Section #3

WHAT IS SPIRITUAL FORMATION?

It is very possible that you have never heard the phrase "spiritual formation." But I am sure you can figure out what it means if you look closely at the words. "Spiritual" is the deepest dimension of life. In the biblical approach to life the spiritual is a close partner with the physical. It cannot really be separated from the physical dimension of life. But it is sometimes helpful to talk about the spiritual as the deeper dimension. That is, spiritual gets beyond the physical needs. It deals with the ultimate and important issues -- such as how one relates to God.

As we progress in our study you will see that the way we threat the body (the physical dimension) affects how deeply spiritual we become. The physical and spiritual dimensions are interwoven like threads in cloth.

The term "formation" refers to the process by which something is formed or developed. When we talk about spiritual formation we are assuming that there is a process taking place. This process changes us so that we become the people God wants us to be.

When we lived on Guam I had several opportunities to observe the construction of traditional proa canoes. Once a builder finds a log he then starts the long process of hallowing it out and shaping it. You can't form a proa in one day! Likewise spiritual formation is a long process. We might even say that it is a life-long process because unlike proas it is never complete. I think that even after we die and are living in the presence of the Lord we will still be in the process of spiritual formation and growth. There is no reason to believe otherwise. When it comes to knowing and relating to God there is always going to be more to learn.

Bill Hull, in his book The Complete Book of Discipleship has a very good definition of spiritual formation.

By definition, spiritual formation is a process through which individuals who have received new life take on the character of Jesus Christ by a combination of effort and grace. The disciple positions himself to follow Jesus. The actual process of reforming, or spiritual formation, involves both God's grace and the individual efforts. (p. 19)

For the sake of theological precision I am going to add that even our efforts are powered by God's grace. When we work at allowing God's transformation to occur in our lives we are in reality allowing the Holy Spirit to make the changes. Sometimes -- maybe most times -- spiritual formation is not really a matter of trying harder or working more. It is about being open to what God is trying to teach you and moving in the direction that he is trying to get you to go. We will talk more about this later.

I also want to add that while spiritual formation is a process through which you as an individual are changed it is not really just about you as an individual. Have you noticed how banana trees resist strong winds, grow stronger, and produce better fruit when they are clustered together? Perhaps the most important factor in your formation is your strong relationship with a group of other Christians who are serious about the process of being transformed by Christ. Furthermore, there is a sense in which you cannot be properly formed unless you are participating in the process of forming others. We are in this process together. Again, we will talk more about this later.

In some ways spiritual formation is like a training routine. I remember one of our students talking in chapel about her father. She had become a really good runner -- excelling in track. The reason she was so good, she said, was that her father created a training routine for her. He helped her figure out which foods would make her strong. He helped her develop stamina through a series of exercises and practice runs. And he was always saying encouraging things to her.

She practiced a set of disciplines so that her body and mind might be formed into the kind of body and mind you need if you are going to run in a big race.

Some of what we do in spiritual formation involves learning how to train ourselves spiritually so that we can run in a big race. But doing the spiritual exercises well is not the end goal. The exercises are not the purpose. We are not measuring how many Bible verses you can memorize or how long you pray. Yes, memorizing Bible verses is good training and the ability to pray longer than 30 seconds is very helpful. But those skills are not really the goals.

My favorite Bible verse on spiritual formation is found in Galatians 4:19 -- "My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you..." (TNIV)

The apostle Paul is miffed (annoyed and angry) with the Christians in Galatia. He thought that they were progressing in their spiritual development. But then they got off the path. They started to think of spiritual growth as a matter of obeying rules and regulations. And there were plenty of religious people near them who were trying to get them to follow their set of religious rules.

Paul says, I feel like a mother going through the painful process of childbirth all over again. That's not the part of the verse which grabs my attention, though. He is playing with the words and metaphor a bit in order to engage the readers. He adds, "...until Christ is formed in you." That is the purpose of the process. That is the goal. Some people see the goal of spiritual formation as learning all the rules and how to "act Christian."

However, the apostle is passionate in his response. That's not it at all, he says. The goal is that "Christ is formed in you."

Perhaps we could have called this class "Christ formation." Our purpose is that Christ himself would be formed in us -- that he might live in and through us -- through you. And as you welcome him into your life you will find that his presence there changes you. You will be transformed.

ASSIGNMENT #3

Formation means that change is taking place. Write a brief essay of at least 400 words telling me about some changes that you would like to see in your life. Not all of these changes have to be spiritual in nature -- but make sure that some are. Perhaps you will want to say something about a change in jobs or a change in a relationship. Maybe you want to change the color of the paint on your house! You can go into as much detail as you are comfortable with. My purpose in this assignment is to get you thinking and writing about change and possibilities in your life. Ultimately, I want to hear about how a growing relationship with Christ fits in with all of that.

If you are having trouble getting started you can use an opening sentence like this, "There are five changes that I would like to see in my life over the next five years. They are..."

List and develop your ideas. Say why you think the changes are necessary.

I always hold what you say in pastoral confidence. That means I do not share with anyone what you are saying unless it appears to me that somehow your life or the life of another person is in danger.

It is possible to earn up to 30 points for this assignment if your ideas are well developed and clearly expressed.

Again, email your essay to me at bboydston@piu.org . Write your essay in the email itself -- or if you use a word processor, copy and paste the essay into the email. Make sure that your name, the name which you used to register for this class, appears at the top of the essay.

I will respond to you as soon as possible. Do not wait for a response from me before you start working on your next assignment.