Praying the Psalms #2 … In-psalm-nia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My psalms are as…
queasy as quiet,
wicked as worshipful,
egotistical as elegant,
resentful as resilient,
tempting as triumphant,
yearning as yielding,
ugly as understanding,
inconsiderate as intimate,
obstinate as open,
pitiful as pious,
arrogant as astounding,
sinful as spiritual,
disturbing as delightful,
fickle as faithful,
ghastly as glorious,
heartless as heroic,
jaded as jubilant,
killing as kindred,
loathsome as lingering,
contemptible as courageous,
venomous as venerable,
brash as becoming,
needy as noble,
malicious as majestic.

Praying the Psalms #1

Psalmodic Prayer…it lives in the tension of your public and private life, between your eyes opened and your head bowed, between talking to God and talking to 2 or 3, between your social outlets and your closed closet, between reality and spirituality, between mad at God and at peace with God, between listening to a still small voice in your head and the tempest of anguish & enemies, between the radiation of cancer and the revelation of the crucified, between a moment of solitude and the groan of creation, between the passion to destroy and the restoration of reality, between their calm and your chaotic, between the tears of despair and the imagination of hope…

Prayer found in the Psalms is imperfect, messy, in the midst of, always present, not pretty…put away your pious, pretentious prayer and get down to the brass tax of prayer which is talking, listening and writing what is going on between you and God about life as it spills out of your guts.

Practice Makes Perfect

Misha Elman, one of the greatest violinists of the twentieth century, was walking through the streets of new York City one afternoon when a tourist approached him. “Excuse me sir,” the stranger began, “could you tell me how to get to Carnegie Hall?” Elman sighed deeply and replied, “Practice, practice, practice.”

“People who think that they are spiritually superior because they make a practice of a discipline such as fasting… are entirely missing the point. The need for extensive practice of a given discipline is an indication of our weakness, not our strength.  As a rule of thumb: if it is easy for us to engage in a certain discipline, we probably don’t need to practice it. The disciplines we need to practice are precisely the ones we are not ‘good at’ and hence do not enjoy.” Dallas Willard

The result of not practicing rigorously for the spiritual life speaks for itself.  Growth in the spirit is not something that happens naturally, or by itself. No more than muscles grow without exercise.

If a convert’s habits remain the same they will realize little of the life in Christ.

A message prepared in the mind, reaches the mind, but a message prepared in a life, reaches a life.  –Bill Gothard

“The soul and body make a man; the spirit and disciplines make a Christian.” -John Wesley.

As Francis Bacon once said, “Reading maketh a full man, speaking a ready man, and writing an exact man.”  I would add; spiritual disciplines make a perfect man.

Practice is the key to spontaneity.  We cannot behave “on the spot” as Christ/Apostles did if the rest of our time we live as everybody else does.  There are no shortcuts to a holy life!  There is no apostolic power without apostolic practices.  Acts 2:42-43 They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.  Fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

The Pathway

On the ridge there is a path, the disciplines of the spiritual life. …We must always remember that the path does not produce change; it only places us where the change can occur. The disciplines are a narrow ledge, and we are in danger of falling off either side.

Dallas Willard in Spirit of the Disciplines writes, “The disciplines of abstinence (fasting, solitude, chastity) must be counterbalanced and supplemented with the disciplines of engagement (worship, prayer, meditation). Abstinence counteracts tendencies to sins of commission and the disciplines of engagement counteract tendencies to sins of omission.  Life does not derive its power of growth and development from withdrawal but from action…from engagement. But a lack of abstinence will not allow us to enjoy life to its fullest.”

Everybody lives a life of discipline, either to crucify or fulfill the lusts of the flesh.   This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.  For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that you cannot do the things that you would. Galatians 5:16-17

The disciplines are the way we sow to the spirit and mortify the deeds of the body. What is the law of the harvest and its relation to discipline?  Galatians 6:7 “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”

Sow a thought, reap an attitude,  Sow an attitude, reap an action,  Sow an action, reap a habit,  Sow a habit, reap a character,  Sow a character, reap a destiny.

The Christ Life

Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.  Hebrews 5:7-8

The word obedient in the Latin means to listen. Jesus’ life was a life of obedience.  He is always listening, always attentive, always alert.  Spiritual discipline is the concentrated effort where this kind of obedience can take place in our lives.  The power of the disciplines is realized because they are the conduit by which we touch-contact-connect to the indestructible life of Christ.  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. Romans 5:10

The Conclusion

If we do not experience deep, inner authentic transformation of our character and being then we will be tempted to find external methods to prove our spiritual superiority over others  If we cannot be transformed, we will settle for being informed or conformed.

“A practicing Christian must above all be one who practices the perpetual return of the soul into the inner sanctuary, who brings the world into its Light and re-judges it.”   -Thomas Kelly

What we find of Him in that place enables us to return to society as a free person.  For how long?  That is to be determined by each man.  -Dallas Willard

Trophies of Grace

John Wesley asked…“Why are we not more holy?  …and answered, “Chiefly because we are enthusiasts, looking for the end without the means.”

Enthusiasm does not make up for preparation or compensate for lack of discipline, conditioning, practice, coaching, experience, and character.

“A spiritual life without discipline is impossible.”  – Henri Nouwen

“Teaching them to do all things whatsoever I have commanded you is the Great Ommission of the Great Commission.”  -Dallas Willard

Spiritual disciplines are the means whereby we practice our faith… disciplines faithfully practiced allow us to place ourselves before God so that He can transform us.  “Transformation comes with an unconditional willingness to change.”  -Dietriech Von Hildebrand

Disciplines are a means of grace.  Grace is God acting in your life.  So the opposite of grace is works, but not effort.  Grace is opposed to earning (or works righteousness), but grace is not opposed to effort.  To grow in grace just means there is more of God’s action in your life, so you can grow more and more.  Augustine said, “Without God, we cannot; without us, he will not.”

The Cost

Richard Foster says that we do not know how to go about exploring the inward life.  The classical disciplines invite us to explore the inner caverns of the spiritual realm.  They are classical because they are central to experiential Christianity.

“The greatest danger to the Christian church today is that of pitching its message too low.”  -Dallas Willard in Spirit of Disciplines.

“Christianity has not so much been tried and found wanting, as it has been found difficult and left untried.”  -GK Chesterton

The Training

Much of our culture has created a spiritual existence that is so atrophied and weakened that it is incapable of exerting prolonged, effective influence in our lives.

Atrophy is the partial or complete wasting away of a part of the body. Causes of atrophy include poor nourishment, poor circulation, loss of hormonal support, loss of nerve supply to the target organ, disuse or lack of exercise or disease intrinsic to the tissue itself.

We are enrolled in CROSS TRAINING…

I Cor 9:24 You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. 25 All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally. 26 I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! 27 I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.  –Message Bible

A trophy is a reward for a specific accomplishment.  Often, the reward of the trophy is not simply in winning it; rather, those who win it cherish the legacy that also comes with the trophy.

Spiritual disciplines act in much the same way as an athlete gaining greater physical fitness.  It transforms their abilities to increase their capabilities.  We want to activate the grace of God in our lives that we might grow into the fullness of Christ in us, transformed into his likeness.  Not from the outside (as a Pharisee) but from within (true spiritual man).

The word “discipline” comes from the same root word as “disciple.” Indeed, you might say that the whole purpose of discipline is to make disciples.

Matt 16:24-25  Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.

Luke 14:27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

Discipleship…a progressive process

Discipleship

Jesus called us to be (and to make) disciples. A disciple is a person who has decided that the most important thing in their life is to learn how to do what Jesus said to do. A disciple is not a person who has things under control, or knows a lot of things. Disciples simply are people who are constantly revising their affairs to carry through on their decision to follow Jesus.

 

Discipleship focuses on the inner self, which consists of our ideas, beliefs, and emotions. Character grows out of our inner lives, and it governs what we think and feel. As our character is transformed our behavior is changed as well.

In today’s church we’ve reduced the gospel to a theory of atonement and reduced grace to forgiveness of sins…in other words: a gospel of justification does not generate disciples.  Discipleship has been made optional, therefore churches are filled with undisciplined disciples.  The cost of non-discipleship is far greater.  It costs you exactly the abundance Jesus came to bring.

Process

Formation is a process that happens to everyone. The most despicable as well as the most admirable of persons have had a spiritual formation. Their spirits or hearts have been formed. We all become a certain kind of person, gain a specific character, and that is the outcome of a process of “spiritual formation”.

 

Christian spiritual formation is the redemptive process of forming the inner human world so that it takes on the character of the inner being of Christ himself. In the degree to which it is successful, the outer life of the individual becomes a natural expression or outflow of the character and teachings of Jesus.

 

It is a whole life process, dealing with change in every essential part of the person.  It does not aim at controlling action/behavior.  It is a holistic process.  Your spirituality must be comprehensive and integrative.  Everything everywhere all the time

 

The external manifestation of “Christ-likeness” is not the focus of the process; and when it is made the main emphasis the process will be defeated, falling into crushing legalisms. It is neither privatized nor legalized, but takes place in the realm of community.

 

“Sometimes we think of spiritual formation as formation by the Holy Spirit. Once again. That’s essential. Spiritual formation is not all by the Holy Spirit. None without the Holy Spirit. But there’s always more involved.

 

We have to recognize that spiritual formation in us is something that is also done to us by those around us, by ourselves, and by activities which we voluntarily undertake…There has to be method as well as a lingering mystery to the growth of my spiritual life.

 

A life-changing principle can be introduced at an event, but it takes time to internalize that principle in our lives. Perhaps even weeks or months. This is what we refer to as the “process.”

 

From Tim Elmore…Habitudes:  We’ve observed that most people require both a planned “event” and a “process” to experience true life-change.

 

An event may be a weekend conference, a retreat, a banquet, a concert, or a camp. Following these events, we should encourage students to “sign up” to participate in a process to continue thinking, discussing and applying the truths that were introduced at the event. These could be small groups, accountability partnerships, mentoring relationships or a class.

 

Here is the value of both:

 

EVENTS	PROCESS
1. Motivate people	1. Matures people
2. Are a calendar issue	2. Is a consistency issue
3. Challenge participants	3. Changes participants
4. Usually about a big group	4. Usually about a small group
5. Encourage decisions	5. Encourages development
6. Become a catalyst	6. Becomes a culture
7. Easy	7. Difficult

 

A Spirit Driven Life

Spiritual birthing does not have a due date.

Galatians 4:18-19 It is a good thing to be ardent in doing good, but not just when I am in your presence. Can’t you continue the same concern for both my person and my message when I am away from you that you had when I was with you? Do you know how I feel right now, and will feel until Christ’s life becomes visible (until Christ is formed) in your lives? Like a mother in the pain of childbirth. (Message Bible)

A genuine spiritual life can never be forged in some indefinite future when we get it all together, master some spiritual discipline, find more time, get a new job, or finish raising our children.  God cannot reach us where we “ought to be”; God can reach us only where we are…precisely because we are accepted and loved not for what we accomplish but simply because we have being.  – Companions in Christ

What is spiritual formation?

Spiritual formation is a Spirit-driven process of forming the inner world of the human self—our “spiritual” side—in such a way that it becomes like the inner being of Christ himself.

What is important is not only confirmation in Christ, but conformation to Christ.

Romans 8:29… For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

You are either being spiritually formed, conformed, deformed, reformed, or transformed…so who and/or what is forming you and is it forming in you the image (beliefs, paradigms, world view, attitude, character, heart) of Christ?

“We cannot take the approach that we just need to teach people the classic spiritual disciplines, assuming that a person already has a developed center. We must use spiritual disciplines to help people form the center.” – Reggie McNeal in The Present Future

Romans 12:1-2  I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.  Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].

God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.  – Message Bible

The more advanced a person is in the process of spiritual formation, the greater and more pervasive will be their spirituality.