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spiritual formation…great article by Dallas Willard Coming Back from a Near (Church) Death Experience

4 Comments (+add yours?)

1. josh
   Jan 20, 2010 @ 12:53:17

   good post. two questions.
   (1) do you see a difference between “spiritual formation” and “sanctification”?

   (2) you mention “the disciplines,” but you never specify what they are. since you seem to be basing your work on dallas willard, i would assume this refers to his own list set forth in his book on the spiritual disciplines: fasting, prayer, solitude, etc. if not, could you list some of the disciplines that you think are important for spiritual formation?

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2. chriswilliamsde
   Jan 20, 2010 @ 16:51:05

   @josh…(1) I guess it depends on how you define sanctification. If you mean sanctification as a “setting apart for holy use,” then sanctification would be an act that is foundational to spiritual formation in that one must be consecrated to God in order for God to truly work in a transformative way inside that person’s life. If you mean sanctification as the process which one goes through in order to become holy, then I would have to say that spiritual formation and sanctification are closely related. Spiritual formation (meaning our engagement in the disciplines of the faith to put ourselves in a place to be formed by the Holy Spirit to be more like Christ) is a way in which sanctification happens. It may not be the only way it happens, but it is certainly one of the primary ways. Make sense? Do you have a different perspective?

   (2) The list Willard gives are the primary ones I had in mind. I am not particularly stuck on his list, though. I do think that the main ones for the Christian to master as a primary are prayer and Scripture (reading, meditating, study, etc.). This is a basic necessity for us to grow. What’s your take on the disciplines necessary for growth?

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3. josh
   Jan 26, 2010 @ 17:47:02

   chris,
   just now getting to this (i thought i clicked the trackback notification, but i guess not).

   i was thinking about “progressive sanctification,” so i don;t really have a different perspective. i was just curious since “spiritual formation” is such a buzzword these days. i have never really grasped the real difference between the two.

   i think that the disciplines are necessary for growth. i struggle with what they actually look like in practice though. what is meditation? when the OT talks about meditating it seems to imply mouthing words of scripture (or speaking them out loud). there did not seem to be too much room for “individualized” spirituality divorced from the community of Israel. in our context, however, we are all about going into our prayer closets or having our own quiet time. i realize that Jesus practiced this, but i’m confused how to balance individual spiritual growth with community.

   i also feel that as a student, my disciplines can be dangerously close to self-serving (perhaps that is true of non-students as well). in the academic world, we read the bible not just for growth, but for a grade (or for a sermon or a lesson plan etc.). this makes me wonder if my “study” should look different because of my current placement in life.

   beyond my general questions, i have a hard time actually practicing the disciplines too. prayer, fasting…they are hard (hence disciplines, i guess!).

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4. chriswilliamsde
   Feb 03, 2010 @ 08:58:58

   Josh…

   Practicing spiritual formation is a challenge, especially in the West with our noisy, busy lives. Because of that we struggle to find the time for disciplines and we lack the relational connection necessary to practice confession and accountability. However, there is great benefit from finding ways to pursue this lifestyle.

   Two books have been extremely helpful for me…Sacred Pathways by Gary Thomas and The Life You’ve Always Wanted by John Ortberg. I am recommending Sacred Pathways to you because of your comment about reading the Bible for your academic pursuits. Thomas would suggest that this is a viable way to develop your relationship with God, especially if your pathway is “intellectual.” The key is leveraging the academics as a spiritual formation pursuit…connecting the head knowledge with your heart. For me personally, I encounter God in study. Rather than bemoan that fact, I lean into it and spend more time than most reading and thinking.

   I recommend Ortberg’s book because he does a good job delineating our part and God’s part in the process. The short section on Training vs. Trying to be godly and Boundary Marker Spirituality is worth the price of the book.

   One more thing about reading the Bible for a grade or a sermon…as church leaders we read the Bible for ourselves and for others. So reading to get a grade (I’d probably say “reading to learn” and reading for devotions and reading for sermon prep should all blend together. Why can’t reading done for a class be devotional? Why should your sermons flow out of class work or even your personal devotional time? I see no reason to draw lines here; just make the goal the same for all them to learn who God is and share him with others. Make sense?

   My thoughts…hope there is something in here that helps. Grace and peace!

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spiritual formation…great article by Dallas Willard Coming Back from a Near (Church) Death Experience