Are you thirsty or just gettin' by?

 The formation of one's spiritual self is not taken seriously in our post-modern lives. I can admit, it has just been recently that I have become more intentional in my spiritual formation. That is to state that my spiritual formation has relied on my daily devotional life, the sermon series at church or through the popular book I was currently reading. It is easy to assume that having a devotional life, regular church studies, and religious readings are the typical habit of the majority, yet it is more the truth to state that the typical American believer does not practice just one of the three elements.

Most clergy very rarely read books or have a study time beyond what is expected in sermon or class presentations. It is a sad commentary, but the truth is that the post-modern American church is lazy and has lost it's first love for Jesus. The average American believer lacks a Christ-like faith that is demonstrated in daily life. There is a virus among the western church that has infected believers to compromise grace and truth so as to be politically correct and avoid conflict.

Holt explains in his chapter on spiritual formation that it is not enough to read or study in order to develop a spiritual life but that it must be lived in our daily actions. These actions are to be seen and lived in order for disciplines of faith to be nurtured, grown and to be developed. Holt states how the, “Bible generally views a person as a unity of body, soul, mind, heart, and spirit.” The elements of body, soul, mind, and heart are not given an opportunity to be separated. Thus, it is important that any spiritual formation take an intentional and balanced approach. There is not any room for complacency or for lack of discipline. 

 

Holt reveals a great truth with the statement, “the complex ethical problems facing Christians today force us to listen carefully to the specialist who remind us of the context and the specifics of the Christian tradition that under girds us in making concert decisions.” Spiritual formation is reliant on the facts that ethics, integrity, dedication, and spirituality belong together. It is the fruit in which we lived that define our being in Christ. Thus, the believer who tries to refrain from discipline or development in Christ is a saved creature, yet lacks the essence of abundant life. It is in this mediocre stage of development where most of the American church lives today. 

 

Holt assesses that the modern church is very good in appreciation of God's goodness and in praise. Out culture thrives on entertainment. The modern church worship service is filled with entertainment. Normal standards includes a sermon that is easy to listen to, the music has to be upbeat and pleasant to the ear, and the technology must keep up with television standards. This high bar for corporate worship has often diminished our reality of the hardship and commitment that are a necessity in spiritual formation. Holt finds the hope for the future with these words, “Christian appreciation for the work for God needs to be matched in our day by taking responsibility for lifestyle and economics in order to preserve the creation from human destruction.” This statement needs to be taken to heart by every believer in the western church for a closer walk with God. 

 

The combination of grace and truth is the remedy which Jesus demonstrated for spiritual formation. The task at hand is to apply the combination in our daily living. This is accomplished as diversely as there are diverse amount of people on the planet. The hardship is the desire to make it a reality. The pool of information available to people is large and is a crutch that most of us lean on. We trust the sermon will be on target and assume the latest book will be theologically sound. We rely on others to take us to a place of formation while we neglect the work at hand. 

 

Another part of this combination of grace and truth is one where we tend to lean one direction or another. The modern believer will desire to be politically correct and lean heavily on grace while neglecting the truth. Another option to the modern believer is to desire to know God absolute while leaning heavily on the truth thus neglecting the demonstration of grace. This out of balance character is not spiritual formation as Jesus demonstrated. Jesus was dedicated to the truth that he was the only way, the only truth, and the only life. Jesus was also dedicated to the demonstration of grace to sinners at every opportunity. For example, the woman who was caught in adultery was guilty. Jesus tells the crowd to condemn her if they have no sin, consequently they leave in disgrace while Jesus tells the woman to go and sin no more. This is a perfect example of a balance of grace and truth.

Holt concludes with a plea that, “we must also feel empathy, a shared experience that allows the story of the past to live in us.” In reflection, I agree. Our past defines our essence in life through the experience. Thus, we can learn to demonstrate grace because of the grace that has been demonstrated on our behalf. We can also learn to live the truth of righteousness by the experiences of truth that are learned in reading, study and meditation. I agree with Holt's description of empathy as life that is demonstrated through the practice and development of the spiritual disciplines with in daily life. 

 

Therefore, I believe that the antibiotic for fighting the virus of mediocrity within our faith is to be discovered in cultivating our spiritual formation. This is accomplished in our study, commitment to daily development of reflection, and action revealed through the spiritual disciplines. I believe the result is as Holt states, “as a follower of Jesus, we must pay attention, act responsibly, and love without limits.” It is then that we will truly know the God we love.

Traveling this journey with you is amazing. You know I love ya, Don

 

Bradley P. Holt. Thirsty for God. (Fortress Press: Minneapolis, 2005)

Thirsty Anyone? There is a fountain that quenches every thirst!

Last Sunday I was looking out the window and watching it rain. I could also hear it hitting the side of the house. There was a water spout on the house across the way that had water flowing out of it at a pace that if I were to turn on the garden house it would flow with the same vigor. I was not watching a gentle rain, but a rain that is pouring on. In addition, this rain had been raining all night and it is a cold bitter rain.

The bitter, wet cold made it a little more of a nuisance to get into church that morning, but no more than a nuisance. I know that the earth needs the rain and the ground has a need to absorb the water so that the water table will be replenished for the Spring and Summer water needs. In fact, as I watched the rain, I could see the ground and the grass and our evergreen trees soaked, but not in a way that is bad. The soaking is more like that of a bath and the natural surrounding were taking it all in. 

 

These events cause me to reflect on Bradley Holt's book, “Thirsty for God.” Holt refers to how our lack of fluid brings great calamity to the world around us. Our physical bodies need water. We need it to rain in our physical flesh in order for us to function. Our bodies need water. Being hydrated is essential for so many functions such as energy, healing, immunity, electrolytes, and reproduction. God has created our physical bodies to thirst for water as a means to survive. The interesting and note worthy aspect if this vital need is that when we become dehydrated the signals are not immediate or strong. The same dehydrated facts are true of our spiritual selves as well.

I am a person that has always struggled to keep that weight off. Some would say that it is genetic. I would agree that I am not the only one that struggles with keeping the weight down in my family. Holt talks about how his solution for many things is to eat. In our family, that was often the case. If it is a problem, lets get something to eat and talk about it. Another thing that food was used for in our family is that food and eating was a reward. If it was your birthday or you received a well earned high grade in school or any major achievement, the event was celebrated with food. Holt points out that our hunger is not truly about food, but about a lack of fluids. Most of our hunger pains can be put to sleep with a good glass of water.

Holt moves forward with these two ideas and talks about how “the basic premise of any spirituality is that our non physical selves also thirst.” From the beginning of creation, mankind has tried to fill the need for this thirst for God. The modern soul thirsty heart is reminded of Adam and Eve. They were physically hungry, yet they allow the tempter to take the basic thirst and hunger to a spiritual level while encouraging them to eat of the forbidden fruit. Another ancient story of thirst is that of Cain and Able. Cain kills his brother for the basic thirst to have God's approval. I am reminded of David and as he is looking out of the palace he sees Bathsheba and his physical flesh thirsts for her physically and he acts on it. David's rebellion is truly a thirst for power and control verse his spiritual submission to God. David had a number of beautiful wives, what David was thirsting for was his desire to control and posses anyone or anything. The story of time is filled with men and women that are thirsty for God and choose to fill that thirst with sin. My story is not any different.

The story is also filled with men and women that have chosen to drink of life from the living water of God. In John 4, it is recorded that Jesus is standing at the well and a woman comes up. It is the middle of the day and all the other village women were not around. The text implies she came at that hour because she was an undesirable and the women of noble character would not have associated with her. She lives a sinful life and she is also a Samaritan. Jesus was a Jew and he was a leader of a Jewish religious practice. The culture of the time dictated that Jesus would not have talked with her or even noticed she was around. In contrast to the culture, Jesus talks to her and asks for a drink. The woman is shocked and she questions Jesus' actions.

The conversation reveals that she is thirsty. The woman has tried to fulfill her thirst for God with men and sinful living. Jesus reveals to her that if she was to drink from his water, she would never thirst again. The woman asks for this water and Jesus grants it to her while revealing some eternal truth of God. God is seeking worshipers that are willing to worship in spirit and truth. The fulfillment of her thirst causes her to celebrate and then she goes out telling everyone she knows of the events that took place by the well. Her thirst for God is met and she experiences the love of God that transforms lives so that she is highly motivated to share it with others.

I can relate to these recorded events in the lives of people such as Adam, David and the woman because I also thirst for God. I can feel the thirst that calls for a relationship with God. Therefore, it is comforting to read Holts words, “discovering a path through the universe by living in relationship with a revealing God who surprises that traveler with loving gifts.” The amazing piece to this spiritual journey is that “the gospel of Jesus is contained in the truly clay pots of his human followers.” Thus, the created person desiring to have a relationship with the creator God can commit to developing the spiritual disciplines and maturity. 

 

It is mid-January in Indiana and the ground is still frozen and the rain water I mentioned earlier doesn't soak in too deep. I witnessed that ponds, the creeks, and the rivers that are at their fullest because the frozen earth will not allow for the rain water to soak in too deep. I think of the times that my inner and deepest parts are frozen in personal desire and sin. It is my frozen heart that keeps me from developing into a person that is truly hydrated by the water offered by the living God. I am encouraged that my spiritual thirst will continue to thrive and be met on God's provision while melting that frozen nature deep within. I seek to have God's love and spirit poured into me so that I might be a person that pours out love, service, and sacrifice on others much like that water spout pouring forth water from a hard rain.

You know I love ya, Don