The Journey

Invitation to a Journey ~ A Road Map to Spiritual Formation
M. Robert Mulholland & Ruth Haley Barton
plus
Notes and writings on Spiritual Formation from the
Institute for Spiritual Formation, Biola University

Lesson 15—Chapter 8: The Classical Christian Pilgrimage

Opening Prayer—Mulholland p. 93

Developmental Spirituality Chart

1.  Awakening
·      Can be gradual or sudden
·      Two emotions can collide:
o   Comfort—God is here, all is well, I am loved
o   Threat—A good look at who I really am compared to God
·      Some people delay the awakening—hitting the spiritual snooze button
·      Don’t want to face the decision until life becomes so intense they can no longer ignore it

2.  The Spiritual Trial of Purgation/Desolation
·      God has given us the Lament Psalms to help pour our hearts out during these seasons of our lives
·      Psalm 22; 42; 13; 77; 88
·      Purgation is the beginning of Serious Sanctification, which in some form or another will always be with us because sin is always with us in this life.
·      There are degrees or layers of Sin—the onion example

3.  Behavior and What Is Behind It
·      God eventually calls to our attention not just the behavior, but the state of our heart behind the behavior—the Hidden Heart
·      Ex:  a car isn’t bad. But making an idol of it is.
·      Wanting more of God isn’t bad, but it can become Spiritual Gluttony

4.  Anxious Care
·      Most of us fall into this sin, which can consume us
·      We feel we must be in control
·      If we don’t worry about things, who will?, we ask.
·      This is truly a pervasive lack of Faith
·      God asks, “Will you trust me with this?  With your life? With your children’s lives?”
·      Romans 8: 35-39
·      Luke 22:42
·      John 16:33

5. Trusting God: A Radical Alternative
·      Phil 4:5
·      Galatians 2:20
·      Romans 13:14
·      Ephesians 4:22 ff –
            Put OFF the Old Self, put ON the New Self—the essential practice that    undergirds all of the spiritual disciplines
6.  Prayers of Intention
·      Most useful during this phase
·      Without Self-knowledge it is impossible to know God
·      Without knowledge of God, it is impossible to know the Self

7.  Article: “Musings on the Dark Night of the Soul” by John Coe
            Linked on the Blog
            Please read before next time

8.  NEXT MEETING—May 18


           

You can share our lessons with others who can’t be here in person by referring them to http://christian-transformationblog.blogspot.com

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