Piety
Our reunion groups are a place to be comfortable talking about our relationship with Christ. Alexa said, “It’s a place to take off your shoes and be comfortable.” Alexa had a difficult time doing this with God. In her late 20s after making Via de Christo in Western North Carolina, she was diagnosed with endometrial and then thyroid cancer. She had also just ended a relationship. Via de Cristo gave Alexa a new sense of trusting God.
The piety question asks “with what spiritual aid have you nourished your vital union with Christ this week?” That can be many different things from going to church and worshiping, prayers before meals, devotions. But are we really being nourished or are we like the family pet? He just ate his meal and then sits and begs for more? Or are we like Peter who would speak or act first and then think?
Alexa used cognitive base therapy samples to illustrate how we need to change our thoughts to transform our feeling and behavior. We need to graciously listen to God and let him direct our thoughts by doing that we can deepen our piety and change from negative to positive. Yes, the lies in our head are loud and can even cause physical reactions. It can blind us to the truth of scripture. We sadly accept these lies, but if we look at Romans 12:2a we will remember that we are “not to be conformed to the world, but transformed by the renewal of our mind.” And by being transformed, we can realize that we are a living sacrifice. This continual death needs nourishment, and that comes from scripture and from meeting with other Christians. We are not to be conformed to this world. We are to be different. We are to stand up for Christ. We are to walk toward God.
This will help us look at the other two questions from piety question two “what was the moment you felt closest to Christ?” If you’re not in the scripture and relying on God for his grace and his strength, you may have to think really hard to find that moment you felt closest to Christ. And the last question is “what is your plan for next week to deepen your piety?” What is your plan to grow closer to Christ? to study? to serve other people? to change your heart?
By: Chris French Kramer
