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
Installing Pastor 2.0
The following is an article I wrote for our November Grace Notes: A couple weeks ago I posted a Facebook status that read, “The Bishop is Installing Me.” A fellow computer-loving friend commented, “remember, before installation, close all programs.” I appreciate this...
I Slept in a Box Last Night
Last night we took several of our students to the Cardboard Box City at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. It was a great night of music, dancing, learning about homelessness from World Vision, prayer, and sleeping in cardboard boxes all night. The rain held off until...
How Do I Fit Project Website
The How Do I Fit Project is underway. We did the introduction on September 23 and launched the My Style section this past Sunday. There is a website that I am encouraging students and mentors to access both as a resource and as a social commons to post their...
Trying to Connect with Youth in a Busy World
I have the unique privilege of combining my two worlds this semester. I'm using our youth group experience as a case study. Here are my initial thoughts. I'm open to conversation about this. Initial Thoughts about My Case Study My context is a suburban ELCA...
Creation Walk in Suburbia
A fun synergy is taking place between my two worlds. In academia (world One) I have come into the orbit of Dr. Mary Hess who is all about digital media, adult religious education, and spirituality. That's a pretty obvious connection to my interests. She is one of my...
Word for the Day: Interdisciplinarity. Will it kill me?
I started reading Minding the Spirit: The Study of Christian Spirituality for my independent study course. Sandra Schneiders writes the first article in which she traces the contours and dynamics of the academic study of Christian Spirituality. She describes this...
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
