By Andrew Tai

Submission is the spiritual discipline that frees us from the everlasting burden of always needing to get our own way. In submission we are learning to hold things lightly. We are also learning to diligently watch over the spirit in which we hold others— honoring them, preferring them, loving them. 

Submission is not age or gender specific. We are all—men and women, girls and boys—learning to follow the wise counsel of the apostle Paul to “be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ (Eph. 5:21).” We—each and every one of us regardless of our position or station in life— are to engage in mutual subordination out of reverence for Christ. 

The idea of “submission” as a spiritual discipline is about choosing others’ interests above our own, demonstrated most dramatically in Jesus’s submission to the cross out of love for us.  It is I think core to what it means to be a Christian, and yet it’s an often uncomfortable idea for me to think about because I’ve most commonly heard it weaponized by those in power to force others to do what they want.   

Because of how it’s often been used, it makes sense that nowadays “submitting” is often viewed as weakness, since the submitter is most commonly doing so out of fear.  Yet Christians throughout the centuries have recognized submission as a critical spiritual practice, especially in a world where we are increasingly taught that our needs are more important than others’; that we “win” in relationships by getting our way.  Christian submission is not borne out of weakness, fear, or respect for hierarchy, but out of reverence for Jesus and love for one another.   

I have been privileged to see this type of submission lived out in our community.  In fact, I think submission has become so core to our community’s shared life together that many of you perhaps don’t recognize how deeply sacrificial and remarkable your actions are.  I don’t say this to pat ourselves on the back or imply we are without fault, but simply because I think there is a power in translating feelings into words, and I want you all to know and reflect on the type of people I see you all becoming. 

A few weeks ago, my family decided we needed to move my dad’s bed downstairs since he was having trouble going up and down the stairs.  Unfortunately, the only room that would work had been used by our family as a study for over 25 years, and so had accumulated mountains of junk and trash, along with heavy desks, bookcases, computers.  I worried that to get the room prepared would take several weeks of cleaning, rearranging, and moving.   

On Super Bowl Sunday–literally, during the Super Bowl–about ten members of our community came to come help us with the move, and in less than two hours had completed the lifting, cleaning, and rearranging work necessary to turn the study into a new bedroom.  These folks came and helped out even though they could’ve been munching on wings, chips, and beer, not because I offered them reward or recognition, but because they were willing to choose another’s interests–namely, my family’s–over their own.  They did so because they believe Jesus has called us to love and support one another not simply with thoughts and prayers but with real, concrete acts of love and service.  That they did so on Super Bowl Sunday, a day which in many ways exemplifies our culture’s obsession with desire, greed, and excess, is simultaneously ironic and perhaps entirely fitting given these folks’ desires to live out of the example of Jesus.   

I look around and see these types of things happening all the time in our community–not necessarily always in huge gestures, but in the day-to-day goings on of a people I am proud to call my family.  I see submission out of love in folks’ willingness to sit with and listen to one another; in others’ choosing to confront conflict with each other; in others’ attempts to live more simply that they may give more generously.  I see these things and want to name them not simply as nice things that nice people do, but as remarkable things that I have seen as part of folks’ following of a remarkably loving and giving God. 

As we continue during this Lenten season, I pray we might continue to have in mind our Lord Jesus, who chose and continued to choose the interests of imperfect people like us over himself.   

Amen. 

By Katie Heemstra

“When we come forward to receive ashes on Ash Wednesday, we are saying that we are sorry for our sins, and that we want to use the season of Lent to correct our faults, purify our hearts, control our desires and grow in holiness so we will be prepared to celebrate Easter with great joy.”

-Father Michael Van Sloun

As many of you know, today is Ash Wednesday and we are entering into the season of Lent.  Over the next six weeks we as a church will be celebrating this season of Lent together through giving up something or possibly taking on a spiritual discipline, but each of our individual celebrations of this season may look different from one another.  Because of this, we wanted to take time to explore different approaches to Lent and disciplines that could be practiced during this Lenten season. So keep checking back weekly for new posts on different spiritual disciplines.

The Discipline of Fasting

The season of Lent is one of reflection, one of looking inward and asking God to show us ways in which we can grow closer to him and become an even clearer reflection of who Jesus was while he walked on this earth.  One of the most common things we hear of people doing for the season of Lent is fasting. Whether it is fasting a certain food item (like chocolate or coffee) or certain food groups (like meat or sweets), this is what we hear most answered when we ask Protestants, “What are you giving up for Lent?”  But fasting can truly be so much more than that if we really bring God into the process.

Fasting itself is when a person abstains in some significant way from a certain item that is necessary in (and if not necessary a huge part of) our life.  Most commonly it is food, but in recent years people have been fasting other things more commonly, like social media and entertainment. By abstaining from a very usual part of our daily routine, fasting creates space in our lives that we can intentionally fill with the presence of God.  

This abstinence is not easy, there is a reason this is called a discipline.  But I’ve heard it said that every growl of hunger in your stomach or craving for that chocolate bar (or itch to pick up your phone and scroll through IG), is just a marking point in our day of fasting to stop and thank God for his provision.  His provision of enough food to eat on a normal basis, his provision of the sweet things in our lives (and not just dessert), his provision of good relationships with those we love.  

As Dallas Willard says in The Spirit of the Disciplines, fasting, “certainly proves humiliating to us, as it reveals to us how much our peace depends upon the pleasures of eating,” and I would go further to say the pleasures of this world.  Fasting can be a very frustrating experience and looking at our frustration can be humbling. What does it truly mean to us to delete our social media accounts for 40 days? If we don’t drink coffee for a month and a half?  If we choose to abstain from using our car for 40 days and choose to focus on how God provides a path before our feet to lead us closer to him?

There are so many things you can fast if you choose to try this discipline over the next six weeks.  Just ask God to show you, “Is there something in my life right now that I am relying on for comfort, sustenance, affirmation, (fill in the blank), more than you?”  And if he shows you something ask what it might look like to give that up for Lent.

Personally, the most unique thing I have fasted for Lent is control.  Last year God revealed to me that I was relying on myself and what I wanted for my life far more than I was relying on him and I was quickly leading myself toward a train wreck.  God stopped me and met me at my absolute lowest and asked me to give up control for six weeks, to let him lead me, and to trust him with whatever happened. Since burying myself at rock bottom (which was my other choice) sounded way less appealing, I decided to give up control.  What did that look like? It was painful. It looked like giving up some dreams I had. It looked like giving up the exact future I had pictured for myself. It looked like forgiving instead of holding past wrongs against someone. What did I gain in return? Complete freedom. I have never felt so free in my life and so in the center of God’s will before I gave up control last year.  Do I sometimes get tempted to take the reigns again? You bet I do, but I quickly remember the bullet train to destruction I was on just a year ago and it gets easier and easier to leave those reigns in God’s hands.

So, my question to you:  Is God asking you to let go of something for the next six weeks?  Whether the answer is yes or no, I dare you to ask him!

Other Resources:

If you want to know more about Ash Wednesday and Lent, here is a great article from Christianity.com giving an overview of the history, practice, and heart behind this season of reflection and confession.

Here is an open-source version of the Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard for your reading pleasure if you want to dive deeper into fasting or other spiritual disciplines.