Take my yoke upon you and learn from me...” Matthew 25:29
Today's devotion is a follow-up to last Sunday's message about training. In Francis Sanzaro's book, The Zen of Climbing, he tells about a sushi restaurant where apprentices spend ten years learning to cook rice. Why? Because they believe that's how long it takes to master the art of cooking rice. (I thought it just involved boiling water and throwing in the "cooks-in-5-minutes" kind of rice.)
The author explains that there is a Japanese word for this type of person, shokunin. That is someone who does the same thing every day in pursuit of mastering a craft. The point of such devoted focus is how it produces a freedom, a freedom to perform what you have worked so hard to develop but without the needed concentration. At some point effort flows into unconscious practice. As he points out the word yoga hints at the same idea. The word literally means "to yoke." In being connected to your own body you develop the freedom to move without hindrance. Or that's the idea anyway!
I offer these as examples of shokunin and yoga to describe what Jesus says about discipleship. It is like being a shokunin, some yoked to Jesus, learning from him, doing his routines so frequently that they take form in us. They become second nature. They give us freedom.
This is a great time of year to reset, especially in the spiritual realm. What practices can you take on right now that give you a deeper connection to God? You might scroll back up the page and check out the "Groups and Classes" link. Consider forming a new prayer routine, spending time listening to God. Try picking a scripture verse each day and taking 10-15 minutes simply to be still and ask, "God what do you want to show me through these words?" You might be amazed by what takes shape within you as you do these exercises.
As I shared last Friday, Dallas Willard says these practices open us to the power of God within us. This is a power we cannot access by our own direct effort. But by doing what is within our power (the practices) we become free to receive what we cannot by direct effort alone (God's power).
I like to think of it as becoming a shokunin for Christ. Or if you like, a yoga Christian, someone yoked to Jesus who practices being like him long enough, that one day we find Him living freely in us.
So keep practicing...and don't forget the rice!
See you Sunday,
Rob