WHAT: I am taking a class in Seminary called "Spiritual Formation". One assignment is to write a page, weekly, about my thoughts that interact with content of the lecture or somehow connect with my own spiritual formation.
HOPES: I think that theology is best formed in community. I think that interaction plays a positive role as people form thoughts about Christianity, God, and our personal goals. Maybe my spiritual formation would be slightly better if there were some sort of feedback, pushback and/or discussion in a place like this?
What is spiritual formation? As I sit here and type I actually wonder if there really is such a thing as spiritual formation. I think I know what people mean when they say that; I think they mean that (as Christians) a primary goal is to change our spiritual parts (whatever those are!) from one thing into a better thing. I think people mean to say that spiritual formation is the process of transformation from an old (lesser) way of ordering our lives into a more holy way of living.
My current critique of the phrase, "spiritual formation" has to do with wondering whether or not we can actually separate our "spiritual" lives from the rest of our lives in order to form (or transform) it into something new/better. So, dealing with semantics first, I'd say that "spiritual" formation is a misnomer. I don't think that the New Testament or the Old Testament ever present us with the option to work on our "spiritual" lives as if it could be separated from the rest of us. I can't recall any concepts in the bible that come close to "spiritual formation" I think the bible is always interested in a persons "formation", period.
Even if a person could separate the spiritual from the rest of life it would still beg the question, "why?" Why would we want to grow spiritually, but not intellectually, emotionally or theologically?
It's my current opinion that anytime I become better at something, my entire holistic self benefits. If I become a better writer, I become better as a whole person. If I learn theological truths, my whole person is enriched. If my guitar skills improve, my whole self improves. I may wear different hats, but I'm only one person. I am unsure that there is much wisdom in trying to compartmentalize ourselves into our "spiritual" lives, into our "family lives", "secular lives", or any other life.
I would like to change the name of my class to, "Formation". Or maybe I'd rather "Godly Formation", or "Christian Formation".
But, one thing that I'm certain of: I need to be transformed. I want to be transformed. I want to be made into something better. I want my normal responses to life-situations to become more Christ-like than they are now.
1 comment:
The concept of the spirit being separate from the physical/secular realm is a silly Greek philosophy, and not at all a biblical concept. I would really like to see a Christianity stripped down to what the Bible says it should be without all the debris it has picked up over the ages. I guess I'll probably have to wait until "we shall see Him as He is" and "shall be like Him".
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