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A true leader must know the limitations of his authority... if he understands his function in any other way than as it is rooted in fact, if he does not continually tell his followers quite clearly of the limited nature of his task and of their own responsibility' if he allows himself to surrender to the wishes of his followers, who would always make him an idol - then the image of the leader will pass over into the image of the mis-leader, and he will be acting in a criminal way not only towards those he leads, but also towards himself. 142

Death is hell and night cold, if it is not transformed by our faith. But that is just what is so marvellous , that we can transform death.




Standard issue religion had made god small ... Bonhoeffer rejected this abbreviated God. 467.

mirror of Erised - remarkable mirror ; those that stare at it will see nothing less than the deepest desires of their hearts. It doesn't necessarily reveal the future. It reveals what the person yearns for most and this desire may or may not be satisfied in the future. The mirror enables people to confront and address their Desiree, to ask whether or not this is what they should desire or what they really want to desire, and it gives. Them an opportunity to change the direction of their lives. Xi

Kierkegaard wants to challenge and question the person whoever happy on the surface, who seems to lead a successful life, who has all the outward marks of what the world considers success. He wants these people to slow down, to be still, to look at themselves in a different way; and then, perhaps, they may come to recognise the facade they have constructed and the despair that they actually live in. Xv

stages on life's way 1845

The idea that Jesus , an ordinary looking man walking around Palestine nearly two thousand years ago, could also be God, the creator and sustainer of the universe, is not a reasonable one. god is the unknown, the absolutely unlike. There is an infinite, radical, qualitative difference between Gid and man. Humans make the mistake of conceiving Fof in anthropomorphic terms ... The dangers of failing to take the unknowability of God seriously can scarcely be overestimated... The deep qualitative chasm in the difference between God and man has been obliterated. 18

K argues that if the Christian story is true, then any merely human teacher is in an essentially diferent position from Jesus. Jesus as God reveals truths that would not otherwise be accessible. The claim that Jesus is both God and man is, however, not reasonable – it will elicit either offence or faith. The truth of teh christian claim cannot be arrived at by reason since faith in teh absolute paradox is actually beyond reason. Faith is higher than reason 21

Climacus sets out a critique of ways of undersatnding truth that claim that it can be known objectively through reason. K believed that complete and Eternal Truth is inaccessible to reason and that if we hold fast to reason then we may be led to believe that there is no ulitimate truth. Faith ghoes beyond reason; it is called to accept something which reason would reject, that reason is itself limited 23

Objective way of seekingtruth seeks to minimise risk; it is based on reason, proof and justification. The subjective way, however, is fraught with risk: because there is no objective certainty, because there is no proof that a subjective commitment is correct, there is a much greater degree of vulnerability 30

K argues that thinking people drive through their lives; they are hitched to a horse and have a particular direction and mode of transport. Yet for many people life has no centre; they drift through life attracted by whatever momentarily takes their interest and fancy; they are subject to all teh vagaries of fate and whatever their whim may be at a partuicular moment; they are often oblivious, unable to engage in self-analysis or understand where they are going. “The existing person is the driver others are the drunken peassents in teh back 35

Ethical stage may not allow a p[erson to attain individuality, and without individuality people lose any sense of their own direction, lose the centre of thier lives and revert to being dragged around like drunken peasants 53

It is only when one is broken by despair, unable to rely on one’s self and one’s own strength, that real faith can arise. 57

Different approaches to love

Aesthetic – love is sensualor erotic used to maximise enjoyment. The purpose is enjoyment.
Ethical – love is essentuially a duty represented by freely chosen love within the family
Religious love focused on God and of neighbour in a giving love. Religous love is a non-preferntial love. 59

Religous stage requires teh abandonment of teh supremacy of reason as well as the security found in the objective. It involves the enormous risk of staking one's life on something which may be mistaken 60

faith is not a matter of ascent to doctrines, it is not a matter of belonging to a particular religious group and taking part in their rituals. Faith is shown in how one's life is lived - those alone have faith who trust their whole life to God, for whom God is at teh centre of everythingg that tey do and think and for whom the whole of life is viewed as coram deo - before God, or in the heart of God, as Luther puts it. 64

Indirect communication - "People have to be brought to see something whose reality cannot not be grasped by words" 78

Genuine community can only be found amidst people who have first become individuals.This for K is thre real aim of a Christtian community - to strengthen each other on teh individual journey to God while recognising that everyone is a failure and yet is loved unconditionaly by God 78

In prayer, God does not get to know something, but the person praying gets to know something about him or herself. Prayer does not change God, it changes teh person uttering it. K maintains that in prayer we learn something and teh refusal to learn about ourselves is teh greatest possible loss.80

For K then purity of heart involves 'knowing yourself'' before God 80

The pure in heart are those who honestly and truthfully centre their whole being on a l;ove-relationship with God 94

is it possible to live in such a way that despite false belief you can be in relationship with God without knowing it? More so that someone who may have more correct objective facts about God but whose life does not translate this into a life of faith where faith involves a subjective relationship with God. Aslan and Calormene officer who serve Tash 96

Operant theology—the theology embedded in the actual practices
of a group (what we do).
• Espoused theology—the theology embedded in a group’s articulation
of its beliefs (what we say we do).
• Normative theology—the theology the group names as authoritative
and will allow to challenge its operant and espoused
theologies.
• Formal theology—the theology of academic theologians and the
dialogue with other disciplines.

Many kinds of metaphors have been used to characterise religious development: images of inner revolution, a journey, horticultural growth, changing nutritional needs, rebirth and death. Different metaphors illustrate the various characteristics involved in religious growth.




Many people experience a yearning to develop, driven by what Paul Tillich (1957) called ‘the urge to self transcendence’, a dim sense of our personal incompleteness. Yet too many regard the dynamic change inherent in ‘development’ as a threat to ‘solid’ faith, ironically resisting religious growth on religious grounds. 101



Most people develop a general aptitude for logical thinking in readiness for adulthood. However, religious thinking does not always follow suit. For some people more elementary ways of thinking about religious matter may continue to be cherished. Despite having an ability to think in more ‘abstract’ terms, it may seem safer to stay within the parameters of literal, or even more impressionistically emotional or sensory, kinds of thinking 102



The transition from thinking about religion in concrete, literal terms to a form more suited to the qualities of the adult mind can be a particularly awkward moment in religious development. Many adults seem frozen in a state of what Ronald Goldman called ’11-year old atheism’ 103



Two ways adults can feel uncomfortable about this development. Some adults may recall the literalistic religion of their childhood as relatively stronger and more ‘real’. They may feel guilty about having developed doubt, questions and alternative world views… The shift away from the passion of emotionally governed ‘thought’ or literal certainties does not need to be interpreted as a withering of faith when seen in the context of the normal process of intellectual development.



For other adults the revolution in religious understanding since their childhood may lead them to think that they did not have ‘real’ faith as children. For example people may feel uncertain about the validity of religious commitments they made to a God they understood in simple, literal terms, when subsequent understanding has fuelled and apparently more complex, deeply informed sense of God.



Accepting that it is normal for our approach to thinking to change in these ways can help people feel more comfortable with eth full course of their religious development... 104



Do you welcome change in your own spiritual and religious life? If so why? If not, why not?

Begin to reflect on your whole life as a play comprised of several acts. Be attentive to the natural transitions of your life which signal the begining of a new act, such as early childhood, teen years, college, employment, major moves or family transitions. Create a timeline of your life that identifies each act jot down key features of those periods. As you look at the dramatic movement of your life, pay attention to God's presence and activity. How would you describe your awareness of God in each act? 42

Imagine yourself on stage. As you look around, you see that you're not alone. There are others playing supporting roles who have been an inegral part of your life story and your spiritual development. As you look over your life, note any congregations that have been a part of your story. What has been your experience of the church? Are there specific individuals who were important in helping you recognise God? What did that person or persons say or do? How would you describe the spiritual guidance you have received? Do not hesitate to acknowledge painful experiences and relationships. These also impact our experience and understandiong of GOd. 80

Imagine yourself on stage. As you look around, you see that you're not alone. There are others who have been integral to your life story and yoru spiritual development. Make a not e of familty members  who have palyed important supporting roles. Some may have been genuine spiritual guides to you, caring for you supporting you in your relationshiop with God. Take note of them. Some may have led you away from God. Their presence in yoru life may have engendered false ideas about God. Remember that some family influences are disruptive to teh flow of the drama. As family members come to mind, ask God to help you see them as God sees them. 109

Five important findings emerge taht speak to what becoming a spiritual guide means for pastors and their congregations.
1) Concern for self-care and ongoing personal spiritual formation
2) A pryaerful presence in all tasks of ministry
3) an ear for God's presence and activity in people and projects
4) a language for experiences of God
5) reconstructed standards of success 52

Pastors work not to point to what we want to do or even what we should do, but what we feel called to do. 64

5 key features of spiritual direction

1) an increased awareness of God's presence in everyday life
2)bringing God out of the box
3) a sense of belonging in the congregation
4) discerning calls to ministry and service
5) nurturing action through prayer and reflection 69


Features of Paul the spiritual guide in Thessalonians
1) He is not teh true spiritual guide: The HS is
2) Paul commited  to prayer and discernment
3) Attention to God's presence in everyday life
4) ministry rooted in Christian imitation

To become am imago christi is to be transfigured into the self-giving love of GOd. With this transfiguration human beings attaion their messianic destiny; they glorify God the father with the Son and Holy Spirit, and become tehmsleves the glory of God' 142

Essential building blocks for practical approaches to spiritual guidance.
1) The heart of Christian spirituality is relationship - Christian spirituality and spiritual formation develops in an through participation in divine and human relationship. 153
2)Individual persons are invited on a spiritual journey with God - the Spirit offers a restorative relationship to each one of us through inward experiences of God and outward recognition of God's presence in the world. 154
3) Journey of spiritual formation requires a community characterised by nuture and accountability  - formation in community is more than acts of love and compassion, it also incorporates education and imitation 155
4) The spiritual journey connects us to the heart of God where we hear trhe call to serve the world - as we continue on the inward journey, we may gain glimpses of God's heart for teh world and grow increasingly aware of the brokenness around us, we are also formed through concrete acts of servic that meet teh needs of others. Here we turn our attention from ourselves  and on to others. 157

The question pastors most commonly as is teh what question - what porgrammes should we invest ourselves, what are teh truths we are teaching?
 When we probe a little deeper, we ask 'how' - how do we best communicate.
 On occassion we may look at our callings at a deeper level , asking 'why'
The one question pastors seldom ask is 'who' who is teh self that ministers - What does God have to say about who I am? - Pastors may lose sight of their true selves and operate out of a false self that they believe ministry requires. 171

Meyer, K. (2010) Whole Life Transformation:Becoming the change your church needs. IVP




Rauschenbusch called the church to become more than just the purveyor of personal morality and spirituality. He challenged the church to deal with social ills such as racism and poverty, war and robber baron capitalism. Using the Hebrew prophets' call for justice, Hesus' sermon on the mount, the early church's experience, and reason, Rauschenbusch argued that human flourishing was intensely spiritual and Christian. 49



One of most persistent mistakes of Christian men has been to postpone social regeneration to a future era to be inaugurated by the return of Christ 49



John Climacus - The ladder of Divine Ascent.



Rauschenbusch - when a church forgets its social obligation, it soon forgets its call to transformation, becoming a ghost ship of souls waiting to be transported to a heaven that lies somewhere out there. In the meantime, it makes occasional forays into the world to try to win more souls. 95



Susan Phillips - Candlelight: the art of spiritual direction 99



George MacDonald 115



Thomas Traherne 116



Galatians 4:19 (formed)

Romans 8:29 (Conformed)

2 Corin 3:18 (transformed)



Dear Jesus,

help us to sprewad Your fragrance everywhere we go.
Flood our souls with your spirit and life.
Penetrate and possess our whole being so utterly that our lives may only be a radiance of Yours
Shine throuugh us, and be so in us that every soul we come in contact with may feel your presence in our souls.
Let them look up and see no longer us, but onbly Jesus!
Stay with usd, and then we shall shine as you shine;so to shine as to be a light to others.
The light, O Jesus will be all from you, none of it will be ours; it will be You shining on others through us .
Let us preach You without preaching, not by words but by our example, by the catching force, the sympathetic influence of ewhat we do, the evident fullness of the love ouyr hearts bear to you
Amen. 136

The test of whether any spiritual discipline ias a good one or not is whether it makes the [practitioner more whole, more what they are intended by the Creator to be. pp74

If it is true that prayer is klistenuing and response, and not primarily talking, then that drasticallty changes how we see prayer. If prayer is maintaining openness to and contact with God, then it is more an attitude than an activity. This oppenmess would not eliminate our written and spoken 'word prayers' but would include them in a much richer variety of ways in which we can relate to God. pp96

My Lord God I have no idea where I am going,
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you,
does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing,
And I know that if I do this
You will lead me by the right road,
Though I may know nothing about it. pp 62 (Merton thoughts in solitude pp 81)


Desires are not a question of what we are feeling. Desire is more than passing moofds and whim. Althogh feelings may be involved, desire is much deeper than feeling or even passion. Our desires are an expression of the deepest truth about ourselves. Discerning our desires will actually draw us closer to the mystery of who we are and our place within all that makes up our world. 76

Irenaeus 'The glory of God is the human person fully aive, and the life of humanity is to see God' 97

Over one-third of teh Psalma are somgs of lament, full of urgent qustioning and impatient petition: "answer me when I call 4.1; why o lord 10.1; do not forget 10.12; I am troubled 55.2" ... not a journey from doubt to faith. Lament is not the same as doubt. It taks faith to question God and cry out to him like that. It shows how close teh person is to GOd - not how far away... lament gives birth to praise and renews it 107

Psalms are seldom read systematically in public worship, we do not have to hear those unsettling cries of anguish and protest with the praise and worship prayers 108.

Life in a world of moral fragments is always on the edge of violence, since there are no means to ensure that moral argument in itself can resolve our moral conflicts. Pp 5



By suspecting all, by assuming that behind every cause lies self-interest and behind every act of charity a psychological payoff, we hope to protect ourselves from being misused or lost. Yet cynicism inevitably proves too corrosive. It's acid finally poisons the self, leaving no basis for self respect. Pp6



As a result of our self-deception our relations have become unrelentingly manipulative. We see ourselves and others as but pawns engaged in elaborate games of power and self interest. 9



As Christians, we must maintain day in and day out that peace is not something to be achieved by our power. Rather peace is a gift of God that comes only by our being a community formed around a crucified saviour - a saviour who teaches us how to be peaceable in a world in rebellion against its true Lord. God's peaceable kingdom, we learn, comes not by positing a common human morality, but by our faithfulness as peaceable community that fears not our differences. 12



Christianity, both in practice and in its sophisticated theological expression , is reduced to an interpretation of humanity's need for meaning or some other provocative anthropological claim. 13



To be redeemed is nothing less than to learn to place ourselves in God's history, to be part of God's people. To locate ourselves within that history and people does not mean we must have some special experience of personal salvation. Redemption, rather is a change in which we accept the invitation to become part of God's kingdom, a kingdom through which we acquire a character befitting one who has heard Gods call. 33



Christians must attempt to be nothing less than a people whose ethic shines as a beacon to others illuminating how life should be lived well. 34



By learning to make his life our life we see we are free just to the extent that we learn to trust others and make ourselves available to be trusted by others. Such trust is possible because the story of his life, by the very way we learn it, requires that we recognise and accept the giftedness of our existence: I did not create myself but what I am has been made possible by others. 46



To be at peace with ourselves means we have the confidence, gained through participation in the adventure we call God's kingdom, to trust ourselves and others. Such confidence becomes the source of our character and our freedom as we are loosed from a deliberating preoccupation with ourselves. Moreover by learning to be at peace with ourselves, we find we can live a peace with one another. 49



Incarnation is but one of the conceptual reminders that the church has developed to help us tell well the story of the man who was nothing less than the god-appointed initiator of the new kingdom. 57



Christians are distinct from the world. They are required to be nothing less than a sanctified people of peace who can live the life of forgiven. 60



By learning to be faithful to the way of life inaugurated by Jesus of Nazareth we have, in fact, become part of the shared history that God intends for his whole creation. 62



By learning to imitate Jesus we in fact become part of God's very life and therein find our true home. We become holy by becoming citizens in God's kingdom, thereby manifesting the unrelenting live of God's nature. 67



By learning to be followers of Jesus we learn to locate our lives within God's life, within the journey that comprises his kingdom. I will try to show how the very heart of following the way of God's kingdom involves nothing less than learning to be like God. We learn to be like God by following the teachings of Jesus and thus learning to be his disciples. 75



Discipleship is quite simply extended training in being dispossessed. To become followers of Jesus means that we must , like him be dispossessed of all that we think gives us power over our own lives and the lives of others. Unless we can ensure the significance of our lives, we are not capable of the peace of God's kingdom. 86



The church is not the kingdom but the foretaste of the kingdom. For it is in the church that the narrative of God is lived in a way that makes the kingdom visible. 97



How has our being such led us to misread the gospel as essentially an apolitical account of individual salvation, rather than the good news of the creation of a new community of peace and justice formed by a hope that God's kingdom has and will prevail. 105



Holy people - a people who are capable of maintaining the life of charity, hospital, and justice. 109

General Linda Bond launched her mission vision for TSA, love the emphasis on integrated mission and marginalised!

ONE ARMY: We see a God-raised, Spirit-filled Army for the 21st century - convinced of our calling, moving forward together

We will...

• deepen our spiritual life
• unite in prayer
• identify and develop leaders
• increase self-support and self-denial

ONE MISSION: Into the world of the hurting, broken, lonely, dispossessed and lost, reaching them in love by all means

We will...

• emphasise our integrated ministry
• reach and involve youth and children
• stand for and serve the marginalised
• encourage innovation in mission

ONE MESSAGE: With the transforming message of Jesus, bringing freedom, hope and life

We will...

• communicate Christ unashamedly
• reaffi rm our belief in transformation
• evangelise and disciple eff ectively
• provide quality teaching resources

Labels: mission

Simplicity - I enjoyed a kind of spiritual honeymoon. My problems seemed to be quickly resolved when o prayed; my questions were easily answered when someone showed me the right bible verse 28

Complexity - the tyranny of not enough leads to amass more and more bible lore. All knowledge turned into ammunition, which just made them more dangerous and less pleasent to be around. Complexity, I concluded, was over rated. 29

There are predictable stages or seasons in the spiritual life. A period of relative coherence and stability was followed by a period of restlessness and turbulence, after which a new period of coherence and stability would unfold.

Complexity about learning three essential practices - self examine, admit mistakes and process failure. Acknowledge personal weakness and limitations seeking wisdom, strength and skill. Ability to empathise with others. 107

There is an immature petition that renders God my personal assistant or fixer or genii, the omnipotent enforcer of my will on earth 128

St Bernard of Clairvaux three stages of love
We love god for our own sake
We love god for gods sake
We love ourselves for gods sake138

Richard rohr - pain that isn't processed is passed on. Pain that isn't transformed is transmitted. 146

The best way to pray is: stop. Let prayer pray within you, whether you know it or not. This means a deep awareness of our true inner identity. It implies a life of faith, but also doubt. You can't have faith without doubt. Give up the business of suppressing doubt. Doubt and faith are two sides of the same thing. Faith will grow out of doubt, the real doubt. We don't pray right because we evade doubt. Thomas merton 200

Peripeteia - the agony brings a complete reversal in a person's understanding of his life. - paradigm crash 204

How has it come about that the development of Christianity and the church ha given birth to a society, a civilisation, a culture that are completely opposite to what we read in the bible, to what is indisputably the text of the law, the prophets, Jesus and paul? 3

The difficulty is precisely that one cannot say: "certainly our practice is poor, but consider the beauty, purity, and truth of revelation" We have insisted on the unity of the two. We have to understand this. No recognisable revelation exists apart from the life and witness of those who bear it. The life of Christians is what gives testimony to God and to the meaning of this revelation. "see how they love one another" this is where the approach to the revealed god begins. 6 ff

We have to admit that there is an immeasurable distance between all that we read in the bible and the practice of the church and of Christians 7

The real essence of the subversion is indicated by the very term christianity, which gives to the matter the force of an 'ism' (christianisme) A word ending in 'ism' denotes an ideological or doctrinal trend deriving from a philosophy. 10

Christian practice has constantly been a subversion of the truth in Christ ... Beware over simplified solutions 11

In fabricating Christianity , therefore , Christians have known what they were doing. They have freely chosen this course. They have voluntarily forsaken revelation and the lord. They have opted for new bondage. They have not aspired to the full gift of the holy spirit that would have enabled them to take the new way he opened up. They have made a different choice and left the holy spirit unemployed, idle, present only on sufferance. This is why the burning question is a purely human one: why have Christians taken this contrary course? What forces, mechanisms, stakes, strategies, or structures have induced this subversion? For human aggrandisement and nothing else. 13

But what has been the result? A christianity that is itself a religion. The best, it might be said, the peak of religious history. A religion classed as monotheistic. A religion marked by all the traits of religion, myths legends rites holy things beliefs clergy etc. A christinity that has fashioned a morality - and what a morality ! The most strict, the most moralistic, the most debilitating, the one that most reduces adherents to infants and renders them irresponsible , or, if I were to be malicious, I should say the one that makes of them imbeciles, who are sure of their salvation if they obey this morality, a morality that consists of chastity , absolute obedience sacrifice etc. A Christianity that has become totally conservative in every domain - political economic social - which nothing can budge or change. Political power that is good. Whatever challenges or criticises it, that is evil. 18

The origin of sin in the world is not knowledge, as is often said - it is the knowledge of good and evil 70

Christians - first take up political or moralistic positions and then toss in some theology to justify themselves ... In this way the content of the faith becomes an ideology. 90

The substitution of morality for revelation that for 2000 has been one of the aspects of the perversion of the will of god. 94

If we follow Jesus, it is not a matter of looking up to heaven but of being on earth and concretely living out the will of God that as done in Jesus Christ 106

Christianity has become a religion of conformity of integration into the social body. 133

Our God is a God of beginnings. There is in him no redundancy or circularity. Thus, if his church wants to be faithful to his revelation, it will be completely mobile, fluid, renascent, bubbling, creative, inventive, adventurous, and imaginative. It will never be perennial, and can never be organised or institutionalised. 157

We are possessed by something that uses what is already ours. 174

The bible refers to six evil powers - mammon, the prince of lies, Satan , the devil, and death .... All characterised by their functions money power deception accusation division an destruction. They are not a kind of reality of their own. They do not exist as people do with their infinite complexity , multiple applications, evolutions and diversities, relations and inner mystery. They work only on earth in reference to us. 176




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Pietism, which can be defined briefly here as the confusion of subjective, superficial feelings with theology, follows a period of theological sterility: 15th c following nominalism; the late 17 and 18 c following Protestant scholasticism and today following the radical or 'death of god' theology of the 1960s 9

Fd - process of maturation or coming to wholeness 12

Goal of spiritual life is not gnosis but agape. It is not an affective emotional love, however. It is the love exemplified I the cross, the washing of feet, and the caring for the unlovable 20

Gregory of Nyssa - one never arrives .. For the perfection of human nature consists I it's very growth in goodness. One strives for the goal or mark. 33

It is the love of god that penetrates the soul that the soul might participate in god - compenetration - soul and god emigrate into one another 33

Augustine - seven degrees of spiritual growth 45

Anslem 'faith seeking understanding' speculative
Soul seeking word st Bernard - affective 57

Bonaventure ascent of the soul de triplici via concerning the triple way. Three ways of meditation purgation illumination and union 66

Sin for Tauler was self will 73
Prayer is the contemplation of god. Verbal prayer is but the clothing, not the ' person of prayer' the essence of prayer is that the heart and mind go out to god without intermediary ... the lifting of the mind to god in prayer. 74

My truest I is god 76 the knowledge of the inner self.

Pietism is a term which, while historically rooted to the late 17 c describes a degeneration of spiritually that may be characterised more generally as suffering from sentimentality, biblicism, personalism, exclusionalism, fideism, anti-intellectualism. It flourishes in self-congratulatory small groups. It is impervious to criticism because it recognises no canon of truth outside the subjective meaning of it's membership.

15c increasing preoccupation with the occult, particularly witches takes place 83

John of the cross has a low estimate of people who suffer from what he calls the 'spiritual sweet tooth' These are individuals who like to dabble in prayer, getting an occasional 'thrill' and posing as holy people... Quote the latest books on prayer, and subtly boast of spiritual epiphenomena 100

More is at stake in discipleship than our own personal salvation. The gospel cannot be limited to being about my personal healing and wholeness, but rather extends in an through my salvation to the salvation of the world. 24

What is it about the holiness of Jesus that caused sinners to flick to him like a magnet ands yet managed to seriously antagonise the religious people? Why does our more churchy form of holiness seem to get it the other way around - to comfort the religious and antagonise the sinners? 45

The holiness of jc it seems is a redemptive , missional world embracing holiness that does not separate itself from the world , but rather liberates it 46

If your conception of god is radically false, then the more devout you are, the worse it will be for you. You are opening your soul to be molded by something else. You had better be an atheist. (William Temple) 58

Religion can open us to new possibilities of both good and evil. From that point on the road branches: one way leads to sanctity, humility, the other to spiritual pride, self righteousness, and persecuting zeal. There is simply no way back to the mere humdrum virtues of the unawakened soul. If the Divine does not make us better, it will make us very much worse. Of all the bad men, religious bad men are the worst. CS lewis. 60

M scott peck people of the lie. Evil is a form of pathological narcissism that imbibes people and uses things, including theology, to draw people into it's orbit 61

Three areas of focus: right feeling, right acting and right thinking

Yada - to truly know something, one cannot not merely observe it but must come into contact with it. There must be mutuality and personal involvement. We come to know ultimate reality, not by theological ideas about it, even though these are valid an necessary, but by union with it - by the establishing of a personal relationship between god and man" Leanne payne

To know god in this way our hearts must be engaged - not only source of emotions but also our will, loyalty and commitment - source of our capacity to love ( being)

(doing) true knowledge expressed in practice or action. Real test of what you know is how you live your faith

Knowing - intellectual laziness is not an option for disciples. He requires we love him with our minds. Dangerous cop out to just 'feel' god in worship and prayer it is necessary but not sufficient for fully fledged shema spirituality. Same true for simple obedience dead end of dry activism or legalism.

To be mature disciples we need to engage with knowing and loving on all three levels minds hearts and actions pp 64 ff

Shema spirituality or Jesus creed mark 12 29-31 62

James payton reminds us to look at salvation as theosis, the process of increasingly becoming 'partakers of the divine nature' 2 Peter 1:4, rather than as a once off ' get yourself out of hell free card' genesis 1 :26 eastern orthodox 199 ff

The idea of svation as theosis though not fully understood in evangelical circles was something that strongly influenced John Wesley s view of sanctification. 200

Orthodoxy emphasises the final result, the glorification by which we are made like Christ: holy, righteous, perfect in godliness, and enjoying the fullness of eternal life. And in this I believe orthodox believers have something that can better balance how we preach and teach about salvation. CS Lewis mere christianity 174 ff 201

Salvation isn't simply about changing behaviour ; it is about growing more and more I to God himself and bringing that reality to bear on all humanity 201

Incarnational discipleship practices six p's
Presence proximity powerless prevenience proclamation and passion 235

It becomes clear that the bible if it is truly inspired by god, wasn't meant to end conversation and give the final word on controversies. If it were it's purpose, it has failed miserably. But if instead it was inspired and intended to stimulate conversation, to keep people thinking and talking and arguing and seeking, across continents and centuries, if has succeeded and is succeeding in a truly remarkable way. 120

Doesthe bible tell us to shut up and listen because everything is settled? Or does it invite us to be part of the conversation 121

Job - 3 parts bulk of what is said in job god says is nonsense bits quoting duetueronmy but it is inspired ?

Five lines of evolution in the biblical writers understanding of god. Gradual maturing in understanding god's uniqueness. Ethics. Universality. Agency. Maturing regarding god's character 131 ff

Jesus' offer of life of the ages and life abundant sparkle with new significance. When Jesus promises life of the ages he is not promising life after death or life in eternal heaven instead of eternal hell. Instead jc is offering a life that transcends life in the present age, and age that is .... To be born into this new creation. Jc is offering a life in the new genesis, the new creation which is of the ages ( resurrection) 173

Seen in this light jc and his message have everything to do with poverty, slavery and a social agenda.

5 paradigms that shape interpretation Greco roman narrative,the constitutional approach to the bible, the tribal and violent understanding of god, a rather flattened view of Jesus and a domesticated understanding of the gospel. 215

Nemo dat quod non habet you can't give what you don't have 220

The message of the new righteousness which eschatological faith brings into the world says that no one will triumph over the other. New righteousness will break through the vicious circles of hate and vengeance creating a new humanity. 276 moltmann cf

This is q new kind of eschatology - not an eschatology of determinism and acquiescence , but an eschatology of hope, anticipation and participation. 276

Learn to combine the courage to differ with the grace to differ graciously. Learn to share with those who 'get it' or want to 'get it' and not bother or look down on those who dont 326

If you want to go fast go alone. If you want to go far, go together. 336

Bernard of Clairvaux spoke of four stages in the spiritual life.
Love yourself for your own sake - infant at mothers breast ecstatic in the warmth of being held- unaware of anyone outside himself.
Loving god for your own sake - child who learns to appreciate his mother - draw a picture - love mixed with gratitude
Loving god for god's sake - adolescent who sees mother for who she is not what she does
Loving yourself for god's sake - young man who has messed up but is inspired by how much his mother loves him. 400

Negative capability - a readiness to let go of the security based on long-held opinions and assumptions, and accept for as long is needful, a state of doubt, uncertainty and mystery; and a Willing suspension of disbelief when the next step is taken, to look anew at what can be learned from the exploration of text and tradition that has been undertaken. 104

Test of whether a kairos moment has been genuine is not how wonderful and uplifting it felt or how clearly everything seemed to come together, but the change of attitude and practice that has resulted 110

To gain credence in the academy theological arguments must be philosophically sound; in the church firmly based in Christian scripture and tradition ; in the wider society people must find theology personally and corporately meaningful, challenging and liberating, leading to a richer life. 158.

Theological moods David ford
Indicative - it is raining - nature of reality aiming to describe the world.
Subjunctive - it might rain - what if to express imagination.
Interrogative - it is raining - question search and inquiry. How's what's and why's
Optative - if only it would rain - wish hope and desire. Mystical leaving new hopes, desires, choices, yearnings, and prayers.
Imperative - rain!- authority and command 159 ff

Irenaeus 'the glory of god is a human being fully alive' against the heresies 169.

When our ministry does not emerge from a personal encounter , it quickly becomes a tiring routine and a boring job. On the other hand, when our spiritual life no longer leads to an active ministry, it quickly degenerates into introspection and self scrutiny and thus loses its dynamism. 16

To live a spiritual life means to become living christs. It is not enough to try to imitate Christ as much as possible ; it is not enough to remind others of Jesus; it is not even enough to be inspired by the words and actions of Jesus Christ. No, the spiritual life presents us with a far more radical demand: to be living Christs here and now, in time and history. Pp 20

True growth is something other than the uncontrolled drive for upward mobility in which mKing it to the top becomes its own goal and in which ambition no longer serves a wider ideal. There is a profound difference between the false ambition for power and the true ambition to love and serve. It is the difference between trying to raise ourselves up and trying to lift up our fellow human beings. 26

The great paradox which scripture reveals to us is they real and total freedom is only found through downward mobility. 29

Downward mobility is the divine way, the way of the cross, the way of Christ. It is precisely this divine way of living that our lord wants to give us through his spirit. 39

Our vocation as christians is to follow Jesus on his downward path and to become witnesses to God's compassion in the concrete situation of our time and place. Our temptation is toilet needs for success, visibility and influence dominate our thoughts words and actions to such a extent that we are gripped in the destructive spiral of upward mobility and lose our vocation. It is this life long tension between vocation and temptation that presents us with the necessity of spiritual formation. 69

Formation is transformation and transformation means a growing conformity to the mind of Christ 70

True Christian discipline is the human effort to create the space in which the spirit of Christ can transforms into his lineage. 70

When we read the scripture, we too often read them merely to be informed or to be instructed, to be edified or to be inspired, or what is not infrequent to find a quote to support our own ideas. The holy book becomes a book among other books and is often used in merely that way 77

In the solitude of our heart weccan listen to our questions and gradually grow without even noticing it , into the answer Rilke 87

Let us be grateful for our vocation, and ever committed to life of ongoing formation 93

The qualities of character which Jesus and his first followers insist on don't come about automatically. You have to develop them. You have to work at them. You have to think about it, to make conscious choices to allow the holy spirit to form your character in ways that, to begin with, seem awkward and unnatural. Only in that way can you become the sort of person who will react instantly to sudden challenges with wisdom and good judgement. Pp25

You will be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation ex 19.4-6 & Isaiah 61.6
The royal and priestly vocation of all human beings, it seems, consists in this: to stand at the interface between God and his creation, bringing god's wise and generous order to the world and giving articulate voice to creation's glad and grateful praise to its maker. Pp70 ff

Christians particularly in the western world have for a long time been divided between "epistles people" and gospels people. The epistles people have thought of Christianity primarily on terms of jesus's death and resurrection saving us from our sins. The gospels people have thought in terms of following Jesus in feeding the Hungry, helping the poor, and so on the epistles people have often found it difficult to give a clear account of what was going on in jesus's kingdom announcement and his call to his followers to be perfect. The gospels people have often found it difficult to explain why the Jesus who was doing this had to die and die so soon. This either keeping does no justice to Jesus himself who through his death and resurrection was able to establish the kingdom he had already begun to inaugurate. 96

What the earliest Christians were struck by , and what they returned to again and again, was that in Jesus they had seen a way of being human which nobody had imagined before. This was a way of generosity and forgiveness, a way of self-emptying and a determination to put everyone's needs first. 114

1co 15.28 so that god may be all in all is the point of it all.
If we were to replace the telos of happiness or human flourishing or in cnristain mode resurrection and new heavens and nee earth with the answer god himself and were to inquire how this affected the framework of thought which generates the discourse of virtue we would discover that the goal is god and that they will come once more to reflect the divine image fully and completely. 120

Part of the problem in contemporary christianity I believe is that talk about the freedom of the spirit, about the grace which sweeps us off our feet and heals and transforms our lives, has been taken over surreptitiously by a kind of low-grade romanticism, colluding with an anti-intellectual streak in our culture, generating the assumption that the more spiritual you are, the less you need to think. 137

What we do in the present , In the lord , is not wasted. Love is the language they speak in god's world, and we are summoned to learn it against the day when gods world and ours will be brought together forever. It is the music they make in god's courts, and we are invited to learn it and practice it in advance. Love us nor a duty, even our highest duty. It is our destiny. 162

all three ( faith hope and love) themselves gifts from god, point away from ourselves and outward: faith toward god and his action in Jesus Christ ; hope toward god's future; love, toward both god and our neighbour. 177

Unity 183 ff

At the heart of the calling to be a royal priesthood lies the task of evangelism: proclaiming Jesus, persuading people to consider him, inviting people to give him their allegiance and discover through him, and through the company of his followers, a whole new way of being human, a life (in fact) of faith , hope and love , of kindness and gentleness, of forgiveness and generosity , of patience and chastity 199

Freedom , like authenticity, is what we are promised when our desires and longings completely coincide with god's designs and plans for us as fully human beings. 201

The task of being god's royal priesthood in the present, then, is all about worship and mission - a worship and mission which share a heart, the heart that is learning to love God the creator and God the recreator and discovering how to develop the habits that will reflect God's love into the world and the world's grateful love back in return. 203

The call to holiness comes precisely because it is as genuine human beings that we will be able to sum up the praises of creation, and as genuine human beings that we will be able to bring god's justice, freedom, beauty, peace and shove all rescuing love to the world. 210

The vocation of the royal priesthood is to reflect God to the world and the world back to God - sustained by serious attention to putting on virtues not for the sake of self centred holiness or pride in one's own moral achievement, but for the sake of revealing to the world who its true God really is. The church has been divided between those who cultivate their own personal holiness but do nothing about working for justice in the world and those who are passionate for justice but regard personal holiness as an unnecessary distraction from that task.

Emotional Health is concerned with such things as:

• naming, recognising and mandaging our own feelings;
• identifying with and having active compassion for others;
• initiating and maintaining close and meaningful relationships;
• breaking free from self-destructive patterns;
• being aware of how our past impacts our present;
• developing the capacity to express our thoughts and feelings clearly, both verbally  and nonverbally;
• respecting and loving others without having to change them;
• asking for what we need, want, or prefer clearly, directly and respectfully;
• accurately self-assessing our strengths, limits and weakneses and freely sharing them with others;
• learning to capacity to resolve conflict maturely and negotyiate solutions that consider the perspectives of others;
• distinguishing and appropriately expressing our sexuality and sensuality, and
• grieving well.

Contemporary spirituality focuses on:

• awakening and surrendering to God's love in any and every situation;
• positioning ourselves to hear God and remember his presence in all we do;
• communing with God, allowing him to fully indwell the depth of our being;
• practicing silence, solitude and a lifde of unceasing prayer;
• resting attentively in teh presence of God
• undersatnding our earthly life as a journey of transformation toweard ever-increasing union with GOd;
• finding the true essence of who we are in God;
• loving others out of a life of love for God;
• developing a balanced, harmonious rhythmn of life that enables us to be aware of teh sacred in all of life;
• adapting historic practices of spirituality that are applicable today;
• allowing our Christian lives to be shaped by the rhythms of teh Christian calendar rather than the culture, and
• living in commited community that passionately loves Jesus above all else. pp 45-46

Biblical self-understanding

I hold myself in high regard despite my imperfections and limits
I am worthy to assert my God-given power in the world
Iam entitled to exist
It is good that I exist
I have my own identity from God that is distinct and unique
I am worthy of being valued and paid attention to
I am entitled to joy and pleasure
I am entitled to make mistakes and not be perfect. pp 54

A more mature relationship with God:
Talking at God - parroting
Talking to GOd - finding our own words
Listening to God - two way relationship
Being with God - enjoy being in the presence of God pp 55

In emotional health :
I break free to live in the truth.
I break free by choosing to live the unique life God has given me
I break free by acknowledging my brokenness and vulerability
I break free from the ness to attach myself to accomplishment, things or people's approval
I break free from generational patterns of my family
I break free from the illusion that there is something richer, more beautiful  than the gift of loving and being loved. 59

No one can know God who does not know himself first (Meister Eckhart)




How can you draw close to God when you ate far from your own self? Grant lord that I may know myself so that I may know thee Augustine ad 400

65



8 Fsmilies of emotions

Anger

Sadness

Fear

Enjoyment

Love

Surprise

Disgust

Shame 69



False self - I am what I do. What I have. What others think. 75ff



Differentiation capacity to define life goals and values apart from the pressures of those around them. 82 ff



0-25
Can't distinguish between fact and feeling
Emotionally needy and highly reactive to others
Much life energy for goal directed activities
Can't say I think ... I believe
Little emotional separation from families
Dependent marital relationships
Do poorly in transition,crises and life adjustments
Unable to See where they end and others begin.

25-50
Some ability
Most of self is a false self
When anxiety is low they function well
Quick to imitate others and change in order to gain acceptance
Often talk one set of principles yet do another.
Self esteem saws with compliments or is crushed with criticism
Poor decisions under stress
Seek power honour knowledge and love to clothe false self

50-75
Aware of teh the thinking and feling functions that work as a team
Reasonable level of 'true self'
Can follow life goals that are determined frm within
Can state beliefs calmly without putting others down
Marriage is a functioning partnership where intimacy can be enjoyed without losing the self
Can allow children to progress through developmental phases into adult autonomy
Function well alone or with others
Able to cope with crises without falling apart
Stay in relational connection with others without insisting they see the world the same.

75-100
Is principle orientated and goal directed - secure in who they are, unaffected by criticism or praise.
Is able to leave family of origin and become an inner directed separate adult
Sure of their beliefs but not dogmatic or closed in their thinking
Can hear and evaluate beliefs of others, discarding old beliefs in favour of new ones.
Can listen without reacting and communicate without antagonising others
Can respect others without having to change them
Aware of dependence on others and responsibility for others
Free to enjoy life and play
Ablw to maintain a non-anxious persence in the midst of stress and pressure
Able to take responsibility for their own destiny and life. 83 ff

Dark Night of teh Soul
Journey in three phases: beginners, progressives, and perfect. To move out of the beginning stage , he argued, required the receiving of God's gift of teh dark night. 122

1. John of teh Cross said that Gos sends us 'the dark night of loving fire to free us:
2. pride - the tendency to condemn others and become impatient with their faults. They are selective in who can teach them.
3. Avarice - discontent wit hthe spirituality that GOd gives them. They never have enough learning, are always reading many books rather than growing in poverty of spirit and their interior life
4. Luxury - they take more pleasure in the spiritual blessings of God thanGod himself.
5. Wrath - they are easily irritated, lacking the cross and choose pleasures like children do
6. Spiritual ebvy theyfeel unhappy when others do well spiritually. They are always comparing.
7. Sloth: they run from that which is hard. Their aim is spiritual sweetness and good felings. 123

 If you understand , it is not God you understand (Augustine) 129

We carry many defensive maneuvers into adulthood to protect ourselves - they block us from growing up spiritually and emotionally.

• denial - we efuse to acknowledge some painful aspect of reality.
• Minimizing - we admit that sometyhing is wrong, but in such a way that it appears less serious than it actually is
• blaming others - we deny responsibilty for our behavious and project it upon another.
• blaming yourself - inwardly we take on the fault
• rationalixinfg - we offer excuses, justifications, alibis
• intellectualizing - we give analysis, theories and generalities to avoid personal awareness and difficult feelings
• distracting - w cahnge the subject or engage in humour
• becoming hostile - we get angry or irritable 141 ff

Part of growing into an emotionally mature Christian is learning how

• to be quick to hear and slow to speak
• angry and not sin
• speak the truth in love
• be a true peacemaker
• mourn
• not bear false witness
• get rid of all bitterness, rage and envy 177

• scripture
• silence and solitude
• Daily Office
• Study

•  sabbath
• simplicity
• play and recreation

• service and mission
• care for the physical body

• emotional health
• family
• community - companions for the journey pp 200

Book follows three fundamental christian insights

:: god is the god of christ's resurrection
:: god is the righteousness which creates justice and puts things to rights.
:: the traces and signs of god give the world meaning. Pp1

The future of christianity is the church the future of the church is the kingdom of god. Pp 8

God in all things and all things in god is what is meant biblically by the kingdom of god. 32

The hope for the resurrection of the dead is not an answer to the Human yearning for immortality; it is a response to the hunger for righteousness and justice. 41

Chronos lends itself to an eternity that is hard to conceive a timeless life. Kairos lends itself to a concept put forward by boethius that eternity is the unlimited whole simultaneous and perfect possession ( or enjoyment) of life. Concept of eternity is then understood as fullness of life now. 63

The church wS to understand itself as the beginning of the reconciled cosmos, and as an anticipation of the new creation of all things. In this respect it is a microcosm for the macrocosm which is destined to be the place of God's indwelling. 69

Death is not only the end of a mortal life. The destructive powers of death reach deep into personal, social and natural life. ... The powers of death make themselves felt in social life through rejection, isolation and growing loneliness. ... Through exploitation, oppression and alienation the powers of death reach deep into political life. Pp75

Ernst Bloch only the wicked exist through their god but the righteous god exists through them, and in their hands is laid the sanctification of the name, the naming of god himself 107

After God had given himself wholly into the developing world, he had nothing more to give; now the giving back lies with the human being In our hands we literally hold the future of the divine adventure on earth, and we dare not fail him. 108

In this love there comes into being the reciprocal shekinah of god in human beings and of human brings in God. He who abides in love abides in God and God abides in him(1 John 4.16) for god is love. 115

When the victims are raised up and the perpetrators are put right, the purpose is not the great reckoning, with reward and punishment; the intention is to bring about the victory of the creative divine righteousness and justice over everything godless in heaven, on earth and beneath the earth. This victory of the divine righteousness does not lead to the separation of human beings into the saved and damned, or to the end of the world; it's purpose is to lead to god's great day of reconciliation on this earth. 137 ff.

The judgement is not at the service of sin and death, as if it were the great settling of an account. It serves the new creation. The end of the old world-time in the judgement is nothing other than the beginning of the new world-time in the life of the world to come. It was the fault of Christian tradition in picture and concept, in piety and doctrine, to look only at the judgement on the past of this world, and not to perceive through and beyond that judgment, god's new world 138

Why should we take the different belief, disbelief or superstition of other people more seriously than god's mercy on them? 145

Morisy, A. (2009). Bothered and bewildered enacting hope in troubled times. London: Continuum. 

Religious reassurance of eternal safety that protects the faithful from earthly struggle is a heresy. But it is a very tempting heresy. pp4

what is clear is that any talk of hope by christians is likely to be unconvincing and to sound cheap in the context of so much dismay. However, as Christians we cannot and must not give up on hope. In a dystopian world, hope, if it is to believable , has to be enacted. pp16


A commitment to discipleship means we  cannot allow ourselves assurance without translating this into a distinctive, day to day perforamance .... Christians are called  not just to have hope but to perform or enact hope, here and now. 18

HOwever to make hope consequential on th eend if the world, and therefore reduce discipleship to waiting and even longing for such an event, falls prey to two critiques. The first comes from Jesus, who warned about the wastefulness of living life waiting for the thief who might come in the night. 19


To promote commtement to the bothered and belwidrered, the process of teh church needs:
greater commitment to reflective practice abd less emphasis on formulaic expressions of faith.
greater attention to the micro-actions that demonstrate the viability of earthed or enacted hope and less reliance on aserted or proclaimed hope;
greater collaboration between the mission task abd teh practice of pastoral care in order that this resource of action and reflection can be promoted effectively. 26

Robert Jay Lifton observes

The group develops a jargon unique to itself, often non-understandable to outsiders. This jargon consists of numerous words and phrases which the members undersatnd(or think they understand), but which really act to dull one's ability to engage in critical thinking. It is actually made up of thought terminating cliches. The most far-reaching and complex of human problems are easily memorised adb easily expressed. Thought provoking complexities are bypassed and ultimate truth is expressed in a single phrase or even a word. 29

Gwend Griffith-Dickson
High levels of emotion tend to knock out a persons especially a young persons critical faculties. With high levels of emotional arousal it becomes difficult for people to 'process', ie to hear without reacting, information that counters their perception. 47

Healthy religion foes not indoctrinate, but teaches people to think for themselves.
Healthy religion invites us to be humble about what we believe and what we know.
Healthy religion does not invest in negativity; it does not major on what it is against but rather on what it is for.
Healthy beliefs stay in tune with reality, never filling in gaps for what we do not know. 48

Healthy religion will
Enlarge the imagination
It will teach and encourage the practice of wisdom and holiness
It will open us to the new
It will deepen our sympathies. 49

Jesus in urging us to embrace the self-emptying practice of kenosis, is dealing with a threshold concept. It is 'troublesome knowledge' because it conflicts with common sense, and it remains troublesome even when fully understood and embraced, because it requires sustained confidence in the power of generosity. 64

Mary C grey uses the term 'the graced actions of ordinary people' to suggest that such actions 'embody the hope of the coming kingdom' 66

The commitment to follow Jesus in the way he lived his life is a major contributor to empowerment which enables a sense of purpose to flourish. 95

Three things that impact well-being
Circumstances
Our set point
Intentional activity93

The pastoral cycle aims at a continuous process of engagement with and reflection upon the world and the word of god, in order that a course of action can be discerned and acted upon with a view to bringing thongs closer to god's desire for his world. 104

Nine aptitudes that people need to develop in order to enact hope in dismal times.
Be a non anxious presence in stressful times.
Practises systemic thinking in order to resist the temptation to blame otters when things go wrong.
Practise gratitude
Engage in courageous micro actions that counter the inclination towards neo tribalism and fragmentation rather than social cohesion.
Imagine ways of breaking out of the constraints of circumstances and have the motivation and discipline to persist with intentional behaviour.
To gain confidence unbend viability of the economy of abundance and generosity that Jesus inducts us into
To practice sitting more lightly on the globe in recognition of our thoughtless abuse of the creation.
To practises compassion, conviviality and harness the imagination to ward off the dangers of Gnosticism
To draw on the enriching memories of eras past in order to affirm the human capacity to 'correct it's own errors' 106

The church for the bothered and bewildered cannot allow itself to get caught up in the games of success and competition. There is an alternative , and it is to focus on the goal of being a contribution. 110




Sent from my iPod

Ackerman, J. (2001). Listening to God: spiritual formation in congregations. Bethesda, MD: Alban Institute.

Journey inward - spirituality together with a journey outward in social ogether within a journey together. 4
the goal is that christ and not our egos be at the centre of our lives  Christian spirtuality  takes the form of the cross: a surrender to christ, who has laid  down his life for us Christians who seek to grow  spiritually listen to the risen Christ in scripture and in life, and obey the call of God. Spirituality is not designed to enhance our egos. The focus is on God. 19

The most important way that we become formed into Christ is in worship. It is in the ordinary congregation, warts and all, that most Christians most of the time have found God and become transformed. It is through singing unsingablehymns, loving irritating neighbours, listening  to boring sermons and receiving clumsily administered sacraments that we are  formed into the body of Christ and Christ is formed in us. 24

the round dance of the blessed trinity (gregory of Nyssa) life springs forth from the father the ultimate giver .... the total self gift is the son ... in the HS the son as the ultimate gift is returned to the father as the utimate in thanksgiving.  25


the stages 30

stage 1 Dependent
 awakening to GOd

basic trust and a natural wonder and openness


dependent on others
Children and wounded adults are often at this stage
susceptible to charimatic leaders and influences.

Disciples at this stage - learned the 31st psalm and prayers at mothers knee, knew scripture by heart and depended on God for everything


sin is self protection
prayer is help! you are great


stage 2 Counterdependence
struggle whose way

become part of  group - often 'is against them'we fight our dependence to have a voice of our own to find a new identity in the tribe.

taking justice into their own hands, fighting eveil, creating an empire.
develop doubt and intellect.
Evengeliscals at ths stage are usualy strong on disciplines and character formation but have little development beyond stage 3

disciples at this satge met Jesus who discipled them to see God in a new way. competed like adolescents to be the closest and the first.


sin is rebelion
Prayer is deliver from enemies


stage 3 Mutual dependence
conventional discipleship

learn to grow up an dbecome responsible,
sense of duty and belonging

spirituality focuses on belonging, making commitments. leaders feel a need at this stage to control. Teacher feel the needt  to be expert and credentialed. success driven.

Always busy, self centred performance

disillusionment on the horizon

Disciples became mature and were sent out in twos to preach and to heal. Came to darkness of JC death - reverted to stage 1. We can regress or hear GOd inviting us to embrace the darkness




sin is giving too much power to leaders - failure to grow
prayer is send me your law; show me your light


Stage 4 - independence
darkness unknowing
we are alone and in the dark.

we begin to develop a fragile inner authority and can accept responsibility for our failures.

THere is a recognition that the old way of knowing GOd is eclipsed

begin to listen because they are letting go of te boxes in which they have put God because they want more. Begin to understand what it is to surrender to god as they stop trying so hard. Don't need to be in control.

Transition to stage 5 is the hardest and represents the dark night.

Disciples returned to upper room prayed and waited faced their guilt ab ddespair wondering why god had forsaken them.

sin is seeing stage 3 as the enemy
prayer is be with me in my doubt, why have you forsaken me




Satge 5 interdependence
communion

able to be in community in a new way as truly ourselves, god is in us and in others and in us together. there is a unitive glimpse and our love matures. God is in all things.

rare found in people who want to follow a call within a call (M Teresa). Love of paradox and mystery as ways of thinking about God. sef directed learning is the norm, write books or papers, travel on pigrimage, don't do anything that isn't engaging and meaningful. tend to be more balanced with work and play


Disciples - pentecost and the disciples knew God in a new way, god revealed himself in a new way

sin is all our loves need conversion - failure to surrender
prayer is you are in the hearts of strangers

Martin thornton "while individuals may go deeper, the overall climate of teh congregation will not go further than the clergy and core lay leadership" 65

Jonathan Edwards developed a list of erliable and unreliable signs of grace.

Unreliable signs of grace
1. Intense affection or passion. We feel excited , close to God; things work out; we are touched. (This affection or passion may be perverted by our ego).
2. The appearence of love, kindness, politeness. We have nice meetings where everyone agrees.
3. Feelings of assurance that we are saved, that we are being guided, that we are filled by God.
4. Praise for God. (Ayone can praise when things go well.)
5. Religious activities (they may not be signs).

reliable signs of grace
1. we experience a transformation of behaviour and character. We are surprised at grace, goodness, that we did not manufacture.
2. We know a new affection for GOd for GOd's sake, not GOd's gifts. We are able to love God when things don't go well, whne we're depressed, when we don't have good feelings or thoughts.
3.We discover a new sense of knowing. This knowing id more than intellectiual assent; it is a deep trust, a personal conviction. We don't have to browbeat others; we are able to love our enemies, particularlyin our family and those at teh other end of the political spectrum.
4. We experience balance in our lives. We keep the sabbath, we can play, we can laugh at ourselves.
5. We know how to surrender and how to persevere. Suffering and obedience go together. Obedience is made perfect through suffering. pp 91 ff

Dumbledore, Albus

It is a curious thing, Harry, but perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who have never sought it.

I loved them, I loved my parents, I loved my brother and my sister, but I was selfish, Harry, more selfish than you, who are a remarkably selfless person, could possibly imagine.

Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean it is not real?

Do not pity the dead, Harry, pity the living. Above all pity those who live without love.

Julian (of Norwich) makes it clear that our prayer begins in God and returns to God. It is of God, about God , in God. All prayer is a response to God's prayer and desire for us. The tradition itself 'is a response to God's longing that we spend time with him, that we create space in our loves to be with him'. pp27

there are three capacities or faculties which we have under consideration - the thinking faculty, the feeling faculty, and te willing or acting faculty. These  practically cover all the ways in which self can react to other selves and other things... it is the whole person of intellect, of feeling, and of will which finds its only true objective in the Christian God. Evelyn Underhill Excerpts from the essentials of mysticism, devotional classics pp 113


The result of much personalprayer is usually seen in a change of expression from 'give me', to 'make me'. OUr deepest longings are for an ever increasing knowledge of teh divine plan for our lives. This is not achieved without much agony of teh spirit... Doris Rendell pp69



God's iniative , not our achievement
listening more than talking
receiving more than asking for
coming to rest in the direction of God
directing our hearts toward him and trusting him to do the rest. Silf

It is no good falling back into the tired old split-level world where some people believe in 'evangelism' in terms of 'saving souls for a timeless eternity' and other people believe in 'mission' in terms of 'working for justice, peace and hope in the present world'. That great divide has nothing to do with Jesus and the New Testament, and everything to do with the silent enslavement of many Christians (both 'conservative' and 'radical') to the Platonic ideology of the Enlightenment. One we get the resurrection straight, we can and must get mission straight. 206

The work of salvation in its full sense is (1) about whole human beings, not merely souls' (2) about the present, not simply the future; and (3) about what God does through us, not merely what God does in and for us. 213

to snatch saved souls away to a disembodied 'heaven' would destroy the  whole point. God is to become king of teh whole world at last. And he will do this not by declaring that the inner dynamic of creation was a mistake, nor by declaring that the inner dynamic of his covenant  was a failure, butr by fulfilling them both. 215

to see evangelism in terms of the announcement of God's kingdom, of Jesus' lordship and of the consequent new creation, avoids from the start any suggestion that the main or central thing that has happened is that the new Christain has enteed into a private relationship with God or with Jesus 240

seeing evangelism and any esulting conversions in terms of new creation  means that the new convert knows from the start that they are part of God's kingdom project, which stretches  out beyonf 'me and my salvation' to embrace or rather be embraced by God's worldwide purposes 241

to speak  of Jesus' lordship  and of the new creation which results from his victory on Calvary and at Easter, implies at once that to confess him as Lord and to believe that God raised him from the dead is to allow one's entire life to be reshaped by him, knowing that , though this will be painful from time to time, it will be the way, not to a diminshed or cramped human existence, but to genuine human life in the present, and complete, glorious, resurrected human life in the future. 242

no sensde in Marks gospel that Jesus is raised so therefore there really is life after death. More the impliocation that Jesus is raised and all that he said about teh coming kingdom through his work, death and ressurrection has come true.ie inauguaration of teh kingdom. 246

The message of easter is that God's new world has been unveiled in Jesus Christ and that you're now invited to belong to it 265

I remain convinced that the way forward is to rediscover a true eschatology, to rediscover a true mission rooted in anticipating that eschatology, and to rediscover forms of church which embody that anticipation. 276

Mission must urgently recover from its long term schizophrenia. As I have said before, th esplit between 'saving souls' and 'doing good in th eworld' is a product, not of eth bible or the gospel, but of the cultural captivity of both within the western world. 277


three different ways of looking at prayer.
1) kind of mysticism. being open to the beauty joy and power of the world.
2) like in ancient paganism - Making of petitions to a deity who are distant, like sailor visiting Poseidon's temple before going to sea.
3) in between elements of both but going beyond is the prayer of Israel that celebrates the goodness of creation and recog that the heaven's declare the glory of God. Celebrate intimate union with the creator God. Transcendence; intimacy; celebration; covenant . are the roots of biblical prayer 289ff

Pentecostal Power - We are naturally week in th einner man. e fall before temptation. We faint with hopelessness, discouragement or fear in the presence of difficulty or danger. We flame with hasty temper or passion under provocation. We are puffed up with false views of our own ability or importance; or we are cast down by a feeling of our own impotence. But when the comforter comes He strengthes us in th einner man. He humbles us with a true view of our weakness, our ignorance, our foolishness and insufficiency, and lifts us up with the revelation of God's sufficiency and eagerness to reinforce us at every point of our spiritual need. 51

We each and all need the blessing of pentecost, not simply for service, but for holy, worthy living, for the prefecting and completing of character from which will flow influences which are more effective than the busy activity we call service. 54

Men cease to be self-complcent when He (HS) comes. Slf righteousness is seen to be a sheet too short to cover us; our moral ad spiritula nakedness is exposed. Our pride is rebuked and we are ashamed. Our self-conceit vanishes and we are abashed. Our eyes are opened, and we see how self-decieved we have been - how unchristlike in our tempers, how corrupt in our desires, how selfish in our ambitions, how puffed up in our vainglory, how slow to believe, howquick to excuse ourselves and justify our own ways; how far from God we have wandered... 59

Paul = knew by joyful union with teh risen Christ, who had conquered death and the grave. This union was so real that Christ's victory was his victory also. 76

A friend asked me some time ago whether I believed in and taught perfection. I replied that that depended uponupon what he meant by the term 'perfection'.... if he meant absolute perfectin, I did not ... there is, however a perfection which we are given to undersatnd God requires in us. It is a perfection not of head but of heart.

Characterised by submission; trust in ways we do not understand; love; loyalty; obedience 81ff

Our performance may not always be perfect, but our spirit may be perfect 86

Argue that earliest Christianity was a movement that boldly challenged the heartlessness and arrogance of a vast governmental bureaucracy run on unfairly apportioned tax burdens and guided by cynical special interests - that preached about 'opportunity', 'self-reliance', and 'personal achievement' while denying all three to the vast majority of men, women and children over whom it presumed to rule. 5

A truly historical approach to the world of earliest christianity must also attempt to reconstruct the unspoken social, political and economic background for Jesus' miracles and teachings and must help u try to understand what effect his message might have had on his listeners. 6

The continuing quest for the kingdom of God by Jesus , paul and the earliest Christians should be understood as Both a spiritual journey and an evolving political response to the mindless acts of violence, inequality and injustice that characterised and still all too often characterise the kingdoms of men. 7

Covenantal renewing immersion can be seen as profoundly political statements of opposition 34 In first century exorcisms and spontaneous cures were , in themselves, not considered impossible or even unusual. 48

The restorative and creative energy he shared with others was not aimed solely at individuals but served as a way of transforming wider community life. 50

In both john's and Jesus' preaching the coming of the kingdom of god meant a revolution in the way people behaved toward each other and their recognition that they should have no Caesars tetrarchs, centurions or other overlords above them except for one God and creator of the world. 54

Jesus suggested that god was establishing his kingdom by creating an alternative society. 54

Under the pressure of debt and taxation, roman legal standards not the torah began to take precedence Villagers who may previously have felt a responsibility to help their neighbours in times of shortage were no longer under legal obligation to do so, especially since they were themselves now debtors 55

Jesus' healings and teachings must be therefore seen in this context, not as abstract spiritual truths spoken between stunning miracles but as a provram of community action and practical resistance to a system that efficiently transformed close knit villages into badly fragmented communities of alienated frightened individuals. 55

The kingdom of god was indeed at hand if they believed it - not a dream, not a vision of heaven, not a spiritual state, but a social transformation here and now ... If only they rejected injustice and heeded the commandments of god. 56

Sayings of Jesus were not abstract ethical injunctions but powerful political prescriptions 93

Membership in the movement begun by Jesus wasn't a matter of sudden conversion to the transcendent belief in a crucified and resurrected messiah. The faith and hope he inspired were much more down to earth than that. The sayings of Jesus - as remembered or imagined - offered a set of quite specific instructions about the way that people should act in public and treat each other in order to bring the ancient community of Israel to life again. 97

The battle must now be waged in the hearts and minds of righteous people throughout the empire who were in danger of being possessed by the evil spirits of power, status and patronage. 179

Far more than political agitation, class warfare, or zeal for national liberation, he had come to believe that a focused concentration on sacrifice and sharing - monetary sharing as well as spiritual selfishness - was the most potent and effective weapon that god's elect could possibly use avIbstvteb forces of darkness 182

Paul had come to believe that in an age of patrons and clients , of status and possessions, only continual acts of radical self sacrifice modeled on yeh crucified figure of Jesus Christ could renew and redeem the world. 183

By the early second century the kingdom of God was increasingly seen as an entirely spiritual state of grave accessible only through increasingly regularised discipline and rituals of the church. 224

The contemplation of the good and the beautiful is platonic happiness, the first complete picture of how happiness can be achieved not by luck but by design. 17

Happiness for Aristotle is the activity of the soul expressing virtue. So in essence where Plato sees happiness as contemplation, aristotle sees happiness as living virtuously. 20

Put together we have monks as people who find joy in contemplation and delight in virtue. 21

Central concern for first Christian monks was purity of heart, which we might describe as freedom of spirit. 38

Purity of heart is a hard won quality of somebody focused on leaving behind negative thoughts and embracing only the good. When we have achieved this focus as a permanent state of mind, then we have achieved purity of heart. 39

The desert fathers compared purity of heart to the target that a javelin thrower aimed at in the ancient games; a small target may be difficult to hit but it can be done and the effort required draws out the best from the thrower. So purity of heart describes the condition of human beings at their best, when the human capacity for love finds complete expression devoid of any selfish thought. To arrive at this state of being is demanding because human beings are continually tempted to behave selfishly 40

The eight thoughts have the potential to damage our well-being, they throw us off balance and lead us away from happiness. They come from within us and yet sometimes they seem to be bigger than we are and they are described as attacking us from without. That is why the desert fathers and mothers also called them demons. 42

Cassian constant awareness of the interior life was the royal road to purity of heart; but the demons constantly distract us from this state of mind. 44

Acedia - loss of enthusiasm for the spiritual life itself. While the word has disappeared, the reality of spiritual carelessness is strongly present in our culture 53

We have suffered a catastrophic loss of understanding of the need for self awareness leading to widespread acedia. Until the modern era religious orders provided a constant reminder to ordinary people of their need to examine their conscience every day and to reflect deeply on their way of life. 56

Body, heart and soul must all be in tune with each other. To arrive at this degree of awareness is a lifetime's work. ... If not working together then freedom is lost and unhappiness is the result. For example, pride in the soul can cause sexual licence in the body, gluttony in the body can cause sadness in the heart and anger in the heart can cause illness in the body. If the body is in tune with heart and soul, then our eating opens up our hearts to other people, our sexuality is an expression of live and our possessions are gifts to share. 120

Allowing my self to get upset at other people's faults has three bad effects. Firstly, I become impatient with other people and can become overwhelmed with despair at their faults. Then this leads me away from the one sadness that might rationally help me, namely, sadness at my own faults. Finally, it affects my prayer and while it does not destroy the monk's ability to pray, it nevertheless removed the efficacy of prayer. In other words , the effect of prayer should be to foster in the one praying the fruits of the spirit such as love, joy, and patience, but sadness directed towards others' faults destroys these qualities. 153
Having experienced sadness at our sins, we will be motivated to make amends and to avoid wrongdoing in the future. This
Purity of heart, true interior happiness, where a sense of guilt does not burden us but sets us free for the future 156

Cassian conference on perfection - offers an image with three stages of achieving purity of heart described as three reasons for being virtuous. First stage we want to be virtuous out of fear of doing wrong. Second stage we want to be virtuous out of hope of some reward. Final stage is to be virtuous out of love, love of doing the right thing, love of other people and ultimately love of god.

1 like the virtue of a slave who obeys a master.
2 like employee who wants wages
3 child who willingly responds to a parent. 191

To find happiness we need to broaden our definition so that feeling good is put into the wider context of doing good and knowing good. 193

Hermeneutic circle
1) Our initial apprehension of the text in terms of our own concerns;
2) critical study of teh text in terms of its socio-historical and narrative context
3) reflection upon the reader's socio -historical and life context
4) a transformed engagement with the world. xiii

Gospel was a term associated with Roman propaganda. News of a military victory on the far-flung frontiers of the Pax Romana, or of the accession to power of a new emperor, was trumpeted as 'glad tidings' throughout the empire. Caesar was eulogized as a 'divine man' on cults and in emperor cults .... Mark was engaging the struggle for hearts and minds through the popular media of the mediterranean world pp6

Daniel - a Jewish apocalyptic tract taht exhorted resistence to hellenistic imperialism two centuries before Mark. Daniel portrays oppressive rulres as 'beasts' and speaks of angels conteding with the princes of kingdoms pp8

Miracle no in the act - Mark goes to great lengths to discourage us from seeing Jesus as a mere popular magicia. Not only dos Jesus discourage people from fixating upon his acts of healing or exorcism, he actualy exhorts his disciples to look into teh deeper meaning. 14

To interpret excorism solely as curing is to miss profound political impact. In contrast to Hellenistic literature, in which miracle-workers normally function to maintain the status quo, gospel healings challenge the ordering of power. Because Jesus seeks teh root causes of why people are marginalised, there is no case of heaing and excorism in Mark that does not also raise a larger question of social oppression. 14

Our modern world view assumes taht teh gospel healing stories relate 'supernatural' cures of medical disorders. In the ancient Mediterranean world, howebver, illness was perceived primarily as a 'socialy disvaued state' an aberrant or defective condition that threatened communal integrity. 16

Judean state consisted of two mutually reinforcing codes: purity and debt. The purity code adjudicated by priests, established what was clean and unclean in order to maintain group and class boundaries... debt code under the jurisdiction of the scribal class, regulated individual and social responsibilities, criminal behaviour and economic status. Its rule 10 comandments determined sins of commission and omission. pp17

JC subverts political authority and threatens those whose social status is wrapped up in the status quo of debt and purity 17

"Christianity does not recognise self love as legitimate form of love. Christaina love moves in two directions, toward God and toward its neighbour; and in self-love it finds its chief adversary which must be fought conquered" (Anders Nygren)

Created to love as God loves, we are invited to love every being, including self. Sin is understood to include negation of self, damaged personhood, brokenness. Christian love may thus be defined to include the true self-love that heals and empowers us to love deeply, thus healing others and society. 106

Prayer for Mark is that personal and communal struggle against this temptation to despair. It is wrestling with the demons within us that tempts us to abandon the way of Jesus 115

Parable of the sower - the promise of 'eternal life' is made to those trying to respond to teh vision of economic justice 128

Leadership in the sovereignty of God is not appointed executively; it is achieved only through an apprenticeship of the cross 133

Am I walking toward Jerusalem, in the sense that I am less interested in power now than when I began my discipleship journey?

Am I willing to 'lose my life' in the sense that Jesus meant it - truly living for values beyond and greater than myself?

Do I engage in futile competition with other disciples of Jesus?

Am I convinced taht God's reign ultimately depends on God and not on me? 137

Gethsemane Jesus demonstrates true prayer ... all things are possible for God, but the first concern of prayer is not to remedy personal distress but rather seek the one whose will is the healing of our broken history . 189

Marks incomplete conclusion - The story is ours to conclude. How will it be written in teh narrative of our own lives? Mark's story of resurrection invites each of us to journey to Galilee in teh geography of our own faith. Were do we see signs of new life in ourselves and our world? How can we nurture and celebrate those signs of life? 210

The enneagram arises out of a perspective of human psychic strivings whose roots go back at least as far as the early monsticism of the desert fathers, perhaps even back to pre-Chritin times (Pythagoras). Later, it was presumably passed on orally through the Islamic wisdom tradition of Sufism. Thus, although it seems to be genuinely Christian, it draws from pre-Christian sources and has had an influence on non-Christian mystical traditions. Xii

Attributed to evagrius ponticus (desert father) when he died his partisans had to flee to Armenia where they influenced the Sufis.

Do you want to know what holiness is?it is pure love. Do you want to know what the baptism of the holy ghost is?it is not mere sentiment. It is not a happy sensation that passes away in a night. It is a baptism of love that brings every thought into captivity to the lord Jesus; that casts out all fear; that burns up doubt and unbelief x ff.

Allowed me to be perplexed and tempted, but it has been for my good.

Holiness is perfect love

State in which there is no anger, malice, blasphemy,hypocrisy, envy, love of ease, selfish desires for good opinion of men, shame of the cross, worldliness, deceit, debate, contention, covetousness, nor any evil desire or tendency in the heart.
It is a state in which god is loved and trusted with a perfect heart.
But though the heart may be perfect, the head may be very imperfect, and through the imperfections of his Head - Of his memory, his judgement, his reason the holy man may make mistakes. Yet god looks at the sincerity of his purpose, at the love and faith of his heart - not at the imperfections of the head - and calls him a holy man.
Holiness is nor absolute perfection, which belongs to god only;

It is that state of heart and life which consists in being and doing all the time not by fits and starts but steadily just what god wants us to became do. Pp 2.

Perfect consecration - consists in a perfect putting off of your own will, your disposition, temper, desires, likes and dislikes , and a perfect putting on of christs will, christ's disposition, temper, desires, likes and dislikes. In short perfect consecration is a putting off self and a putting on cjrist; a giving up of your will in all things and receiving the will of Jesus instead.

1tim 1

Secret power. Wait on the lord that is sf

When god searches for a man to work in his vineyard he does not ask ' has he great natural abilities ? Is he thoroughly educated? Is he a fine singer? Is he eloquent in prayer? Can he talk much ?'
But rather he asks, ' is his heart perfect toward me? Is he holy? Does he love much? Is he willing to walk by faith and not by sight? 45 ff

Important difference between the grace of faith and the gift of faith.
The grace of faith is that which is given to every man to work with and by which he can come to god. The gift of faith is that which is bestowed upon us by the holy spirit.
The man who is exercising the grace of faith says I believe god will bless me and hecseeks god with his whole heart this helps to grasp hold of the gift of faith. 61

The faith that saves, is the faith that brinngs the life and power of GOd into the soul - a faith taht makes the proud man humble, the impatient man patient, the haughty man lowly in heart, the stingy man man open-handed and liberal, the lustful man clean and chaste, the fighting, quarrelsome man meek and gentle, the liar truthful, the thief honest, the light and foolish sober and grave, a faith that purifies teh heart and sets teh Lord always before the eyes, and fills the soul with humble, holy, patient love toward God and man. 87 ff

This is life eternal, that they might know thee teh only true God and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent Jo 17:3 90

Birds of Prey Genesis 15
The way to overcome is to will to steadfastly believe and agree with God.112

That is holiness to escape from the corruption of our evil hearts and recieve the divine nature 120

disciples waited in Jerusalem - ' forgot their jealousies and selfish ambitions and childish diferences, until they were exhausted of all self-love and self goodness and self trust, and their hearts were as the heart of one man abd they had but one desire and that a mighty, consuming hunger for God. 126

Before finding God in teh fullness of HIs love and favour, hinderances must be removed, 'weights' and 'easily-besetting sins' must be laid aside, and self smitten in the citadel of its ambitions and hopes. 137

Here I saw the enenemy of the Lord - self. There stood the idol of my soul - the passionate, consuming desire for glry - 138


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Brengle writes: ‘Understood as union with Christ, entire sanctification equips the believer for effective service…Christian perfection is not absolute, angelic, or Adamic perfection. Rather, it is relative to the natural limitations of fallen humanity.’ (Sanctified Sanity 157)


Brengle writes: ‘Sanctification has meant complete abandonment to the will of God, but not in such a way that my will has become passive in its functioning. It has had to be, and has been, active, firm, assertive in purpose to be the Lord’s. I have not been allowed to sit in passive rapture singing myself away to everlasting bliss. God and man must cooperate, work together, both in the reception and continuance of the blessing.’