Spiritual Formation

There's a book being written online called anewkindofconversation. Basically several people are writing chapters and then anyone is invited to comment on them. The comments may then appear in the book when it is published later.  Brian McLaren's chapter on spiritual formation went online yesterday and makes some good points. He says spiritual growth and health = knowledge + experiences + relationships + practices + suffering + service + time.  I particularly like his points on 'practices' and 'suffering'.  He says

The monastic tradition offers a new repetoire of practices whose function is not in acquiring knowledge but rather in acquiring mastery of the self. For example, fasting masters appetites and impulses. Contemplation and meditation master attention. Silence and solitude master pride. Simplicity, generosity, and hospitality master greed. But these practices do more than master the self: they also develop faculties much as exercise develops muscles – concentration, discernment, awareness of the presence of God, humility, and so on.

But in spiritual formation, experiences of suffering are seen as essential to the development of virtue. For example, without suffering fear, there is no courage. Without suffering annoyance, there is no longsuffering or forbearance. Without suffering injury, there is no mercy or forgiveness.

Spiritual formation is much needed in our churches.  It is not something which can be found through attending a course or reading a book.  It is the life-long journey with God, with his church, and with his world.

 

Comments

[brodie]

cheers for the heads up on this

[ash]

This is a very interesting article, thanks for the link Andy.

I think I'm probably too early on in this to comment, save to say that he eloquently vocalises a lot of what I'd been thinking (mostly without knowing it).

There is a quote in Celtic Daily Prayer which seems apt: 'The renewal of the church will come from a new type of monasticism which only has in common with the old an uncompromising allegiance to the Sermon on the Mount. It is high time men and women banded together to do this' from Dietrich Bonhoeffer.