United Methodist Church Aims at Relevance and Global Service
December 5, 2009
Filed under Biblical Worldview, Christian Education, Christian Kindness, Christian Living, Christian Mission and Calling, Christian Optimism, Christianity, Church, Church Renewal, Church and Culture, Compassion, Creation Centered Spirituality, Culture, Discipleship, Emerging Christianity, Global Church, God's Kingdom, God's Love, God's Story, Holy Spirit, Interspirituality, Issues in Transformation, Jesus, Jesus' Teaching, Kingdom of God, Mainline Denominations, Ministry, Mission and Calling, Morality and Values, Paul's Teachings, Personal Discipline, Personal Renewal, Personal Vision, Prayer, Praying With Scripture, Promises of God, Prophecy, Renewal of the Mind, Sacred Character, Service, Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Practices, Spirituality, United Methodist Church, Vision
Tags: Christian Service, Christianity, Global Village, God's Love, Jesus, Jesus' Teachings, John Wesley, Methodist Church, United Methodist Church
L. D. Turner
If you are a regular visitor to this site, you know that I often write about the major changes that are changing the face of institutional Christianity across the board. You will also recall that I have a sincere love and passion for the church, despite its many shortcomings, and genuinely believe that Christianity, when rightly practiced, has much to offer our hurting world. With its inherent creativity, its heart of compassion, and its depth of resources, the church universal is strategically positioned to become a positive force in helping shape our culture as this turbulent century progresses. The key to bringing these positive contributions to fruition is a willingness on the part of the church to be creative, progressive, flexible, open, and proactive.
I have been a member of the United Methodist Church for many years and am proud to say that our church is moving forward in an attempt to make itself a positive and beneficial force in the world and, in keeping with its mantra of “open hearts, open minds, and open doors, is doing so in a creative and exciting way. The UMC “Rethink Church” programs, along with the Ten Thousand Doors initiative, are but two examples of this.
Most recently, however, I came across a document that reminded me why, early on in my adult life, I chose to become a Methodist. The document I am referring to explains the rationale behind the UMC initiative entitled, God’s Renewed Creation: Call to Hope and Action. It is the “Foundation Document” for the initiative and is authored by the UMC Council of Bishops. After reading this “Call to Hope and Action” my Wesleyan fires were blazing to say the least. And while I am sincere in my belief that denominational differences in this country are far too overblown, this document illustrates the social principles of the UMC.
“God’s Renewed Creation” maintains the firm commitment of the 1986 Council , namely that “nuclear deterrence is a position that cannot receive the church’s blessing. These documents, generated in 2009, also build on the observations of the earlier Council, that the nuclear crisis threatens “planet earth itself,” that the arms race “destroys millions of lives in conventional wars, repressive violence, and massive poverty,” and that the “arms race is a social justice issue, not only a war and peace issue.”
The 2009 Council of Bishops expanded its focus to include three interrelated threats:
Pandemic poverty and disease;
- Environmental degradation and climate change, and
- A world awash with weapons and violence.
“God’s Renewed Creation” gives me both hope and a sense of loyal pride at being a part of the United Methodist Church as well as the Wesleyan tradition of social ministry. Recognizing that the world as we know it has become an interrelated, interdependent global entity, the UMC leadership is taking a proactive stance in terms of addressing some of humanity’s most critical issues. Also recognizing that the church has historically been part of the problems in our world, the Council of Bishops now seeks to become a creative and transformative part of the solution.
The United Methodist Church has the vision to see that God is doing a “new work” in the world and is taking positive measures to be an integral part of God’s work at this critical point in our planet’s history. Rather than taking a myopic, “what’s in it for us” approach to humankind’s crucial problems, the Council of Bishops has given voice to a vision that is much broader in scope and, in keeping with the Wesleyan heritage of befriending the hurting and the marginalized, seeks to bring God’s healing grace to those who suffer the most in this time of rapid change.
The “Call to Hope and Action” reflects the United Methodist Church’s mission to “Make Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World.” Additionally, the vision of God’s Renewed Creation clearly reflects the denomination’s “Four Areas of Focus.” The Foundation Document states:
We know the world is being transformed and we seek to cooperate with God’s renewing Spirit, especially through our denominations Four Areas of Focus: (1) developing principled Christian leaders for the church and the world, (2) creating new places for new people and renewing existing congregations, (3) engaging in ministry with the poor, and (4) stamping out the killer diseases of poverty. Focusing on these four areas will shape our discipleship such that those who seek God will see an image in our behavior that is inviting, encouraging, healing, and inspiring.
As a United Methodist, I clearly see the personal implications of these four areas of focus and, along with the biblical teachings of the Master, use them as a matrix through which I organize my personal spiritual disciplines. I especially find the principles of inviting, encouraging, healing, and inspiring helpful reminders for putting into practice what I have come to call proactive hospitality. This type of hospitality is not only sensitive to the everyday, routine ways of being open and hospitable in our homes and churches, but also actively looks for ways we can practice hospitality to others, even if it is nothing more than smiling and saying hello.
Personally, I seek to practice proactive hospitality by holding doors open for people and allowing them to enter before I do. This may seem like a very small thing and perhaps it is. However, I have found this to be a simple practice that has enormous benefit when carried out over a period of time.
The Foundation Document takes great care to show how the various problems facing humankind in this age are interrelated. For example, the issue of climate change is examined from an angle somewhat different than the norm. Rather than focusing on whether or not climate change is man-made or part of a natural cycle, the Council of Bishops views this vital issue in terms of its impact on those living under the thumb of oppressive poverty. In addition, climate change and poverty are seen as interconnected with violence and the sale of arms.
Climate change poses a particular threat to the world’s poor because it increases the spread of diseases like malaria and causes conflicts over dwindling natural resources. Easy access to small arms ensures that such conflicts turn deadly, and the specter of a nuclear war that would destroy the world continues to loom over us.
The Foundation Document was created out of the Council of Bishops being “called to speak a word of hope and action.” The document is also a product of the church’s sensing of God doing a new things, as described in Isaiah 43:19:
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
As I read over the document the first time I was able to experience that sense of calling – that blessed sense of God’s love in action in the world. I understood at a deeper level that we, indeed, are living in a critical era in the world’s history – an age in which the matrix of the future is beginning to take shape. The Foundation Document, which came into being in reaction to the critical nature of our time, addresses the needs of our age – an age the document calls “a hinge of history. In terms of its contents, the Foundation Document of God’s Renewed Creation:
Describes the interconnected nature of poverty and disease, environmental degradation and weapons and violence through stories of those most affected;
- Shares information about Christian scriptures and beliefs, and our Wesleyan heritage in order to provide a foundation for our response.
- Recommends a variety of actions; and
- Reminds us of the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the great sources of encouragement and hope all around us.
To be continued
© L.D. Turner 2009/ All Rights Reserved
Steering Clear of Myopia: What Do I Know, Anyway?
December 2, 2009
Filed under Biblical Worldview, Change Your Life, Christian Living, Christian Mission and Calling, Christianity, Discipleship, Emerging Christianity, Global Church, Goal Setting, God's Kingdom, Issues in Transformation, Jesus, Jesus' Teaching, Kingdom of God, Mind of Christ, Ministry, Mission and Calling, Morality and Values, Mystical Experience, Mystical Spirituality, Mysticism, Personal Discipline, Sacred Center, Sacred Character, Sacred Study
Tags: Christian Worldview, Christianity, Discipleship, Emerging Church, Fundamentalism, Liberal Christianity, Open-Mind, Spiritual Myopia, Spirituality
L.D. Turner
On several occasions I have received either comments or emails from readers of this site, stating in one way or another that they cannot “figure me out.” Most of these readers are cordial and genuine in writing to me, but for some reason or another, I don’t seem to fit well into whatever box they might be trying to squeeze my thought into. My advice to these friends is this: “Better get a shoe horn.”
The fact is, I guess, I am just a bit of a theological maverick. I have found over the years that labels are, at least for the most part, meaningless. Some folks consider themselves to be conservative believers, while others take pride in being called liberal. Others are fundamentalists and yet others are emergent. I suspect that some of my readers’ confusion stems from the fact that I have beliefs that bridge these many Christian camps and, as I said, I can’t be pigeon holed. And guess what? I think that’s a positive thing.
Let me explain.
Emerson once said that “a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.” One of the things I think he meant by this statement was that, if you allow an external source to define your beliefs, you are often forced compromise the integrity of your mind in order to remain consistent with whatever the school of thought you might be identified with. For example, if you consider yourself to be a fundamentalist you readily understand that fundamentalists believe in the Virgin Birth. As a self-identified fundamentalist, you realize that you, too, should believe in the Virgin Birth. This state of affairs is no real problem unless you find that you don’t really believe in the Virgin Birth. Now you have a dilemma on you hands. The way many folks solve this conundrum is to either say that they do, in fact, believe in the Virgin Birth when they really don’t or they convince themselves they believe in it, even if they don’t. The result is the person in question has compromised the integrity of his or her mind. In order to be consistent with a pre-defined worldview, the person claims to or pretends to believe in something he or she does not believe in.
The other end of the theological perspective has equal problems. Let’s say you are a very liberal Christian. You have read Spong, Borg, Crossan, Tillich, and all the right authors. Of course, liberals don’t believe in the deity of Jesus, at least most of them don’t. But what happens if you discover that you do believe in the deity of Jesus. Well, now you have the same problem as the fundamentalist discussed in the previous paragraph. In order to be consistent with what a liberal is supposed to believe, you compromise and even convince yourself that Jesus was just another “great moral teacher” and your problem is solved. Unfortunately, now you have a bigger problem. Your integrity is gone.
I can speak of these issues with a certain amount of certainty and at least a modicum of clarity because I have, as they say, been there – done that. By the grace of God, there came a time when I got fed up with having others determine the content of my worldview and went on a quest to figure out just what it was that I really did believe. I won’t bore you with the details of my search except to say that as things progressed, I felt more at ease because I understood what I actually thought was true, rather than trying to force myself into a pair of theological shoes that were designed for someone else.
And I guess it is for this reason many readers may find themselves asking, “Where is this guy coming from?” “Is he a liberal or is he a conservative?” The fact is, I am neither and both. I am just who I am and, like Popeye, that’s who I am.
I would also say that it is important to know that I full well understand that I am really quite limited in the scope of my knowledge. William Barclay, the great biblical scholar, once said he had, at best, a “second-rate mind.” I have read extensively in Barclay’s works and can say without reservation that if his mind is second-rate, then mine is surely way on down the scale in double-digits. I have come to understand that I can, in fact, be wrong. That is one reason why I don’t involve myself in theological arguments or nitpick over the finer points of doctrine. What do I know? Further, for me to strongly insist that someone else has a view that is erroneous smells of arrogance when you get right down to it.
Some Christians feel they have been called to be “Watchmen on the Walls,” beating the bushes in search of heretics and other misfits and nomads within the Body of Christ. Perhaps this is, indeed, a genuine calling and, if it is, I pray they live according to that lofty purpose. I am not one of them, however. I don’t think I have ever labeled anyone a heretic and doubt that I ever will. Why not, you ask? The fact is, when you get down to the honest truth of the matter, I don’t have enough knowledge to make that judgment. I am not giving you a false humility here. I am speaking from my heart. I, like many others, see through a glass darkly and have far too many doctrinal logs in my eye to start picking at the theological specks in someone else’s.
One other thing needs to be mentioned as well. Doctrinal and religious debates, as I mentioned in another article posted this week, tend to get a bit testy. Rarely have I seen one of these discussions go on for long before folks start launching verbal grenades that have little to do with the point they were originally trying to make.
I avoid these discussions and debates like poison ivy for the following reasons. First, as already mentioned, my knowledge is too small for me to be the final arbiter of any doctrinal dispute. Secondly, these kinds of conflicts promote discord rather than unity, and it is unity we are called to, not discord. Finally, I stay away from doctrinal fights because these sorts of disputes often put people in the position of having a choice to be “right” or to be “kind.” I’ll opt for kindness every time.
To address one other issue quickly, I am, as I said, a bit of a maverick. I read widely and study many different schools of thought when it comes to the faith. That’s why you might see me refer to many odd bedfellows in my writings. I have learned a great deal from, say, a raging liberal like Marcus Borg and I have equally benefited from the writings of Chuck Colson. Politically and theologically, I am about as close to Colson as Kansas is to Katmandu. Still, I find few writers who engage me as much as he does. Colson makes me think, just as Borg makes me think. So you see, if you are trying to find out a theological box to put me in, better get a shoe horn.
I’m a mutt!
© L.D. Turner 2009/ All Rights Reserved
Today’s Encouraging Word
November 19, 2009
Filed under Biblical Worldview, Change Your Life, Chinese Christians
Tags: Christian Living, Discipleship, God's Will, Spiritual Quotations, Sunday Adelaja
It’s a shame that some churches still teach that true ministry is limited to the pulpit. That’s rubbish. Pulpit ministries are to help people discover and be effective in their own spheres of influence. But the vast majority of people are meant to serve outside the pulpit and fivefold ministries….When you confine true ministry to the fivefold ministries, you make 95 percent of the church irrelevant…Furthermore, your promised land is almost certainly not a ministry you feel you should start, but an actual place of influence in society that you can take back by the grace of God. Many Christian have become so religious that they are no longer passionate about what happens in the world. Because they have been locked up in the four walls of the church, their wildest desire is to become a preacher, evangelist, praise and worship leader, youth pastor, and so on. These are housekeeping ministries that need to be done excellently, but they should not be confused with the real work God has called the vast majority of believers to, which is in the world. Don’t confuse the chore you perform in God’s house for the promised land He gives you outside His house.
Sunday Adelaja
(from Church Shift)
Recognizing the Universal Christ
November 12, 2009
Filed under Biblical Worldview, Celtic Christianity, Change Your Life, Chinese Christians, Christian Living, Christian Meditation, Christian Mission and Calling, Christian Mysticism, Christianity, Contemplation, Contemplative Spirituality, Cosmic Christ, Creation Centered Spirituality
Tags: Christian Living, Christian Metaphysics, Cosmic Christ, Discipleship, God's Representatives, New Age, Universal Christ
L. Dwight Turner
If we read scripture with both diligence and an open mind, we come to see that we humans were created with a purpose and a holy mission from the Father of Lights. We were to be his representatives here on this earth, to have dominion, and to be the spirit-beings through which God’s kingdom principles were translated from heaven to earth. Just because of the Fall and its effects, nothing has really changed. How can I say that? It is simple, actually.
I can safely say that our mandate has not changed because of the work accomplished by Christ, when according to his calling and his mission, he abandoned his Heavenly Home and took up residence here on this world. Through the successful work of Jesus Christ, God reclaimed all that was lost when humankind was exiled from the Garden and sent “East of Eden.” I have little doubt about the fact that we humans, with our finite understanding, have but a faint – a very faint – awareness of the mysteries involved in Christ’s mission to this world in general, and his work on the cross, his death, and subsequent resurrection and ascension. In the words of the Apostle, we see through a glass darkly. We do know and can take assurance of this cogent reality: What was once lost has now been reclaimed by God and part of that reclamation is the re-establishment of humankind’s dominion rights and authority.
Scripture also reveals to us another reality as a result of Christ’s successful mission to earth. Christ is now not limited by a physical human body, nor is he in any way limited by special dimensions as we understand them. Paul tells us in Ephesians 4: 10 that:
And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.
We learn here that Christ exists above all things and within all things. His being is pure love and unbridled compassion and in some very real way in which none of us fully comprehend, his being is like a magnetic force, drawing all things toward himself. I am not saying here that everyone and all things will be saved, but what I am saying is all will be drawn to a point of awareness where they will have a clear choice whether or not to accept Christ’s offer. In essence, Christ is now cosmic and universal in scope and in that universal identity has established an ongoing presence and a continual victory.
This biblical teaching is one of the reason why I don’t respond in a negative fashion when any of my friends who are followers of New Age ideas claim “the universe did this” or “the universe presented me with that.” The biblical teaching is quite clear: Christ is the universe and his presence pervades all that exists.
Christ sacrificed much so that we might once again live in freedom and in intimate fellowship with God. Now Satan is forced to operate underground, or in more subtle ways. One of his strategies, as we have seen, is to convince us that rather than joint heirs with Christ and God’s children of the Light, we are nothing more than sinful worms, with no power or status under God. It is a lie from the pit of Hell.
Your choice, my choice – the choice before every believer is whether or not we will live according to Satan’s lie or Christ’s empowerment. As for me, I choose the latter. I will take possession of my status as God’s representative here on earth.
What say you?
© L.D. Turner 2009/ All Rights Reserved
Pseudo-Repentance: The Pandemic of Superficiality
October 15, 2009
Filed under Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Worldview, Christian Living, Christianity, Church Renewal, Discipleship, God's Kingdom, God's Love, God's Story, Holy Spirit, Issues in Transformation, Jesus, Jesus' Teaching, Kingdom of God, Mission and Calling, Morality and Values, Personal Growth, Personal Renewal, Positive Living, Purpose, Renewal of the Mind, Repentance, Revival
Tags: Bible, Change Your Life, Christian Living, Church Renewal, Discipleship, Following Christ, Jesus, Jesus' Teaching, Repentance, Spiritual Formation
L. Dwight Turner
Over the past few days the Spirit has graciously led me to see that it all begins with “repentance.” The theme starts early in scripture, is emphasized in Psalms and the Prophets, and the New Testament is loaded with that word – repentance.
John the Baptist screamed it and Jesus’ first mission words recorded included it: Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven draws near. Can we deny in any way that repentance is the key to the door of the Christian way? I think not.
In its most simple yet accurate definition, repentance is saying yes to Christ. The official definition is something like “to turn, or change direction” and it specifically implies “a change of the mind.” These are basic truths no doubt, but what is it that motivates and causes this process to begin? One thing:
Saying yes to Christ and really meaning it.
When we truly repent, we involve ourselves in the process of “consecration.” We consecrate our minds, hearts, wills, and bodies to God. From what I can gather, true repentance, the kind of repentance that makes a difference in a persons life – the kind of repentance that results in conversion and leads to transformation – is an event that is initiated by God and completed by us. We come to understand what is being offered, what is required, and we either accept the proposal or we reject it.
Yet things are rarely that cut and dry. Like most things involving humans, we tend to cloud even the most crystal clear situations and complicate things needlessly.
As I look at my own history with the faith, coupled with what I see going on in the Body of Christ as a whole, and what I see is something that is a bit puzzling and even more disturbing. Based on my own behavior and that of many others, it would seem that either we never really understood what repentance was all about and made an ill-informed decision, or, worse still, maybe we never really repented.
I can only answer this issue where I am concerned. I think, after honestly looking at my own history with Christianity, that I never truly repented. I never really intended to make the “complete turn” that true repentance calls for. It is hard for me to acknowledge this, but the facts lay bare the reality and truth of what I am saying. My initial repentance was not much more than skin deep and it never, ever, reached the level of my deeper mind and certainly never penetrated my heart. The result was that after a few years of youthful exuberance and activity, things leveled off into a lukewarm routine of going through the motions.
By the grace of God I finally woke up to all of this, but I discovered that it was so easy to repeat the same mistake. When ever I needed to truly repent, I would often think that I had when in actuality, all I had accomplished was to push a particular issue to the back burner for a time, rather than really deal with it.
I think I am not alone in this tendency toward “pseudo-repentance.”
I have also come to believe that part of the problem in all of this is the fact that the church does a generally poor job of letting believers know what repentance is really all about. We become so concerned about getting people “saved” or getting them through the church doors and into a pew that we fail to let new believers in on a central fact of the faith. Although God’s grace is freely given, much is required if you are to become a true disciple.
New and/or prospective converts need to hear the fundamental truth that Christianity is not about getting you into heaven; its about getting heaven into you.
Peter Vardy wrote a great little book entitled, And if it’s True? I am not sure it is even in print anymore. I found my copy of it years ago at a used book store, yet I can safely say it was a book that literally stopped my in my tracks. Vardy speaks clearly about what one has to consider when it comes to taking on this thing called Christianity and coming under the mastership of this being called Jesus Christ. Getting right to the meat of the matter, Vardy says:
Christianity calls each of us to believe and trust in God, a belief and trust based on love. This is not simply a matter of intellectual assent….It is a matter of the truth of Christianity becoming ‘true for you’, as an individual. Only when Christianity becomes true for you so that you are willing to stake your whole life on it, does it really become true in your own case.
Belief that God exists does not come near to what Christianity is about. It is only when the factual truth of Christianity becomes ‘true for us’ so that it becomes the center of our lives around which our whole existence revolves that we, as individuals, can see what Christianity involves….it means each of us coming to understand what it is for Christianity to become ‘true for me’, what Christianity is going to involve when it is taken on board and lived. Once we see and understand this, we then each of us have to decide whether or not we wish to try to live it – but that is our free choice. Until we have understood what is involved, however, we cannot even make the decision.
Christianity requires passion and total commitment – a commitment to a lived love relationship with God. The relationship has practical consequences and these can, to an extent, be foreseen.
‘What does it mean to be a Christian?’ ….The important way of looking at this question, however, is to see it as asking each of us, ‘What does it mean for me to be a Christian?’ This is much, much more uncomfortable and challenging. There is no single right answer – each of us needs to think the answer through for ourselves.
If you find that your walk of faith has not been what you feel it should be, then I would suggest that you spend a bit of time really studying what Vardy has said in this short passage. You may even try to get your hands on a copy of the book as I am sure it can be found somewhere. But be prepared to take an honest, hard appraisal of your walk of faith and also be prepared to practice a bit of brutal honesty with yourself. It may not be the most pleasant exercise you have ever undertaken, but I can say with assurance, for many of you, it will be far from a waste of time.
In fact, it may be life changing in ways you would have never imagined.
© L.D. Turner 2009/All Rights Reserved
Recognizing the Universal Christ
October 13, 2009
Filed under Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Worldview, Christian Living, Christian Meditation, Christian Mission and Calling, Christian Mysticism, Christianity, Contemplative Spirituality, Cosmic Christ, Creation Centered Spirituality, Discipleship, Divine Mind, Emerging Christianity, God's Story, Incarnation, Inner Light, Issues in Transformation, Jesus, Jesus' Teaching, Mystical Experience, Mystical Spirituality, Mysticism, Paul's Teachings, Sacred Mind, Sacred Silence, Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Formation, Spirituality
Tags: Christ, Christian Living, Christianity, Cosmic Christ, Jesus, Paul's Teaching, Universal Christ
L. Dwight Turner
If we read scripture with both diligence and an open mind, we come to see that we humans were created with a purpose and a holy mission from the Father of Lights. We were to be his representatives here on this earth, to have dominion, and to be the spirit-beings through which God’s kingdom principles were translated from heaven to earth. Just because of the Fall and its effects, nothing has really changed. How can I say that? It is simple, actually.
I can safely say that our mandate has not changed because of the work accomplished by Christ, when according to his calling and his mission, he abandoned his Heavenly Home and took up residence here on this world. Through the successful work of Jesus Christ, God reclaimed all that was lost when humankind was exiled from the Garden and sent “East of Eden.” I have little doubt about the fact that we humans, with our finite understanding, have but a faint – a very faint – awareness of the mysteries involved in Christ’s mission to this world in general, and his work on the cross, his death, and subsequent resurrection and ascension. In the words of the Apostle, we see through a glass darkly. We do know and can take assurance of this cogent reality: What was once lost has now been reclaimed by God and part of that reclamation is the re-establishment of humankind’s dominion rights and authority.
Scripture also reveals to us another reality as a result of Christ’s successful mission to earth. Christ is now not limited by a physical human body, nor is he in any way limited by special dimensions as we understand them. Paul tells us in Ephesians 4: 10 that:
And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.
We learn here that Christ exists above all things and within all things. His being is pure love and unbridled compassion and in some very real way in which none of us fully comprehend, his being is like a magnetic force, drawing all things toward himself. I am not saying here that everyone and all things will be saved, but what I am saying is all will be drawn to a point of awareness where they will have a clear choice whether or not to accept Christ’s offer. In essence, Christ is now cosmic and universal in scope and in that universal identity has established an ongoing presence and a continual victory.
This biblical teaching is one of the reason why I don’t respond in a negative fashion when any of my friends who are followers of New Age ideas claim “the universe did this” or “the universe presented me with that.” The biblical teaching is quite clear: Christ is the universe and his presence pervades all that exists.
Christ sacrificed much so that we might once again live in freedom and in intimate fellowship with God. Now Satan is forced to operate underground, or in more subtle ways. One of his strategies, as we have seen, is to convince us that rather than joint heirs with Christ and God’s children of the Light, we are nothing more than sinful worms, with no power or status under God. It is a lie from the pit of Hell.
Your choice, my choice – the choice before every believer is whether or not we will live according to Satan’s lie or Christ’s empowerment. As for me, I choose the latter. I will take possession of my status as God’s representative here on earth.
What say you?
© L.D. Turner 2009/ All Rights Reserved
Personal Authenticity and Spiritual Worldview
August 28, 2009
Filed under Bible, Biblical Worldview, Change Your Life, Christian Living, Christian Mission and Calling, Christianity, Church, Church Renewal, Church and Culture, Compassion, Contemplative Spirituality, Creation Centered Spirituality, Discipleship, Emerging Christianity, God's Kingdom, Grace, Holy Spirit, Identity In Christ, Incarnation, Inner Light, Issues in Transformation, Jesus, Jesus' Teaching, Kingdom of God, Mainline Denominations, Ministry, Mission and Calling, Morality and Values, Mystical Experience, Obedience, Paul's Teachings, Personal Discipline, Personal Growth, Personal Renewal, Renewal of the Mind, Sacred Character, Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Formation, Spiritual Practices, Worldview
Tags: Authentic Personhood, Biblical Living, Christian Living, Discipleship, Integrity, Jesus, Jesus' Teaching, Spiritual Formation, Spiritual Values
L. Dwight Turner
Spiritual transformation is not so much a process of creating a “new you” – but instead, is about becoming the “real you.” As we increasingly grow “in Christ” we are led by the Holy Spirit into a deeper level of self-evaluation and, as the Spirit reveals to us both our strong and weak points, we gain understanding into who we are and why we do what we do. It is sometimes a painful process as we begin to see who and what we are behind the various masks we create. Still, this is a part of the process that we must undergo if we are to become useful vessels in God’s kingdom.
In essence, it is all about becoming a person of “authenticity.” An authentic person is a person who is guileless and consistently exhibits impeccable integrity. If more of us displayed just these traits, an absence of guile and consistent integrity, think of how different life would be. Wouldn’t things be more pleasurable and less taxing emotionally if we consistently dealt with people who are trustworthy and responsible?
You see, that is exactly what would happen if we developed enough authenticity to operate without guile and lack of integrity. We could count on others being worthy of our trust and we could also reasonably expect them to do what they said they were going to do.
Many of you must be thinking that this is both naïve and unrealistic. In the real world where “look out for No. One” is the most fundamental moral principle, to think that people can be trusted or that we can expect them to be responsible is nothing more than pie-in-the-sky idealism. This is certainly a viable response, at least on the surface of things. However, I think we need to take a deeper look.
Think of it like this – if we can never expect people to become better than what the currently are, why bother? The fact is, people can become better, a good deal better. Spiritual growth is not only possible, it is practical and furthermore, we live in a universe that is both evolving and purposeful. As integral parts of that evolving universe, we humans, as a whole, are also subject to what amounts to a universal law: something either grows or it dies. As we look about the created order, we can see this principle at work. The minute something stops growing, it begins the process of disintegration. God created a purposeful world and that purpose is continuing to unfold. As part of that purposeful creation, we, too, must continue to grow.
I am always amazed at those people who contend that spiritual formation and the classical spiritual disciplines of the Christian faith are not “biblical.” The fact is, if we didn’t need to grow spiritually, we wouldn’t need a Bible. Further, the notion that we can do nothing to improve ourselves is, in my mind, the worst form of heresy. Not only does it confuse justification with sanctification, but it also slanders the consistent teaching of Jesus, Paul, and Peter. Moreover, it ignores the biblical fact that Jesus, Peter, Paul, and all the rest – prayed, fasted, meditated, and practiced spiritual disciplines such as solitude, celebration, and especially, selfless service to others.
At the end of the day, the purpose of spiritual transformation is to become more authentic and humankind is in the process, sometimes slowly and certainly with pockets of resistance, becoming more authentic.
If we are to, indeed, become more authentic persons the obvious question becomes, from a spiritual standpoint: How do I become more authentic?
Chances are if you ask this question of a dozen different people, you will get 12 different answers, depending on the spiritual framework or tradition a person identifies with and advocates. Still, I think it is vital that we find at least a few universal principles that will help us answer this important question. Regardless of our spiritual tradition, I tend to think we can begin our journey toward authenticity by laying the proper groundwork and this fundamental task is accomplished through the establishment of moral integrity filtered through a well-thought-out and internalized worldview.
Authentic personhood and its foundational spirituality begin and end with personal morality. As I have expressed in other writings, our own system of personal values and morals should serve as the foundation stone for our lives. For me, this means that I have to have a clearly defined worldview and, as part of that worldview, clarity of vision in terms of what is right and wrong. My personal value system serves as my North Star, guiding my actions and fostering better decision making as well as personal integrity. My personal worldview and its component system of morality serves as a matrix through which not only are decisions made, but also, a filter to determine and evaluate how disciplined I actually am. How consistent am I in terms of keeping my behavior in line with my system of personal morality?
A further connection between personal values and my overall worldview is the ability to judge behaviors, feelings, and thoughts in relation to my worldview. Is a particular action, for example, conducive to living by my code of ethics? Will a particular action or decision move me toward the goals that flow out of my worldview? In this sense, is a specific course of action productive or counter-productive in reaching my goals and manifesting my purpose and vision? In this sense, our worldview becomes the matrix through which we can filter our thoughts, feelings, actions, and the events we encounter in our daily lives.
As we have seen, the presence of an internalized system of values and moral integrity, coupled with and flowing from a well-reasoned, cogent worldview are necessary if we are to mature as authentic persons. All of these things, taken together, are intimately connected with one another and form a kind of “spiritual hologram.” By this I mean that each component, the value system, moral integrity, reasoned worldview, and authentic personhood, contains all the elements of the other components.
Granted, putting together a workable worldview involves dealing with intellectual abstractions, but even these cognitive pursuits have their base in every day living. For it is our worldview that gives our lives meaning, purpose, and direction. Further, it is our worldview that forms the basis for our decision making process. Few things are more “down to earth” than these issues.
Authentic personhood, personal responsibility, trustworthiness, and the other spiritual traits we have discussed all flow from the common source of moral integrity and this foundational integrity is anchored in our worldview. Without a worldview, we have no compass to guide our actions – no North Star to serve as a reference point as we attempt to navigate the uncharted waters of our current cultural drift. Using another analogy, it is like weightlessness. Using the metaphor of gravity, Elisabeth Elliot speaks to the importance of our calling to discipleship:
In space, astronauts experience the misery of having no reference point, no force that draws them to the center. The effort of performing ordinary activities without the help of that pull is often vastly greater than it would be under normal conditions (try pouring a glass of water, eating a sunny-side-up egg, or turning a screwdriver – water will not fall, the egg will not stay on your fork, the screwdriver will not revolve; you will). Where there is no “moral gravity” – that is, no force that draws us to the center – there is spiritual weightlessness. We float on feelings that will carry us where we never meant to go; we bubble with emotional experiences that we often take for spiritual ones; and we are puffed up with pride. Instead of seriousness, there is foolishness. Instead of gravity, flippancy. Sentimentality takes the place of theology. Our reference point will never serve to keep our feet on solid rock, for our reference point, until we answer God’s call, is merely ourselves. We cannot possibly tell which end is up. Paul calls them fools who “…measure themselves by themselves, to find in themselves their own standard of comparison.”
From what we have covered in this article, it should be apparent that we, as both a culture and a spiritual tradition, need more people who exhibit authentic personhood, personal integrity, and purposeful living. In fact, it is around such people that the emerging forms of the Body of Christ must be built. With Christ as the cornerstone and authentic people as the foundation, the church can not only survive – it can come alive and thrive.
© L.D. Turner 2009
Full Service Christianity: A Prophetic Call
August 19, 2009
Filed under Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Worldview, Change Your Life, Christian Kindness, Christian Living, Christian Mission and Calling, Church Renewal, Compassion, Discipleship, Emerging Christianity, Enthusiasm, Evangelism, Fruit of the Spirit, God's Kingdom, God's Story, Gospel, Grace, Holy Spirit, Identity In Christ, Incarnation, Jesus, Jesus' Teaching, Kingdom of God, Mission and Calling, Missions, Morality and Values, Obedience, Personal Renewal, Positive Faith, Positive Living, Prophecy, Purpose, Revival, Service, Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Formation
Tags: Christian Living, Christianity, Discipleship, Incarnational Christianity, Kingdom of God, Mission, Service, Service to Others
L. Dwight Turner
Imagine for a moment that you are one of Jesus’ twelve disciples and you, your band of rag tag friends, and the Master arrive at the Upper Room after a long, tedious, dusty day going about your business. You sit for a moment to catch your breath and unwind a few moments before you go wash up for the evening meal. You close your eyes for a few minutes, only to feel something or someone taking off your sandals. And to your utter disbelief, kneeling in front of you is the Master Jesus with a basin and a towel.
Never a supporter of lukewarm spirituality, Jesus taught his disciples a clear and concise example of the essence of spirituality: selfless service with a heart of humility. If only more of us, especially those who claim to be followers of Jesus, would take this lesson to heart, our world would have much less pain.
Incarnational Christianity is a faith with a heart of compassion and eyes of discernment, which are able to empathize with those in distress and see a vital need where others see nothing. It is an incarnational Christianity that Jesus described in the 25th chapter of Matthew, in that moving section where he describes the judgment seat and the separation of the sheep and the goats. As followers of the Master, we should always keep these words inscribed on the tablets of our hearts:
Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of mine, even the least of them, you did it to me. (Matthew 25: 40)
I mention all of this because last night I saw an example of a Christian woman going about the business of being the hands, feet, and heart of Jesus. Her name is Margaret and she is now in her 80’s. Last night, one of the local news programs had a short feature on Margaret and the work she is doing. Unheralded and unknown, this octogenarian is an example of what incarnational faith is all about and is surely what the Apostle Paul called a “living epistle.”
Each Friday and Saturday Margaret does what quite a few folks in this part of the country do: she gets up at the crack of dawn and drives around the area visiting yard sales. Here in the South, yard sales, garage sales, and the like are very common and great bargains can be found, if you know where to look and how to negotiate. Margaret spends about four hours each Friday and Saturday shopping for the best bargains she can find.
The items Margaret buys, however, are not for her.
Instead, this spry lady in her 80’s shops for school supplies, backpacks, and clothing for underprivileged children in the local community. She has been doing this for over 40 years and says she has no intention of stopping. Her efforts are even more remarkable, considering the last two years have not been kind to Margaret. She has watched her husband and two children die slow, agonizing deaths from terminal illnesses.
Margaret’s efforts on behalf of the poor children in her community have gone largely unnoticed, except for the families that receive her help. According to her pastor, even most members of the congregation where she attends church are unaware of her activities.
Margaret is an example of what Christ was talking about when he gave that teaching about “doing it to the least of these.” This elderly lady is an inspiration and a blessing to those honored to know her and she is what incarnational Christianity is all about.
Incarnational Christianity is what James was talking about when he defined religion that was pure and undefiled. What did he say? Something about visiting widows and orphans, I think. Incarnational Christianity is what the prophet Isaiah, centuries before Jesus walked with us in the flesh, describes when he said:
Is this not the fast which I chose,
To loosen the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the bands of the yoke,
And let the oppressed go free
And break every yoke?
Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry,
And bring the homeless poor in the house;
When you see the naked, to cover him;
And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
Then your light will break out like the dawn,
And your recovery will speedily spring forth;
And your righteousness will go before you;
The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
You will cry, and he will say, “Here I am.”
If you remove the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
And if you give yourself to the hungry,
And satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
Then your light will rise in the darkness
And your gloom will become like mid-day.
And the Lord will continually guide you,
And satisfy your desire in scorched places,
And give strength to your bones;
And you will be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.
And those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins;
You will raise up the age-old foundations;
And you will be called the repairer of the breach,
The restorer of streets in which to dwell.
(Isa. 58: 6-12 NAS)
As I look around the globe these days, whether it be a few blocks from my home here in Tennessee or halfway around the world in China, where my wife is from, I see one glaring similarity. We need more people like Margaret – people with a heart of compassion and eyes of discernment. We need more people with a proactive commitment to live the teachings of Jesus, rather than pay lip service to the faith by warming a pew with their overly ample rear ends once a week. We need a genuine faith of service and compassion, a faith that is, in the final analysis, obedient to the call of Jesus. Our world and our churches can no longer afford a counterfeit Christianity that blows a lot of hot air about social, hot-button issues while two kids down the street go without breakfast and sleep with rats the size of Dachshunds. At the end of the day, my friends, we need a faith that is authentic. Larry Crabb, in his foreword to Siang-Yang Tan’s excellent book Full Service, makes the following cogent remarks about Christian servanthood:
True servanthood, the opposite of self-serve Christianity, grows out of a human spirit filled with God’s Spirit…..Self-serve Christianity, our pervasive perversion of the real thing, not only accommodates the flesh, it attempts to socialize it with external goodness and then pass it off as spiritual maturity. Beneath so much of what looks like good Christian living is the stubborn attitude that thinks God really exists to serve us. His pleasure isn’t the point. Ours is. And we think there’s a more direct and immediate way to secure our well-being than to live for his glory. Our felt desires now fill the spotlight. Our needs have assumed greater priority than his pleasure.
As I look around the world, including the church, and look into people’s hearts, including mine, I see no worse evil than self-obsession. It’s the root of every other expression of evil…And I see no greater battle in the regenerate human soul than the too often hidden conflict between self-obsession and God-obsession. It shows up in every relationship, every conversation, every sentence. And I believe that the only path to real victory in this fierce battle is to become true servants.
Crabb’s words are perhaps hard to take, but they are true and they are prophetic. And it is this very kind of prophetic voice we in the Body of Christ need now, more than ever. We need to be called back to the important business of the church. We need to be called back to Christian servanthood in the manner and model of the Savior himself. In essence, we need today’s prophetic voices to consistently call us back to our kingdom mission. And what is that mission? The answer is simple, really, and there is no need to complicate it with theological nitpicking or rhetorical cleverness. Why don’t we, following the example of the Master we profess to serve, state our mission just as he did?
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
Because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound.
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
(Isa. 61: 1-3 NKJV)
One of the most encouraging signs of life in the church is the large number of younger Christians that are embracing a wider social agenda. Whereas issues like family values and pro-life issues remain highly important, these energetic believers have a less myopic view of our society and the long-standing problems that just won’t go away. What we are witnessing, and again it is very encouraging and vivifying for the Church as a whole, is nothing less that a rekindling of the social consciousness of a faith tradition that was born out of the compassion that God felt for his fallen and rebellious creation. I use the word “rekindling” because this tradition of selfless service is nothing new to Christianity. It is, as Michael Gerson said in an article in Newsweek way back in November, 2006:
A politically progressive evangelicalism is not an innovation, it is a revival; not a fresh track in the snow, but a rutted path of American history.
I pray daily for those front-line workers who are on the streets and in the fields, everywhere giving flesh to the compassionate grace that this faith calls them to. May they be blessed in every way as they, like their Master, carry forward the tradition of the towel and the basin.
© L.D. Turner 2009/All Rights Reserved
Spiritual Disciplines: New Wineskins for Ancient Wellsprings
July 14, 2009
Filed under Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Worldview, Change Your Life, Christian Mission and Calling, Christian Mysticism, Christianity, Church, Church Renewal, Church and Culture, Compassion, Contemplation, Contemplative Spirituality, Cosmic Christ, Creation Centered Spirituality, Discipleship, Emerging Christianity, Global Church, God's Kingdom, Interspirituality, Issues in Transformation, Jesus, Jesus' Teaching, Kingdom of God, Meditation, Metaphysical Christianity, Mind of Christ, Paul's Teachings, Personal Discipline, Personal Growth, Personal Renewal, Positive Faith, Positive Living, Renewal of the Mind, Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Formation, Spiritual Practices
Tags: Bible, Christian Living, Christianity, Church Renewal, Discipleship, Faith, Jesus, Jesus' Teaching, Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Formation
L Dwight Turner
Solomon wisely tells us in the Book of Proverbs:
Keep watch over your heart, for therein lie the wellsprings of life
The question that often comes as one reflects on these words of wisdom is simply this: How am I to go about keeping watch over my heart?”
Throughout the history of the faith, one of the primary ways that sincere followers of the Master have gone about keeping watch over the heart, the deepest part of ourselves, is through the practice of spiritual disciplines. Meditation, prayer, sacred study, self-examination, confession, service, worship – all of this classical spiritual traditions have a role to play in helping us become more aware of ourselves and our behavior and, as a result, have withstood the test of time as quality ways in which we can deepen our walk of faith.
As Christians, scripture tells us that we are to increasingly grow into the character of Christ – in other words – become more Christ-like. Left to our own devices, this would be an impossible demand. Tainted by sin and mostly dominated by our lower nature, who among us could generate even a sliver of hope of emulating Jesus in thought, word, and deed?
Fortunately, scripture tells us that we have an omnipotent ally in this process of spiritual formation. The Holy Spirit walks along side of us, giving us strength to offset our weakness, wisdom to overcome our ignorance, and divine love to gradually eradicate our extreme self-centeredness. It is this promise of the Holy Spirit that gives us a reason to proceed down the road of spiritual formation and further, provides us with a legitimate assurance of success.
Still, we cannot fold our arms, lean back, and wait for the Holy Spirit to magically turn us into exact replicas of Christ. Over the centuries countless numbers of Christians have tried this approach with predictable results. Scripture is clear in stating that we have a part to play in the attainment of what we here at LifeBrook call “Sacred Character.” Sacred Character is based on the character and integrity exhibited by Christ during his mission here on earth. By studying the character of Christ, we can gain valuable insight into what it means to live our own lives from the sure foundation of Sacred Character.
As Jesus walked this earth, he revealed the character of God. “He who has seen me has seen the Father,” said Christ and in this statement he revealed a profound truth. Christ was so intimate with the Father that his character and his behavior were perfect reflections of his heavenly parent. Our goal, with the help of the Holy Spirit, is to live in the same intimacy with Christ as he lived with the Father. If you want to gain a deep and abiding perspective on this kind of intimate relationship, I suggest that you prayerfully read through the 17th Chapter of the Gospel of John.
In order to grow into this type of intimacy with Christ and increasingly manifest Sacred Character in our daily lives, we must engage in certain activities that foster spiritual development in a positive and proven direction. These activities have a long and valuable history in the Christian tradition. Here I am speaking of the classic Christian spiritual disciplines.
In some quarters, sincere believers become edgy just at the mention of spiritual disciplines. Steeped in the theology of God’s unmerited and unlimited grace, these well-meaning Christians believe that pursuing the practice of the classical spiritual disciplines is somehow “salvation through works.” This kind of thinking is both incorrect and unfortunate. It is incorrect in the sense that the spiritual disciplines are not related to salvation or the final destination of one’s soul. Pursuing spiritual disciplines is more concerned with placing ourselves in a position of receptivity to the action of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It is about allowing the Holy Spirit to form us into the image of Christ. Although this spiritual formation is ultimately a work of the Spirit, we are told to do all that we can to assist in the process. As the great Quaker writer Rufus Jones once said,
“The grace of God is like the wind blowing across the Sea of Galilee; if you want to get to the other side, you have to raise your sail.”
The notion that practicing the disciplines is “works” is also highly unfortunate in that this misguided belief has prevented countless Christians from availing themselves of the very thing they need in order to foster the deeper, more effective walk of faith. I am of the belief that the great “faith/works” controversy of the 16th Century, although beneficial in many ways, gave birth to a trend in Protestant Christianity that resulted in pews filled with believers that were both powerless and confused. This tragic trend continues even today.
As the Body of Christ moves forward in this challenging age, establishing ministries focusing on vibrant, dynamic discipleship is of paramount importance. Unless the church develops consistent ways to grow its members deeper in the faith, it runs the danger of becoming, at best, irrelevant to the contemporary culture, or at worst, dead.
To begin, I think it is critical that we come to understand just what a disciple is. From all evidence, it would seem the church at large has lost touch with a crucial element of its mission – disciple-making. Just prior to his ascension, Christ did not tell his inner circle to “go and make converts.” No, he told them to go and make disciples. It is obvious that constructing a workable definition of a disciple is a high priority. Margaret Campbell gives us a great jump-start:
A disciple of Jesus is a person who has decided to live in attentiveness to Jesus. We live in attentiveness in order to become like Jesus on the inside and, thereby, able to do what Jesus would do on the outside. As maturing disciples we progressively learn to live in attentiveness, adoration, surrender, obedience, and thankfulness to God, and all of this, without ceasing. Through the hidden work of transformation, God writes his good way on our minds and hearts and this is very good. By his grace, our hearts are divinely changed. We are progressively conformed to be like Jesus in mind and will and soul and word and deed. What we say and what we do more consistently reflect the glory and goodness of God.
If that isn’t clear enough, let’s listen to George Barna:
True discipleship is about a lifestyle, not simply about stored up Bible knowledge. Often, churches assume that if people are reading the Bible and attending a small group, then real discipleship is happening. Unfortunately, we found that’s often not the case. Discipleship is about being and reproducing zealots for Christ. Discipleship, in other words, is about passionately pursuing the lifestyle and mission of Jesus Christ.
From these two definitions it should be clear that real discipleship, the kind of Jesus-following that makes a difference in a person’s life and the life of others, involves more than wearing a “What would Jesus Do?” bracelet.
It is apparent, however, that the church lost its focus on the practice of spiritual disciplines over the years. As mentioned in Part One, I think this is one of the unfortunate side effects of the historical “faith/works” controversy. The result has been a general sense of confusion on the part of the Christian community in terms of the spiritual technology available to those who desire a deeper walk of faith.
One of the primary reason today’s church is becoming less of a force in society and even in the lives of those professing to be Christian is the fact that for many years the Body of Christ as a whole had lost the real meaning of the word “disciple.” Dallas Willard speaks directly to this tragedy:
For at least several decades the churches of the Western world have not made discipleship a condition of being a Christian. One is not required to be, or to intend to be, a disciple in order to become a Christian, and one may remain a Christian without any signs of progress toward or in discipleship. Contemporary American churches in particular do not require following Christ in his example, spirit, and teachings as a condition of membership – either of entering into or continuing in fellowship of a denomination or local church. I would be glad to learn of any exception to this claim, but it would only serve to highlight its general validity and make the general rule more glaring. So far as the visible Christian institutions of our day are concerned, discipleship is clearly optional.
This lack of emphasis on discipleship in the contemporary church has led to many unfortunate circumstances, not the least of which is that so many Christians are walking around feeling as wounded, depressed, and hopeless as those outside the faith. That this is so, however, should not be surprising. Christ did not call us to a “country club” religion. In fact, he didn’t call us to religion at all. He called us to relationship and mission. To participate in this life-giving relationship and to fulfill our mission as Christ-followers, we must indeed become just that – Christ-followers. Tragically, few realize that this involves far more than belief in a few arcane doctrines, tossing off an occasional prayer, and being a tithing member of a local congregation. And perhaps nothing is more essential in this challenging age than having an army of true Christ-followers. Willard understands this necessity:
Nothing less than life in the steps of Christ is adequate to the human soul or the needs of our world. Any other offer fails to do justice to the drama of human redemption, deprives the hearer of life’s greatest opportunity, and abandons this present life to the evil powers of this age. The correct perspective is to see following Christ not only as the necessity it is, but as the fulfillment of the highest human possibilities and as life on the highest plane.
The notion that deep discipleship was optional was not a part of the early church. Willard continues:
…there is absolutely nothing in what Jesus himself or his early followers taught that suggest that you can decide just to enjoy forgiveness at Jesus’ expense and have nothing more to do with him.
In Paul’s remarkable prayer to the Ephesians (3:19) he petitions the Lord that “you may be filled with the fullness of God.” Have you ever really reflected on the magnitude of what the Apostle is saying in these few words? Basically, what Paul is asking God is that the believers in Ephesus become like Jesus. Any close examination of scripture reveals that the goal of our development as disciples of Christ is to become Christ-like; in essence, we are to cultivate Sacred Character.
Later on in Ephesians (4:15) Paul goes on to say, “Speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.” This statement by Paul should not surprise us. Two verses earlier he flatly that in achieving maturity, we are to attain “the measure of the full stature of Christ.” I don’t know about you, but when I read this statement two things immediately occur within me. First, I am strongly convicted about how far I am from manifesting this kind of maturity in my daily life but, secondly, I am filled with hope that it is at least remotely possible. Paul would have never put it this way, under the leading of the Holy Spirit, unless it was indeed true.
In addition to the church’s general lack of focus on the spiritual disciplines and their strategic necessity in the life of the believer, two other problems seem to complicate the issue and result in either lackluster commitment to practicing the disciplines or, even worse, a general paralysis on the part of Christians when they attempt to make the disciplines a vital part of their walk of faith.
First, even though many churches are now speaking directly to the importance of the spiritual disciplines, it seems that this renewed focus spawns a loud and most often irrational outcry from fundamentalist believers who feel practicing the classical spiritual disciplines is somehow either a “New Age infiltration of the church,” or worse still, “the work of Satan.” This resistance is usually based on the general lack of understanding of what advocates of the spiritual disciplines are trying to accomplish. Writers such as Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, Brian McLaren, and countless others are branded “arch-heretics,” “apostates,” and even “dupes of the enemy.” This is highly unfortunate because nothing could be further from the truth. Instead of leading people away from the truth of the gospel, these authors are, instead, making a compassionate attempt to direct people toward experiencing the very heart of the gospel.
The blather and fear-based banter of these self-appointed doctrinal “watchmen” only serves to confuse sincere Christians even more and many times prevents them from finding the true heart of the gospel message. Even worse, keeps them bound in the chains of a narrow, rigid world view which is devoid of spirituality and arid when it comes to Christian love.
A second problem stems from the fact that the classic spiritual traditions were formulated centuries ago and are often wrapped in language and tone that is quite alien from our 21st Century world. I know from personal experience that studying the Christian mystics of the Middle Ages is a very fruitful endeavor, but can be quite a challenge due to the archaic language used in the texts. What is needed is a reformulation of the disciplines that is both understandable and engaging to the modern reader.
With this thought in mind, here at LifeBrook we have developed a method of exploring the principles that are contained in the classical spiritual traditions that is hopefully more pertinent and practical when it comes to life in the 21st Century. In brief, we teach workshops, seminars, training programs, and e-courses based on the following breakout of the disciplines:
Discipline of Consecration
Discipline of Connection
Discipline of Cognition
Discipline of Contribution
Discipline of Community
Discipline of Comprehension
Discipline of Calling
Discipline of Cultural Engagement
Discipline of Cultivation
Consecration includes: decision, determination, diligence, commitment, perseverance, patience, etc.
Connection includes: prayer, meditation, contemplation, solitude, nature
Cognition includes: taking thoughts captive; tearing down strongholds; mindfulness; positive thinking; sacred imagination.
Contribution includes: sacred service; spiritual gifts; mission; sacrifice, and most importantly, continuing incarnation.
Community includes: our family and friends; our church; our community; our nature; our world.
Comprehension includes: sacred study of Scripture and other inspirational writings; understanding of God’s Great Story; realization of where we fit into the “Big Picture,” including the role of the church in the coming years.
Calling includes: discovery of where we, as individuals, fit into God’s unfolding story in terms of our calling, our mission, and our vision of how to live out our God-ordained destiny.
Cultural Engagement includes: making ourselves ready to incarnate God’s plan within the context of post-modern, post-Christian culture in general and our own unique cultural setting in particular.
Cultivation includes: ongoing growth in Christ-character by internalizing a Christian value system and acting in accordance with it; and the development of a Christian worldview, along with the capacity to have our actions consistently flow from said worldview.
We fully recognize that this methodology does not represent the final word as far as contemporary expression of the spiritual disciplines is concerned. We have found, however, that looking at the spiritual technology of the Christian tradition in this way helps students and seekers understand the disciplines more clearly.
It is my profound hope that an increasing number of churches will come to understand the importance of equipping congregants with practical, time-tested methods for deepening the Christian walk of faith. In addition, we here at LifeBrook have helped establish non-denominational, faith-based small groups in several states that are studying and applying the spiritual disciplines as outlined above. These groups, called LifeBrook Fellowships, are providing an ongoing venue in which interested persons may come together and share the Christian journey in a positive, well-organized, and fruitful way.
If you would like information on how to start a LifeBrook Fellowship in your area, please feel free to contact me at:
© L.D. Turner 2008/2009 All Rights Reserved
An Effective Church: Consecrated, Gathered, and Synoptic
July 5, 2009
Filed under Apostle Paul, Biblical Worldview, Christian Education, Christian Kindness, Christian Living, Christian Mission and Calling, Christianity, Church, Church Renewal, Church and Culture, Clergy, Compassion, Culture, Discipleship, Emerging Christianity, Evangelism, Fruit of the Spirit, God's Kingdom, God's Love, God's Story, Gospel, Grace, Incarnation, Issues in Transformation, Jesus, Jesus' Teaching, Kingdom of God, Ministry, Mission and Calling, Missions, Morality and Values, Paul's Teachings, Personal Discipline, Renewal of the Mind, Service, Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Formation, Spiritual Quotations, Spirituality
Tags: Christian Discipleship, Christianity, Church Renewal, Effective Church, Emerging Church, Evangelism, Richard Foster, Service
L. Dwight Turner
Richard Foster, author of that landmark book on the classical spiritual disciplines, entitled, Celebration of Discipline, shares how he was honored with the opportunity and privilege to go about teaching and sharing his knowledge of the spiritual disciplines. In a subsequent article entitled, “A Renewed People for Our Time” Foster describes some of the realities he discovered regarding areas of spiritual deficiency among sincere Christians.
Briefly stated, Foster says that he saw three basic areas of spiritual deficiency and these were:
People Were Trying Rather Than Training
People Were Scattered Rather Than Gathered
Vision of People Was Myopic Rather Than Synoptic
I can say without reservation that over the years our work at LifeBrook International has borne out the validity of Foster’s assessment. We, too, have seen this trio of spiritual short falling and the subsequent litany of spiritual maladies that flow in its train. And like Foster, this has been an area of great frustration and disappointment.
I saw these things and I can’t tell you how discouraging this was to me. These good people honest people, sincere people were like sheep without a shepherd. And it led me to a period where I stopped all speaking and all writing. When I entered this time I did not know if I would ever write or speak again. I actually thought I would not.
Experience here at LifeBrook, especially in relation to intensive training in spiritual discipline, has revealed what I find at the core of the “trying rather than training” issue. People are initially well-meaning and the first fruits of their pursuits of spiritual disciplines tend to reward this initial burst of commitment with positive results. However, we have seen that many of these sincere seekers fail to understand the depth of our problem (Calvin would call it complete depravity, although I would not). As spiritual practice deepens our level of commitment must also take deeper root, otherwise we cannot bear up under the intensity of those unexpected hobgoblins that tend to rise up out of the dark silence of contemplation.
In actuality, these encounters are not all that bad and, in fact, can be both constructive and healing. The problem is, it seems, is that most of the folks who take up this disciplined lifestyle are either ill-informed or ill-prepared for some of the things they will encounter along the Yellow Brick Road. Lions and Tigers and Bears – (Oh My!) – seem to be the least of our worries. John of the Cross termed one of the stages of the mystical life “the dark night of the soul” for good reason.
Secondly, when a person is sincere about becoming a true spiritual aspirant rather than a pew warmer or pot luck patron, he or she is embarking upon a path that can be isolated and lonely. To emulate the lifestyle, the priorities, and the spiritual values of Jesus is not in keeping with mainstream American life, no matter what the Religious Right may tell you. To be like Jesus is to be weird, radical, and set apart.
To be like Jesus is, well, to use the correct biblical term, to be holy.
The following quotation by Houston Smith, although somewhat lengthy, is highly pertinent and illustrates vividly just how out of the box this business of Christ-following is:
…we have heard Jesus’ teachings so often that their edges have been worn smooth, dulling their glaring subversiveness. If we could recover their original impact, we too would be startled. Their beauty would not paper over the fact that they are “hard sayings,” presenting a scheme of values so counter to the usual as to shake us like the seismic collision of tectonic plates…We are told that we are not to resist evil but to turn the other cheek. The world assumes that evil must be resisted by every means available. We are told to love our enemies and bless those who curse us. The world assumes that friends are to be loved and enemies hated. We are told that the sun rises on the just and the unjust alike. The world considers this to be indiscriminating; it would like to see dark clouds withholding sunshine from evil people. We are told that outcasts and harlots enter the kingdom of God before many who are perfunctorily righteous. Unfair, we protest; respectable people should head the procession. We are told that the gate to salvation is narrow. The world would prefer it to be wide. We are told to be as carefree as birds and flowers. The world counsels prudence. We are told that it is more difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom than for a camel to pass through a needle’s eye. The world honors wealth. We are told that the happy people are those who are meek, who weep, who are merciful and pure in heart. The world assumes that it is the rich, the powerful, and the wellborn who should be happy. In all, a wind of freedom blows through these teachings that frightens the world and makes us want to deflect their effect by postponement – not yet, not yet! H.G. Wells was evidently right: either there was something mad about this man, or our hearts are still too small for his message.
To truly follow such a renegade can be a lonely enterprise. No wonder Jesus told his potential followers to count the cost before investing.
Finally, Foster’s observations regarding the myopic vision of many Christians is quite astute and based on the undeniable reality that many sincere Christians are raised in myopic traditions that see one aspect of the gospel message to the exclusion of others. The resultant lack of unity and commonality of purpose is obvious and pandemic. For too many years, charismatic, evangelical, incarnational, and social gospel traditions have come close to shunning each other, rather than utilizing their unique differences to augment and balance each others efforts in working to establish Christ’s kingdom here on earth.
Fortunately, the winds of change are blowing and seem to be picking up velocity. On both individual and corporate levels, the Body of Christ is beginning to grasp the reality that if one truly desires a deeper walk with the Master, it is going to require major life changes and shifts in perspective. The 21st Century church can no longer afford to offer up its traditional menu and hope to engage a culture that is far more sophisticated than it was just 20 years ago. Nor can the church put forth any variant of what J.I. Packer so wisely called “hot tub religion” and count on any degree of success except maybe among a few disillusioned prosperity gospel-teers.
No, any significant movement in the church that has a chance to succeed must begin with having potential adherents count the cost of what they are getting into. Only then can a realistic decision for Christ be made and only then can a genuine discipleship commence. We don’t need what many in South Florida call an “Everglades Christianity,” – which is 50 miles wide and an inch deep. Today, more than ever, we need a Consecrated Christianity, with educated rear ends warming the pews – educated in what it really means (and costs) to follow the Master.
Further, these newly committed and consecrated Christ-followers must band together in commonality of purpose. It should no longer be necessary for a sincere Christian to walk an incarnational path of worship, love, and service while feeling like the Lone Ranger. It is time for consecrated Christians to gather together in oneness, unity, and shared mission. And with this commonality of purpose comes a sharing of vision – a synoptic vision that embraces and welcomes all aspects of the Christian faith. There is great unity in our diversity, if only we would lower our noses long enough to catch a glimpse of the brother and sister standing next to us.
We are the church, the Bride of Christ – consecrated, gathered, and synoptic. If we truly work for, embrace, and ultimately manifest this vision for the church, nothing can stop us. And the Gates of Hell can’t stand against us.
© L. D. Turner 2009/ All Rights Reserved
