Discipline
Finally beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and it there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.[1]
In John Calvin’s day in Geneva, a group of elders called a
Consistory (in effect a session) met weekly and ruled on matters of personal
morality, business practice and public ethics. This proved to be the most
controversial aspect of Calvin's reforms, but it did lead John Knox to observe
that Geneva was the “most godly city ever established on earth.” Discipline
“rightly administered” came to be regarded as a mark of the Scottish Church,
alongside preaching and celebration of the Lord’s Supper. While the notion of
discipline has negative connotations nowadays, it should be remembered that discipline,
in a church context, is concerned with the formation of disciples, of
people whose lives are ordered by the gospel. Nurture, encouragement and even
correction, sensitively and prayerfully exercised in the context of pastoral
care, and determined always by love, might be deemed an appropriate means of
strengthening faith and forming disciples within the Christian community.
People might find it more helpful these days to talk about
accountability rather than discipline. In the absence of any form of
accountability there is a very real danger of “spiritual narcissism”, whereby
people simply do whatever is right in their own eyes. Forms of accountability
might include spiritual supervision, prayer partners and personal mentoring in
ministry. Many people have experienced great value in committing themselves to
time-honoured personal spiritual disciplines, adapted to fit today’s context
and consisting of daily habits of faith, including regulated prayer and Bible
study.
What are the means in your church by which people hold each
other to account for the faith they profess?
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