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.