GroshLink

As you may remember, I began sharing material from Sacred Companions: The Gift of Spiritual Friendship & Direction (David G. Benner. IVP. 2002), which I'm reading for SF723: Christian Spiritual Direction, with Sacred Companions off the shelf and in the reader's hand (8/25/2011) and followed up with material from Chapter 1 (8/28/2011).* In Chapter 2: Hospitality, Presence & Dialogue, I begin to wrestle with the call of spiritual direction.

Hospitality, Presence & Dialogue begins with an illustration of the author, as a parent, learning from his "son about being a companion on a journey . . . a successful tour leader" (46, 46).

All it takes is liking people enough that you don't mind being with them eighteen hours a day, listening to them enough to know what they want and like even better than they do, and being ready to be their mother and take care of whatever goes wrong! (46)

How true it is that "[b]eing must precede doing. . . . spiritual friendship is a gift of hospitality, presence and dialogue. While all of these have a component of doing -- that is, they have to be lived out -- they are grounded in ways of being" (46).

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I sleep, but my heart is awake. -- The Song of Songs 5:2

As you may have noticed I've started posts for SF723: Christian Spiritual Direction with Sacred Companions off the shelf and in the reader's hand (8/25/2011). Another reading for SF723 is The Awakened Heart: Opening Yourself to the Love you Need (Gerald G. May, M.D. HarperCollins. 1991). A quick internet search brought up an interview of May (a psychiatrist, author, and spiritual counselor), regarding his seventh book, see http://www.csec.org/csec/sermon/may_3513.htm.

According to the interview, May found The Awakened Heart difficult to write because material on practicing the presence of love (influenced by Brother Lawrence's Practicing the Presence of God) kept flowing. I can't wait to read how he addresses the cultural conflict between efficiency and love and how the parents love of their children informs a household's understanding of God.

Pray for Theresa and myself that we may truly love our children and not demand production (at our local assembly, home, school, athletic field/gym, music hall . . .).

 

I began sharing material from Sacred Companions: The Gift of Spiritual Friendship & Direction (David G. Benner. IVP. 2002), which I'm reading for SF723: Christian Spiritual Direction, with the post Sacred Companions off the shelf and in the reader's hand (8/25/2011). Below I pick up with Chapter 1.* Note: if you're interested in discussing the below material with me (possibly even reading Sacred Companions alongside me), please drop me a message. 

Chapter 1: The Transformational Journey dives into framing spiritual friendship in terms of a biblically based understanding of accompaniment on a journey. The follower of Christ engages in "a journey of following and trusting God as he leads us on the adventure he has planned for us" (26). Who/what comes to mind in Scripture?

How about Abraham, the children of Israel in the wilderness, Jonah (added by Tom), the call of disciples to follow Jesus (Mark 1:14-19, 2:13-17; Luke 5:1-11, 27-32; John 1:35-51), Paul (added by Tom), John in the book of Revelation (added by Tom)?

"The essence of Christian spirituality is following Christ on a journey of personal transformation. The distant land to which we are called is not heaven. . . . The distant land is the new creaure into which Christ wishes to fashion us -- the whole and holy person that finds his or his uniqueness, identity and calling in Christ [inside-out (27)]. Spiritual friends accompany each other on that journey. . . . The inner self counts and in fact is the primary focus of the personal transformation that Jesus calls conversion" (26 - 27).

As I asked in Sacred Companions off the shelf and in the reader's hand (8/25/2011), with whom do you share your soul? Is your spiritual life centered upon the Spirit of God, in union with God through Christ (16-17)?

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If you've been in my office (or seen pictures of it), you know that I have a small library. And when upstairs I regularly look out the window to see/hear my kids excitedly receive/open deliveries of more books to add to the queue :) Thankfully, as I begin reading for the fall term at Evangelical Theological Seminary (Myerstown, PA), I had opportunity to pull Sacred Companions: The Gift of Spiritual Friendship & Direction (David G. Benner. IVP. 2002) off the shelf for SF723: Christian Spiritual Direction.

For some reason, Sacred Companions has sat unread for several years. Now's my opportunity to focus upon a piece by a clinical psychologist who is "concerned about the predominantly therapeutic face of soul care in our culture's church and society" and the entrusting of "the care of the inner life of persons to experts who understand their role primarily in problem-solving and therapeutic terms" (18). "The care of souls is much too important to be left to clinical professionals" and as an amateur Benner does what he does "out of passion" (19). Amen!

Below are a few quotes/questions, more coming as time permits. Such is the life of an amateur :)

Preface

Of all the social changes in the last several decades, nothing as surprised me more than the recent rise of interest in spirituality ["a person's awareness of and rsponse to the Divine" (15)]. For many in Western societies, a hunger for the sacred has emerged out of the bankruptcy of materialism and secularism. And for many in the church, a longing for a deep encounter with God has arisen out of the arid soil of knowing about God but having little personal, experiential knowing of him (13).

Benner wrote in 2002. I find spirituality rich, complex, and experimental on campus (especially Penn State - Hershey Medical Center). I enjoy carrying over musings and resources from the campus to family, local assembly, neighbors, library, etc. But what is spirituality like in the larger culture? Thoughts? 

In the core of our being [i.e., soul (15)] we yearn for intimacy. We want people to share our lives. We want soul friends ["offer each other the sacred gift of accompaniment on the human journey" (15)]. We were never intended to make the life pilgrimage alone.  And attempting to make the spiritual journey on our own is particularly hazardous.

Paradoxically, however, what we most deeply long for we also fear. How else can we explain our reluctance to be genuinely known by those with whom we are most intimate? Often it seems that what we want is the fruit of companionship without the demands of genuine intimacy (14).

Amen!

With whom do you share your soul? Is your spiritual life centered upon the Spirit of God, in union with God through Christ (16-17)?

Personally, I have found through the years the below soul/true friends of great value, helping me "remember that this is our Father's world" (17-18).

• my spouse
• a small groups of spiritual friends ["nuture the development of each other's soul" (16)] with whom I meet monthly (various configurations through the years)
• weekly prayer meetings
• various mentors, in particular faculty and partners-in-ministry who have invested significant time during specific seasons of my life
• several spiritual directors ["one-on-one relationship organized around prayer and conversation directed toward deepening intimacy with God" (17)].

Back to reading. It may be awhile before the next post. The life of an amateur blogger/writer and those who journey with him ;)

Looking over the syllabi for my three fall classes at Evangelical Theological Seminary, Myerstown, PA:

• OT559 Psalms
• SF723 Christian Spiritual Direction
• PM515-02 Personal Foundations for Ministry (online)

I ask for prayer as I

• focus attention to accomplish a growing workload. Note: If three is too much, I'll drop 1.
• apply what I learn directly to walking with God when alone or in the home, local assembly, campus (especially PSU-Hershey), classroom, blog, "cloud."

In retrospect it was a very good decision to take

• one class in the spring to warm up
• one class in the summer to finish off the Brethren in Christ Core Classes -- particularly with all the children at home and play.

Time to wrap up some summer reading/writing and dive into a fresh pile of material :)

In partnership with the church, Evangelical Seminary develops servant leaders for transformational ministry in a broken and complex world by nurturing rigorous minds, passionate hearts, and Christ-centered actions

Finished Another Reading List for Tom (and the reaction papers -- they'll be posted when I have time). In a few minutes, I'm heading out to Leadership & Structure within the Brethren in Christ Church Core Course, hosted by Carlisle Brethren in Christ Church. Can't wait to discuss leadership. It's been awhile and I have changed some in my perspective. More on that later. . . .

What do these books have in common?

Articles of Government, Canadian Conference Brethren in Christ: most current edition. (Canadian participants are to read this document. It is available through the Canadian Conference Office) -- being 'South of the border,' not necessary for me

Manual of Doctrine and Government, General Conference Brethren in Christ Church: most current edition. (US participants are to read this document. It is available through Evangel Press and/or as a download from the Denominational Website http://www.bic-church.org/about/manual.asp) -- received

Your own Regional Conference Bylaws: most current edition. (Available through your Bishop’s office) -- received

Leadership Books

Collins, Jim. Good to Great and the Social Sectors: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great. HarperCollins: 2005. -- received 7/1/2011. Thank-you for the loan Carl!

Herrington, Jim, Creech, R. Robert, and Taylor, Trisha. The Leader’s Journey – Accepting the Call to Personal and Congregational Transformation. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco. 2003. -- in process of receiving

Hoke, Kenneth O. Servant Leadership and Theological Understandings: Does the Theology of the Brethren in Christ Impact the way we choose to lead? Unpublished Doctoral Thesis: 2001. (Available through the CMD office at www.bic-church.org/equipping) -- received

Johnson, Spencer. Who Moved My Cheese? G. P. Putnam’s Sons: New York. 1998. -- checked out the library

Rinehart, Stacy T. Upside Down, The Paradox of Servant Leadership. NavPress Publishing Group: Colorado Springs, Colorado. 1998. -- -- in process of receiving

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Over the past several days as I've shared about On-line Literature Circles [see On-line Literature Circles and H.G. Wells Interview ;)], I've personally reflected upon the influence of family (and family history) on what

• I value (and how I live)
• my children value (and how they live/grow up, seeing who/what is truly 'god' in our house)
• those with whom I minister value (and how they incarnate the Gospel with 'head, heart, and hands' in their life/vocation).

This is a topic which I dug into last week in two on-line posts:

• The Incarnational Stream & Higher Education: Family -- ESN Blog
• "review" of Mike Austin’s Wise Stewards: Philosophical Foundations of Christian Parenting (Kregel, 2009) -- InterVarsity website

If you've not already read these posts, I encourage you to do such.

Additional comment: If parenting is part of your daily life, you intend it to be, or you counsel/minister among parents/children, then Wise Stewards: Philosophical Foundations of Christian Parenting is a must read as you shape your philosophy of Christian parenting. If you have not already done such, please take the time to check it out this summer. Maybe this is an apt piece for an on-line book discussion. Maybe I should ask the teacher from Dongal Spring Elementary for some ideas, even a rubric :-0

The Incarnational Stream & Higher Education (5/12/2011) is the 1st in a series inspired the Spring 2011 'Spiritual Formation in Ministry' class  which I took at Evangelical Theological Seminary. The post also gives you the heads up that we'll be discussing Head, Heart & Hands: Bringing Together Christian Thought, Passion and Action (Dennis Hollinger. InterVarsity Press, 2005) this summer. So if you don't already have a copy, it's time to borrow/invest in one ;)

Collect for Maundy Thursday: Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Darice shared this beautiful footwashing video, http://vimeo.com/22214941, as background to the practice of footwashing during the 'Spiritual Formation in Ministry' Social Justice Tradition Presentation (Evangelical Theological Seminary, Myerstown, PA). Thank-you Darice! 

I encourage you to take a few minutes as you celebrate Maundy Thursday to enjoy the Word of God [beginning with Luke 22:24-26, followed by John 13:3-17 (Jesus' washing of the disciples feet), Matthew 20:26-28, Matthew 25:40, Mark 10:45] and the paintings depicting footwashing in background to the Scriptures shared.  May be a helpful resource for your local congregation/ministry (part/all) as you practice footwashing and/or consider the Last Supper.

“You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” I Peter 2:9

I appreciated the opportunity to participate in the "Getting Ministry Out of the Building" conference sponsored by Evangelical Theological Seminary's Center for Leadership Impact. It was so good to hear the call to share the Word and Life of Christ in daily life through lay-led relational (and strategic) ministry teams receive attention. In addition to hearing from Drew Williams' (Senior Pastor, Trinity Church, Greenwich, CT), I enjoyed the inclusion of a testimony which drew attention to the reality that many of the "revolutionary ideas" given at these conferences are humming along in campus ministry.

A young woman shared testimony of missionally serving God as a student involved in a Christian Union.* Every Saturday night members of her chapter gave out bottles of water to every person leaving a pub near campus. The gift of re-hydration, some called it holy water. New students out on the street in ministry challenged to 'be little Christs' & to share 'why' they're doing this sheltered background. ... "Time and again people’s faith came alive … an amazing time to see those whose faith is wavering commit to the mission." Praise God! 

I wonder how close the various fellowship groups and the "Radical Christian" Adult Elective at Elizabethtown Brethren in Christ come to Clusters (Mission Shaped Communities), such as what one finds at St. Thomas Crookes, Sheffield, England?  I'll root around.  As Theresa and I serve our local congregation by leading the Disciples Fellowship Group, we'll reflect upon: (More)

As part of my continuing desire to offer every aspect of my life to Christ, I'm exploring the development of a "Ministry Rule of Life" which takes into consideration "family life as a husband and father."  This has become the focus of an "Engaged Learning Project and Integrative Report" for a Spiritual Formation in Ministry Class at Evangelical Theological Seminary, Myerstown, PA. 

If you're in ministry and have a family, what books, mentors/models, practices, resources, and/or seminars have you found helpful to yourself or others with regard to family life in the midst of ministry (could be about parenting in general)?  I'd love to find a book focused on being fully engaged as a father/husband while in the practice of ministry.  It may very well be Nathan Foster's "Wisdom Chaser" which made this topic hard for me to shake (scroll from the bottom up at http://blog.emergingscholars.org/?s=nathan+foster).  Note:  If you're not in ministry, please feel free to make some observations, speak out of your own experience (as a follower of Christ in the midst of the people of God, what you in the lives of ministry families), and/or pass the post along to someone in ministry who you think would have good material to share.

Books I've already 'dug into' include:

• Exhortations to husbands and fathers in Ephesians, Colossians and 1 Peter
• Austin's 'Wise Stewards:  Philosophical Foundations of Christian Parenting'
• Francis Chan's 'Crazy Love:  Overwhelmed by a Relentless God'
• Cloud & Townsend's 'Boundaries'
• Foster's 'Celebration of Discipline,' 'Streams of Living Water' 
• St. Gregory the Great's 'The Book of Pastoral Rule'
• Gordon MacDonald's 'Ordering Your Private World'
• Peterson's 'The Contemplative Pastor,' 'Working the Angles'
• Gary and Barbara Rosberg's '6 Secrets to a Lasting Love: Recapturing Your Dream Marriage'/Video
• Swenson's 'Margin,' 'In Search of Balance'
• Willard's 'Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ,' 'Spirit of the Disciplines:  Understanding How God Changes Lives'

Books in cue, largely by recommendation:

• Chan's 'Spiritual Theology:  A Systematic Study of the Christian Life'
• John Eldredge's 'The Way of the Wild Heart'
• Foster and Griffin, eds., 'Spiritual Classics:  Selected Readings for Individuals and Groups on the Twelve Spiritual Disciplines'
• Marilyn Robinson's Gilead
• Mulholland’s Deeper Journey
• Ortlund's 'Disciplines of the Home'
• Peterson's 'A Pastor's Memoir'
• Romero's 'Seeking:  A Paraphrase of the Rule of Saint Benedict with Commentary' 
• "Bo's Cafe," "True Faced," by John Lynch, Bruce McNichol, and Bill Thrall

Video/Audio:

• "The Two Roads" by John Lynch (video 45 minutes) 
• "The Hope of Prayer," "The Four Streams" by John Eldredge (audio)

Click here to read my first Spiritual Formation in Ministry Reflection Paper (Evangelical Theological Seminary), mentioned in Come Messy in Prayer (2/21/2011). Two pages, less than 800 words ;-)  

Loving God with our 'Head, Heart, and Hand' in the context of the Biblical story
Thomas B. Grosh IV
2/22/2011

Introduction:  In A Spiritual Formation Workbook:  Small-Group Resources for Nurturing Christian Growth (1999) James Bryan Smith and Lynda Graybeal serve the people of God by providing a practical resource to “put skin on” the six streams of spiritual life explored in Richard Foster’s Streams of Living Water (2001). In concert the streams reflect how God calls the Body of Christ closer to Himself, one-another, outsiders, and the creation. I am closest to the incarnational or sacramental heart tradition, but I do not find much satisfaction in charting the practice of disciplines or working toward a balance of streams. Instead, I desire as a follower of Christ, father, and campus minister to grow in love for God and neighbor. I find Dennis Hollinger’s weaving together of “Head, Heart, and Hands” a more helpful rubric for guiding the spiritual life.

"Stirring the pot," would receive your feedback/comments.  Next reflection paper for the class will be on Dallas Willard's Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ. 

Introduction to "Seminary: Undeclared" thread coming ...