Reflections on Christopraxis

Fasted Lifestyle

Here's a short statement from Misty Edwards on the fasted lifestyle.   Enjoy.

 

 

Who's Work Is It?

Sometimes I get frustrated with the way my walk with the Lord is going.  It seems there is not enough happening and that I am not doing as well as I would like.  Last night I was reading a book, and was reminded of something which I knew, but sometimes seem to forget.

One of the books I am actively reading is a book called "Deep-Rooted in Christ:  The Way of transformation" by Joshua Choonmin Kang. He makes the following observations:

[Quoting Richard Foster he observes:]  "The needed change within us is God's work, not ours.  The demand is for an inside job, and only God can work from the inside."  (p. 68)

The confusion was eventually wiped away when I read Colossians:  "To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me" (Colosians 1:29 NIV).  (p.69)

The Holy Spirit who endows us with grace is also the Spirit of discipline.  The Holy Spirit is the one who empowers us for discipline.  He guides us through the disciplines of prayer, fasting, meditation, solitude and self-control.  ... Only by the Holy Spirit can we receive the strength to engage in spiritual disciplines.  (p.70)

As we are reminded by Paul,"for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure."  Philippians 2:13

We are to work out our salvation (Phil 2:12), but it is God who is at work in us.  Only God can form Christ in us.  Only God can deliver us from evil.  I am struck by how this comes out in the Lord's Prayer:

     “Pray then in this way:
      Our Father in heaven,
      hallowed be your name.
      Your kingdom come.
      Your will be done,
      on earth as it is in heaven.
      Give us this day our daily bread.
      And forgive us our debts,
      as we also have forgiven our debtors.
      And do not bring us to the time of trial,
      but rescue us from the evil one."   Matthew 6:9 – 13  (emphasis mine)

Grasping the fact that it is God who works in us to form Christ, things get a bit easier, but that requires faith.  "Lord I believe, help my unbelief" (Mk 9:24).  God is faithful even when we are faithless (2 Tim 2:13).  Have faith in God.

You might say, "That is all fine, but why is He taking so much time to do that work?"  Well Kang follows this with another set of observations.

Where does God develop as servant?  In the wilderness.  Yes, as the Bible reveals, God enrolls his servants in the rough-and-tumble school of the wilderness. (p. 73)

"The way of God is the wilderness," Misty Edwards sings.

In the desert those who have trusted only in themselves and others learn to put their faith in God.  The Word of God and the Holy Spirit are the teachers.  (p. 74)

One way we are trained in the desert is by waiting. ... Many great figures of the Bible went through long periods of waiting before God sent them into action.  They were restless while God was molding them, but eventually their spirituality matured. (p. 75)

The forty seemingly insignificant years that Moses spent in the desert were hard years.  The most challenging thing he had to suffer was the silence of God. (p.76)

Yet, as Kang observes so well:

A waiting moment will never be a wasted moment. (p. 76)

With this in mind, many discipleship "programs" seem strange, in that there seems to be a sense that we must "do" something, or have something "done to us." Maybe it is not stated that way, but isn't that they way we often take it?  Let us wait on the Lord His work.

      From ages past no one has heard,
      no ear has perceived,
      no eye has seen any God besides you,
      who works for those who wait for him.  Isaiah 64:4

 

Spiritual Formation Discipleship, Part 4 -- Differientiating Methods

I recently wrote a long post on Spiritual Formation Discipleship.  This post identifies 10 principles and associated practices for a relational discipleship model.  The story of how this came about is in two other posts, and each of these are linked to in the above referenced post.  I also put links to the SFD posts in the blog Mission, Vision, and Practices (see links on main blog page.  With all this in mind, the question I have is:  "How do all these methods, principles, and practices relate?  What differientiates these from each other?"  In this post, I will reflect on the answers to these questions.

The Spiritual Formation Discipleship (SPD) model was for me the predicessor to the other models I have written about in this blog, even though I just now finished documenting it.  The best way to understand the SPD model is to read the story of how it sprung up from our spiritual retreat ministry.  In the retreat ministry, we setup a loose structure that allowed people to encounter God.  We provided some pointers and general practices that might be helpful, but it was really up to God to respond.  It was a faith thing, where we trusted the Holy Spirit to meet each person during the retreat.  He always did.

In the same way, the SPD model is a loose structure that sets up an environment for encountering God, and for engaging the natural process of spiritual formation which the Holy Spirit desires for all followers of Jesus.  It does not tell you how to do anything, but just notes some guidelines.  It is also a model aimed at someone who is going to disciple someone else.  The principle of uniqueness, for instance, reminds us that we cannot use the same methods, starting points, and process for everyone.  Each person starts with their uniqueness (see the principle commentary), and goes on from there.

The idea of SPD is that the individual starts where they are at, and learns these principles and practices, and applies them to their life.  For example, we start with uniqueness, and using Holy Listening, and other practices, explore our uniqueness.  Our mentors help us understand the practices, such as journaling, lectio divina, or various types of prayer.  The goal is to learn the basic tools of the practices, and to make the paradigm shift into being a disciple.  Ideally, this includes having a mentor who has gone on ahead of us.  Our mentors ideally should be someone who shares some of our unique qualities.

The Mission, Vision, and Values of this blog represents a focused definition of the practice of Christ.  It is related to being a disciple, and the principles and practices of SPD are assumed.  This provides a type of structure and vision for the blog, but it also is a good summary of what it means to practice Christ, which in turn, is a good summary of what a disciple might "look like."

There are many ways one might define a disciple of Jesus, but each must have certain qualities.  It must be love centered, reflecting loving God and loving others and abiding love.  It needs to include intimacy with God, and collaboration with the Holy Spirit.  Holiness (purity), generosity, and justice are also key to Jesus' teachings, and therefore to being his follower.  Jesus also specifically emphsized the way of the cross -- dying to self.  We are not to be isolated from others (even if we are hermits), but rather, to work out our discipleship in fellowship and community with others.  Finally, we are sent ones, who are sent out to be ambassors for the Kingdom of God; ministers of reconcilliation.  These are key attributes that any definition of being a disciple needs to include.

Of course, there is a rich depth to Christianity, and many other things that spring out of what I have noted above.  We are to look forward to Jesus' return and the consummation of the ages (eschatology).  It is good to understand the Bible and Jesus as the promised Messiah.  Good theology is helpful, and bad theology can be damaging.  We should be able to discern betweent the two.  We live in a spiritual world, so we should understand what that means and how to discern spiritual things.  All of this and more is a part of the Christian faith.  What we must be careful about, though, is universalizing our own uniqness and expect or judge others to live out their faith just like us.  I would also suggest that our particular denominational association reflects our uniqueness, so we should not consider one denomination more "correct" than another.  My point here is that there is more to discover about Christianity than these simple models.  However, these models center in on the core principles and practices that will lead us in the way of being a disciple of Jesus.

I also have noted IHOP's Sacred Charge, which is summarized in the "7 Committments of a Forerunner."  This is more of a measure or challenge goal, specifically aimed at preparing oneself as a forerunner (like John the Baptist) for the time when Jesus returns.  Still, it embodies the core requirements of being a follower of Jesus, and it has as one of its goals, that of making disciples.  This is particularly emphasized in the "Lead Diligently" and "Speak Boldly" committments.  As stated elsewhere, Bickle's 12 characteristics of a diligent leader are excellent leadership principles that we can all learn from. 

For me though, the 7 Committments is a measure of how I am doing on a day to day basis.  Am I praying (including worship and scripture reading) daily?  Am I fasting at all during the week?  Am I seeking to live in purity or to be generous?  These seven committments are easy challenge questions that we can ask ourselves regularly, to see if we are living out the fullness of what it means to be a disciple and a maker of disciples.  The point is not to measure performance, but rather to check to see if we are engaging discipleship.  It is a matter of being honest with ourselves, and assessing areas that might need attention, as the Holy Spirit leads.  If we don't use the 7 Committments, we should use something to evaluate our walk with the Lord.  Like the other models I have mentioned here, the 7 Committments are not an exhaustive definition of the Christian faith.

So there you have it.  The SPD principles and practices are a framework or guides to setup an environment in our lives for the Holy Spirit to disciple us in Christ, and to form Christ in us.  The Mission, Vision, and Practices of this blog attempt to define the scope of this blog, and what it means to practice Christ.  They answer the question at a high level, "What does it mean to practice Christ?"  The 7 Committments of a Forerunner are also good guides to the practice of Christ, and they allow us to measure our daily walk with the Lord.  

What does it mean to you, my reader?  Well, remember you are unique.  Start where you are at, and start learning and applying these principles.  Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you along the way.  Ask God to bring people into your life that you can share this walk with, and who might mentor you, or who you might be able to mentor.  Also, I welcome you to comment on this blog, as I have always hoped to forster discussion as we reflect together on what it means to practice Christ.

Spiritual Formation Discipleship, Part 3 -- The Principles and Practices

Author's Note:  If you look at the dates of this and related posts, you will find that there is well over a year between the first two posts introducing this concept, and this one.  In this post, I wish to get to the point, so to speak, and define the principles and practices that Jim, Mary, and I defined to set the context of Spiritual Formational Discipleship (SPD). The following two links will take you to the original introductory posts.

Post on how it all started.

Post introducing Spiritual Formation Discipleship.

 

We defined 10 princples, which formed a context for SPD.  Each principle had a number of practices under it.  These practices might be repeated for more than one principle.  Also, the practices are not meant to be an exhaustive list of spiritual discicplines and practices.  For that matter, the principles are not necessarily exhaustive, but as I read them, it strikes me that they are pretty inclusive of Christian life and discipleship. 

Principle 1: Uniqueness

We recognize that everyone is unique and we tailor our discipleship to the individual's uniqueness and life situation.

Each individual has unique:

• Ministry Gifts (Romans 12:4-8, Ephesians 2:10)
• Equipping Gifts (Ephesians 4:11-13)
• Spiritual Gifts and Functions (1 Corinthians 12:12-31)
• Natural Gifts
• Experiences
• Personal Struggles
• Interest, Hopes, and Dreams

Practices of Uniqueness:

Spiritual Direction:  Learn to discern what God is doing, or wants to do, in your life.  Understand how your uniqueness affects the way you relate to God.

Assessment Tools (e.g., spiritual gift assessments, Meyer-Briggs, LifeKeys).

 

Principle 2: Holy LIstening and Reflection

Holy Listening and reflection is necessary to learn to listen to God, and to reflect on what God is doing in our life. 

Practices of Holy Listening:

• Journaling.
• Reflective reading of the Bible (lectio divina).
• Centering Prayer/Jesus Prayer.
• Making time for reflection.
• Practicing times of silence and solitude.
• Principles of Spiritual Direction (see notes, below).

When I refer to Spiritual Direction, I mean it as it is typically used by the contemplative tradiation.  Refer to, Holy Invitations by Jeannette A. Bakke.  Some key points include:

• The practice of helping a person discover what God is doing in their life.
• It is not counseling or any activity that tries to "fix" a person.
• It involves prayer.
• It is more a matter of asking the right questions, than having the right answers.
• It can help a person work through what is going on in their life at the moment.

 

Principle 3:  Holy Spirit Led Discipleship

We acknowledge that the Holy Spirit is the one who leads us in the process of being a disciple of Jesus (Philippians 2:13, John 16:13a, Ephesians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 12:11).

Practices of the Holy Spirit

• Watch what the father is doing.
  
  Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise.  John 5:19
  
  
• Holy Listening
• Spiritual Gifts

 

Principle 4:  Way of the Cross -- Dying to Self

Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it."  Matthew 16:24 – 25

Practices of the Cross

• Surrender to God ("Sacrement of the Present Moment")
• Service
• Loving one another
• Fasting
• Simplicity
• Solitude
• Holiness

 

Principle 5:  Communion With God

So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.  1 John 4:16   (cf. 2 Cor 13:13, Is 32:17-18, Eph 3:16-17)

Practices of Communion With God

• Worship
• Prayer
• Holy Listening
• Spiritual Retreats
• Sabbath Walks
• Sacrement of the Present Moment

 

Principle 6:  Faith Walk

...for we walk by faith, not by sight.  2 Corinthians 5:7

Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God. 1 Peter 1:21

...if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.  2 Timothy 2:13

Practices of Faith Walk

• Bible Study (James 1:22-25)
• Trusting God (Hebrews 11)
• Obedience to the Word of God (James 2:17)
• Living by these SPD Principles
• Understanding the perceived absence of God.

Note:  There are times when we may not perceive the presence of God.  This does not necessarily mean that God is discpleased with us.  There are times we go through what John of the Cross called the "dark night" of faith.  This is a normal part of walking with God in this life.

 

Principle 7:  Growing in Community

No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.  1 John 4:12

And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.  Hebrews 10:24 – 25 (cf. Acts 2:42-47)

Practices of Community:

• Small Groups
• Ministry and Service
• Worship
• The Lord's Supper
• Mentoring
• Bearing One Another's Burdens (Gallatians 6:2)

 

Principle 8:  Becoming Like Christ -- Imago Dei

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family.  Romans 8:29

Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven.  1 Corinthians 15:49

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.  Ephesians 5:1 – 2

In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.  Ephesians 2:21 – 22

But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ... Ephesians 4:15

And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.  2 Corinthians 3:18

Practices of Imago Dei

• All Spiritual Formation Practices
• Practicing the Presence of God, by Brother Lawaurence
• Sacrement of the Present Moment, by Jean-Pierre de Cassade (my favorite)
• The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas a'Kempis
• Present Perfect: Finding God in the Now, by Gregory A. Boyd
• Holiness and Purity

Note:  The practice of holiness is something I added to the original list of principles and practices.  Over the years, I have come to appreciate the need to seek this in our lives, given the temptations of the world.  My approach to this is to realize my own powerlessness in the flesh to obtain any kind of holiness and purity with my own effort.  I need to surrender to God (the cross), and allow Him to work His holiness in me.  It also involves learning the positive prinicple of setting our minds and hearts on that which is good and pure (rf. Phil. 4:8-9).  This is a process that I am told continues for all our lives.

 

Principle 9: Knowing and Following God's Heart

I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.  Jeremiah 3:15

Practices Leading to Knowledge of God's Heart

• Holy Listening
• Bible Study
• Isaiah 58
• Isaiah 61 (cf. Luke 4:18=19)
• Love (Matt 22:37-40, 1 John 4:16)
• Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.  James 1:27
• Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7)

 

Principle 10:  Replication

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  Matthew 28:18 – 20

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.  2 Corinthians 5:18 – 19

The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.  Ephesians 4:11 – 13

Practices of Replication

• Mentoring
• Servant Leadership (Mark 9:35, John 13:3-16)
• Promoting these Princiles and Practices to followers of Jesus

Summary Thoughts

The above principles and practices are things that can be applied by any follower of Jesus.  I have intentionally not told you how to apply these, because each of us is unique (Principle 1).  However, I urge you to trust God to show you how to apply these to your life (Principles 3 & 6).  Ask God to bring people into your life that can mentor you and walk with you, as you seek to follow Jesus.  Also, don't feel like you somehow have to perfect each of these principles and practices, along with all that is implied behind them.  Just let them be guideposts along the way.  In time, you will learn how to incorporate them into your daily walk with God. 

May God Bless You (Ephesians 3:14-21)

Sabbath Contrasts

It is Sunday, which for me, it my Sabbath day.  I was reading about the Sabbath out on the porch, enjoying one of those wonderful summer days that people in Minnesota look forward to during much of the year.  Around me is a flurry of work.  The neighbor is cutting the lawn.  Airplanes fly overhead.  All seem to be emphasized by my ceasing of work.

The author, Marva Dawn, is talking about learning to imitate God, and being intentional in our Sabbath activity.  She was writing about how we might choose to not watch some TV that does not reflect God's ways.  I think of a movie I was planning to watch.  I do not know what is in it, but it is likely the usual Hollywood humor, so I am thinking of watching it tomorrow, so today, I can soak up the things of the Lord.  It is not that the movie is bad, but rather that God is so much better.

Later I am taking some time to worship alone, just God and I, and read some scripture.  During this time I also worshiped along with Misty Edwards, on the IHOP Prayer Room Internet video feed.  She was singing about how being yoked to God can set us free from the chains for the world.  I read:

"Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you for your own good, who leads you in the way you should go." Isaiah 48:17

Exploring the Sabbath

One of the books I am reading right now is Marva J. Dawn's Keeping the Sabbath Wholly.  I am really enjoying this book.  It is a well written and easy to read book on the Sabbath.  More than just a book focused on what we do one day a week, it explores how the Sabbath can impact our lives every day of the week.

The book is divided into four major sections focused on Ceasing, Resting, Embracing, and Feasting.  As the title suggests, the Dawn takes a holistic approach to the subject.  Marva Dawn has four masters degrees and a PhD, and this academic grounding is reflected in the depth which she handles scripture and theology.  This aspect makes her book particularly engaging for me.

Throughout the book she draws on Abraham Joshua Heschel's book The Sabbath.  Quoting from that work, she makes the observation that Judaism is "a religion of time."   Heschel reflects that in the creation account it is only the Seventh Day of rest that is called holy.  It makes sense that an omnipresent God would be more interested in time, where our lives come into contact with Him than in places.   Dawn observes:

We concentrate on our sanctuaries and call those places the church instead of realizing that "church" happens in the events of the Christian community and its outreach to the world, in time.  We "go to church,' meaning a building, and expect to find God there, instead of experiencing the presence of God in the time of worship.  (p. 40)

Dawn's book is a natural extension of my walk right now, as I seek to practice Christ and the Sacrament of the Present Moment.  All too often my life is lost in a flurry of secular activity, or perhaps that type of inactivity we so often do that seems to consume time rather than refresh our lives.  As I reflect on turning over one day of my week to God, I can easily see how that can transform the remainder of the week, as I refocus my life in the context of the God who loves me.

Spiritual Formation Discipleship Part 2.5

I started this series expecting to continue to post about the various principles of SFD, as my friends Jim, Mary, and I defined it.  However, after my trip to Mexico God has been moving in a different way, which merits attention.  I will continue this series, as the Lord leads, and will categorize the posts under Spiritual Formation. 

Spiritual Formation Discipleship Part 2

This is the second part of a series on Spiritual Formation Discipleship.  The first part of the series (written a couple posts back) talked about a contemplative retreat ministry I was a part of with my friends Jim and Mary.  This part introduces the concept of Spiritual Formation Discipleship that we attempted to define.

What does it mean to be a disciple and how do the principles of the Contemplative Tradition relate to discipleship?  That was the first question we sought to answer.   Most simply, we might initially come up with a definition that involves being a follower of Jesus.  Often discipleship is defined academically, in relation to certain biblical and doctrinal knowledge.  It often involves practices -- things we do.  It certainly should include a theology of the Holy Spirit at work in us.  Still, what is meant when we say that one is a disciple?  What is the goal of being a disciple?  Often people talk in broader terms of being a Christian, which involves salvation.  Yet, being reconciled to God is the beginning, not the end.  It certainly involves "going to heaven" and eternal life, but what of this life?   

Jesus summed up the law and the prophets in the commandment to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and loving our neighbor as ourself (Matt 22:37-40).  How does this kind of love relate to being a disciple and how does it relate to the process of making disciples?

Actually, the concept of being a disciple is quite foreign to the modern western culture.  In Jesus' time, discipleship was more relational.  In Jesus' time, people understood the idea of being apprenticed to a master craftsman.  They understood what it mean to study under a "master" or rabbi.  The biblical disciples were followers of Jesus in a very real sense.  They lived and traveled with him.  They, in turn, had disciples of their own. 

Today, we go to school, or Sunday School.  We have small groups and read books.  The average person does not have disciples under them.  Sure, you might say a parent disciples their child, but today that does not necessarily mean replicating the depth of spirituality that the bible speaks of when it speaks of being a disciple.  In addition, the relational and authoritative aspect is often missing when we talk about discipleship.  People take a class or join a small group, but that is a very controlled and limited relationship.  It is possible to spend years in Sunday School and not ever visit the teacher in their home, or the teacher may never visit the student.  The commitment to the group and to the teacher may not go beyond the one hour a week we spend with them, and it often does not extend more than a year. 

Because the emphasis is often on subject matter and a limited number of practices such as reading the Bible, prayer,  and worship, it is often assumed that once one knows these things, they only need to do them.  It is assumed that if you know the key church doctrines and are attending church, and doing "what Christians do" that we have somehow arrived.  We have at least arrived as far as anyone else in the church.  Heaven forbid that we judge how someone has mastered their Christian faith!  (I say this somewhat with my tongue in my cheek.)  Besides, the average person does not make disciples, do they?  We have seminary trained ministers that do that!  Another assumption is that one size fits all.  Or if there is more than one size, you might have one size for the average layman and another for "ministers."  Yet, I suggest that a careful reading of scripture will reveal that being a disciple and making disciples is much more than what the contemporary church often makes it out to be.

I think a key to understanding discipleship is to understand the goal of life as God sees it.  What is that goal? As I studied the contemplative tradition, I came to understand that the goal is much more than eternal life.  It is to become transformed in the the image of Christ (2 Cor 3:18), within the context of abiding love, and that is a life long process (cf. Philipians 3:12).  It is also intimately linked to the redemptive and healing work which God promised in the Old Testament (Isaiah 61:1-3, Ezekiel 36:22-32), and Jesus came to fulfill (Luke 4:18-21), and we are to carry on in partnership with God (cf. Matthew 28:18-20).

This transformational process is not something we do through our efforts.  It is not something we do to others.  It is something God does to us (Philipians 2:13, Galatians 3:1-3).   God's transformational work is rooted and grounded in love (cf. Ephesians 3:14-21).  As such, it is also relational.  It involved a day by day relationship with God and with others.  This is why John tells us that love is perfected as we love one another (1 John 4:11-12).

This process is not something new that the Contemplative Tradition defined, but it is something the Contemplative Tradition sought to understand and practice, and as such, it is something it preserved. Now with the help of contemporary Christians such as Richard Foster and Dallas Willard, people from many Christian traditions (Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox) are rediscovering the process of spiritual formation.

As Jim, Mary, and I reflected on these things, we realized that discipleship had to be defined in broader terms.   As a result, we defined Spiritual Formation Discipleship as being:

• A collection of principles and practices that help the believer in their daily walk with the Lord.
• An attempt to establish relational discipleship in today's age.
• A foundational paradigm for the Christian Life.

We realized that this is not a new concept, but rather, it is an attempt to go back to what discipleship was intended to be.  We also the need to apply some boundaries to Spiritual Formation Discipleship (SFD).

• It does not try to establish foundational doctrinal knowledge.  While teaching and proper doctrinal understanding is important, it is assumed that this is going on in the church.  We were attempting to focus on the process of discipleship that involves being formed in to Christ.  SFD certainly involves teaching, but we are assuming the a person has been established in the basics of the Christian faith.
• It does not attempt to train people for specific ministries.   We understood that kind of training would take place as people participated in various forms of ministry within the church.
• It does not try to "fix" people.  We understood that there is the need for a separate counseling or care ministry.  However, Spiritual Formation Discipleship can be very helpful in achieving healing from the brokenness frequently found in this life.
• It does not advocate a specific lifestyle or vocation.  We realized that being a Christan is something people can do in the context of all walks of life.  While we drew heavily from the Contemplative Tradition, we were not advocating the cloistered monastic lifestyle.
• It does not provide a list of do's and don'ts for the believer to follow.  We realized that there are certainly things a believer should do or not do, but they are only a means to an end.  Also, all of our doing should be a response to our life in Christ.
• It is not a means of excercising control over other people.  We are all disciples of Jesus, not men and women.  Those who disciple us are only there to help us see and walk in the ways the Holy Spirit is directing us in. (More on this later when discussing Spiritual Direction.)

With this in mind, we summarized our ministry of Spiritual Formation Discipleship with the following mission vision:

To assist disciples of Jesus in abiding in the Love of God, individual and with one another, so that as the Holy Spirit works in them, they reflect Christ in the world.

This presupposes we ourselves are disciples of Jesus, and that we have a certain proficiency and understanding of what it means to be a disciple, and that we have a certain discernment of how the Holy Spirit works in people's lives.

This is all good and fine, but it does not really answer some of the questions I asked earlier.  To understand more about what this looks like and how it works, we need to look at the principles and practices we defined as making up Spiritual Formation Discipleship.

Spiritual Formation Discipleship - How It All Started for Us

Greetings from fridge Minnesota.  It is 17 degrees F or -8 degrees C when I started writing this post.  We have been having our first cold temperatures of the season.  I have no great desire to go outside, but that will pass, as we Minnesotans will soon adjust to the realities of winter. 

I am starting a series on discipleship -- specifically what I call "Spiritual Formation Discipleship," a discipleship model that has relational and transformational components.  This is something my friends Jim, Mary, and I worked to define in the 2004/2005 time-frame.  Sadly, it did not get adopted by the church.  Recently, I felt like I should "dust it off" and put it out here on the blog to give it some exposure.  Also, since there is a relational component, this might fit will into the discussions on rationality that some of my blogging friends and myself seem to be connecting with in the Spirit. In this post, I will tell the story of how we came to define "Spiritual Formation Discipleship."  I will provide a definition and elaborate in subsequent posts.
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It all started when a group of us started a spiritual retreat ministry at our church.  These were not the "conference" or "camp" events that often get called "retreats."  Instead, they were loosely structured one or two day events where we sought to create an environment for people to spend time with God, and they were done in the spirit of the contemplative tradition.  Some were group oriented, and others were individual silent retreats where the people would spend a couple days alone with God in a hermitage cabin in the woods. 

Each retreat had some theme that we followed, but the theme was not the point of the retreat.  The point was whatever God wanted it to be, which varied from individual to individual.  We had themes such as "Sabbath Rest" and "Abiding in God."  Our ministry had a mission and set of values that guided us, and the themes would relate to these. 

Our mission was:

"To assist believers in retreating from their busy lives for the purpose of encountering Jesus."

Our team values were "To assist people in..."

• Withdrawing from the world for spiritual reflection.
• Experiencing Sabbath-rest.
• Drawing near to Jesus.
• Practicing spiritual disciplines.
• Connecting with God's love.
• Being transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ.
• Taking their experience of Jesus back into the world.

With this mission and these values in mind, our retreats were intended to create an environment where this could happen.  Again, what happened on the retreat was mostly up to God.  Sure, we chose retreat centers designed for contemplative retreats.  As a result, we avoided "camps."  Our two favorite local retreat centers were Villa Maria and Pacem in Terris.  The former was where we did our group retreats.  We liked it because of the many places people could get away to be alone, and the access to miles of walking trails.  Pacem in Terris is a hermitage retreat center which is ideal for individual retreats.  (There were many other reasons why we work with these to retreat centers, but that is not the point here.) 

Creating an environment for people to encounter God does not happen just by going to a nice place.  True, the prayer cover these retreat centers enjoy make a big difference!  Being close to God's creation is also helpful.  However, we also assisted by teaching some simple spiritual practices that promoted a quiet, attentive, attitude conducive to spending time with the Lord.  For our group retreats, on Friday night we might give some guidelines for journaling, and would do a short teaching focused on letting go of the things they brought in with them.  Often we had a nice fire to sit by in the evening.  Saturday morning we always did a group lectio divina, followed by a few hours of silent reflection.  This is often where people really started to connect with the Lord.  Saturday afternoon we would have a short teaching, and would allow another several hours of personal time.  Each of these times were punctuated with worship, and Saturday evening ending in worship and communion. 

We also did some of our teaching within a "small group" context, which allowed some relational time.  We allow time for prayer as a group and one on one, as needed.  We varied our activities to accommodate different learning styles -- visual, audio, and kinesthetic.  This provided a more holistic experience.  All events were optional, naps were encouraged, and in general people were free to use the time as they saw fit.  Some exercised, some spent times reading or exploring the library, and others walked the trails.  There were always some who sought fellowship with others, and some who wanted to be alone.  Most participated in the worship and short teaching times. 

Our desire was to assist people in practically applying spiritual disciplines that they could take back with them in their daily lives.  We had a lot of success.  God seemed to always show up.  People often pursued more study and practice.  Many started going on retreats of their own.  Many of the pastors and leaders that attended our retreats started sharing these things with their ministry teams.  Alas, we sort of worked ourselves out of a job.  As people started practicing these things on their own they often did not attend our retreats.  Also, "retreats" seem to become popular, and in the fall it seemed almost every ministry had a "retreat" though most were not of the contemplative style.  At some point we decided that it was time to re-evaluate our ministry and prayerfully seek what the Lord would have us do next. 

During this time of transition, Gale, our other team member -- she was the kinesthetic one -- started attending a different church, closer to her home.  This left Jim, Mary, and I to consider what we should do next, if anything.  Since the idea of spiritual formation in the likeness of Christ was behind our mission and values (as well as the Contemplative Tradition), we felt led to focus more directly on that aspect.  Our church lacked a good discipleship vision, and this certainly seemed to us to be a part of any discipleship vision they might define. (It is a long story why such a large church would lack an overall discipleship vision.  I think the excellent pulpit teaching and the many excellent ministries made up somewhat for the lack.)  So, after extensive times of prayer, we approached the executive pastoral team with the idea of refocusing our ministry on spiritual formation and discipleship and away from retreats.  They connected with the idea and gave us the blessing to pursue this.

The months to follow were challenging, yet productive.  The thing about the kind of discipleship we wanted to do is that one needs to practice it first.  We all had embraced the practicing of what we preached in the retreat ministry, though the three of us got there differently.  Jim and I approached it initially more academically and theologically.  I had first been exposed to spiritual formation and the contemplative tradition during the year I as studying at Bethel Seminary.  Jim, the pastor of the group,  was ahead of me in this, but still coupled study with practice like me.  Mary grew up in the Catholic Church, and had learned this from practice, as she was mentored by many devout followers of Jesus in the Catholic contemplative tradition.  Later she spent time with YWAM and as a missionary, which reinforced the many principles of a spiritual walk with Jesus that she learned earlier.  As Jim and I shared the theory of spiritual formation, she would often say, "So that's what you call it!"  Similarly, Jim and I benefited from her many years of deep spiritual walk with the Lord. 

In spite of the many years of experience and study that the three of us brought to the table, it was no easy task to define what discipleship is.  Much of what is called discipleship today is quite different than what the early church thought of as discipleship.  We tend to think academically today, and we look for discrete deliverables.  It is about what we know and what we do.  In the early church discipleship was more relational.  Yes we had to know and do things, but discipleship was viewed more as a life-long process than a series of discrete actions done during a twelve week bible study.  I will share more about some of the conclusions we came to later, but suffice to say that we had to work through some basic concepts.  To do this, we had to reflect on our own experience and understanding.  We sensed that our goal required a paradigm shift in thinking and approach. 

Eventually we got to the point where we had something we thought we could articulate and pass on.  Alas, by this time, the ministry team that had discipleship in our church was going through a pastoral change.  The executive team wanted us to wait for the new guy to come on board, and when he did, he was working through his own vision and did not connect with what we had done, so he disbanded our team.  Yes, it was disappointing, but he was entitled.  Often it is a manner of timing.  Perhaps later the door will open up.

Since then Jim has taken a job as interim senior pastor at another church.  Mary is continuing her work on the leadership team of a missions organization doing work in Asia, and I am writing this blog and planning a short-term mission trip to Mexico in January.  (Prayer is very much needed for that activity.)

This brings me to the present and sets the context for how we defined Spiritual Formation Discipleship, a relational discipleship model.  In Part 2 I will share our primary definition of Spiritual Formation Discipleship.   

Postscript:  It is December 17, 2010, and I am rereading this.  The thing that prompted me to do so was that our church is (finally) shaping their discipleship vision, which includes many of the concepts Jim, Mary, and I worked on.  I also reviewed our principles and practices of discipleship and they still seem worthy of sharing.  As a result, I am going to finish what I started by posting the core principles and practice of Spiritual Formation Discipleship. 

Christian Distinctives

My friend Theologian Joe and I were talking last night.  We were talking about how some Christians think the Contemplation is "New Age."  My first response was, "What do they think Contemplation is?"   Then I asked, "What do they think the New Age is?"  After quickly listing some distinctives, Theologian Joe asked me to post what I said.  So here it goes...

Background on the New Age

The New Age is a broad mixture of beliefs that takes unique form with each individual follower.  Before I was a Christian, I was a part of the New Age movement -- almost before the term was coined.  While had read Hindu and Buddhist literature, my particular flavor of New Age was the form promoted by Guy Ballard and the St. Germain Foundation, which was started in the 1930's.  It strongly emphasized Ascended Masters, where Jesus Christ was one of many.  The best, concise definition I have run into for the New Age is one provided by James W. Sire, in his book, The Universe Next Door.

In his book, Sire discusses world views.  We all have a world view, though we might not be able to articulate it.  Sire defines the term "world view" as follows:

A world view is a set of presuppositions (assumptions which may be true, partially true or entirely false) which we hold (consciously or subconsciously, consistently or inconsistently) about the basic make-up of our world.  ... A world view is composed of a number of basic presuppositions, more or less consistent with each other, more or less consciously held, more or less true.  They are generally unquestioned by each of us; rarely, if ever mentioned by our friends and only brought to mind when we are challenged by a foreigner from another ideological universe."  p17ff

Sire examines several world views by asking seven questions.

1. What is the prime reality -- the really real?
2. What is the nature of external reality, that is, the world around us?
3. What is a human being?
4. What happens to a person at death?
5. Why is it possible to know anything at all?
6. How do we know what is right and wrong?
7. What is the meaning of human history?

The way we answer these questions provide insight into our world view.  Sire defines the New Age as a mixture of three world views:  Naturalism, Eastern Pantheistic Monism, and Animism.  The key components of naturalism that the New Age tends to embrace is the sense that we are "evolving."  Naturalism does not believe in the existence of a god or God.  The person become the center of importance.  Sire's handling of Eastern Pantheistic Monism is detailed, but I would say the key point is that all is God and God is all.  External reality is illusory, and we are all evolving (via karmic evolution) until we become one with the ultimate reality.  Animism is complex, but suffice to say that it is what is held by so-called primitive, pagan, people.  For Animism, "the natural universe is inhabited by countless spiritual beings, often conceived in a rough hierarchy... thus the universe has a personal dimension but not an infinite-personal Creator-God."  The  New Age is often trying communicate with these spirit beings.  Jesus, in turn, becomes on of many "gurus", "masters" or "avatars". 

I would add that there is a strong gnostic influence in the New Age.  The Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms defines gnosticism as: 

An amorphous movement during the early church period which featured complex views that focused on the quest of secret knowledge transmitted only to the "enlightened" and marked by the view that matter is evil.  Gnostics denied the humanity of Jesus.

The New Age is not directly linked to the ancient gnostics, but their approach to knowledge is the same.  That said, many New Agers will discover the gnostics existed, and speculate or assert that the church secretly suppressed the fact in order to promote its own agenda.  The truth is that gnosticism is no secret the church has suppressed, but rather, a heresy rejected, and that fact has been record historically, if one should choose to check it out. 

Now, at this point I will resist the temptation to continue to provide an exhaustive, systematic exposition on the New Age and the contemplative tradition.  We have enough background to make some observations.

Christian Distinctive

When one understands the New Age and Christianity, it is easy to see distinctives that radically distinguish the two. 

• The New Age is focused on the evolution of the soul, over multiple lives, which is achieved by various practices one does.  Christianity is focused on our transformation in this life, which is achieved by the action of the personal Creator God in our lives.
• The New Age views everything as God.  Christianity views everything as being created, distinct from God.  We are not God, but rather, made in the image and likenss of God. 
• In the Christian concept of unity with God, we remain distinct from God.  In the New Age concept of unity, "the drop becomes the ocean."
• Christians focus on God and God alone -- where Jesus Christ is understood as the only begotten Son of God; the third person of the Trinity.  In the New Age, Jesus is "always one of many."
• The New Age focuses on communicating with the spirit beings or the dead.  Christianity forbids us from initiating contact with spirit beings or the dead. 
• The New Age seeks gnostic wisdom, where Christianity "puts all its cards on the table" (no pun intended).  Everything we need to know is known and available to all, form the most noble to the village idiot.  (This does not mean that God will not give us unique insight into our life situation.

These distinctives naturally influence how Christianity approaches the Contemplative tradition.  As Chesterton said, "The religions of the world differ little in forms and rights, but the differ greatly in what they teach. 

The teachings of scripture is not focused on our own enlightenment, but rather, bringing light into a dark world.  The God of the Bible is concerned with redemption and healing.  He is our source of life and he wants us to get life from Him.

The Biblical teachings are God focused.  We  see God in the poor, needy, and afflicted.  We fix our eyes on Him.  We pray to Him, and can go directly to Him as our Heavenly Father.

Christian Meditation is focused on I something.  That something is the Word of God -- scripture -- the the God who inspires it.  Here are some of the places that define Christian meditation: Josh 1:8, Psa 1:2, Ps 63, Psa 77:12, Psa 119, Psa 19:14, Ps 104:34, Deut 6:4-10). 

Do not throw the baby out with the bath water.  One of Satan's favorite tricks to to co-opt the things of the Lord for himself.  For example, Rainbows are "New Age" but the Bible tells us that God gave us rainbows to remind us that he would never again destroy the earth with water.  Environmentalism is "New Age" but according to Genesis, God intended us to be stewards of this earth, and to care for it.  Meditation is "New Age" but it is also a powerful force of transformation that God uses to effect create the image of God in us.Jesus?  Oh, he's an Ascended Master, by the way, have you heard about St. Germain?  You see, we could probably go on like this for quite some time listing things of God that the enemy has co-opted for himself.

This brings us to an important point.  There are counterfeits out there, and discernment is needed.  First, we need to know the whole of scripture.  The New Age will try to co-opt Jesus, but when you keep him in the context of the Old Testament revelation of God, the Lamb of God, and the Messiah, the lie fails.  A good book on the subject of discernment is, The Beautiful Side of Evil by Johanna Michaelsen.

Contemplation

Christian contemplation is not meditation.  Contemplation is a resting in God, and a quiet communion before God, that allows Him to work on us.  Thomas Merton, in his book, What is Contemplation defines contemplation as: "the work of the Holy Ghost acting on our soul through His gifts of Wisdom and Understanding with special intensity to increase and perfect our love for Him."  Later, he further describes it as:

Contemplation is a supernatural love and knowledge of God, simple and obscure, infused by Him into the summit of the soul, giving it a direct and experimental contact with him.  Mystical contemplation is an intuition of God born of pure love.  It is a gift of God that absolutely transcends all the natural capacities of the soul and which no man can acquire by any effort of his own."  p. 36

This is such an anti-New Age definition -- "that no man can acquire by any effort of his own."  So how does one enter into contemplation?  Perhaps the most common practice is lectio divina. There are some books on lectio divina in my Favorite Books list.  In particular I refer you to the ones by Mariano Magrassi and Michael Casey. 

Lectio has four movements: Reading, Meditation (thinking/reflecting), prayer, and contemplation.  In short, we read the Bible with a quiet, listening, spirit.  We allow God to speak to us through His Word.  As our attention is drawn to something in the scripture, we pause and reflect on it, and allow God to continue to speak to us about whatever we are reading.  Then we respond back to him in prayer.  Finally, we commune with him, in love (cf 1 John 4:16).  This is contemplation.  As Magrassi says: 

To contemplate means to enter into a relationship of faith and love with the God of truth and life, who has revealed his face to us in Christ." 

As one ancient writer put it:

Reading enables us to learn what we do not know, meditation enables us to retain what we have learned, and prayer enables us to live what we have retained.  Reading Sacred Scripture confers on us two gifts: it makes the soul's understanding keener, and after snatching us from the world's vanities, it leads us to the love of God.  (quoted by Magrassi, p. 20)

I hope you see that this is very God centered practice, that stays well within the boundaries of Scripture, and the revelation  of God through Jesus Christ. The goal is to love God, not to become God.  And, out of that love relationship, God will move through us so we can love our neighbor and those in the world that so much need the Light and Love of God.