Building One Another  

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.  I Thessalonians 5:11

The Power of Spiritual Routine!

Dear Friend,

These days of dealing with a pandemic have upset all kinds of regular routines. Part of fruitful living is to discern how to establish or re-establish routines and rhythms that feed our souls.

There have long been rhythm’s and routines in the spiritual life. Think of the annual festivals of the Hebrew people, the annual practice of the Seder at Passover, the weekly practice of Sabbath and in the Christian experience, the weekly practice of worship and so on.

I have mentioned the influence of Elton Trueblood in my life. He knew there are some things we do every day. Think about the rhythms and routines of your daily life right now – such as bathroom habits, meals, television shows and social media. Ask yourself, do you have daily routines that build your life on a foundation?

One such routine is our daily engagement with scripture. Elton’s recommended practice of reading a Psalm a day along with a chapter of the Old and New Testaments is both do-able and modify-able according to your own situation.  

David certainly understood the significance of such daily rhythm, “I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever.” Psalm 145:1-2

Joy to you -- E. Stanley Ott            

© Copyright 2020 E. Stanley Ott

Scripture from the ESV

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What are the current routines of your daily life? What are you doing that strengthens your life and what depletes you?

If you do not have a regular routine of Bible-reading, give Elton Trueblood's pattern a try for a week - a Psalm a day, one chapter of both the Old and New Testament. If that is too much for you now, then simply begin with Psalm 1 and the Gospel according to Luke.

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Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash