Learning Humility
Maybe it’s because I’m solidly in middle age, maybe it’s because I’m sandwiched between caretaking for my own young children and my aging relatives, maybe it’s because I see my oldest children launching into their adulthoods, or maybe I’m just broody lately. Whatever it is, my brain is consistently turning to thoughts about self improvement, reflecting on what I need to do in order to be a better person. I don’t want to waste my time (mindless scrolling on my phone needs to be excised from my life), I don’t want to listen in order to respond but listen in order to understand (two ears, one mouth, Elizabeth), and I don’t want to do anything that causes hurt (accidentally ruining someone’s harmless April Fool’s joke was not one of the highlights of my year). Thoughts about humility were running through my head throughout the pandemic, but I never took the time to sit down and source out something to help guide me through these thoughts. You cannot imagine my excitement when I saw that Richard Foster (squee! Celebration of Discipline!) released a book on humility (squee! Just what I need!) Learning Humility quickly worked its way into my mornings.
Learning Humility is Foster’s latest book, taking his research and ruminations on humility throughout the course of a year. He weaves his wonderings, his findings, and his research sources throughout the chapters, feathering in the wisdom he has learned from Lakota teachings, framed by the structure of the Lakota calendar. This is a book meant to be read slowly, returned to, read in conjunction with resources he cites, and practiced in daily life as you re-read passages for new nuggets of wisdom. Foster makes us pay attention to the smallest details that make all the difference when we seek to find the truth about humility and how it matters to our spiritual development.
Learning Humility is a book that deserves a spot in both your church and personal libraries. People in your congregation will want to read this. You will want to draw upon selections as you go about your work; perhaps to create a sermon series, perhaps to use as the spine of an adult book club, perhaps as a way to help you be more self-reflective on your own life. If you are collecting a small display of books for people to borrow and read over the summer, this title would be most appropriate. If you have adults in your congregation that have good foundations in their spiritual development and are looking to go deeper, this would be a perfect selection. It could be an effective year-long study for your leadership team and/or your educational ministries team. Imagine what collective wisdom would be gained when a dedicated body of leadership works together to imagine how humility matters in life and how we can effectively nurture it in our ministries. This book packs a powerful number of ministry possibilities among its pages.
