Renovare's Definition of Spiritual Formation

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Permalink Reply by Wayne Prevett on June 24, 2009 at 6:04am

I am a big fan of this definition! In our marketplace ministry we have been "stuck" in defining spiritual formation becasue we deal soley with people who are yet to be follower of Jesus Christ.

My paradigms for SF has been shaped by a strong evangelical, fundementalist heritage that suggests that SF only begins after conversion, of course I do not agree! SF begins right out of the womb and when the people we are ministring to get to us they are not well "formed". We have had to shift our paradigm to see SF as a way of life not an event or program and to see the families we serve as in formation as soon as we meet them.

Our goal in ministry is not to get people to an address! We have dropped the notion that sucess in formation is when someone starts attending church rather sucess starts with people acting like Jesus which if we are honest does not start with conversion, it starts with creation.

wayne

I am completly committed to a missional community that strives to example the very life of Jesus

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Permalink Reply by Gailyn Van Rheenen on June 24, 2009 at 6:55am

I like this definition for a number of reasons. First, it is trinitarian. It reflects on the relationship between God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Second, it emphasizes love, the core characteristic of God within Trinitarian relationship. Third, I like the emaphasis of "being shaped . . . into the likeness of Christ," which infers 2 Cor. 3: 18.

There are also limitations: "Process" is a nebulous word. The definition does not speak to "holiness," reflecting the transition from light to darkness, the journey from the dominion of Satan to the kingdom of God" (Acts 26:17-18).

The sub-points, to me, are more significant than the definition itself.

Gailyn

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Permalink Reply by Stanley N. Helton on June 24, 2009 at 9:32am

>>Christian spiritual formation is the process of being shaped by the Spirit into the likeness of Christ, filled with love for God and the world.

I appreciated the points that have been made so far and I think this is a good start for a definition. I think it might be more manageable to have a simple definition for the sake of conversation and then subpoints as above; but I would get away from the passive "process" and "being shaped."

CSF is the work of God through his Spirit to form his people into the image of his Son.

Then my subpoints would include something like:

1. The Mission of God is to form a distinct kind of people people
2. The Spirit of God empowers, guides, and infused this formation
3. Jesus is the Way: a. To become like God; b. To become truly Human

The definition is direct, succinct, and able to bear the weight of anything that needs to be discussed in the arena of CSF.

What do you think?

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Permalink Reply by Nick Gill on June 29, 2009 at 10:23am

With the exception of Peterson's lovely work in the Conversations in Spiritual Theology series, I believe the Renovare writers have spent the vast majority of their time focusing on the formation of the individual, nearly to the exclusion of communal formation.

I think this is deeply unhealthy, because it "fosters" (I know, I know -- he who would pun would pick a pocket) the "me and God" view of spirituality so popular in contemporary life.

I also don't think that if everyone strives individually to be spiritually formed, communal formation will take care of itself. Those who find themselves in leadership roles need to be intentional about communal formation, and I hope this will become a focus for the Renovare group.

I also agree with Stanley that active voice is much better than passive for defining CSF.

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Permalink Reply by Bret Wells on July 6, 2009 at 2:22pm

Stanley,

I appreciate the simplicity of your statement and agree with the value of active rather than passive verbs. A question: What is the role of the person and/or community in this definition? Is it purely receptive and (in effect) passive itself?

Stanley N. Helton said:

>>Christian spiritual formation is the process of being shaped by the Spirit into the likeness of Christ, filled with love for God and the world.

I appreciated the points that have been made so far and I think this is a good start for a definition. I think it might be more manageable to have a simple definition for the sake of conversation and then subpoints as above; but I would get away from the passive "process" and "being shaped."

CSF is the work of God through his Spirit to form his people into the image of his Son.

Then my subpoints would include something like:

1. The Mission of God is to form a distinct kind of people people
2. The Spirit of God empowers, guides, and infused this formation
3. Jesus is the Way: a. To become like God; b. To become truly Human

The definition is direct, succinct, and able to bear the weight of anything that needs to be discussed in the arena of CSF.

What do you think?

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Permalink Reply by Gailyn Van Rheenen on July 10, 2009 at 7:40am

I agree with Bret. I like the simplicity of your definition and its subpoints.

gailyn

Stanley N. Helton said:

>>Christian spiritual formation is the process of being shaped by the Spirit into the likeness of Christ, filled with love for God and the world.

I appreciated the points that have been made so far and I think this is a good start for a definition. I think it might be more manageable to have a simple definition for the sake of conversation and then subpoints as above; but I would get away from the passive "process" and "being shaped."

CSF is the work of God through his Spirit to form his people into the image of his Son.

Then my subpoints would include something like:

1. The Mission of God is to form a distinct kind of people people
2. The Spirit of God empowers, guides, and infused this formation
3. Jesus is the Way: a. To become like God; b. To become truly Human

The definition is direct, succinct, and able to bear the weight of anything that needs to be discussed in the arena of CSF.

What do you think?

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