DEEP #4: Journaling and spiritual formation . . .

Christian spiritual formation or discipleship is the process of being conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of others; spiritual formation calls for an intentional development in the practice of self-selected ruminating disciplines through engagement with  . . .

• Bible reading
• Meditation as reflection and rumination
• Prayer - especially the “Prayer of Examen”
• Worship as response to God

When the active processes of spiritual disciplines are applied, one’s Christian formation invigorates six “R’s” -  read, reflect, ruminate, record, respond, and renew. Ongoing Christian formation is an experiential and interactive development of intentional engagement with Word and Spirit through “ruminating disciplines” . . .

Ruminating disciplines have a way of paying attention to our lives . . . a way of knitting the vast ball of our experiences into something with shape that attests to the state of our soul. They comprise a great and time-honoured way in being able to catch and process our life through rumination, especially through applying the “spiritual discipline of journaling”.

So, how does journaling work? . . . 

How do people journal? . . . 

Normal people like me that is? . . . 

Take three and a half minutes to “take-in-the-testimonies” on the video clip . . . 

Ruminating naturally leads to reflective-recording . . . 

When journaling we’re further enabled to listen and reflect on experiences in the Holy Spirit’s presence; though to read and reflect, you've got to write it first . . .

  

• Adele Ahlberg Calhoun, Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 2005, p.56-58.
•  Simon Chan. Spiritual Theology: A Systematic Study of the Christian Life. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1998, p.155-158, 180-185.
•  John C. Douglas, "The Effectiveness of a Rule of Life as Growth Processing Framework in the Development of New Zealand Evangelical Church Leaders’ Spiritual Discipline Behaviors)." doctoral dissertation, Denver Seminary 2013.

DEEP #1: Christian devotional practice of spiritual disciplines . . .

Christians are followers of God through their faith in Jesus Christ. Some describe themselves as evangelicals; so named from their claim, “Christian faith is known, and experienced through a direct personal encounter with Jesus Christ, as an active conversion.” 


Commonly evangelicals exist and function in their Christian faith-witness within the range of protestant churches comprising "broader evangelicalism"; which as a movement in modern Christianity emphasizes the gospel of forgiveness and regeneration through personal faith in Jesus Christ, affirms orthodox doctrines, social responsibility, personal discipleship, and the importance of structured or regularized personal devotional life practices. 

The term “DEVOTIONAL LIFE” refers to . . .

• The practice of regular Bible reading, prayer,  reflection/meditation, and personal worship which may include the spiritual discipline of journaling; the Bible reading element is frequently supported by published Bible reading notes.

A common expectation has been the timing of a person’s daily devotions are observed in the morning is often before breakfast, employment, or other larger responsibilities; though this time is often varied to fit the rhythms and responsibilities of one's life.  The practice is also known as; “daily devotions” or “quiet time” is a devotional “rule of life.”

One’s “DEVOTIONAL RULE OF LIFE” is the structured routine of  . . .

Self-chosen and intentionally undertaken

• Christian spiritual disciplines

Which one pursues as either personal or communal life-practices in

• maintaining and deepening one’s relationship with God, and
• Effective engagement within broader-life public life.

Note: While Rule of Life structures provide a “centering for devotional practices and the integration of a range of spiritual disciplines” they are not limited to merely enabling devotional spirituality; they hold invaluable relevance in the whole-of-life or holistic formation, and integration of one’s inner, outer and corporate worlds.

CHRISTIAN SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES are . . .

Devotional spiritual formation practices disciples apply consistently that help maintain and nurture faith, grow spirituality, and build up Christ-conformity.

While there is a significant range of Christian spiritual discipline practices, evangelical spirituality author Richard Foster provides a “helpful threefold starting framework” . . .

• Inward - Disciplines practiced in the privacy of our intimate walk with Jesus
• Meditation, prayer, fasting, and Bible study
• Outward - Disciplines that affect how we interface with the world
• Simplicity, solitude, submission, and service
• Corporate - Disciplines that are practiced with others
• Confession, worship, guidance, and celebration

Practicing Spiritual Disciplines . . .

• Spiritual discipline practices help to put us in a place where we can begin to notice God and respond to His word to us
•  Spiritual disciplines give the Holy Spirit space to brood over our souls
•  Spiritual transformation, “recovering your life,” comes from partnering with the Trinity for change
•  Keeping company with Jesus in the space between wanting to change and not being able to change through effort alone can be a difficult thing to do.
• Disciplines are intentional ways we open space in our lives for the worship of God
• They are not harsh but grace-filled ways of responding to the presence of Christ with our bodies. Worship happens in our bodies, not just our heads. In Romans 12:1 Paul exhorts us to; “Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship”

SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES OPEN US TO GOD (aka “Worship”)

 Worship is not something we work up or go to on Sunday morning. Worship is every discipline's end game! We miss the point and endanger our souls when we think of spiritual disciplines as ends in themselves.

Spiritual practices exist to open us into God

They are never the "be all and end all" of discipleship. The "be all and end all" is a loving trust of and obedience to the God who is within us yet beyond us and our very best efforts.

Adele Ahlberg Calhoun, Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 2005, p.17-21.

John C. Douglas, "The Effectiveness of a Rule of Life as Growth Processing Framework in the Development of New Zealand Evangelical Church Leaders’ Spiritual Discipline Behaviors (Project Draft)." doctoral dissertation, Denver Seminary 2013, p.110-112.

Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth. 20th anniversary ed. [San Francisco]: HarperSanFrancisco, 1998, p.1-9.

Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God. 1st ed. London: Fount, 1998, p. 386-398.

DEEP #3: Silence and Solitude – Spiritual Discipline

A balanced life—something we all want and yet find it impossible to maintain. We live in a fast-paced world where there are always things to do, deadlines to meet, family members to take care of or people who need us. We work long hours and rarely, if ever, take the time to stop and smell the roses. The purpose of silence and solitude is to give the participant the ability to see and hear clearly amidst a busy life.

Silence is abstaining from speaking.   While there is no outward talk, there may be internal dialogue with one’s self and with God.  At other times, silence may be both internal and external, leaving room for God’s voice to be heard more clearly (see Rumination/Meditation).  Solitude means withdrawing from the busyness of our lives to a place of privacy.  This may last for as little as a few minutes or go on for days.  Both disciplines are voluntary, temporary experiences that create space for us to seek and hear from God away from the cacophony of everyday life.

Jesus practiced silence and solitude.  He often spent time away from His disciples and the crowds retreating to remote places and spending time in prayer (Mark 1:35; Mark 6:46).   After the experience Jesus returned refreshed and prepared to meet the demands of the sick, weak, poor and needy.  And so can you.

Benefits of Silence

• Clarity of purpose
• Increased faith
• Physical and spiritual restoration
• Greater control of the tongue

Moments of Solitude

• Early morning before the family awakens
• Bumper to bumper traffic
• A quiet place in nature
• A church sanctuary
• A chapel
• A corner in the public library
• A closet

The result of practicing silence and solitude is increased sensitivity and compassion for others.  God invites us to, "Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." (Mark 6:31, NIV).

Excerpted by JCD from from Loma Linda University’s Explorewholeness.com pages (23/01/13) 

Now take three minutes in "lone silence" to let this video clip expand the ideas, values, thoughts, and challenges of your engaging in the benefits of silence and moments of solitude . . .

DEEP #2: The rhythms of personal, public and private prayers

In music, rhythm is the ordered flow of the music through time, or the pattern of durations in notes and silences in music. One isolated beat does not make a rhythm, that’s a sound, but neither does silence – silence comes between notes. It’s just like that with prayer and prayers. Prayer is rhythm, rhythmic and offers an infinite variety of rhythms. The rhythms of music are enjoyed or experienced in private or personal settings and public ones; so too prayer and prayer’s rhythms.

Praying, talking to and listening to God are life-practices we can engage in personally/privately at anytime, anywhere; just like those times when a rhythm drops into your head, you hum and even add the words. You pick up rhythm and melody by yourself; you are alive in the music. Praying can be the same. Through and building on known prayers, both childhood and adult ones like; "When in the morning light I wake, show me the path of love to take" or “Our Father in heaven ...” which can serve as a rhythm dropping from our heads into our hearts, as we say the words and add more.

Like music, prayer and prayers are important public concerts ... we know those concerts as church services. When you go to a concert, or “gig” you expect music; when you go to church, expect prayer. We go to public musical events, to hear music and get caught into the rhythm. Enjoying music privately is cool; yet so true the common saying, “there’s nothing like going to a live performance.” Getting caught up with others into the soul of the music, its atmosphere, rhythmic expectations, its renewing and refreshing, we become part of the music. You leave, and the rhythm goes with you, it’s alive in you. It can be just like that with our public prayer and prayers in church.  Church prayers are liturgical prayers; liturgical prayer is changing prayers in changing seasons. Like concert music the great liturgical prayers are familiar, we hear our Faith in them, and we can catch their rhythm, and discover refreshing through their rhythm catching us. (JCD)

Introducing DEEP's four week seminar @ BBC . . .

Christian faith is a lifelong exploit . . .

• loving the Father,
• following Jesus, and
• listening to the Spirit

Central to this lifestyle is . . .

living the process of being conformed into Jesus’ image for the sake of others

At the indispensable-heart of lifelong Christian practice lie four essential spiritual disciplines . . .

• Reading
• Praying
• Ruminating
• Responding

Growth doesn't just happen, it’s a determined pursuit . . .