Ancient Disciplines for contemporary Christians

I have been pleased to see a steady stream of books and articles encouraging evangelical Christians to re-learn the ancient disciplines (that some quarters of the church never forgot). We are being encouraged to grow into a steady rythm of fixed-hour prayer, scripture and spiritual reading, regular feasting at the Lord's Table, fasting, meditating, simplicity of lifestyle and stewardship, solitude and silence, even pilgrimage. Here is an article along the same lines from a Lutheran pastor: Selling Ancient Disciplines to Moderns. He argues that the best way to encourage normal Christians to take up these disciplines is to emphasize that they are a normal and necessary part of Christian growth and are not an optional extra reserved for "spiritual super-stars." Without them we simply will not grow in the love and knowledge of God.