bethinking.org – Spirituality – 1. Spiritual Formation: The Need for Spiritual Formation

bethinking.org – Spirituality – 1. Spiritual Formation: The Need for Spiritual Formation

Posted using ShareThis

Book Review: Spiritual Disciplines Devotional: A Year of Readings

Spiritual Disciplines Devotional A Year of Readings

I just finished reviewing the first chapter in book from the IVPress Formatio series called Spiritual Disciplines Devotional: A Year of Readings By Valerie E. Hess. While I have not yet seen the whole of this work, what I saw I liked very much. Her writing style is clear and vivid, with an accessible feel. She is not overly verbose but succinct and filled with very practical examples both of concepts and practices.

I particularly appreciate the way in which she addresses issues in North American Christian Culture with out the need for defining the long baggage associated with an issue. She presents the tension within protestant Christians today about Spiritual Formation, and especially in some very specific areas like meditation. Hess succinctly differentiates between Christian Meditation and other forms of meditation. I felt that her work deserved a full quote.

“If the idea of Christian meditation seems like an oxymoron to you, then let me assure you that it is not at all the same thing as non-Christian forms of meditation. In those practices, many of which have become popular in the last twenty-five or thirty years, the focus is on emptying the mind. In Christian meditation we seek to clear our minds of the clutter that prevents us from focusing fully on God. We push aside that which keeps us from filling our minds with God’s Word and his work in creation, the world and other people.”

There is no question that Hess’s work is based in an orthodox expression of Evangelical Christianity. She repeatedly identifies important elements that are necessary for these disciplines to be fully and uniquely Christian practices and not trends that have drifted in from other spiritual traditions. One example is found in the follow, “We must be careful what we fill our minds with. It is very important that meditating on Scripture be our first priority.” Her concern to keep the discipline of mediation rooted in a the biblical tradition is apparent. And there is a practical reason for this it keeps us attuned to voice of the Lord, knowing his word allows us to hear the living Word. It is important to remember that this is the foundation and not the end, Hess builds on the discipline of meditation by asking us to meditate on what God is doing in our lives and in the lives of people we know, and even in considering God’s creation.

One of the elements that Hess builds upon is the need for the disciplines to be practiced in community, not in isolation. Hess indicates that what we find revealed to us in the time of meditation must be shared with the body of Christ lest we lose our way; the body of Christ provides an essential anchor and corrective for our selfish treks of will and sin.

Hess also provides useful suggestions for how a person may explore the discipline of meditation. They are insightful and practical in nature, and this is a boon to a reader who seriously whishes to deepen their life in faith. There is also a section of suggestions for each discipline geared for children, and this is indeed a delight. Consider how many of use actually received instruction as children in spiritual disciplines. Now imagine how life may have been different if we had received such training, such spiritual formation as children.

Remember this is a daily devotional, and it is a good devotional with readings, scriptures and thoughts for each day. The daily readings are not long, but they are rich. They are of sufficient length to allow a reading and time for meditation. It works well together. From what I have seen, I highly recommend this devotional.

Spiritual Direction in the Congregaton

There is an increasing need to see churches in North America turn their attention to the way in which we foster the growth and development of believers, both new and existing. There is an increasing sense that the followers of Jesus in North America are less and less mature. Is this an effect of the breakdown of families and communities from Atlantic to Pacific, is it less weighty preaching from the pulpit, is it less instruction at home or in Sunday School in the way we follow after Jesus? I don’t know what the root cause is, but I do see its effects daily in the church and in the community.

Simon Chan in his insightful work, Spiritual Theology argues that the church needs to have a comprehensive and coherent theology if it is going to have well formed followers of Jesus. Chan’s work clearly points out that Christians have a tremendous resource in the church; believers and theologians over the centuries have produced works and developed understandings that will nourish the soul, fortify the followers of Jesus and help to develop mature believers.

There are a numerous ways that church can address the need for spiritual maturity within the congregation. Spiritual direction or in a broader sense, spiritual formation may be viewed in several different venues including: Congregational worship, Small groups, and personal direction.

The first way a church can address spiritual maturity is through the ministry of preaching in worship. Preaching in the context of congregational worship has potential to provide another layer of opportunities for spiritual growth. However, if preaching is disconnected from the rest of worship it will strike a note of discord and if the overall preaching plan for a season or year is not tied closely to the other activities of the church it will fragment rather than unite the body of Christ. The result being that one thrust of the church is aimed in one direction while the small groups are headed in another direct and the Christian Education program is pointed in yet another direction. The preaching plan should tie all the elements of the churches ministries together and be a unifying point rather than another point of divergence.

The second way a congregation can work at spiritual maturity on a congregational level is the use of small group. Small groups are very helpful but will be limited to the extent to which groups are able to develop intimacy; the greater the degree of intimacy the more potential there will be for spiritual maturation. I am inclined to say that groups provide one of the most effective uses of time and talents in the church for the purpose of spiritual growth.

Groups must do a few specific things well will not develop mature believers. It is clear that small groups need time to develop intimacy and group leadership that will be foster internal group development which allows for people to mature. Without properly trained and equipped leadership the chances of developing a high functioning group are slim. Groups need to good leadership. Groups also need to help people connect or in some cases reconnect. People in groups need to connect with God and with each other. Groups that are unable or unwilling to connect or reconnect people with each other will only become an informational session about God. While groups that are unwilling or unable to connect people to God will only be social gatherings with little room for maturation.

The third way that church can address spiritual maturity is to develop an efficient system of spiritual direction for all participants in the congregation. This format has the potential to develop very mature believers but will by definition be very time consuming for the person in the role as spiritual director, who will in most cases be the pastor. Because of the inherent time management issues for this type of congregational spiritual development it likely means that only a small portion of the congregation will be able to receive the time necessary for spiritual maturation.

Perhaps the best approach would be to incorporate all three of these at approaches to spiritual direction in one congregation. The worship service could provide a primary venue for initial spiritual direction and provide a unifying principle in the life of the congregation. The small groups could provide a more intimate and secure environment for the spiritual growth of the largest portion of the congregation. Leaders and other more mature individuals could then receive personal spiritual direction with the pastor.

This example allows for a comprehensive plan for spiritual formation and growth in a congregation of any size. It also works to see that no congregational member is left to slip between the cracks and provides for each person in the congregation to have a person who is responsible for their continued spiritual growth and development. It is important to remember that this is a brief and truncated image of a congregational plan for spiritual formation. However, it points to the potential for addressing how a congregation may work toward maturing its membership and developing a more cohesive approach to spiritual discipline.

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.