Spirituality & Discipleship
This page is my storehouse for both my research about spirituality and discipleship AND the resources I’ve created to help leaders and seekers to grow spiritually.
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.
CLICK HERE for a curated list of other spiritual formation sites that I recommend
My Courses Available on Faith + Lead Academy
Spiritual Formation Posts
Evangelism, Spirituality, and the Trinity
One of the underlying questions of my research is how the inner life of spirituality relates to the outer life in community. Which comes first? Do we relate to God through an inner life of prayer and meditation that then overflows to others? Or, do we connect to God...
The Value of Studying Spirituality
Urban T. Holmes names the value of pursuing the study of Christian Spirituality as it has been experienced throughout history. "The answer should: broaden the limitations of our own horizons; free us to seek a pattern of discipline in the spiritual life that is most...
New Study Shows Major Changes Coming to the Twin Cities Suburbs
The Star Tribune ran an opinion piece in yesterday's paper that highlights an important demographic study commissioned by the Met Council. (read the simplified report or the actual Demographic study - Trends, Preferences, and Opportunities) The following is the...
Book | Minding the Spirit edited by Elizabeth Dreyer and Mark Burrows
Dreyer, Elizabeth and Mark S. Burrows, editors. Minding the Spirit: The Study of Christian Spirituality. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005. The following Prezi is a visual way to interact with the notes that come below it. I created this Prezi during...
Article | A Trinitarian Perspective on Christian Spirituality by Mark McIntosh
Mark McIntosh's work is important to my research. He has done an incredible job of connecting Trinitarian theology to spirituality. This is obviously important to my research question in which I ask how an increased awareness of social Trinity might impact spiritual...
My Reflections on “The Decision” at Grace
This essay is a personal reflection on the decision made by the Vision Board on May 13 to permit same-sex marriages to be held at Grace and the new reality that we live in as a congregation in the wake of that decision. I must confess, up front, that I am still in...
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
I have two favorite metaphors to discuss spiritual formation.
The first is a journey. Jesus called to his first disciples, “Follow me!” and they traveled with him as he demonstrated what it looks like to live in fellowship with God.
The first disciples in John 1:38 asked Jesus, “Where do you dwell?”
Jesus replied, “Come and See,” so they followed him.
To be a disciple of Jesus is to move, to explore, to grow.
But what is the destination?
That leads me to my second favorite metaphor. The Vine and the Branches.
Jesus said in John 15:1-5, “I am the vine and you are the branches…remain/dwell in me and I will remain in you, and you will bear much fruit.”
The destination of this journey is not a physical time or place. The destination is the love of God.
God’s love is infinite, therefore we will never arrive. We simply keep growing.
We go and grow in two directions.
First, we grow deeper roots to be grounded in the love of God.
Second, we grow taller and wider branches to spread the fruit of God’s love wider.
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.
Check Out My Spiritual Formation Resources
Mindful Sketching
Learn how to connect your breath to your body and use the process of mark-making to become present with God.
Other Spiritual Formation Sites
Journeying in the Wilderness
