Spirituality Unit “Theological Foundations for Ministry” MMIN 611 Ross Cochran Revised:...

Spirituality Unit“Theological Foundations for Ministry”

MMIN 611Ross Cochran

Revised: 12.22.08

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The Goal of Theological Reflection:

Spiritual Formation

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Sacred

Secular

The Problem

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Peterson, Eugene. Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places.

• Pages 115-118. “Work”

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Daily Activities

sleep trash out tuck in the kids

make lunches

dress work eat pay bills

shower feed dog work cut grass

exercise laundry & dishes

communi-cate

visit with neighbors

gas in car wait family time travel

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Bifurcation (split into two)

• Secular• Ordinary• Mundane• Profane• Common• Routine

• Sacred• Extraordinary• Redeemed• Faith-laced• Special • Significant

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“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

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No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. . (Matthew 6:22-24)

Redeeming the Routines

Seeing & Meeting God in Daily Activity

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Redeeming the Routines

• By Robert Banks• Ten Theses• First Five: the Gap between Belief and

Daily Life• Second Five: the Gap between Theology

and Daily life

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Gap between Belief & Daily Life

#1 - Few of us apply or know how to apply our belief to our daily work, or lack of work.

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#2 - We make only minimal connections between our faith and our spare time activities.

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#3 - We have little sense of a Christian approach to regular activities.

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#4 - Our everyday attitudes are partly shaped by the dominant values of our society.

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#5 - Many of our spiritual difficulties stem from the daily pressures we experience. Our faith problems arise more from our lived experience than they do from intellectual difficulties.

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Gap between Theology & Daily Life

#6 - Our everyday concerns receive little attention in church.

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#7 - Only occasionally do professional theologians address routine activities.

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#8 - When addressed, everyday concerns tend to be approached too theoretically.

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#9 - Only a minority of Christians read religious books or attend theological courses.

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#10 - Most churchgoers reject the idea of a gap between their beliefs and their ways of life.

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Abraham’s Best Days

• From Ur to Canaan• Birth of Isaac• Sacrifice of Isaac

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Abraham’s Other Days

• Servants• Donkey• Firewood• Ordinary, mundane tasks

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Jesus

Theology

Community Ministry

Spirituality

Our Life in Christ

Four Cornerstones

Spirituality is…

A way of processing experience through the lens of Christian faith, as well as a

way of expressing faith through intentional action.

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Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will

receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are

serving. (Colossians 3:23-24)

Spirituality is…

A way of processing experience through the lens of Christian

faith DAILY, as well as a way of expressing faith DAILY through

intentional action.

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UNBALANCED

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HURRIED

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BALANCED

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Integration

• One• Seamless• Opposite of bifurcation

Integration

Biblical Principles

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All

Always

Every

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Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs

of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:29-

31)

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“And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose

his reward.” (Matthew 10:42)

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Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat

or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more

important than food, and the body more important than clothes?

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Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

(Matthew 6:25-26)

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Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

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If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? (Matthew 6:27-30)

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Integration requires Imagination

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“And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name

welcomes me.” (Matthew 18:5)

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Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have

entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison as if

you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you

yourselves were suffering. (Hebrews 13:2-3)

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Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will

receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are

serving. (Colossians 3:23-24)

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Israel / Christ / Christians

Israel Christ Christians

Sacred Place: Temple

“Destroy this temple and I will

Living stones

Sacred Activity: Sacrifice

Once for all on the cross

Living sacrifices

Sacred Persons: Priests

Our high priest Royal priesthood

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Laity

laos

Clergy

kleros

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Laity

laos

Clergy

kleros;

(1 Peter 5:3)

The people of God

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Towards a Christian View of Work

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Questions regarding Work

• What is work about?

• What kinds of work have you done?

• How should Christians understand and approach their work?

• Why is it important to understand work Christianly?

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Four Views of Work

• The Secular View of Work

• The Two Story View of Work

• The Strategic Soapbox or Mainstream Model of Work

• Work has Value: Intrinsic & Instrumental

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Problems Associated with Work

• Work as an escape.

• Work as a means of self-promotion & self-inflation.

• Work can become out of balance with other life roles.

• Imbalance between work and rest (Sabbath).

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Problems Associated with Work (cont’d)

• Laziness / Idleness

• Materialism

• Meaninglessness

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“So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was

grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun…So my heart began to despair over all

my toilsome labor under the sun…”

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“What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with

which he labors under the sun? All his days his work is pain and

grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is

meaningless.” (Ecclesiastes 2:17-23)

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The Sunday - Monday Gap

• sacred• preaching/missions• the church• eternal• soul• divine• prayer• spiritual

• secular• “secular” work• the world• temporal• body• human• politics• material

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Work

“Any activity done on a frequent or daily basis, including but not limited to the

activities associated with employment and a paycheck.”

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Spirituality

Some Definitions

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“... a way of interpreting experience through the lens of Christian faith as well as a way

of expressing faith through intentional action.”

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Christian Spirituality

“An all-encompassing way of seeing and encountering people, things, activities, and experiences which originates from God and which seeks to discover, absorb, and to disclose the nature and mind of God.”

(Consensus that this is a working definition reached by participants in a previous 420(V) course).

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“An internal perspective which proceeds from our

understanding of God and which brings oneness to our

daily activities.” (A revision of a definition constructed in collaboration by a previous 420(V) class.

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“A way of seeing the sacred dimension in every activity or

experience of life. This perspective is founded on our

relationship with and our understanding of God and it gives energy to and blesses

ourselves and others.”

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A lifestyle guided by God that seeks to discern and disclose

the will of God.

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“A spirituality of work necessitates our orienting

ourselves toward the divine through our daily activity

of improving and sustaining the world.”

– Gregory Pierce (as quoted by William Diehl in Just Doing My Job, p. 29.

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Elements of a Spirituality of Work

• God created us as workers. –Work is integral to our Divine design.

(Gen. 2:15)

• We are participants with God in the on-going care of his world and its inhabitants. (Co-creation)

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Elements of a Spirituality of Work (cont’d)

• Work blesses ourselves & others.– provides for our families

– contributes to a larger economic system that enables others to survive and thrive.

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• Work as meaningful activity.

• Work gives us a mission field.

• Our competence can be a testimony to our faith.

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• Hard work can be holy work.• “Whatever you do, work at it with

all your heart, as working for the Lord,…. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Col. 3:23-24)

• Our work is a response to our calling and giftedness.

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Needed: A new understanding of the sacred - secular distinction

• Not preaching sacred all else secular

• All God’s creation is sacred

• Life lived in the name of Christ and acc. To the will of God = sacred

• Secular = otherwise

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New Directions

• Restore a sense of Giftedness and Calling (Vocation).

• Discontinue perpetuating the Sacred-Secular distinction.

• Restore the Priesthood of all believers.

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What can we conclude?

• God is concerned about life’s details. • There is an all-ness to Christian living.• Almost any activity contains the ingredients to

bake a sacred cake.• Many of the activities which we must do each

day can be done in a redemptive way.

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Dangers

• If everything in general can be spiritual, then nothing in particular needs our special attention.

• If evangelism is equated with taking out the trash, then evangelism is diluted. Yet we need to eliminate the gap between the sacred and the secular.

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Whether or not my day is filled with sacred activity has

less to do with what I am DOING

and more to do with who I am BECOMING.

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An Internal Journal

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Work is not always required of man. There is such a thing as sacred idleness, the cultivation of which is now fearfully neglected.” -- George

MacDonald

“Hurry and love are fundamentally incompatible.” - John Ortberg

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Darrell Tippins, Pilgrim Heart. Chapter 5: “Resting: the Day

Sabbath becomes Joy”

Eight Beatitudes for our Time

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Eight Beatitudes re: Sabbath

1. Happy are those who serve the world by abandoning it for a little while.

Blessed are those who disappear for a little while in order to be fully present.

Blessed are those who enter silence, for they will hear God.”

2. Happy are those who rest, for they will get their work done.

3. Happy are the playful, for they will be serious achievers.

“Part of our weariness results not from the weight of our work, but from the dreary joylessness of our working lives.” (p. 72)

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4. Happy are the imperfectionists, for they will achieve much.

The point is not to endorse uncaring or sloppy work, but to call us to be strategic with our limited resources.

5. Happy are those who drive in the slow lane, for they will arrive in peace.

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6. Blessed are those who build walls for they will be fully connected.

o “Saints are be definition those who are ‘bordered off’ from things that compromise or contaminate.”

o “come out from them and be separate from them….”o Technology has brought the outside world into the

living room, thus our homes no longer have walls….and walls provide protection (paraphrase of Mary Pipher; pages 78-79)

o “If all the world becomes ‘the world of work,’ then we have rendered impossible any encounter with the holy (which by definition, requires devoted attention).” p. 79

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7. Happy are those who say “no,” for they will be affirmed.

o “Efficiency experts examining Jesus’ ‘productivity’ might conclude that he was a slacker.” (p. 80)

o “…many of us try to be busier than the Master.” (80)

o RC: consider Jesus at the wedding feast in Cana (John 2)

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8. Blessed are those who know the tie that binds, for they will know the freedom of belonging.

o “Just as the right kind of separation can renew our spirits and bodies, so also connecting with others in the right way can banish exhaustion and revive our spirits” (81)

o “I have learned that I can endure a fair amount of tension, conflict, and even mountains of labor, provided I am connected to other in the right way. I am energized and empowered…by community.” (81)

o “Time spent in authentic community is also a kind of Sabbath rest.” (81)

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“Practicing God’s Presence” From Randy Harris

1. Today I will be incompetent. 2. Today I will be fully present to others and to

God.3. Today I will be Christ to others.4. Today I will see Christ in others.

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10 Things to Do Every Day

1. Adjust your attitude.

2. Be thankful.3. Serve someone.4. Pursue holiness.5. Pray.6. Express love.

7. Ask, “What does God need me to do?”

8. Do something noble. 9. Make someone smile.10. Imagine “better”, and

pursue it.

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Theological Foundations for Christian Ministry

Session 5: Spiritual Formation; Thomas’ 9 Styles; Foster’s Streams

MMIN 611 • Ross Cochran, Ph.D.

Revised: Nov. 1, 2007 11:45 amFilmed: Nov. 1, 2007

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Preparation for this Session• Before viewing this session, print out the pdf file

entitled, “ “NT Perspects Spirit Form 611.pdf” (“New Testament Perspectives on Spiritual Formation”).

• Also, read the article on Henri Nouwen by Phillip Yancey.

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Contents of this Session• Spiritual Formation

• Historical pathways through which Christians have pursued “the spiritual life” (Foster’s “Streams”)

• Typology of Spiritual Styles (Gary Thomas)

• Tools for Formational Ministry

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Luke 4:14-30

• Nazareth synagogue• Jesus chooses the reading…a Messianic text• People’s perceptions of Jesus shift from “all

spoke well of him” to “let’s throw him off the bluff!”

• Luke’s emphasis on the inclusiveness of God and the inclusion of the Gentiles

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Groome “Ministry”; in Sharing Faith, pp. 300

“This incident [Luke 4:18-19] presents the basic functions of Jesus’ ministry as:

(1) to preach the healing and prophetic Word of God to all,

(2) to tend with love and justice to human suffering and alienation,

(3) to call people in a community of free and right relationship with God, self, others, and creation, and

(4) to live as if God rules in their lives.”

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Philip Yancey on Henri Nouwen

• Read MSWord doc with above title.

• Other background on Nouwen.

• Listen to the following presentation on Richard Foster’s “Spiritual Streams.” With which “Stream” would you associate Nouwen?

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Streams of Living Water: Celebrating the

Great Traditions of the Christian Faith

Richard J. FosterHarperSanFrancisco, 1998

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What are “Streams?”

• Traditions; emphases; dimensions of the spiritual life.• Jesus is (1) source, and (2) full embodiment of all

dimensions.• “Ressourcement” (p. xii)• “…in our day God is bringing together a mighty

‘Mississippi of the Spirit.’” (p. xv)

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The Six Streams

• Contemplative Tradition• Holiness Tradition• Charismatic Tradition• Social Justice Tradition• Evangelical Tradition• Incarnational Tradition

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Foster’s template• Seeking a Historical Paradigm• Seeking a Biblical Paradigm• Seeking a Contemporary Paradigm• Defining the _________ Tradition• Discovering the Major Strengths• Understanding the Potential Perils• Practicing the _________ Tradition• The Call to __________ Living

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The Six Streams• Contemplative: the Prayer-Filled Life• Holiness: the Virtuous Life• Charismatic: the Spirit-Empowered Life• Social Justice: the Compassionate Life• Evangelical: the Word-Centered Life• Incarnational: the Sacramental Life

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The Streams Embodied in Jesus

• Prayer and Intimacy• Purity of Heart• Life in the Spirit (Luke 3-4)• Justice and Shalom (Luke 4:18-19)• Proclaiming the Evangel• The Sacrament of the Present Moment

• Invitation to Imitation: “Follow me.”

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The Divine paradigm• Imitatio Christi - “The Imitation of Christ”

• Learning to walk “in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21)

• “…Jesus in his living provides a clear paradigm for our living.” (p. 3)

• The primacy of the Gospels.

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“One of the best things we can do for one another, then, is to encourage regular immersion in the Gospel narratives, helping each other understand Jesus’ perceptions into life and his counsel of growth and then making constant application to our daily experience.” (Streams, p. 3)

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Henri Nouwen’s (& our) spirituality• With which of Foster’s “Spiritual Streams” would

you associate Nouwen?

• Which “Stream” best describes your spirituality?

• Listen to the following presentation of Gary Thomas’ spiritual styles. With which of Thomas’ spiritual styles would you associate Henri Nouwen?

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Gary Thomas’ 9 Spiritual Styles

Gary Thomas, Sacred Pathways: Discover Your Soul's Path to God (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1996). Although inspired by the Myers Briggs typology, Thomas proposes a typology of his own that envisions a framework of nine "sacred pathways" -- nine ways in which different people typically prefer to relate to God, or the spiritual dimension, or Ultimate Reality. Thomas identifies nine types.

1. the Naturalist who is most inspired to love God out-of-doors by being in a natural setting. Examples: writers Annie Dillard and Loren Eisley.

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2. the Sensate who loves God with the senses -- through awareness of taste, smell, touch, sight, and sound. Examples: there are many in the poems of Galway Kinnell, where human sensuality is juxtaposed with family love, where there is equal acknowledgement of the fate of the dead and of the unity of the living; characters in the film Babette's Feast

3. the Traditionalist who loves God through ritual and symbol. Examples: religion scholar Huston Smith, people who relish the Latin of the traditional Mass, the Hebrew of the Bible, the Arabic of the Qur'an, or the Sanskrit of the Vedas, Sutras, and Shastras.

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• the Ascetic who prefers to love God in solitude and simplicity. Examples: (at certain times in his life) Thomas Merton and Duane Elgin (author of the book Voluntary Simplicity).

• the Activist who loves God through contributing toward justice and the enhancement of life in the world. Examples: Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.

• the Caregiver who loves God by loving others. Examples: Dorothy Day and Mother Teresa.

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Gary Thomas’ 9 Spiritual Styles7. the Enthusiast who loves God with mystery and

celebration. (The term 'enthusiast' is derived from a Greek root-word which means God-filled.) Examples: women's separatist theologian Mary Daly, poet and men's movement leader Robert Bly, creation theologian Matthew Fox; Pentecostalist Christians, Hasidic Jews, and Sufi Muslims in general.

8. the Contemplative who loves God through contemplation. Examples: (at certain times in his life) Thomas Merton, Bernadette Roberts, and members of cloistered orders in general.

9. the Intellectual who loves God with the mind. Examples: Maimonides, Thomas Aquinas, evangelical theologian Francis Schaeffer.

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With which of Gary Thomas’ spiritual styles would you associate Henri Nouwen?

Could a person have more than one style?

What would you say is your style?

How would you visually represent the reality of multiple styles?

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Maturity Texts

• “you became imitators of us and of the Lord…and so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia (1 Thessalonians 1:6-7)

• “until we all reach unity … and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13)

• What is the meaning of teleos in 1 Corinthians 13:8?

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Maturity Texts

• “…you are slow to learn…you need milk, not solid food…solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves…let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity…” (Hebrews 5:11-6:3)

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What constitutes Christian maturity?

• How will you know when a person possesses Christian maturity?

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Manifestations of Christian Maturity

• Servant attitude• Humility• Authenticity• Integrity• Forgiveness• Other manifestations?

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“None of self an all of Thee”

1. Oh, the bitter pain and sorrow

That a time could ever be,

When I proudly said to Jesus,

“All of self, and none of Thee.”

All of self, and none of Thee,

All of self, and none of Thee,

When I proudly said to Jesus,

“All of self, and none of Thee.”

2. Yet He found me; I beheld Him

Bleeding on th’ accursed tree,

And my wistful heart said faintly,

“Some of self, and some of Thee.”

Some of self, and some of Thee,

Some of self, and some of Thee,

And my wistful heart said faintly,

“Some of self, and some of Thee.”

3. Day by day His tender mercy,

Healing, helping, full and free,

Brought me lower while I whispered,

“Less of self, and more of Thee.”

Less of self, and more of Thee,

Less of self, and more or Thee,

Brought me lower while I whispered,

“Less of self, and more of Thee.”

4. Higher than the highest heaven,

Deeper than the deepest sea,

Lord, Thy love at last has conquered:

“None of self, and all of Thee.”

None of self, and all of Thee,

None of self, and all of Thee,

Lord, Thy love at last has conquered:

“None of self, and all of Thee.”

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How is Maturity Achieved?

• Intentional Pursuit• Repeated Practice of Mature Qualities• Work of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5-6)• Continually shaped by Experience, Scripture & Others

(2 Timothy 3:10-17)• Evolution of Terminology for these processes

– Religious Education– Christian Education– Faith Development– Spiritual Formation– Christian Spiritual Formation

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What is the Goal of Spiritual Formation?

Paul“…until Christ is formed in you.” (Gal. 4:19)“to be transformed [metamorphosis] by the renewing

of our mind (Romans 12:1-2)“until we all reach maturity” (Ephesians 4)

Thomas Groome: To form, inform and transform Christian Identity and Agency.

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Spiritual Formation

• Before viewing the following slides session, print out the pdf file entitled, “ “NT Perspects Spirit Form 611” (New Testament Perspectives on Spiritual Formation). You should have received it from me by email. I will also put it on Blackboard.

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“New Testament Perspectives on Spiritual Formation”

• Follow along using the 8 page document by this title.

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Definitions of Spiritual Formation

• “Spiritual formation is a process of being conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of others.” (Robert Mulholland, Invitation to a Journey, p. 12)

• “Spiritual Formation: The grace-driven developmental process in which the soul grows in conformity to the image of Christ.” (Kenneth Boa, Conformed to the Image of Christ, p. 515)

• “…the process of becoming what we were first intended to be and are now allowed to be by the justifying work of Christ.” (Les Steele, On the Way, p. 24).

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Definitions of Spiritual Formation, cont’d

• “Christian spiritual formation has to do with finding out through and with the help of the Christian community: – How to be Christian in this time and this place.– How to recognize and confess our self-deception.– How to walk according to the Spirit.– How to recognize where we are refusing Christian Story,

such as praying, meditating, repenting, loving, welcoming the stranger.

– How to actualize our Christian vocation over the course of a lifetime.”

(Susanne Johnson, Christian Spiritual Formation, pp. 28-29).

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“Spiritual formation describes the continuing work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer which conforms the child of God more and more to the image of Christ (2 Cor. 3:18). This work of the Spirit is possible only as we cooperate with God by walking ‘in the light as He is in the light’ (1 John 1:7); by setting our hearts ‘on things above’ (Col. 3:1); by ridding ourselves of the deeds of the flesh (Col. 3:8); and by putting on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience (Col. 3:12).

Robert P. Lightner, “Salvation and Spiritual Formation,” in Christian Educator’s Handbook on Spiritual Formation, eds. Gangel & Wilhoit, p. 39.

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• “In summary, from a biblical foundation, spiritual formation is an intentional, multifaceted process which promotes the transformation by which Christ is formed in us so that we can become His continually maturing disciples.” (John M. Dettoni, “What is Spiritual Formation” in Christian Educator’s Handbook on Spiritual Formation, eds. Gangel & Wilhoit, p. 16)

• ”Christian spirituality is our awareness of God and our response to God.” William J. Connolly, S.J. Boston College

• “Christian spiritual formation is the life-long, multi-faceted process through which we intentionally partner with God’s Spirit, God’s Word and God’s people to progress towards the goal of becoming Christ-like in every dimension of our being and doing.” -- Ross Cochran

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New Testament Perspectives on Spiritual Formation

• See pdf file entitled, “NT Perspects Spirit Form.611.pdf”

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Spiritual Formation• Everything the church does is formative /

educative.• Elliot Eisner’s Three Curricula:

– Explicit– Implicit– Null

• Examples: how new members are introduced; the nature of the youth program; preaching style/content.

• Staff ministers as environmentalists

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John 7:17

• Doing both precedes and completes knowing• “We hear and understand only those things

we already half know.”

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Formative Activities

• Giving a Blessing• Lectio divina• Missional Bible Study

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“Giving a Blessing”

I.Biblical Foundations:– Isaac blessing Jacob (Genesis 27:1-40)– The Beatitudes spoken by Jesus. “Blessed

are …” (Matthew 5:1ff)– The laying on of hands in order to

commission (Acts 6:6; 1 Timothy 4:11-14)– some Psalms (Psalm 1)

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II. Recommended Reading: The Blessing, by Gary Smalley and John Trent,

1986.

• The authors advocate that parents need to communicate genuine acceptance of their children. They go on to name five elements of the blessing:

– Meaningful touch– Spoken words– Expressing high value– Picturing a special future– An active commitment

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III. Appropriate Occasions for a Blessing

• Births & birthdays• Weddings & funerals • Graduations & other special school

celebrations• Any time people are undergoing

transition (moving away; career change)

• Any time they think it is a significant event in their lives (engagements; driver’s license)

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IV. How to Give a Blessing

1. Consider the occasion.2. Consider the context.3. Imagine how you want the

blessing to be received and heard.

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IV. How to Give a Blessing: (cont’d)

4. Write the blessing. (writing it out ahead of time allows you to choose better language than is possible “impromptu.” If the occasion is special enough to warrant a blessing, it is important enough to demand that you give it considerable thought and preparation.

5. Consider how to help the person(s) enter into the experience of being blessed. (Have them stand; hold their hands; hold up your hand, etc.).

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IV. How to Give a Blessing: (cont’d)

6. Memorize the blessing(?). Optional. Memorizing it enables you to look the recipients in the eyes.

7. Sometimes it would be appropriate to give them a (framed?) copy of the blessing you have given them.

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V. Some Examples

• A Wedding: Amy and John

• A chapel service at HU

• A prayer for a family in the ICU waiting room.

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Lectio Divina (Sacred Reading)

A centuries old method of reading the Bible in a group setting. Not a “study” per se, but a contemplative reading of Scripture that blends reflection and reading.

A devotional tool, not a scholarly exploration of the text. Both scholarship and discipleship approaches to the Bible are needed. This is decidedly of the latter type.

A caution: Used alone without other methods of study for balance, this kind of reading can devolve into a collective sharing of knee jerk reactions that become disconnected from, even contradictory to, the truths carried by the biblical text.

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Lectio Divina (cont’d)1. Pick a biblical text. Biblical narratives or parables

seem to work best because stories allow their hearers to “enter” them.

2. Choose three readers and prepare them for their roles. Stress the importance of the silence. Instruct them to use a watch to time the periods of silence to ensure adequate times of quiet. Try to use three different translations.

3. Next, ask the group to form groups of 5-6 participants and get in circles. Do this before explaining the experience further.

4. Explain the procedure to the group participants: “We are going to be engaging in an exercise that Christians have practiced for centuries. We are going to listen while three readers read a biblical passage to us. These readings will be interspersed with some times of quiet in order to think about what we are hearing. At the end of the readings, there will be another period of silence. Then, I will ask you what you think the story is about.”

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Lectio Divina (cont’d)

5. Conduct the exercise. A suggested format:

a period of silence (about 3 minutes)

1st reading

a period of silence (about 2 minutes)

2nd reading

silence (about 2 minutes)

3rd reading

silence (about 3 minutes)

Discussion (suggested opening questions): What is this story about? What truths are contained in this passage?Where does this story intersect people’s lives today?

What does this story mean to you?

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Lectio Divina (cont’d)

Other considerations– Where is the group going to be? Will there

be noise or other distractions? Ringing phones? (have cell phones turned off).

– Judge the length of a passage, avoiding ones that have insufficient content or are too long.

– Have the passage read in three different translations of the Bible if possible. If you know you are going to be doing lectio divina, you could take along some different translations to ensure variety in the readings.

Some recommended passages to begin– Mark 10:46-52 (blind Bartimaeus)

– Luke 10:38-42 (Mary and Martha)

– Luke 15:11-32 (prodigal son)

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A Missional Bible Study

Approach

Ross CochranRevised: Sept. 7, 2006

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A suggested procedure…1. Ask, “What concerns and values am I

conscious of right now?”2. READ TEXT.3. Ask, “What in this text stands out to me as

remarkable or outstanding?”4. Have someone provide background,

contextual and hermeneutical information.5. Ask, “What does this text indicate that God

has done or is presently doing?”6. Ask, “How can I better cooperate with God’s

present action in the world?”

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7. Ask, “What truths in this text comfort me?”

8. Ask, “What truths in this text challenge me?

9. If I lived the truths of this text more consistently, what new ways of being might appear in my relationships and daily routine?

10.What specific new action could I commit to right now?

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A God-Centered Life . . .1. Sees what Jesus saw. 2. Hears what Jesus heard. 3. Values what Jesus valued. 4. Walks where Jesus walked.5. Walks how Jesus walked.

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By seeing what Jesus saw.

• He saw crowds and had compassion on them.• He saw individuals. (Zacchaeus)• He saw sinners, but didn’t see their sin as their

final answer.

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By hearing what Jesus heard.

• He heard the voice of his Father: “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.”

• He didn’t hear people murmuring about him (Luke 19:7).

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By valuing what Jesus valued.• “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” (Mt. 9:9-13; 12:1ff)

• Greater matters & lesser matters. (Matthew 23:23)

• Love of God & love of Neighbor. (Mt. 22:34-40)

• Love God by loving your neighbor.– Hebrews 6:10– Matthew 5:23-24– Matthew 25:31-46– 1 John 3:16-17

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By walking where Jesus walked.• Throughout Galilee (Matt. 4:23)• In the marketplace.• A friend of sinners. (Matt. 11:19)• Among all types of folks.

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By walking how Jesus walked.

• He forgave. • He listened. • He loved.• He served.

“leaving you an example that you should follow in his steps.”

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Jesus Forgave / Forgives• Luke 7:36-50; John 8:1-11• “love keeps no record of wrongs.” (1 Cor. 13:5)• “if you do not forgive …” (Matt. 6:14-15)• Anne Lamott: “Refusing to forgive is like . . .”

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Jesus Listened

“What do you want for me to

do for you?”(Mark 10:36, 51)

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Jesus ListenedAdapted from Bob Anderson, “Mastering Leadership: Leading with Integrity, Courage and Purpose.” An unpublished manuscript. Used by permission of the author.

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Discussion vs. Dialogue Inquiry & Advocacy

Compassion & Courage Authenticity vs. Manipulation

Authentic Dialogue

Authentic Dialogue

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Jesus Loved/Loves• Mark 10:21• Jesus sees me as I see

my child.• Jesus will never love

you more than he already has.

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Jesus Served

10 Truths about Serving

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1. Serving is the Primary Mission of Jesus.

___________________________

• Matthew 9:35-38; 4:23• Matthew’s summary: “He healed; he

preached; he taught.”• Mark 10:45• Jesus’ summary: “I serve.”

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2. Serving is a primary expression of our faith. ___________________________

• James 2:15-18• Faith alone saves, but faith that saves is not

alone, it will expressed through ministry.• Galatians 5:6 “The only thing that counts is

faith expressing itself through love.”

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3. Serving is a primary expression of our love for others.

___________________________

a. “…the full extent of his love.”

b. So, he washed their feet (John 13)

c. Gal. 5:13-14

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4. Serving is a primary expression of our love for God.

___________________________

a. Languages of love (touch, words, gifts, attentiveness, helping, etc.)

b. What is God’s language of love?c. Hebrews 6:10; 13:15

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5. Serving is a way to bless others.

• 1 John 3:16-18• Others NEED to be

blessed. • We WANT to bless

others.

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Paul Faulkner: “We need a philosophy of life that …”

i. Bless others, beginning with our families.ii. Gives meaning and purpose to life.iii. Teaches right from wrong.iv. Is time tested.v. Answers the big questions of

death/dying.

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6. Serving is a way to bless ourselves. ___________________________

• This is not why we serve.• A serendipity.• What Jesus taught (John 13:15)• What Jesus promised (John 13:17)• “You will be blessed if you serve.”• “It is more blessed to ______ than to receive.” (Acts

20:35)

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7. Serving is a way to combat selfishness. ___________________________

• Our biggest problem is … • Journey from self-centeredness to

selflessness.• “Simple, but not easy.”. (Don

McLaughlin)• Sin is the fruit of the selfishness tree.

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8. Serving is a way to encounter Jesus. ___________________________

• Matthew 25:31-46• “When you did it for them, you did it for me.”

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9. By serving we become like Christ. ___________________________

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10. When we serve, we reveal Christ to others. ___________________________

• “What God has done to us, he wants to do through us.” (Don McGloughlin)

Spirituality Unit “Theological Foundations for Ministry” MMIN 611 Ross Cochran Revised:...

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