Sunday, November 28, 2010
Ackerman, J. (2001). Listening to God: spiritual formation in congregations. Bethesda, MD: Alban Institute.
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
#
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
Comments:
The Amputated Member...
Attention all non-Catholics who "claim" to follow the teaching of Holy Scripture!
Have you ever read 1Corinthians 12:1-31 before?
Have you understood the message written therein?
1. There is but one Body of Christ (vs 12).
2. The Body of Christ is the Church which He founded, Ephesians 1:22-23
3. Therefore the Church which Jesus Christ founded IS Christ.
4. Therefore those who reject His Church, reject Him. Matthew 12:30
5. Since there is but one Christ with one Body, so there must be but one Church. Psalms 127:1, Matthew 16:18
6. The Body (Church) consists of not one member, but many (vs 14).
7. The many members of the one (Church) Body are all part of the same Body but each with his own function (vs's 15-20).
8. The Body of Christ cannot be separated from His Head.
9. Since the Body consists of members, individual members of the Body can be separated from the Head.
10. GOD has said that there must be no discord within the Body (vs 25).
11. However, there was great discord within the one Body, and it was a clear violation of verse 25.
12. It is called the Protestant Revolt .
13. Leaders and members of the Protest ant Revolt Amputated themselves from the one Body(Church) (vs 21).
14. Each member of the Body has his own function, by analogy, an eye, ear, hand, foot (vs's 15-18).
15. Can a hand live by itself, disconnected (Amputated) from the Body, or can an eye, an ear, or a foot?
16. What happens to a member which is Amputated from the Body?
17. The soul does not go with the Amputated member, and thus the member dies.
Post a Comment
Attention all non-Catholics who "claim" to follow the teaching of Holy Scripture!
Have you ever read 1Corinthians 12:1-31 before?
Have you understood the message written therein?
1. There is but one Body of Christ (vs 12).
2. The Body of Christ is the Church which He founded, Ephesians 1:22-23
3. Therefore the Church which Jesus Christ founded IS Christ.
4. Therefore those who reject His Church, reject Him. Matthew 12:30
5. Since there is but one Christ with one Body, so there must be but one Church. Psalms 127:1, Matthew 16:18
6. The Body (Church) consists of not one member, but many (vs 14).
7. The many members of the one (Church) Body are all part of the same Body but each with his own function (vs's 15-20).
8. The Body of Christ cannot be separated from His Head.
9. Since the Body consists of members, individual members of the Body can be separated from the Head.
10. GOD has said that there must be no discord within the Body (vs 25).
11. However, there was great discord within the one Body, and it was a clear violation of verse 25.
12. It is called the Protestant Revolt .
13. Leaders and members of the Protest ant Revolt Amputated themselves from the one Body(Church) (vs 21).
14. Each member of the Body has his own function, by analogy, an eye, ear, hand, foot (vs's 15-18).
15. Can a hand live by itself, disconnected (Amputated) from the Body, or can an eye, an ear, or a foot?
16. What happens to a member which is Amputated from the Body?
17. The soul does not go with the Amputated member, and thus the member dies.
