This song is a spontaneous ballad Misty Edwards often sings about the story of the Harlot from John 8. It is on her latest ablum, "The Measure of Love." This version done in the Prayer Room is as good as any. She does such a great job of telling the story and bringing it to life.
To seek God
means first of all
to let yourself be found by him.
He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
He is the God of Jesus Christ.
He is your God
not because He is yours
but because you are His.
To choose God
is to realize that you are known and loved
in a way surpassing anything you can imagine
long before anyone had thought of you or spoken
your name.
- Exerpt from Living With Contradiction: An Introduciton to Benedictine Spirituality by Ester de Waal
I have been on a hermitage retreat this weekend at Pacem in Terris. While there, I spent some time reading Watchman Nee's book, The Normal Christian Life. The section I have been reading is largely taken from Romans 6 and 7. Here are some quotes that spoke to me. It may be helpful to keep this verse in mind as we read these quotes.
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20.
"Many people think we become holy by extraction of something evil within. No, we become holy by being separated unto God." p. 102ff
"Presenting myself to God implies a recognition that I am altogether his." p. 103
"We cannot expect the Lord to live out his life in us if we do not give him our lives in which to live. Without reservations, without controversy, we must give ourselves to him to do as he pleases." p. 104-5, rf Romans 6:13
"I must first have the sense of God's possession of me before I can have the sense of his presence with me." p. 105
"When once we have made the discovery that we are the dwelling place of God, then a full surrender of ourselves to God must follow." p. 144
"Revelation is the first step to holiness, and consecration is the second." p.144ff
“In the same way, my friends, you have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God.” Romans 7:4.
"For our every attempt to do his will is a denial of his declaration in the Corss that we are uttlerly powerless to do so. It is a misunderstanding on the one hand of God's demand and on the other hand of the source of supply." p. 168ff
"In the matter of forgiveness we look to Chirst on the Cross; in the matter of deliverance from sin and of doing the will of God we look to Christ in our hearts. For the one we depend on what he has done; for the other we depend on what he will do in us; but in regard to both, our dependence is on him alone. From start to finish, he is the One who does it all." p. 172
“for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13.
“And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18.
God motivates with a vision, set fixed before our eyes. As we respond to this vision we are transformed into His image. So often we make being a follower of Jesus overly complicated.
At the most basic level, a Christian is a follower of Jesus (Acts 11:26). When we talk about being a follower of Jesus, we tend to ask, "What does a follower of Jesus do -- what do they look like?" From there we start focusing on do's and don'ts of being a follower of Jesus. A follower of Jesus prays, reads the Bible, goes to church, helps the poor. A follower of Jesus is not greedy, does not gossip, and avoids immorality. This model solidifices a list of behaviors into a standard to which we hold people. The next assumed task is to try to get people to act like followers of Jesus, which often is interpreted as applying the do's and don'ts to one's life. This is problemmatic, because most of us are inconsistent in our following of Jesus, so that brings us under judgement and exposes us to the accusation of hypocracy.
This kind of thinking also leads to a tiered idea of being a Christian. On the first level, we have those who merely acknowledge the title, and then those who have various degrees of religious behavior, and then those who talk about being a "follower or disciple" and then there are those who seem to genuinely start to resemple Jesus in the context of their life. This last category we often call "saints" -- those who we suppose have some special calling or relationship with God, ignoring the fact that the term "saint" in the Bible is typically applied to all Christians. This tiered model was never what Jesus had in mind.
Being a follower of Jesus is a statement of identity first, and a statement of action, second. What we do flows out of who we are.
Christians are followers of Jesus (Acts 11:26, 1 John 2:3-6). There are no tiers or categories implied here. We either follow Jesus and His teachings, or we are not being a Christian. Unless we receive Christ at our dying breath, we are expected to be followers of Jesus. Being a follower implies we have taken the intentional steps in agreement with the one we are following. This brings us to the idea of being imitators of Jesus.
Followers imitate the one they are following (Ephesians 5:1-2, 1 John 2:4-6, Luke 9:23). They walk in his steps, and submit to his leadership. It implies observation, which brings me to the next point.
We imitate Jesus by observing Him, by learning about him and his teaching, by interacting with him, and responding to him. This fixing our gaze on Jesus works upon us to transform us. (John 14:12; 2 Corinthians 3:18). This is where motivation comes in. We see Jesus, and imitate him, following him in his teachings and ways. Sure, we do things, but first comes the vision to the one we love; the one we are following. The vision motivates us toward transformation.
We can do nothing apart from our abiding relationship with God in love. (John 15:5; Gallatians 2:20; 3:3; Ephesians 3:17; 1 John 3:16-17, 24, 4:7-8). Again, our motivation is found in a heart motivated by the vision, which in turn produces a desire to collaborate with God.
Again, this transformation does not take place according to our religious programs and curriculum. God starts where the individual is at, and works on the necessary thing of the moment. As confounding as this might be to our religious leaders, it is the way God works. Keeping Christ central in our teachings and spiritual vision is the key in this process.
Jesus summed all the "law and prophets" (scriptural teachings) up with the love commandment (Matthew 22:37:40) -- Love God with all our being, and love others. John describes an abiding love (1 John 4:16-17). I am reminded of the Misty Edwards refrain: "God's in love with me, and I'm in love with God. That's who I am, and that's who I wll be. That settles it, completely."
Love is perfected in relation to others (1 John 4:11-12). Love is relational. Our Triune God embodies love. We abide in God and God in us as we abide in love. We love God as we love others. The Kingdom of God is a kingdom powered by self-sacrificing agape love. Jesus is the Servant of All (cf. Mark 9:35). If we are to be followers of Jesus, we need to follow him in this kind of love (Matthew 16:24-25; 1 Corinthians 13:4-17). Love is the motivating force behind in the vision.
The ultimate question each follower of Jesus will be asked is, "Did you learn to love?"
Sometimes life seems to have gaps. Not that there are really moments where there is missing data or experience, but at sometimes, time goes by and then I look back and say, "Has it really been that long?" It is hard to believe my last post on this blog was in April. In some ways, the gaps are representative of how things seem to be going for me this year, yet I have not been idle.
Often when I am asked about what I am doing, I answer that I have been busy. By being busy, one would think there is a lot happening to report on. However, much of the business is doing routine things: I go to work, do chores around the house, visit with friends and family, read books, watch TV and movies, and so on. These are the things of life and we fill our time up with them -- thus we are "busy."
Ironically, being busy often means that I do not have time to do what I really would like. For example, I have a number of books on my desk that I had good intentions of reporting on in book reviews on this blog. However, as these things pile up, they become a reminder of what I wish I could be doing, rather than many of the things I spend my time doing.
I am writing this with the intent to start blogging more consistently. As a result, I would like to do a quick catch up.
One of the books I finished reading is "Love Alone is Credible" by Hans Urs Von Balthasar, a Catholic theologian. I have run across Balthasar a few times in my studies, and had him on my wish list. A while back Misty Edwards posted a quote from him, and that pushed me to go ahead and read some of his books. This book is about what makes Christianity credible. When looking at what is uniquely distinctive of the Christian faith, he concludes that its teachings of love alone stands out as making Christianity credible. Balthasar explores this in detail in this book. It was an interesting read, though Balthasar has a way of making prenthetical statements within his sentences, which makes the book a difficult read. I don't know if this is typical for his writings. The book is definitely worth reading, if you are wanting to explore the topic of love and the Christian faith.
Another book I read was "Following Jesus: Biblical Reflections on Discipleship" by N.T. Wright. Wright explores what it means to follow Jesus in this excellent, easy to read, book. The book is in two parts. Part One explores Jesus, as revealed in the New Testiment books of Hebrews, Colossians, Matthew, John, Mark, and Revelation. These chapters are devotional in nature, exploring Jesus from the perspective of the writer's primary thematic emphesis on Jesus. Part Two explores the topic of Jesus as a living sacrifice. Wright includes chapters on the ressurection, renewal of the mind, temptation, hell, heaven and power, and new life-new world. I found Wright's book to be fresh and exciting. I highly recommend it to all who seek to be followers of Jesus.
One more point about Wright's book. His chapter on Hell was very interesting, as he brought in some correctives to certain common ideas of hell that are not exactly supported by scripture. It was refreshing, and actually practical. It prompted me to explore some related theologies more. I have a couple books in my "stack to read" waiting for me to find the right time.
I am currently re-reading Watchman Nee's, "The Normal Christian Life." It has been a while since I read this book, and I am still working through it. In it, he discusses the exhchanged life, as taught by Hudson Taylor. This prompted me to read the Book "Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret" by Dr. & Mrs. Howard Taylor. Wow, awesome book! Taylor, a 19th Century missionary to China, was a man of prayer and faith. He repeatedly, trusted all that he had and needed to God in prayer. As a result, his life powerfully shows the power of prayer and the faithfulness of God. In his total surrender to God, Taylor found the key to abiding in Christ. The book ought to change any Christian's life, and I also recommend it for those considering missionary work.
"God does not give us overcoming life: He gives us life as we overcome." To him the secret of overcoming lay in daily, hourly fellowship with God; and this, he found, could only be maintained by secret prayer and feeding upon the Word through which He reveals Himself to the waiting soul." p. 238
Taylor took to heart the promise of the Lord to give us living waters (John 4:14). That living water spring up out of his his daily walk with God, and through them, he found all he needed in the face of the many trials he faced in that life.
"Hudson Taylor stopped at no sacrifices in following Christ. "Cross-loving men are needed..." p. 214
It is not possible to do this little book justice in this short review. It is inspirational, challenging, simple, and yet, profound. It is a must read for any Christian. I am looking forward to starting Watchman Nee's "Changed into His Likeness" soon. Watch for the review.
Another book I have been reading recently is "The Fire of God," by John Michael Talbot. This hard to find little book is proving to be wonderfully good and very pratical. I have enjoyed every book of Talbot's that I have read. It is about the work of the fire of God in our lives and overcoming the "fires" of this world. I have been going through this book quickly, and hope to be done soon. Of course, I am reading a number of other books, which I will report on when I get done with them.
I guess as I refect back, I find that I have accomplished many things over the last few months, even if life's business has seemly pushed me forward in a way that causes me to lose track of time.
This is a book review for Joshua Choonmin Kang's book, Deep-Rooted In Christ: The Way of Tranformation.
The book title caught my eye, though I had not heard of Joshua Choonmin Kang, the pastor of Oriental Mission Church in Los Angeles, California. However, he is one of the many people endorsed by Richard Foster.
I enjoyed this book very much. It's focus on being deep-rooted in Christ resonated well with where the Lord has taken me in my walk. It reminds me of Ephesians 3:14-21 and John 15. Writing from the perspective of the contemplative tradition, Kang shows how the various spiritual disciplines can come together, along with the work of the Holy Spirit in us, to form Christ in us and to root us deeply in Christ.
You can look at the table of contents to get a sense of the message it has (see the link to Amazon.com). I found the book to be an easy read, which was good as a devotional. It is not exactly a how-to book, but then it connects the spiritual disciplines with the process of being rooted in Christ. In some ways it is very practical. I suspect it is one of those books I will have to read a few times.
I am struck by how Kang writes from experience, not just intellectual knowledge. He reflects on the ways of God and the person who God wants us to be. This can be both exciting and challenging, as we fall short of the goal. Tranformation is a process, and this book is about that process.
At one point he reflects about the wilderness. "Where does God devleop a servant? In the wilderness." (p. 73) "In the desert those who have trusted only in themselves and others learn to put their faith in God. The Word of God and the Holy Spirit are the teachers. Yes, the curriculum is devoted to suffering, but that's where the lambs become lions. That's where ordinary people become extraordinary men and woment of God." (p. 74)
I highly recommend this book, and being deep-rooted in Christ is very much a part of what it means to practice Christ.
I Burn For You. This is a short article by Misty Edwards on the love of God. We hear things like this, but do we really believe them? Yet, scripture tells us:
Jesus himself said:
This is the reason Paul's prayer for the Ephesians shows up so often in notes and posts to people. Love. We cannot know it fully, yet we can be deeply rooted in it, and we can pursue love through our relationship with the God who is love.
Last night I was reading in "Deep-Rooted in Christ" (previously referenced) and I ran across the following statement.
"Every spiritual leader needs discernment about God's time. ... In Issachar, one of the twelve tribes of Israel, there were 'those who had understanding of the times'..." (p. 77)
This struck me as one of those, "does it really say that" moments so I looked up the reference. Referring to David's army at Hebron it says:
Of Issachar, those who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, two hundred chiefs, and all their kindred under their command. 1 Chronicles 12:32
There it is. One of those little bits of information barried within scripture.
Reading on in "Deep-Rooted" Kang observes:
One distinguishing characteristic of those who are spiritually trained in the desert is their willingness to move only on God's timeline, to respond only God's voice (p.78)
True enough. As previously noted, we need to learn to wait on the Lord. God's people are not always good at waiting. I know I'm not. Yet we need to learn to wait. As we learn this, I have found that I enter the period of waiting with a sense of expectancy, knowing that God will respond.
It strikes me that there is also another side of the "waiting coin." Sometimes we are given an opportunity, and God's people are not ready, or willing, to respond. When Israel sent the twelve scounts into the promised land, ten came back saying "no way" and two came back saying, "let's go!" The ten prevailed, and Israel spent 40 years more wandering in the desert while God waited for those stubborn people to die off (Numbers 13 &14). Yet, this is what the Lord said of Caleb, of of the two.
But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me wholeheartedly, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it. Numbers 14:24
We need to be willing to follow the Lord wholeheartedly.
While there are times when we need to wait on God, there are many other times God seems to have to wait for us. Many times when this happens, God just finds someone else to do the work, or the work goes undone.
I was reflecting on what causes God's people to not do what the Lord asks of them. All kinds of things came to mind: sin, pride, gossip, desentions, resentment, unforgiveness, fear, unbelief, etc. Then I realized all these things can be summed up as a lack of surrender.
We need to learn the way of surrender, the way of the cross. We need to learn to walk humbly and wholeheartedly with the Lord (cf. Micah 6:8). Then we will see God do the things we long for in our lives, churches, and current situation.
When we learn to surrender, then we will learn to know what time it is.
Sometimes I get frustrated with the way my walk with the Lord is going. It seems there is not enough happening and that I am not doing as well as I would like. Last night I was reading a book, and was reminded of something which I knew, but sometimes seem to forget.
One of the books I am actively reading is a book called "Deep-Rooted in Christ: The Way of transformation" by Joshua Choonmin Kang. He makes the following observations:
[Quoting Richard Foster he observes:] "The needed change within us is God's work, not ours. The demand is for an inside job, and only God can work from the inside." (p. 68)
The confusion was eventually wiped away when I read Colossians: "To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me" (Colosians 1:29 NIV). (p.69)
The Holy Spirit who endows us with grace is also the Spirit of discipline. The Holy Spirit is the one who empowers us for discipline. He guides us through the disciplines of prayer, fasting, meditation, solitude and self-control. ... Only by the Holy Spirit can we receive the strength to engage in spiritual disciplines. (p.70)
As we are reminded by Paul,"for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure." Philippians 2:13
We are to work out our salvation (Phil 2:12), but it is God who is at work in us. Only God can form Christ in us. Only God can deliver us from evil. I am struck by how this comes out in the Lord's Prayer:
“Pray then in this way:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not bring us to the time of trial,
but rescue us from the evil one." Matthew 6:9 – 13 (emphasis mine)
Grasping the fact that it is God who works in us to form Christ, things get a bit easier, but that requires faith. "Lord I believe, help my unbelief" (Mk 9:24). God is faithful even when we are faithless (2 Tim 2:13). Have faith in God.
You might say, "That is all fine, but why is He taking so much time to do that work?" Well Kang follows this with another set of observations.
Where does God develop as servant? In the wilderness. Yes, as the Bible reveals, God enrolls his servants in the rough-and-tumble school of the wilderness. (p. 73)
"The way of God is the wilderness," Misty Edwards sings.
In the desert those who have trusted only in themselves and others learn to put their faith in God. The Word of God and the Holy Spirit are the teachers. (p. 74)
One way we are trained in the desert is by waiting. ... Many great figures of the Bible went through long periods of waiting before God sent them into action. They were restless while God was molding them, but eventually their spirituality matured. (p. 75)
The forty seemingly insignificant years that Moses spent in the desert were hard years. The most challenging thing he had to suffer was the silence of God. (p.76)
Yet, as Kang observes so well:
A waiting moment will never be a wasted moment. (p. 76)
With this in mind, many discipleship "programs" seem strange, in that there seems to be a sense that we must "do" something, or have something "done to us." Maybe it is not stated that way, but isn't that they way we often take it? Let us wait on the Lord His work.
From ages past no one has heard,
no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who works for those who wait for him. Isaiah 64:4
I recently wrote a long post on Spiritual Formation Discipleship. This post identifies 10 principles and associated practices for a relational discipleship model. The story of how this came about is in two other posts, and each of these are linked to in the above referenced post. I also put links to the SFD posts in the blog Mission, Vision, and Practices (see links on main blog page. With all this in mind, the question I have is: "How do all these methods, principles, and practices relate? What differientiates these from each other?" In this post, I will reflect on the answers to these questions.
The Spiritual Formation Discipleship (SPD) model was for me the predicessor to the other models I have written about in this blog, even though I just now finished documenting it. The best way to understand the SPD model is to read the story of how it sprung up from our spiritual retreat ministry. In the retreat ministry, we setup a loose structure that allowed people to encounter God. We provided some pointers and general practices that might be helpful, but it was really up to God to respond. It was a faith thing, where we trusted the Holy Spirit to meet each person during the retreat. He always did.
In the same way, the SPD model is a loose structure that sets up an environment for encountering God, and for engaging the natural process of spiritual formation which the Holy Spirit desires for all followers of Jesus. It does not tell you how to do anything, but just notes some guidelines. It is also a model aimed at someone who is going to disciple someone else. The principle of uniqueness, for instance, reminds us that we cannot use the same methods, starting points, and process for everyone. Each person starts with their uniqueness (see the principle commentary), and goes on from there.
The idea of SPD is that the individual starts where they are at, and learns these principles and practices, and applies them to their life. For example, we start with uniqueness, and using Holy Listening, and other practices, explore our uniqueness. Our mentors help us understand the practices, such as journaling, lectio divina, or various types of prayer. The goal is to learn the basic tools of the practices, and to make the paradigm shift into being a disciple. Ideally, this includes having a mentor who has gone on ahead of us. Our mentors ideally should be someone who shares some of our unique qualities.
The Mission, Vision, and Values of this blog represents a focused definition of the practice of Christ. It is related to being a disciple, and the principles and practices of SPD are assumed. This provides a type of structure and vision for the blog, but it also is a good summary of what it means to practice Christ, which in turn, is a good summary of what a disciple might "look like."
There are many ways one might define a disciple of Jesus, but each must have certain qualities. It must be love centered, reflecting loving God and loving others and abiding love. It needs to include intimacy with God, and collaboration with the Holy Spirit. Holiness (purity), generosity, and justice are also key to Jesus' teachings, and therefore to being his follower. Jesus also specifically emphsized the way of the cross -- dying to self. We are not to be isolated from others (even if we are hermits), but rather, to work out our discipleship in fellowship and community with others. Finally, we are sent ones, who are sent out to be ambassors for the Kingdom of God; ministers of reconcilliation. These are key attributes that any definition of being a disciple needs to include.
Of course, there is a rich depth to Christianity, and many other things that spring out of what I have noted above. We are to look forward to Jesus' return and the consummation of the ages (eschatology). It is good to understand the Bible and Jesus as the promised Messiah. Good theology is helpful, and bad theology can be damaging. We should be able to discern betweent the two. We live in a spiritual world, so we should understand what that means and how to discern spiritual things. All of this and more is a part of the Christian faith. What we must be careful about, though, is universalizing our own uniqness and expect or judge others to live out their faith just like us. I would also suggest that our particular denominational association reflects our uniqueness, so we should not consider one denomination more "correct" than another. My point here is that there is more to discover about Christianity than these simple models. However, these models center in on the core principles and practices that will lead us in the way of being a disciple of Jesus.
I also have noted IHOP's Sacred Charge, which is summarized in the "7 Committments of a Forerunner." This is more of a measure or challenge goal, specifically aimed at preparing oneself as a forerunner (like John the Baptist) for the time when Jesus returns. Still, it embodies the core requirements of being a follower of Jesus, and it has as one of its goals, that of making disciples. This is particularly emphasized in the "Lead Diligently" and "Speak Boldly" committments. As stated elsewhere, Bickle's 12 characteristics of a diligent leader are excellent leadership principles that we can all learn from.
For me though, the 7 Committments is a measure of how I am doing on a day to day basis. Am I praying (including worship and scripture reading) daily? Am I fasting at all during the week? Am I seeking to live in purity or to be generous? These seven committments are easy challenge questions that we can ask ourselves regularly, to see if we are living out the fullness of what it means to be a disciple and a maker of disciples. The point is not to measure performance, but rather to check to see if we are engaging discipleship. It is a matter of being honest with ourselves, and assessing areas that might need attention, as the Holy Spirit leads. If we don't use the 7 Committments, we should use something to evaluate our walk with the Lord. Like the other models I have mentioned here, the 7 Committments are not an exhaustive definition of the Christian faith.
So there you have it. The SPD principles and practices are a framework or guides to setup an environment in our lives for the Holy Spirit to disciple us in Christ, and to form Christ in us. The Mission, Vision, and Practices of this blog attempt to define the scope of this blog, and what it means to practice Christ. They answer the question at a high level, "What does it mean to practice Christ?" The 7 Committments of a Forerunner are also good guides to the practice of Christ, and they allow us to measure our daily walk with the Lord.
What does it mean to you, my reader? Well, remember you are unique. Start where you are at, and start learning and applying these principles. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you along the way. Ask God to bring people into your life that you can share this walk with, and who might mentor you, or who you might be able to mentor. Also, I welcome you to comment on this blog, as I have always hoped to forster discussion as we reflect together on what it means to practice Christ.