In Strengthen Your Core, Jenny Campbell explores how to train in the spiritual practices and guides you in becoming spiritually fit.
It was a summer of sporting spectacles in 2021. In a welcome return following the cancellation of almost everything the previous year, we enjoyed the Euros, Wimbledon and the postponed Olympic Games.
Seeing inspirational athletes on our screens again usually makes us think about our own physical fitness. But what about your spiritual fitness? Is your soul in good shape? Jenny Campbell’s new release is perfect for people eager to strengthen their spiritual muscles and nurture growth in their spiritual life.
Is this a workout book?
In a way. We’re familiar with physical workouts. This is the same idea of persistence and training, but for your spiritual growth.
In this keep-fit manual for your spiritual life, you’ll find guidance on eight significant spiritual disciplines that Jesus modelled for us; reading Scripture, practising silence, praying, fasting, using anointing oil for confession and healing, making pilgrimage, giving money and service, and worshipping.
Some of those sound more doable than others, don’t they? It’s easy to ignore things you’re not good at or focus on your strengths. But as with only exercising one muscle group, that won’t train you into a well-rounded spiritual athlete.
So how do you go about tackling the disciplines you find tricky?
First you need to know what the Bible says about it. Strengthen Your Core provides you with biblical grounding for each discipline, based on the Beatitudes. From Jesus’ most famous sermon, Jenny wrestles out how we become blessed by these often counter-intuitive practices.
Then you need to follow someone’s example. Thankfully Jesus did all these things pretty well! This book shines a spotlight on Jesus’ example in practising what He preached. What steps did Jesus take? How did He nurture his soul? It’s all set out for you in these pages.
You always need a reason to workout. Without knowing why you’re training, it’s easy to lose motivation. So, with thoughtful precision, Jenny draws out the tangible benefits of investing in each discipline. Find out how your spiritual muscles develop and the purpose of your new-found strength.
And like any good training programme, it should be fun to follow! With clear, concise step-by-step guides, Jenny gives you the tools to implement these practices. It may not always be easy, but overcoming the challenge is part of the fun. Perseverance makes you stronger
Together Magazine
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