Spiritual Formation at Messiah College
I hope you will post your ideas after reading what we have already posted.
What motivates you to be involved in the process of spiritual formation?
What have been some of the positive and negative experiences you have had that impacted your formation so far?
Pastor E
Monday 08 Jan 2007 | efry | Uncategorized
What motivates me is my own desire for a relationship with Christ. In my church community I see people actively involved in the ministry and hope that the Holy Spirit will guide me in my own purpose for God.
Positive experiences at Messiah have been the challenges and debates of faith introduced to me. These debates allow people to understand different beliefs in christianity and be exposed to different ideas that will help them confirm what they really believe. I feel that I am more grounded in my faith because Messiah has introduced these new ideas. A negative experience at Messiah is that, though these challenges and debates are good, it sometimes appears that people are not passionate for God. Instead, those that would be leaders at Messiah such as some Professors, Deans, and RA’s do not seem to love fellow followers of Jesus Christ because of their passion for him. Instead of encouraging a strong relationship with God, they seem to look down upon those with childlike faith and they are very good at pointing out and brining up different arguements. As I said before, sometimes arguements and debates can help one’s faith, but a constant setting of arguements can close people off from wanting to share their love for the Gospel, for what Jesus has done in our lives, and their personal testimony within this community. Does every aspect of faith at Messiah have to deal with challenging and breaking down faith? Or can Messiah also be a place were faith is encouraged, where a relationship with God is honored, and a love for Jesus is not looked down upon by our leaders? When someone says that they love the Bible can we not say “praise God” instead of rebuking them?
Daniel, Thanks for your comment on motivation. I wonder if the “constant” in your comment may not offer a clue about a need for practices such as centering prayer that lead us from the debate which is as you affirmed very helpful and certainly key in education to be balanced by an inner journey of the heart. Perhaps it is not so much that “they” debate too much as my own need to balance my life between debate and reflection. Thanks again for pushing me to think about what motivates and what may demotivate the process.
Daniel,
I think I know exactly what you are feeling. It seems to me that here at Messiah there is an overemphasis placed on knowing “intellectually” but not much value placed on the Holy Spirit’s teaching. There is great attention placed on learning what the Bible says in the light of cultural context and how it can be proved archeologically and little attention placed on simple faith and just believing it.
In Matthew 16:17 Jesus explains the source of real “knowing”. Real understanding comes from the Spirit. Peter did not gain the knowledge that Jesus was the Christ from anything his five physical senses told him but from a revelation from God in his spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:8 and on further separates the knowing by natural means from understanding from the spirit.
There is a place for cultural context and gaining knowledge from things like archeology in that it can enrich the experience of Bible stories but true understanding can only come from the spirit. It would do the college well to have a more balanced approach to the Bible from a faith based perspective rather than a secular based one.
Ken, could it be that rather than expecting the college to move away from an academic or knowledge approach that it is our own responsibility to create the reflective space that allows us to understand based on good knowledge that is processed through a heart of faith?
I don’t know about anyone else, but I was entirely pleased with today’s chapel. The plea for the Holy Spirit to come invade our campus and fall afresh on us should be a plea in all of our hearts! A few of my friends and I have been praying for our campus in these terms, and I was wondering if anyone would be interesting in joining us in prayer for our campus? Eldon, I don’t think that Ken wants us to entirely move away from knowledge entirely, I think that too much knowledge takes away from our dependence on God and the Spirit He has given to us. I believe this has a lot to do with why we are so often forced to lean on Him- because we do not know the definite answers; we cannot prove everything. Mystery is a huge part of God, for example, His gospel is a glorious mystery: in Ephesians 6:19 Paul comments on this mystery, remarking about “the mystery of the gospel.”
…I don’t even think I’m actually arguing a point here, but I do believe faith does not need proof or intellectual thought. We do not like to wander without knowledge, but “knowledge puffs up,” while “love builds up,” and it’s important to remember that Christ called us to have faith, not to have knowledge.
Personally I would enjoy more of a teaching on/exploring of our faith during chapel. Sometimes (with no specific examples, sorry!) I simply feel like chapel is another lecture, although i certainly love going to chapel, and I realize sadly that I am one of few.
In response to Daniel Jamara’s post, I sadly have to agree with his comment: “it sometimes appears that people are not passionate for God. Instead, those that would be leaders at Messiah such as some Professors, Deans, and RA’s do not seem to love fellow followers of Jesus Christ because of their passion for him.” This is what I was referring to when I ask that we have more teaching on our faith rather than the teaching on others who have loved Christ in the past. It seems there is such a lack of passion during chapel. Today specifically, I was upset and downhearted as I listened to our speaker ask, “Can ______ separate us from the love of Christ?” and I listened to the answers “…no…” when I expected a joyful, emphatic and terribly thankful “NO!” NOTHING can separate us from His love….but what of when it seems like no one cares?! Where would we be without His gracious love? NOwhere! It was very disheartening to witness our college community barely acknowledge the gift and joy of His love that we cannot be separated from.
I realize that much of what I said has nothing to do with the original question you asked Eldon, but I hope my comments might touch the heart of whomever reads.
Take joy! He has saved us! 
Thanks Jennifer for the thoughtful interaction. I think what you said has a lot to do with the question of motivation. It is encouraging to see you motivated.
Your conclusion reminds me of a concept shared in God Calling. The comment was an encouragement to bathe in the delight/joy of the Lord. That seems to be a powerful imagery that resonates with your “Take joy!”
Could it be that mystery draws us in and the joy we discover is what motivates our response?
Yes! Mystery draws us in and the joy we discover motivates us!!! Great phrasing
Is “God Calling” a book?
“God Calling” is a devotional book written by two women in the voice of Christ speaking to us. I find it a refreshing way to read and biblically affirming. I know several other educators have used or are using it as part of their devotional life. I think it has recently been reprinted so is very available.
You are spiritual by nature which means that your inborn capacity to live within the meaning of human experience and participate in the development of consciousness is a process waiting to form over time. The depth, the extent to which this capacity forms, depends upon you. Spiritual illumination comes with honest effort — do not expect it to drop out of the sky or come in a special, hand-delivered envelope.