Yearly writings have become my thing…
And a lot has happened in the last year. More than I could possibly put on this post. But one thing that has happened, or continued to happen, has been my continued interest in the topic of spiritual formation. About three years ago now, I found myself wondering why my knowledge about the Bible continued to grow, but there seemed to be little transformation happening in my life. In fact, the thing that had grown me the most was pain and suffering, not reading my Bible, hearing sermons, or participation in the Church (and I’m a pastor).
Instead, three years ago, I discovered the work of Pete Scazzero, listening to his work, The Emotionallly Healthy Leader. He was using phrases like silence and solitude, geneogram, slow-down spirituality. All of these phrases I was unfamiliar with and seemed foreign to me. But as I listened, I realized that I was longing for something like what he was describing. How could I integrate spiritual practices other than bible reading and prayer into my life? How could I truly slow down in the midst of a world that is fast-paced, demanding of my time and attention? How could I grow in deeper intimacy with Christ with something more than just an increase in head knowledge. Enter this idea of Spiritual Formation.
Except its more than an idea or a concept, spiritual formation proves to be much more. It is a way of life. Which is why Bible reading and information alone could not change my life. I needed something that integrated the entirety of myself; body, mind, and soul change. Now, before I jump too far ahead, let me first say, that everyone is being spiritually formed. The question is not are you being formed, but what are you allowing to form you. John Mark Comer puts it this way,
“The question isn’t are you being formed? It’s who or what are you being formed into? We are all disciples of someone or something. The only question is, who’s discipling you?”
It’s worth pondering. “Who is discipling me?”
Is it the shows I watch on Netflix? Is it the people I call my friends? Is it the Church that I attend? Is it Christ? I truly can’t answer that for you. Only you can with deep self-analysis. But again, its worth asking.
Of course, as a Christian, I want to be formed by Christ. So then, what does spiritual formation mean when Christ is at the center? Or, maybe phrased this way, What is biblical spiritual formation? To answer this question, I turn to a couple of men who have helped me over the years truly understand this process: Dallas Willard, Richard Foster, and Henri Nouwen.
“Spiritual formation for the Christian basically refers to the Spirit-driven process of forming the inner world of the human self in such a way that it becomes like the inner being of Christ himself.” — Dallas Willard
“Spiritual formation is the shaping of our spirits into the likeness of Christ, for the sake of others. It is the shaping and forming of the entire person in God’s love, mercy, and truth.” —Richard Foster
“Spiritual formation is the gradual and unending process of life in Christ, not just the perfection of the soul, but the preparation of our hearts to live in a loving relationship with others.” — Henri Nouwen
You can summarize these definitions with the follow:
- A gradual and slow process
- Spirit-Driven
- To become like Christ in mind, body, and soul (Entire Person)
- For the sake of others
There are many others things to consider in Spiritual Formation, but I start with these because they are keys (and its what Willard, Foster, and Nouwen say) to understanding what Spiritual formation is and is not.
My hope is that in the next few weeks I’ll be able to unpack these points a little more. I am by no means an expert as the men listed above me certainly are, but I hope I can at least be another voice on the journey with those reading to grow more like Christ!
Grace and Peace!
Eric Ortscheid 