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.
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Spiritual Formation Posts
Putting Willard on the Raft | A Reflection on Gary Black’s book The Theology of Dallas Willard
Black, Gary. The Theology of Dallas Willard: Discovering Protoevangelical Faith. Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2013. The Author - Dr. Gary Black, Jr. This essay is both a reflection on Gary Black’s book The Theology of Dallas Willard, and a huge note of gratitude...
Short, Daily Devotionals for Youth and Families
I've been trying to write a short Devotional (Devo) on our youth website at least once a week. This Lent I would like to do it almost every day, as a personal Lenten discipline. I'm not sure if anyone reads them, but it is a nice way for me to interact with the text,...
Two Sermons in Four Days
This is going to be a big week. Last night we held our second of six Deep in the Burbs Research Team meetings. Those are going very well. I'm exicited to see where this research leads. Tomorrow night I am scheduled to preach for our Ash Wednesday service. Our theme...
On Ivan Illich in Charles Taylor’s A Secular Age
The following passage is referring to Ivan Illich. I found this passage especially helpful in regarding how we might think about law and social codes. This is from Charles Taylor's book A Secular Age.
Why Don’t My Kids (or grandkids) Go to Church? | A Workshop by David Lose
David Lose gave an excellent workshop at Luther Seminary's Mid-Winter Convocation a couple weeks ago. The following is a brief synopsis of it. Lose observes that the older generation often asks this question: "Why don't my kids (and grandkids) go to church anymore?"...
The Frozen Gospel | A Theological Reflection on Disney’s Frozen
Disney's Frozen was fantastic. Let me state that from the beginning. I. LOVED. IT. I geeked out on this film on multiple levels. Artistically, it was stunning. Technically--both in animation and in CG imaging of details and clarity--the CG artists continually push the...
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
