Spiritual Formation and the Spiritual Disciplines (or Practices), though ancient ideas, are getting a good bit of air-time these days, and for good reason. For a long while it seemed that growing churches gained priority over growing in Christlikeness, and the fruit of that shift is self-evident. So for those previously baptised in these ancient streams, this fresh emersion is an encouraging sign.
Of course, as with any new trend - no matter how good - the risk exists of getting wrapped up in the “what” and “how” but losing track of the “why”.
For this reason, a few months ago I began working on a small devotional-style guide introducing some of these classic spiritual disciplines/exercises/practices to our church’s Connect Groups.
I thought from time to time I’d bring an excerpt from this project to my Substack subscribers. I welcome your thoughts and feedback as the project is still in the revision and editing stage.
Below is the introduction to the devotional guide which offers the heart of the “why” for the project and the practices as a whole.
John 15:7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is my commandment: that you love one another as I have loved you.
What an invitation from Jesus. Did you notice his metaphor? It’s a good one. He uses the imagery of a garden and it’s no surprise - garden imagery, or more accurately, Eden imagery is used throughout the scriptures.1 In the passage, Jesus speaks of our life as his followers as being like a securely rooted vine (representing God’s Kingdom) that easily and naturally produces fruit (representing our growth into Christlikeness).
This is the heart of what we call Spiritual Formation. Spiritual formation is the process by which we are shaped into the image and likeness of Christ for the sake of others.2
The imagery from Jesus stands as a reminder that everything we need for true life is found by staying connected to him.
However, this thought brings up some really important questions, especially for those of us who might be willing to courageously admit that we don’t always live out of the fullness of joy spoken about in this passage.
Was Jesus mistaken? Did he mispeak? Or is it possible that the missing link is on our end?
The passage above suggests it is because we are not “abiding” or remaining in him. So what are the things that keep pulling us away from this abiding connection and how might we address these issues so we can live out the abundant life found only in him?
Well, I’m glad you asked! This little booklet is meant to help us (re)discover some of the tested and proven ways of living connected to the vine (God and his Kingdom). These “ways” are known by various names: rhythms of grace,3 disciplines of the spiritual life,4 spiritual exercises,5 or as we will refer to them here: spiritual practices.6
What exactly are spiritual practices? Perhaps this is a helpful analogy:
Imagine finding out a friend is organising a half-marathon for a cause that you both care deeply about. The event is six months away and you want to participate. The only problem is that you’ve never run further than from the couch to the pantry during a TV ad break.
What do you do?
Are you sidelined by your couch-potatohood, unable to support your friend?
Thankfully, not at all!
As it turns out, there are targeted, strategic exercises which you can immediately engage in your daily life that will help get you ready for the race. There are also qualified people and experienced friends who can assist in the training process.
Take that, potatohood!
Now, I realise that this may seem like a strange example. But the reality is that this same principle applies to our spiritual growth.
How?
Well, if you know that you want to live, abiding in God’s presence, and walking in the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control), but find yourself struggling with jealousy, pride, busyness, anger, lust, greed, offence, fear, or any countless number of issues - issues that keep pulling us away from God’s life-giving vine - there are specific practices that target these areas of our life so that we can strengthen our spiritual muscles.
Practices like solitude, fasting, hospitality, simplicity, rest, prayer, study, and many others serve as the means by which we overcome the traps that hold us back from experiencing the joy that comes from abiding in God.
Now, it is always important to say that these practices do not place you more firmly in God’s love. Nor do they make you more “saved”. That work is done by Jesus and Jesus alone. However, the degree to which we are laying aside our ways of life and becoming like Jesus - in our being, thinking, and doing - has a lot to do with how we arrange the details of our lives.
It’s also worth saying that this project isn’t about simply giving out more information. We have plenty of information. It’s not hard to see that information alone is not really bringing us the kind of formation that we desperately need. Genuine change doesn’t come from simply knowing more things. The ability to rattle off data or win an argument about which quad exercise is the best for long-distance running doesn’t get you any closer to actually running the marathon. It’s important, but not sufficient. At some point the data has to hit the dusty streets if real transformation is going to occur.
While it is abundantly true that the Holy Spirit is the one doing the transforming work, we are still given the choice to either resist or cooperate with that work. Engaging the practices/disciplines/exercises then, is about finding ways that we can partner with, rather than push against, the rhythms of grace the Spirit is already orchestrating in our lives.
So over the next few weeks, we’ll dive into a handful of these classic spiritual practices. In each, I will offer a few tips for practicing and a handful of questions for both individual and group reflection.
Until then,
peace and JOY!!
-Phil
If you weren’t aware of this before, don’t tell the 582 pages in Terje Stordalen’s monograph, Echoes of Eden: Genesis 2-3 and Symbolism of the Eden Garden in Biblical Hebrew Literature
This is the definition given by Mulholland in M. Robert Mulholland, Invitation to a Journey: A Road Map for Spiritual Formation (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), 16.
Eugene Peterson (Matthew 11:28-30 MSG)
Dallas Willard, Robert Mulholland, Richard Foster, Ruth Haley Barton, and many others.
St. Ignatius of Loyola (16th-century Spanish priest and founder of The Society of Jesus - aka, the Jesuits)
This has become a quite popular term recently currently due to John Mark Comer’s recent writing, which brings the work of Willard, Foster, and many others forward into a modern conversation on these topics.