Can I do it my way safely?

We live in an age where individual freedom of choice is highly valued. I want to be able to do what I want without hindrance. This sounds great to have that freedom, but is it wise and is it safe in the spiritual realm? We have returned to an age where multiplicities of spiritual forms are not only active, but quite common. This is very similar to the age that the Book of Acts was written. This can make it a time great excitement but also potentially spiritually dangerous.

Those seeking deeper encounters with God will realise the essential roles of prayer and meditation. These are actually disciplines that cannot safely be allowed to just be free-floating experiments, without high risks of encountering ungodly spiritual entities that may do more harm than good. Without guidance and discernment it may be more difficult to distinguish between the Spirit of God and an array of other spirits trying to influence us.

Here is where Christian traditions and methods start to make our activities safer, while still allowing us to develop spiritually. There are many different Christian “schools of thought” that have developed over time usually around a key proponent during a certain time in history. For example Teresa of Avila, Ignatius of Loyola or John Wesley. Many Christian traditions appear to have been claimed by other faiths as their own. Which can make a little wary of getting it wrong. The one that immediately springs to my mind is meditation and Buddhism. However the early Christian Fathers were meditating before Buddhism was even in existence. We cannot afford to lose our traditions to fear or smoke screen from other beliefs. This is where our discernment is necessary.

There are 5 basic practices that the early church followed in search of spiritual formation:



Home of the Desert Fathers

1.       Reflection on living documents

2.       Lectio Divina or Devine Reading

3.       Silence

4.       Community

5.       Service

  These will give me a framework to look at my own Spiritual Formation. So I will address each area individually as I work through the process in the coming weeks. They are not unfamiliar to me, but my use  of them may have been sporadic at best  in the past. These will grant me a degree of safety navigating the highly charged spiritual world in which I live.

Until next time, keep safe but keep moving on spiritually.

The same rules don't apply.

As a life coach I take people through a process of making decisions and then help them to work out how they can implement those decisions. That is a defined cognitive and sometimes emotional process which can be relatively clear cut.

 

The journey of spiritual formation is a journey to the heart. Which is not cognitive or necessarily rational, it is spiritual and emotional. Therefore the same rules don't apply.

 

One of the observations I have made that there don't seem to be too many constants. When you open your heart to the spiritual world you need to be careful. Not all elements in the spiritual world are good nor interested in your welfare. Sounds encouraging to be involved in spiritual formation doesn't. However having previously been involved in education for 34 years I can affirm to that little learning takes place without mistakes and failures. We must be prepared to risk and confront danger in the search for goodness.

 

I love the way that Henri Nouwen puts it:

 

"But how can avoid this danger? I think by no other way than to enter the heart, the centre of our existence, and become familiar with the complexities of our inner lives. as soon as we feel at home in our own house - discover the dark corners as well as the light spots, the closed doors as well as the drafty rooms - our confusion will evaporate, our anxiety will diminish, and we will capable of creative work and a spiritually informed life."

 

I have experienced this over the past weeks as I purposely open myself to God. I have discovered the dark spots in heart; the judgement, anger and pride for starters. God has highlighted the sin I have chosen to ignore. As I come closer to the Father the light shines onto  my darkness to bring forth confession and allow the healing touch of the Holy Spirit to minister to my heart. I must say it is not always fun being confronted with your own reality. I have understood the importance of the lost discipline of confession but now I know practicing it at a level I haven't experienced previously.

 

I am starting to understand my heart a little more.

And the lights came on!

Isn't funny how things can come together in the most unlikely ways. Connections become clear when you weren't really looking for them, it just happened, in that moment of revelation.

The other night I was working with my Conquer group and the lights went on about a connection I hadn't expected. A Conquer group is a group which helps men deal with their sexual addictions and in particular their problem with pornography. I lead this small group to support men overcome this major issue which is a blight on the 21st century Church and society in general. It is an issue that appears to be more and more rampant as reality comes to the light. After 20 -30 years of the internet revolution the magnitude of pornography's development and the effect that revolution has had is now becoming frighteningly obvious.

The scene is now set so what was the revelation? Well............it dawned on me that on of the major reasons for the growth of pornography on the modern church is in fact of our lack of spiritual formation in any depth. We do not have real understanding of what the Father and the Son were up to in the new covenant and what they means for us. We stay sick because we don't realise the answer is with us all the time. It will take time, effort and a certain amount of pain to heal the wounds that we medicate in so many ways in modern society. From pornography, Facebook or internet shopping to food, we try it all.

So when looking at spiritual formation in any way would be remiss not to use the resources I have available. I am going to look ay The Conquer workbook and 7 Pillars of Freedom as well. I believe they will bring a very practical balance to your life and mine as we explore our journey with God towards Christlikeness.

I am really excited about this because it will bring me real purpose to this process. We are in fact contending for ourselves, our families and many hurting and wounded Christians out there. Let  alone a lost and spiritually oppressed generation that we have been given to introduce to Jesus Christ. As we begin to make sense of the real implications that a deeper spiritual formation will have on us, the potential is breath taking.

In a generation that is content to know information about the Christian faith, we must shift to an understanding of what we truly believe........................... and then use it everywhere we can! We must move that most difficult 12inches from our head to our heart.

"Spiritual formation requires taking an inward journey to the heart" Henri Nouwen

Spiritual Formation is not a formation of the head but a formation of the heart. So unlike the previous year we are not time scheduled with a new topic and author each week. We will slow down and read sources as in "Lectio Divnia". I will read slowly until God brings revelation then I will share what he shows me. I believe there will be multiple sources confirming the same message.



I believe God has just joined strands and passions of my life together in a way I wasn't expecting. I hope it will bless your life too!

New Year in March.

 

Along the lines of some ancient Roman calendars we were going to start our new year at the beginning of March. As we finished our last entry last week, we start considering where we go with our new topic. I have thought about for quite a while and I have decided that I am going to work with two books and see where God takes as we journey through them concurrently.

So you may well ask, what the two books are.

The first is “Spiritual Formation – Following the Movements of the Spirit” by Henri Nouwen with Michael J. Christensen and Rebecca J. Laird. This book was actually written after Henri Nouwen’s death in 1996, being first published in 2011. It is a compilation of Henri’s thoughts from articles, sermons and lectures. I particularly like Henri’s work, so I hope we are in for treat. I have not read either book, so I am literally on the same journey of discovery as you.

The second book is The Good and Beautiful Life by James Bryan Smith. Although I have not read this book I have read the books on either side in the Good and Beautiful Trilogy. They are the Good and Beautiful God and the Good and Beautiful community, sometimes referred to as the apprentice series. These are very sound theologically but imminently readable and practical. This should not only give us some interesting reading but huge scope for growth either in the micro or the macro level.

Next week be prepared to jump in again, into our ongoing journey. Thank you for journeying with me thus far!