How do I change?
Cultivating virtue through redemptive habits.
Modern life is disorienting. We feel the need to organize our time around life-giving practices like life-hacking, habit-stacking, mindfulness, diet, exercise, and technological limits. We live in the age of “Project Self”, and while these self-edits can be a tremendous help in moving us toward greater health, many of us come to see that they require a significant amount of self-discipline. Our wills and determination are often feeble. Here it’s important to note that Christians understand the reformation of the self not just as the development of ideal habits, but as conformity to the image of Jesus; we aim to become people of virtue, like him. This alternate vision of “human beings fully alive” is one that takes into account our deep dependence on the Holy Spirit’s activity in us and our participation in this activity. As St. Augustine said, “without God, we cannot; without us, God will not.” This is an opportunity to take up the ancient spiritual practices of the Church.
Listen
“How Do I Change?” — The Rev. Dan Marotta
Read
The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis
The Common Rule by Justin Whitmel Earley
Liturgy in the Wilderness by D. J. Marotta
The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy Keller
The Tech-Wise Family by Andy Crouch
Practice
Remembering Death
Annually on Ash Wednesday.
Grow through daily meditation.
Silence + Solitude
Daily: Set aside a few moments.
Retreats: At least once annually.
Fasting
Annually on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
Focus during Lent.
Weekly on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Prayer + Examen
Daily Prayer In the morning or evening.
Grow through use of the offices in the BCP.
Examen at the end of every day.
Sabbath Rest
One 24-hour period of rest each week.
Ideally practiced on Sunday with the church (or on Saturday if you work on Sundays)
Submission
Mutually to brothers and sisters in the church.
Mutually between husbands and wives.
Spiritually to the Bishop.
