during our fifteen minute devotions that he is near to us, but all day, every day, while we work, while we pray, and while we drive across town to countless appointments.In this book, I so appreciate Gretchen’s focus on intimacy with God, and permission that it’s ok to feel ragged, without undermining the importance of things like prayer and Bible reading. She takes away the whole false dichotomy of not worrying about doing the good things vs. thinking that good works save you. Maybe that one thing that keeps interrupting your daily Bible meditation that is irritating you is actually God making himself known to you, and trying to get you to remember to lean on him for strength. You’ve been already redeemed, so rest in his finished work and go forth.I basically underlined my whole copy, there’s so much Gospel and many practical tips for accomplishing whatever discipline you are trying to learn in each chapter. I highly recommend, and am now trying to find out how best to buy this book for everyone I know without making them feel like I’m calling them overworked and ragged. I just think the presentation of the Gospel and practical tips Gretchen gives are both so valuable and well paired together.

Este livro é uma leitura profundamente inspiradora e incrivelmente fascinante. Tive oportunidade de ler a versão e-book antes do lançamento do volume impresso e sinto que foi um privilégio. A espiritualidade cristã revela-se muito mais rica e complexa do que eu alguma vez imaginei.Independentemente do percurso vivido, da formação e dos interesses espirituais ou religiosos, esta pode ser uma leitura significativa para todos.A autora tem uma escrita muito bem fundamentada, profunda e, ao mesmo tempo, acessível. A editora é uma curiosidade a pesquisar - especialmente para os portugueses que, como eu, apenas têm familiaridade com a vivência cristã de pendor católico. A publicação é um projeto especial - desde a sua concepção, à partilha de podcasts da autora, ao grupo de leitura criado no facebook, à humildade com que ideias tão fundamentais para a humanidade são apresentadas. Fiquei impressionado e muito curiosa com a experiência protestante e com os ensinamentos de Martinho Lutero. E devo-o a este livro.O livro é humilde: a mensagem é direta, focada no que pode haver de mais íntimo e fundamental na vida espiritual.O livro é honesto: a mensagem é clara, dirigida ao leitor e despida de ruído ou ornamentos.O livro é humano: a mensagem é questionadora, problematizada, intrigante e desconfortável, como tudo o que é humano.Da leitura do livro, destaco a proximidade com a Bíblia, as suas palavras, a sua leitura e a meditação. Nunca tinha experimentado este tipo de abordagem tão sincera. Destaco também a proximidade com a realidade do quotidiano. Nunca imaginei que fosse possível refletir a fundo sobre o evangelho e sobre a vida espiritual e manter a visão dos aspetos práticos da vida quotidiana. Por fim, destaco a proximidade com as inquietações mais profundas.Leitores alvo? Espíritos e mentes inquietas como eu, mais ou menos insatisfeitos, pessoas que sentem o impulso e o interesse pela espiritualidade e FOGEM DAS FÓRMULAS. É, sem dúvida, uma perspetiva inspiradora e fascinante. Recomendo vivamente!