Missional Spiritual Formation leaders are called to cultivate growing disciples of Jesus who are equipped to discern God’s action in the world and empowered to participate in it.
Check Out My Spiritual Formation Resources
Recommended Reading
Journeying in the Wilderness by Terri Elton
The Universal Christ by Richard Rohr
Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster
Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard
Belonging by Karoline Lewis
The Corner of Fourth and Nondual by Cynthia Bourgeault
The Critical Journey by Janet O. Hagberg
Renew Your Life by Kai Nilsen
Invitation to a Journey by M. Robert Mullholland Jr.
Acts of Faith: Meditations For People of Color by Iyanla Vanzant
Earth Crammed with Heaven: A Spirituality of Everyday Life by Elizabeth Dreyer
Thirsty for God by Bradley Holt
Finding Our Way Again: The Return of the Ancient Practices by Brian McLaren
We Make the Road by Walking by Brian McLaren
Cultivating Sent Communities edited by Dwight Zscheile
Power Surge by Michael Foss
What is Spiritual Formation?
The term Spiritual Formation may seem deep and mystical. Perhaps it is intimidating. Truth is…it’s simple. It’s not easy, but it is simple.
In its most basic form, spiritual formation is the process of cultivating and growing in a loving relationship with God.
Let’s take an analogy from our human existence. Unless you were hatched, you have a set of parents. Even if you have never met your biological parents, they still exist, or did when you were conceived. You cannot change that relationship. You are a child and they are your parents, no matter what you do.
However, simply being born to a set of parents does not mean that the quality of your relationship is any good. What does it take to have a good, loving, growing, life-giving exchange with your parents? It takes time, effort, commitment, communication, proximity, authenticity, vulnerability, courage, etc. If you don’t work on the relationship, it will get stagnant and possibly die.
The same is true in our relationship with God. God is our Father/Mother, our creator. God’s end of the equation is constant. God loves you, longs for you, and continually pours out life-giving love to you every moment of your life. The question is how much effort do you put into your side of the relationship? Do you take it for granted and ignore it, or do you pursue it with passion?
Why is it important? Not to be too overly dramatic, but the fate of the planet depends on it. When we ignore our relationship with God, or even worse, reject it, then we turn to all that is left – ourself. Left in the isolation cell of self we inevitably stumble into the darkness of self-protection, which leads to hatred, which leads to violence, war, and murder.
If everyone on the planet was passionately seeking an authentic relationship with God, then we would be transformed by the life-giving love of God from the inside out and overflow God’s love to everyone around us. Imagine what would happen if everyone did this? There is a simple word for it — Peace. Peace on Earth, good will toward men. That’s good news, don’t you think?
A huge part of my ministry is dedicated to helping you cultivate that relationship, and overflow it to the world around you.
Cultivating A Spiritual Formation Plan for the Local Congregation
The local church is the ideal place to grow spiritually. However, it is often difficult to do so. One of my ongoing projects is to experiment with how to cultivate spaces for people to grow spiritually. This article gives some basic outlines for how to think about this.
Mindful Sketching
Learn how to connect your breath to your body and use the process of mark-making to become present with God.
Spiritual Formation Posts
Images of the Cross | A Meditation for Good Friday
It is Good Friday. This is the day that Jesus was executed on a Roman cross. People have been trying to make sense out of this event since the moment it happened. Why did this popular teacher willingly walk into Jerusalem and allow himself to be arrested, mocked, beaten, and executed, unjustly, with no resistance?
It doesn’t make sense.
This morning I decided to meditate on the cross by browsing through my 300 Daily Devo Doodles collection to find all the images that were related to the crucifixion of Jesus. There were a lot.
I invite you to walk through these images and see what the Spirit of God might have to say to you and work in you as we continue the contemplation of this horrific and mysterious event.
Last Supper, First Lunch Church
We have a weekly practice at Luther Seminary called Lunch Church. Every Thursday we gather in the Dining Room at 11:00am to share good food, good conversation, scripture, and prayer. It is simple, and I love it.
It is ironic that on this Thursday we are not gathering for Lunch Church. It is Spring Break. I’m on vacation. Students are scattered to the wind. Most people are about to launch into the most intense four days of the Church calendar: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday.
Loving God with Our Spirit | My New Course on Faith+Lead Academy
I'm excited to announce my newest course at Faith+Lead Academy. It is part of the Overflow series and focuses on the practices of prayer and worship. Here's the copy from the course page...Do you ever feel like your heart longs for more—more closeness, more...
Drawing TRUST | My Word for the Year
I write this post on the morning of January 20, 2025. There is a strange convergence of world events today: It is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We recognize this man for the work he did to ensure civil rights for all people in our country. There is a cease-fire in Gaza...
Join Us for a 4-Day Mindful Advent Challenge
Looking for a meaningful way to observe Advent? Sign up for our daily Advent devotionals, featuring contemplative spiritual art and mindful sketching, to center your heart and spirit.
My New Course | Overflow: Loving God With Our Mind
I’m excited to share with you my latest course at Faith+Lead Academy. It’s called Overflow: Loving God with our Mind.
One Week Left to Sign Up for the Art of Discipleship Course
Join me for a 4-Week journey through the Art of Discipleship. Every Tuesday evening on Zoom we will explore what it looks like to follow the Way of Jesus in our world today.
Drawing the Science of Photosynthesis in Trees on the iPad
In this livestream session I talk about the Two Books that we read to learn about God: the book of nature and the book of scripture. I also work on an illustration for Science and the Church of how photosynthesis works in trees.
Framing Discipleship in Clip Studio Paint on the iPad
What does it mean to frame a subject? Join me as we discuss different frameworks for discussing discipleship and watch as I begin to draw the frames of our conversation in Clip Studio Paint on the iPad.
Other Spiritual Formation Sites
Journeying in the Wilderness
