Christian spirituality has been coming into its own in the Protestant world in the last several decades.   Historically, the richness of this focus has been cultivated more ardently in the Catholic and Orthodox traditions.  While Protestants have been cautious to drink at this well (and for good reasons), it behooves us to remember that before the 1500s, we can make legitimate claims on this tradition as ours also.

A new, comprehensive volume has just come out that helps paint the big picture regarding spirituality.  It is a treatment of the topic that is palatable across some of the historical divides and reclaims some of the ground for the Protestant tradition that has been lost.

Perhaps I am excited about Christian Spirituality by Evan Howard because I know the author and am grateful for his long contribution to CRM, particularly his influence and affection for InnerCHANGE, our order among the poor.

He has also given us more than his prayer and counsel over the years.  His daughter, Claire, serves with InnerCHANGE on the streets of San Francisco.

This is a book for everyone’s library.

Bobby Clinton observes that most leaders invariably hit a time, usually in mid-career, when they confront a “faith challenge” and ask questions such as: “Is God really real? Does he do what he says? Can he be trusted?”

“I do not have hard data on this just intuitive insight from observing leaders over the years and anecdotal confirmation along the way as I deal with leaders. But Biblically I teach it from Habakkuk. Habakkuk is a typical leader who faced a faith challenge mid-career. Habakkuk is a core book for me from which I teach on this notion of a faith challenge.

…teach on this to leaders in CRM as you inspire them to stay with it and respond positively to God’s faith challenges that come their way.”

And of course, Mother Teresa’s spiritual pain, which was revealed so transparently last year in Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light, is a riveting example of this dynamic where she was quoted as saying:

“… as for me, the silence and the emptiness is so great, that I look and do not see, — listen and do not hear — the tongue moves [in prayer] but does not speak … I want you to pray for me — that I let Him have [a] free hand.”

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines,
Though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food,
Though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.”

I had coffee this past week with a close friend whose mortgage company is going through deep waters. As the whole industry in the U.S. is being roiled by the sub-prime crisis and the resulting credit crunch, his company is in a vice that he has never experienced in his several decades of business.

Inside the cover of his diary, he had pasted the following quote from Thomas Merton which is poignant considering the circumstances:

“Tribulation detaches us from the things of nothingness in which we spend ourselves and die. Therefore, tribulation gives us life and we love it not out of love for death, but out of love for life.

Let me then withdraw all my love from scattered, vain things—the desire to be read and praised as a writer, to be a successful teacher praised by my students, or to live at east in some beautiful place—and let me place everything in Thee, where it will take root and live, instead of being spent in barrenness.”

I know people like this, who are called to suffer and do so over extended periods of time. I don’t necessarily understand it nor do I know how to reconcile it with the nature of God, but it consistent with the overwhelming testimony of scripture regarding the role of suffering in the lives of those who follow Jesus.

We often joke of how the “gift of martyrdom” gets exercised only once, but if white martyrdom is a reality, that gift is probably much more widespread and practiced than I ever imagined.

In 1739, Charles Wesley penned these now famous words for use in the first worship service at the Wesleyan Chapel in London. The chapel, on the site of a former iron foundry, became known as the Foundry Meeting House. This hymn has grown to be one of the most popular Easter songs in the English language.

Christ, the Lord, is risen today, Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth, reply, Alleluia!

Love’s redeeming work is done, fought the fight, the battle won,
Lo! the Sun’s eclipse is over, Lo! He sets in blood no more.

Vain the stone, the watch, the seal, Christ hath burst the gates of hell.
Death in vain forbids His rise, Christ hath opened paradise.

Lives again our glorious King, where, O death, is now thy sting?
Once He died our souls to save, where thy victory, O grave?

Soar we now where Christ hath led, following our exalted Head.
Made like Him, like Him we rise, ours the cross, the grave, the skies.

Hail, the Lord of earth and Heaven, praise to Thee by both be given.
Thee we greet triumphant now, hail, the resurrection, thou.

King of glory, Soul of bliss, everlasting life is this.
Thee to know, Thy power to prove, thus to sing and thus to love.

Hymns of praise then let us sing, unto Christ, our heavenly King.
Who endured the cross and grave, sinners to redeem and save.

But the pains that He endured, our salvation have procured.
Now above the sky He’s King, where the angels ever sing.

Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!
Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
Who did once upon the cross, Alleluia!
Suffer to redeem our loss. Alleluia!

*Image if of Rembrandt’s famous Resurrection of Christ.

“So much depends on me, yet all I have for this task is whatever health and energy You give me….I eat carefully, rest, exercise, and think positive thoughts, and still this wretched lump of clay fails me.

You have Creator’s rights on my body. You formed every miraculous part. What You take away is Your business. I will do what I can with whatever capabilitiy You give me. It yours….

The days end as the years end, with never enough time for all the good that could be done, only just enough for Your priorities, if I get them right. You created time, and it does not limit You. But I do not have a thousand years today, God. I have only now.

So this day is Yours; I am yours” these people are Yours, the resources are Yours. The challenges we face are Yours, as is anything we hope to accomplish. It’s Yours, God. It ’s not mine.”

In considering Jesus, A.E. Whiteham writes in The Discipline and Culture of the Spiritual LIfe:

“Here in this Man is adequate purpose …inward rest, that gives an air of leisure to His crowded life. Above all there is in this Man a secret and a power of dealing with the waste-products of life, the waste of pain, disappointment, enmity, death …making a short life of about thirty years, abruptly cut off, to be a ‘finished’ life. We cannot admire the poise and beauty of this human life, and then ignore the things that made it.”

*Painting is Rembrandt’s famous head of Christ.

“The difference between a collective and a community is care. Collectives gather together, do the same things, perhaps wear similar clothes. Communities give themselves for each other.

In communities people matter to each other. In community we are an issue for each other. At times this can indeed be a cause of suffering. But our Three-personed God designed this dynamic to be a means of the relief of suffering. A community wherein the other matters is basic to what it means to be human and it reflects the very character of God. No wonder we long for community!

An so you say to me, ‘I just can’t seem to find community.’ I ask you, ‘For whom do you care?’ You ask me, ‘How do I start real community?’ I say to you, ‘Start caring for someone.’”

In my experience, there are three tender topics that unless they are broached, a discipling, coaching or mentoring relationship will rarely move beyond the superficial.

Money: What people do with their money is usually a hot-to-handle issue. It touches on lifestyles, possessions, and deep-seated values. It often crosses an artificial cultural boundary that says “My checkbook is my private business.”

Sex: I remember the evening that a man, my age and now a good friend, leveled with me and said “I’m not interested in a friendship unless we get to the point that I can candidly discuss issues related to sex.” Despite the social openness that prevails in western society about this topic, personal, honest and transparent discussions about sexuality are rare. Sexuality touches us at our core.

Parenting: Few topics are as sensitive to bring up than how someone parents their kids. I’ve found very few moms or dads open to conversations about this when it gets up close and personal. It’s fine to discuss in the abstract. But it is risky to tell someone that their little Johnny or Susie is an out-of-control hellion. Momma bears protect their cubs and human beings are no different.

While the bible and being immersed into scripture is certainly a central feature of such communion with Jesus, how that is carried out can vary widely, again depending upon my needs, my temperament, and what God wants to communicate. There are numerous forms of reading, studying, meditating, memorizing and hearing God’s word that may be applicable. I find the guiding principle to be: What brings life? Through what means is the presence of Jesus mediated in a way that I can hear his voice with clarity and surety?

I’ve found Bobby Clinton’s “Levels of Word Gifts” to be liberating when it comes to use of the bible in focused time with God. This paradigm has helped me understand how I am uniquely wired and has given me permission and even freedom to use the bible in ways that feed and nourish my soul rather than enslave me to the methods of others.

All sorts of tools can be part of my “plan”: poetry, hymnody, Lectio Divina, CDs, journaling, the Examen or other Ignatian spiritual exercises or their derivatives, etc …to name a few.

Regardless, for me it has always been crucial to remember that tools are only tools. They are never an end in and of themselves. If something doesn’t work, it should be jettisoned. What I am pursuing is God and there is no one thing in all creation that can begin to give me a corner on the totality of that relationship.

The older I get, the more I realize that God is remarkably accommodating, far beyond my imagination or comprehension. He longs to relate with me so much that he will go to great extremes to overcome the frailties of my humanity. Consider what he has done throughout redemptive history and the huge variety of means he has employed to reveal himself …angels, a pillar of fire, a temple, an ass, an audible voice from heaven, etc …

In my experience, if I can just move in his direction, he will go to great lengths to invade my space. And he does it with incredible kindness.

I need to:

Understand my pace
Find a place
Establish a plan

]]> http://www.undertheiceberg.com/2007/01/05/plan-intentional-time-with-god/feed/ 2 http://www.undertheiceberg.com/2007/01/04/place-intentional-time-with-god/ http://www.undertheiceberg.com/2007/01/04/place-intentional-time-with-god/#comments Thu, 04 Jan 2007 17:20:25 +0000 Sam http://www.undertheiceberg.com/2007/01/04/place-intentional-time-with-god/

It has always helped me to have a place or places where I regularly meet with God. These are private sanctuaries that are venues of welcome for God and me. I know when I go there, it signifies to the Lord that I crave it to be holy ground where he and I can converse. It is where we enjoy union and communion.

It may be a room, a chair, or a special spot in nature. It could be a park bench or an easily accessible spot on a trail. It could be a quiet corner of patio or next to a window in a flat. Wherever it may be, it is quiet, private, and all mine. I have freedom there to pray, to sing, to lift my hands in worship or to prostrate myself before the presence of the Holy.

During my student days, there was a particular seat in the musty, little used university chapel that was my regular place to commune with Jesus. That spot almost had a magnetic quality to it. It drew me because I longed for what it represented and for the One whom I knew would find me there.

]]> http://www.undertheiceberg.com/2007/01/04/place-intentional-time-with-god/feed/ 0 http://www.undertheiceberg.com/2007/01/02/pace-intentional-time-with-god/ http://www.undertheiceberg.com/2007/01/02/pace-intentional-time-with-god/#comments Wed, 03 Jan 2007 00:53:22 +0000 Sam http://www.undertheiceberg.com/2007/01/02/pace-intentional-time-with-god/

In a recent conversation with a CRM staff person, we delved into the issue of what intentional time with God is all about. As I reflected on the discussion, and on my own experience over the years, I realized there were three factors that have always played into how my relationship with Jesus is pursued when it means specific, concentrated time with him. I realized there are usually three basic components, the first of which is:

Pace – This concerns the rhythm of the relationship. How often do we meet? What’s the cycles and sense of continuity to my times with God? What’s the pace?

I am convinced there is tremendous diversity and no one approach fits all. This is all influenced by life stage, temperament and even vocation.

Many of us have grown up with idealization that such intentional time is a must every day. But that may not be the rhythm that suits me best. For some—such as those in monastic communities—3-5 times a day for prayers and meditation is the norm. For others, three set-aside times with God a week may be what is sustainable and sustaining. A mother with young children may be in a totally different place where emotional and spiritual survival is at stake and how God feeds her soul may be completely different in such a season.

Like all liturgical practice, regularity can bring confidence and surety. It is like the regular exercise of a muscle. However, structure can be deadening and can suck the life right out of the most passionate pursuit of God. While discipline is certainly admirable regardless of the pace, structure without grace can be the death of real spiritual vitality.

Tomorrow’s post will deal with the 2nd factor: Place.


]]> http://www.undertheiceberg.com/2007/01/02/pace-intentional-time-with-god/feed/ 0 http://www.undertheiceberg.com/2007/01/01/john-piper-on-lust/ http://www.undertheiceberg.com/2007/01/01/john-piper-on-lust/#comments Mon, 01 Jan 2007 18:11:40 +0000 Sam http://www.undertheiceberg.com/2007/01/01/john-piper-on-lust/

“I have in mind men and women. For men it’s obvious. The need for warfare against the bombardment of visual temptation to fixate on sexual images is urgent. For women it is less obvious, but just as great if we broaden the scope of temptation to food or figure or relational fantasies. When I say “lust” I mean the realm of thought, imagination, and desire that leads to sexual misconduct. So here is one set of strategies in the war against wrong desires. I put it in the form of an acronym,:

A N T H E M

A – AVOID as much as is possible and reasonable the sights and situations that arouse unfitting desire. I say “possible and reasonable” because some exposure to temptation is inevitable. And I say “unfitting desire” because not all desires for sex, food, and family are bad. We know when they are unfitting and unhelpful and on their way to becoming enslaving. We know our weaknesses and what triggers them. “Avoiding” is a Biblical strategy. “Flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness”
(2 Timothy 2:22). “Make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” (Romans 13:14).

N – Say NO to every lustful thought within five seconds. And say it with the authority of Jesus Christ. “In the name of Jesus, NO!” You don’t have much more than five seconds. Give it more unopposed time than that, and it will lodge itself with such force as to be almost immovable. Say it out loud if you dare. Be tough and warlike. As John Owen said, “Be killing sin or it will be killing you.” Strike fast and strike hard. “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” ( James 4:7).

T – TURN the mind forcefully toward Christ as a superior satisfaction. Saying “no” will not suffice. You must move from defense to offense. Fight fire with fire. Attack the promises of sin with the promises of Christ. The Bible calls lusts “deceitful desires” (Ephesians 4:22). They lie. They promise more than they can deliver. The Bible calls them “passions of your former ignorance” (1 Peter 1:14). Only fools yield. “All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter” (Proverbs 7:22). Deceit is defeated by truth. Ignorance is defeated by knowledge. It must be glorious truth and beautiful knowledge. This is why I wrote Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ. We must stock our minds with the superior promises and pleasures of Jesus. Then we must turn to them immediately after saying, “NO!”

H – HOLD the promise and the pleasure of Christ firmly in your mind until it pushes the other images out. “Fix your eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 3:1). Here is where many fail. They give in too soon. They say, “I tried to push it out, and it didn’t work.” I ask, “How long did you try?” How hard did you exert your mind? The mind is a muscle. You can flex it with vehemence. Take the kingdom violently (Matthew 11:12). Be brutal. Hold the promise of Christ before your eyes. Hold it. Hold it! Don’t let it go! Keep holding it! How long? As long as it takes. Fight! For Christ’s sake, fight till you win! If an electric garage door were about to crush your child you would hold it up with all our might and holler for help, and hold it and hold it and hold it and hold it.

E – ENJOY a superior satisfaction. Cultivate the capacities for pleasure in Christ. One reason lust reigns in so many is that Christ has so little appeal. We default to deceit because we have little delight in Christ. Don’t say, “That’s just not me.” What steps have you taken to waken affection for Jesus? Have you fought for joy? Don’t be fatalistic. You were created to treasure Christ with all your heart – more than you treasure sex or sugar. If you have little taste for Jesus, competing pleasures will triumph. Plead with God for the satisfaction you don’t have: “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days” (Psalm 90:14). Then look, look, look at the most magnificent Person in the universe until you see him the way he is.

M – MOVE into a useful activity away from idleness and other vulnerable behaviors. Lust grows fast in the garden of leisure. Find a good work to do, and do it with all your might. “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord” (Romans 12:11). “Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Abound in work. Get up and do something. Sweep a room. Hammer a nail. Write a letter. Fix a faucet. And do it for Jesus’ sake. You were made to manage and create. Christ died to make you “zealous for good deeds” (Titus 2:14). Displace deceitful lusts with a passion for good
deeds.”

John Piper
www.desiringGOD.org

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My friend, Ronnie Stevens at the Danube International Church, Budapest, writes:

“God requires a disposition toward our own life controlled by four realities:

1. A grateful conviction of whence it came.
2. An abiding consciousness of Whose it is.
3. A growing understanding of what it is for.
4. A perpetual willingness to lay it down.”

* Painting is “The Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew by Ribera, 1630, in the Prado, Madrid.

]]> http://www.undertheiceberg.com/2006/12/23/disposition-of-our-lives/feed/ 0 http://www.undertheiceberg.com/2006/12/05/william-temple-on-worship/ http://www.undertheiceberg.com/2006/12/05/william-temple-on-worship/#comments Tue, 05 Dec 2006 17:21:33 +0000 Sam http://www.undertheiceberg.com/2006/12/05/william-temple-on-worship/

William Temple, the widely regarded and brilliant Archbishop of Canterbury from 1942-44 wrote:


“Worship is the submission of all of our nature to God.
It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness,
Nourishment of mind by His truth,
Purifying of imagination by His beauty,
Opening of the heart to His love,
And submission of will to his purpose.
And all this gathered up in adoration is the greatest of human expressions of which we are capable.”

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