My Philosophy of Spiritual Formation

Definition
I define spiritual formation as the process of being formed by God into the very image of Christ as we are immersed in the streams of a wide orthodoxy, diving into intimacy with others and the Trinity. Or as Robert Mulholland succinctly expresses it, Spiritual formation is the “process of being conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of others." To put it in terms more familiar to the church, spiritual formation describes how discipleship happens.

Jesus said he came to bring life and life to its full (John 10:10). Living in the kingdom of heaven means living that eternal kind of life now. There is within us the desire for the depths of relationship with Christ that make this full, abundant life possible.

Deep calls to deep
at the thunder of your cataracts;
all your waves and your billows
have gone over me. Psalm 42:7 (NRSV)

Spiritual formation is the process that leads us into the depths of this new kind of life. How desirable is this union with God for the sake of others around us!

The goal of Spiritual formation is wholeness. Our relationship with Christ is worked throughout our lives like the kneading of dough. It is pervasive, transforming our every relationship and passion. In addition to the integration of the spiritual into every aspect of our daily lives, spiritual formation also seeks to integrate the great streams of Christian tradition, incorporating the charismatic and the sacramental, the evangelical and the incarnational, the social justice and the contemplative. This is what I mean by a wide orthodoxy; each tradition offers great experiences and is necessary for a well-rounded spirituality.

How and Who
Spiritual transformation isn’t something we can accomplish under our own power. This is where the classic spiritual practices, the spiritual disciplines, come in. The disciplines put us in a place where God’s grace is moving. Disciplines like prayer, study, meditation, service, solitude, silence, worship, guidance and the like, are things we can do to cultivate our relationship with God. As we draw near to God it is God’s work to transform us into the image of Christ.

Is spiritual formation for the normal Christian, or is it only for an elite? God desires a relationship with each of us. God claims us as God’s own beloved. Since this movement toward God and transformation to look like Christ is the work of the Spirit, it is available to everyone regardless of age or capacity.
Too often the church has neglected the ability of some individuals to live a rich life in the depths of God. Children, the elderly, the mentally handicapped, and other marginalized people still have available to them the promise of abundant spiritual life. We dare not neglect them, but instead we need to create an environment where spiritual formation can naturally happen for all individuals in the community.

Spiritual Formation in the Congregation
The church faces two dangers at it approaches spiritual formation. On one hand we face inaction. Too often we have been comfortable with people “making a decision for Christ” and occupying the pews for Sunday services. Inaction neglects the possibility of transformation in their lives, and at best offers how-to sermons and ethics courses based on the Ten Commandments, falling short of new abundant life.
On the other hand we are tempted to make spiritual formation into a program. We may create classes to move people around bases teaching them how to be good members and ministers. Real disciples aren’t formed solely in the classroom but through everyday experiences with God.

So what is the role of the church?

Since God is working and the Spirit is drawing us to Christ to be transformed, the church needs to become good at helping people recognize where God is at work in their daily lives.

To do this we need to offer hospitality, which is space for people to grow and experience God. We need to model the disciplines and lives passionately in love with God. In this way we create an environment where the work of God is embraced and spiritual formation naturally occurs.