Is spiritual formation navel-gazing?
We're doing a short series on what spiritual formation is, as well as addressing some of the criticisms and concerns around spiritual formation that we've heard in recent years. Some of the very real questions posed to us, and even something we've wrestled with ourselves, are: Isn't spiritual formation just a glorified form of navel-gazing? Isn't the contemplative life just a different version of self-help or self-actualization, the key word being SELF? And don't spiritual practices just promote these ideas?
What is Spiritual Formation?
One of our most popular blog posts over the last few years has been defining spiritual direction, spiritual formation, and the disciplines. We thought we would revisit the theme of spiritual formation and look at a few common questions/objections.
So what is spiritual formation anyway? Is it Catholic? New age? Isn't it just a lot of navel-gazing? What’s the difference between spiritual formation and discipleship? Spiritual formation and sanctification? Do I need spiritual formation? Is it just for the elite?
Have you ever wondered about any of these questions? Or perhaps been asked similar questions? Over the next month, we will do our best to answer them, but first, we’re going to look at what spiritual formation actually is.
The Annual Examen: A Practice for Reflecting on 2021
This is an updated repost from last year along with an updated version of the Annual Examen. We hope it blesses you.
We were sure this year would be different! I somewhat naively said at the end of last year, “Surely 2021 couldn't be worse, right?” And yet the world continued to throw us surprises: the pandemic continues to throw plans up in the air, we have known more people significantly affected by COVID, churches are hurting, America continues to be politically divided, natural disasters have wrecked communities, and then some. It was another year for the books.
And yet for Rachel and I, we also experienced profound beauty- we welcomed our long awaited first child into our family, and we get to experience all the firsts with her. She’s been the delight of our lives these past 11 months.
Peace and the Four P’s of Stress
In the second week of Advent, the traditional theme is peace (the four themes for the four weeks of Advent are hope, peace, joy, and love). As we reflect on the Prince of Peace and the peace that he offers us, I also can’t help but ponder what hinders and gets in the way of experiencing peace.
A while back, Rachel and I were meeting with a counselor, who is also a long-time friend. During our conversation we started talking about stress. He mentioned four types of stress that affect our lives. As I have been reflecting on what he said and my life over the last year, I paid attention to how these different types of stress rob us of the peace that God offers. They happen to be alliterated together and all start with “p,” like peace (and pandemic, ha!). The four different types of stress are:
Gratitude and grief
Do you ever find it hard to be grateful? Like you want to be able to recognize the gifts that God has given you, and you know you are supposed to be grateful, yet it feels like there is something in the way? And then when you don't feel grateful, it gets compounded because then you feel guilty?
I’ve had a number of conversations with several people lately surrounding this struggle with gratitude. They feel like they should be thankful, and the practice of cultivating gratitude may be a part of their lives, but all of a sudden it somehow seems harder to express than it used to, and their heart just doesn't feel it. Gratitude becomes distant or unattached, even forced. When we come to this realization, our knee jerk reaction is to double down on our efforts, especially during seasons like Thanksgiving: I WILL write in a gratitude journal everyday. I WILL be grateful for things, even in the midst of difficult circumstances. Trying to come up with a list of things to be thankful for feels a bit like hand-me-down clothes--they don't quite fit, and I can tell that they aren't mine.
Centering Prayer: Loving Attentiveness to God
I was having a conversation with a friend the other day and in the midst of that conversation, our attention turned to the practice of silence, or in some traditions, the specific practice of centering prayer.
There has been a lot of conversation about the benefits of silence and centering prayer, leading to the affirmation of pushing through the initial discomforts with such a practice. Neuroscience has affirmed these benefits on a physiological level. Many counselors have expressed the benefits they have seen in clients. I have felt those benefits myself. And to be sure, a part of me gets very excited to see the broad personal benefits that silence and centering prayer has on people.
Why You Should Read (or Re-Read) Tozer’s The Pursuit of God
This week, I (Bryan) thought it'd be fun to do a deep dive into one of my favorite and most influential reads: A.W. Tozer's The Purusit of God. Tozer wrote this classic work to stir believers toward an ever deepening intimacy and life with God. His words not only resonated when he wrote them nearly 70 years ago, but feel more and more prophetic for our day and age.
A Simple Practice to Orient Your Life in Christ (Especially in Lent)
A few years ago, Rachel and I participated in a 12-week version of the Ignatian Exercises as part of our spiritual direction training. The exercises, called "A Retreat in Everyday Life," is a series of scriptural meditations, prayer, the examen, and processing with a spiritual director. The creation and significance of the Ignatian Exercises is a post for a different time (although we have highlighted the prayer of Examen in previous posts).
As part of this experience, each day we would pray and reflect on what was called "The grace I ask for." These were short, one-sentence requests that were connected with the themes. "The grace that I ask for" stayed the same for a full week.
A rule of Life for 2021
"Where is the Life we have lost in Living?"
-T.S. Elliot
Last week, we invited you to reflect on the previous year, noting how you saw God move in your life, and how you saw his faithfulness in the midst of everything that happened in 2020. As we begin this new year (which has certainly been off to a disorienting start in its first week), we want to invite you to craft a Rule of Life.
The Annual Examen: A Practice for Reflecting on 2020
Perhaps more than previous years, we need to look back and reflect on 2020. This year has changed us so profoundly, and it's worth looking back to see just how we've changed.
My personal temptation is to just say "Whew, good thing 2020 is over," and move on. Reflecting back on everything that happened this year doesn't necessarily sound like a joyous prospect right now, and it's all too easy to shove 2020 aside and try to move forward. Surely 2021 couldn't be worse, right? But reflecting back on times of pain, sorrow, and suffering can be healing and transforming. It also allows us to see how God was present and at work.