Jonathan Haws I recently came across some writings from Henri Nouwen, a Dutch Catholic priest and writer, that deeply resonated with me. He teaches that true discipleship is about creating space for God to work in our lives. In fact, the very word discipline comes from this idea—ordering our lives in such a way that there is room for God’s Spirit to guide, teach, and strengthen us.
In his reflections, Henri Nouwen draws our attention to the way discipline shapes discipleship—not as rigid rules, but as the space we intentionally create for God to act. He reminds us that true discipleship doesn’t begin with action alone but with stillness. “Discipline means… to make space in which God can act,” Nouwen writes. If our hearts—and our schedule—are completely full, there’s no room for the unexpected work of the Spirit to enter. Solitude, then, becomes a sacred space where God alone speaks, and from that silence pours the life we carry into community and service.
But Nouwen does not stop with solitude; he posits that community is born from solitude—and is just as essential. He says community is not an organization, but a way of living, centered on the truth that we are beloved children of God. In healthy community, forgiveness and celebration become practices—not just ideals—that help us reflect God’s love, even when we are imperfect. It’s from this rootedness—beloved and supported—that ministry naturally follows, not from our own efforts, but from the power of Christ working through our surrendered hearts.
Nouwen points to a remarkable moment in the life of Christ as an example:
12 And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;
14 Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,
15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphæus, and Simon called Zelotes,
16 And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.
17 And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judæa and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases;
18 And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed.
19 And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.
In these verses, we see a beautiful rhythm to Christ’s ministry. First, He sought solitude—not simply to be alone, but to be alone with His Father. Out of that sacred solitude, He then turned to His community—His disciples and chosen apostles. And from there, strengthened by both His Father and His friends, He went forth into ministry, where “there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.”
What a profound pattern for us to follow! Solitude, then community, then ministry. Each step flows into the next, and without the first two, the third would lack its power.
As missionaries, you live this pattern every day. Each morning begins with solitude before the Lord—prayer and personal study that roots you in His Spirit. Then comes community—time with your companion, sharing insights, strengthening each other, even wrestling together with the language. And finally, the day turns outward into ministry—teaching, inviting, and blessing those you serve.
I pray that you will always guard those moments of solitude with your Heavenly Father and Savior, even if it’s just a quiet corner of your small apartment. I pray you will nurture the community of your companionship, learning to love and support one another as brothers in Christ. And I know that as you do, your ministry will carry the same pattern of power we see in the Savior’s life.
Keep living in that holy rhythm: solitude, community, ministry. It is how Christ lived, and it is how His Spirit will flow through you.
With love,
Dad
