Holistic Spirituality: part 1

Every Component of Life is under the Lordship of Christ, we just don’t always recognize that or live that way.

Ken Boa writes: “There is a general tendency to treat Christianity as a component of life along with other components such as family, work, and finances. This compartmentalization fosters a dichotomy between the secular and the spiritual. The biblical alternative is to understand the implications of Christ’s lordship over every aspect of life in such a way that even the most mundane components of life can become expressions of the life of Christ in us”

Jesus Christ is the CENTER of EVERYTHING!!!

Our key question, everyday should be: “What does this have to do with Jesus Christ?”

For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:16-17

1. We must move towards a Divine Orientation

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. Colossians 2:8
But now that you know God--or rather are known by God--how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? Galatians 4:9
But the man who loves God is known by God. 1 Corinthians 8:3
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, Philippians 3:20

As we do this we must avoid what has become very popular over the ages and that is Compartmentalization.  This is a False Dichotomy between the “Sacred” and the “Secular.”  A living in 2 worlds.  Having 1 foot in the Sacred (when we go to church and do the God thing) and 1 foot in the world (the rest and most of life).  I remember years ago talking with a friend who had joined a particular church.  I was a little shocked and asked why.  I was told because they let me separate the Sacred form the Secular.  I said oh, not really understanding what she said until hours later when the meaning dawned on me.  Like a church could actually pronounce this in opposition to the Lord who rules over all and desires that we even bring the everyday, mundane things under His Lordship.

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, Colossians 3:23

False Pursuits of Happiness (short-term reasons are not enough, and our hearts remain Restless )

“You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts

are restless until they rest in You.”

Augustine

2. The Wisdom of Seeking Christ in All Things, this is where wisdom is found, even though for everything else there might by VISA, it provides No Wisdom.

Seek A Skillful Life

"To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his. Job 12:13

"The LORD brought me forth as the first of his works, before his deeds of old;
I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began.
When there were no oceans, I was given birth, when there were no springs abounding with water, before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was given birth, before he made the earth or its fields or any of the dust of the world. I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep, when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep, when he gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth. Then I was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind. Proverbs 8:22-31

Seek The Wisdom from Above not from  Below

Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. James 3:15-17
Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding,
for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.
She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. Proverbs 3:13-15
She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed. Proverbs 3:18
My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding,
and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure,
then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:1-5

Devotional Spirituality: part 7

Last time we discussed that Loving God involves seeing…

1. God is our Highest Good

Just a couple more thoughts on Loving God

2. The Implications of the Incarnation is

(1) A Gospel of Grace, Not Our Goodness

by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body,
and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:20-22

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.
It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. Titus 2:11-14

(2) Abiding in Jesus… we must abide and participate in the life, the ONLY life that God has provided.

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched--this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete. 1 John 1:1-4

But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:3

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

Lastly let me state that we must

3. Cultivate a Passion for Christ

Our passions are God given and can be used strongly for noble and ignoble purposes.  Some of The Enemies of Spiritual Passion include…

Complacency

Erosion of Spiritual Disciplines

External Obedience Only

Loving Truth more than Jesus

Elevating Service and Ministry above Jesus

Greater commitment to institutions than Jesus

A merely functional relationship with Jesus

We must try not to leak out what God has put in.

Some of the Sources of Spiritual Passion include….

Growing awareness of God

Sitting at Jesus feet

Imitating the Master

Cultivating spiritual affections

Increasing appreciation for the goodness of God

focused attention

Willingness to let God break our outward shell (SELF)

Desiring to please God more than people

Treasuring God

Maturing in trust

O my soul, above all things and in all things always rest in the Lord, for He is the eternal rest of the saints. Grant me most sweet and loving Jesus, to rest in You above every other creature, above all health and beauty, above all glory and honor, above all power and dignity, above all knowledge and precise thought, above all wealth and talent, above all joy and exultation, above all fame and praise, above all sweetness and consolation, above all hope and promise, above all merit and desire, above all gifts and favors You give and shower upon me, above all happiness and joy that the mind can understand and feel, and finally, above all angels and archangels, above all the hosts of heaven, above all things visible and invisible, and above all that is not You, my God.—Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ

 

Next Time we'll begin: Holistic Spirituality

Devotional Spirituality: part 6

While the Bible speaks of different types of prayer, let’s think of two different types and compare them.  Meditative Prayer & Contemplative Prayer.

 

Meditative Prayer	Contemplative Prayer
Speech	Silence
Activity	Receptivity
Discursive thought	Loss of mental images and ideas
Vocal and mental prayer	Wordless prayer and interior stillness
Natural faculties of reason and imagination	Mysterious darkening of the natural faculties
Affective feelings	Loss of feelings
Reading and reflection	Inability to meditate
Doing	Being
Seeking	Receiving
Talking to Jesus	Entering into the prayer of Jesus

 

Contemplation (Contemplatio)
·        Take time to present yourself to the Lord in silence and yieldedness
·        Do not be over concerned with your expectations, wait
·        When your mind wanders, draw it back with a “special” verse or Scripture

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2

·       Contemplation is a work of God
·       Nourish your Inner life

Devotional Spirituality: Falling in Love with God

1. God is our Highest Good

·        The School of Renunciation –

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1

So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future--all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God. 1 Corinthians 3:21-23

“Father, I want to know Thee, but my cowardly heart fears to give up its toys. I cannot part with them without inward bleeding, and I do not try to hide from Thee the terror of the parting. I come trembling, but I do come. Please root from my heart all those things which I have cherished so long and which have become a very part of my living self, so that Thou mayest enter and dwell there without a rival. Then shalt Thou make the place of Thy feet glorious. Then shall my heart have no need of the sun to shin in it, for Thyself wilt be the light of it, and there shall be no night there. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”  AW Tozer, The Pursuit of God

“Learn in the creature to love the Creator; and in the work Him who made it. Let not that which has been made by Him detain thine affections, so that thou shouldest lose Him by whom thou thyself wert made also. . . . But why dost thou love those things, except because they are beautiful? Can they be as beautiful as He by whom they were made? Thou admirest these things because thou seest not Him: but through those things which thou admirest, love Him whom thou seest not.” St. Augustine, Expositions on the Psalms:

·        Pursuing God’s Pleasure

but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." Luke 10:42

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Matthew 13:44

Devotional Spirituality: part 5

The Practice of Sacred Reading.  This is sometimes called “Lectio Divina” and seems to be controversial in some parts of the body of Christ, though I can’t figure out why?  It is simply reading the Word, praying as you read and asking the Holy Spirit to teach.  Is that not what is suppose to happen when we read God’s Word?

Reading (Lectio)

Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scripture! to be written for our learning: Grant that we ma) in such wise hear them, read, marke, learne, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. 1928 Book of Common Prayer, The second Sunday in Advent

For reading the Word, here’s a couple of good ideas that will aid you as you read.

Choose a regular/ special place

Choose a regular/ special time
Be consistent
Body posture can be important
Be systematic (read the whole Bible in some order)
Avoid distractions
Keep the passage brief
Begin with prayer
Slowly read the text again and again
Meditate on the text
Listen to God with humility
Ask God to shape you with His Word
Maybe use a note-free Bible

Meditation (Meditatio)

Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Joshua 1:8

But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:2

Here’s a couple ideas as you learn and practice meditating on God’s Word.

God’s love teaches us to love Him
Acknowledge the holiness of God
Meditation is a process that builds

"For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:16

Allow enough time
Meditation is chewing on God’s Word (ruminating)
Don’t force it and be patient
When God speaks, reflect, perhaps write it down
Personalize the text in your prayer
Ask God for a sanctified imagination (we have been damaged by the many ideas and images of the world)
“Pray as you can, not as you can’t”
Meditation on the Psalms (regular diet)
Meditation should address the mind, the emotions and the will
Distractions will come, learn to take ALL captive to Christ

and Prayer (Oratio), some final thoughts as you Read, Meditate and Pray God’s Word.

Allow enough time to Pray

Avoid “rut” routines
Pray the Scriptures
Prayer is the time for the heart to respond
Prayer can take numerous forms (confession, adoration, worship, renewal, petition, intercession, affirmation and thanksgiving)
When God speaks to you take time to pray and obey (if necessary)
See this time as moving away from the flesh to Christ
Prayer leads to contemplation

Devotional Spirituality: part 4

The Contemplative Way in pursuing Christ also includes the following.

Detachment and Desire

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. Psalm 42:1
O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Psalm 63:1
Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. Psalm 27:14
Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell. The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong. You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the LORD abhors. But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple. Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies-- make straight your way before me. Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit. Psalm 5:2-9
I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; Philippians 1:23
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, Philippians 3:20
Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory." Exodus 33:18

Seasons of Dryness and Darkness.  One of the best known writings on this comes from Saint John of the Cross and his book “The Dark Night of the Soul.  The importance is to learn to embrace the cross.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. Romans 11:36

And lastly, before going on to the practice of sacred reading, let me mention the limits of human reason.

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Psalm 37:7