The Healing Practice of Celebration

"While physical training has some value, training in holy living is useful for everything. It has promise for this life now and the life to come." ~ 1 Timothy 4:8
Christians crave a deeper, more intimate relationship with God. Spiritual disciplines are activities and practices that guide you in your daily walk through life bringing you closer to Christ. They also help you to make a difference in our world. Practicing these spiritual disciplines opens you to God's transforming love and help you experience Holy Living.
The act of celebration has deep and ancient roots among God's people, who throughout their history have joyfully celebrated God's deliverance and faithfulness. In life's high and happy moments, celebration happens naturally. But what about when life's experiences are dull and flat, or worse, when they cause us to hit rock bottom? Does God expect us to celebrate then? God does, and we can. The Healing Practice of Celebration explores celebration not as an isolated event or an occasional occurrence but as a response to the reality that God is continually present, always faithful, and ever loving. Celebration as a spiritual practice involves a posture of living so well-anchored in the fuller story of God’s involvement with people throughout history that anticipatory faith and hope, regardless of present circumstances, inform our thoughts, words, and actions. This book shows us how to embrace and live into this posture.

We think of celebration as a response to something good that happens: a birthday, a holiday, a new birth, a graduation. But what about when life is dull or flat, or especially when we hit rock bottom? Does God expect us to celebrate then? Yes, and we can. The Healing Practice of Celebration explores celebration as a response to the reality that God is continually present, always faithful, and ever loving. Celebration as a spiritual practice involves a posture of living so well anchored in the full story of God’s involvement with people throughout history that anticipatory faith and hope, regardless of present circumstances, inform our thoughts, words, and actions.

This is one of a series of eight books. Each book in this series introduces a spiritual practice, suggests way of living the practice daily, and provides opportunities to grow personally and in a faith community with others who engage with the practice. Each book consists of an introduction and four chapters and includes questions for personal reflection and group discussion.

Other disciplines studied: Confession, Discernment, Neighboring, Prayer, Simplicity, Study, and Worship.