Set Apart: International Wesleyan Youth Convention

From December 28th through the 31st about 500+ students and youth leaders/pastors spent time in prayer at Set Apart Youth Convention. I had the opportunity to lend a hand to my good friends Jeremy, Andrea and Justin in the Prayer Room. The Prayer Room was setup with nine different stations, each one designed to help individuals or groups connect with God through experiential prayers. Each station provided people different ways of engaging in the presence of God, like the above definition of prayer there are more than just one style or method of prayer. Prayer is much larger and grander than simply kneeing at an altar with my hands folded and eyes closed. This prayer room came from a deeper understanding of prayer: to intercede with or make petition to God, conversation with God – in praise, thanksgiving, or intercession. Prayer is about the whole body, mind, soul, and strengthen of a person coming into the presence of God.

I want to focus on one of those nine stations, station two or “Reflecting.” It was designed to help people reflect on themselves from two different angles. First, how they see themselves and second on how God sees them. People are given a guide to assist them through the different prayer stations. The following is taken from the guide:

“Study yourself in the mirror for a moment. Ask God to help you see past the everyday things you notice about yourself, whether good or bad. Ask God to help you look deeper, until you catch a glimpse of the child of God that you already are, His purposeful creation. What do you look like when you can see yourself the way God sees you?”

Each day I wakeup and walk into my bathroom look into the mirror and think about how God sees me and how I see myself. I think about what God sees in me, things that I don’t see or don’t even know. Through prayer I gain new hope of what will be and what is unseen in the here and now.

What Community is Not?

My mind wonders a lot and I often find myself thinking what community is not and asking why are people not in community? John 4:4-30 tells us about a woman seeking community, love, and a shared life but all she found was pain and brokenness. Until Jesus comes! (Please READ JOHN 4:4-30)

Wikipedia says: “community usually refers to a group of people who interact and share certain things as a group, this article focuses on human communities, in which intent, belief, resources, preferences, needs, risks and a number of other conditions may be present and common, affecting the identity of the participants and their degree of adhesion.” I believe Wikipedia is on the right path, “Community affects the identity of the participants.”

However, it is lacking something, something deeper; take Debbie “a single woman in her late twenties. She has great leadership gifts and a promising career. Her commitment to her job has made her a rising star in her company. Senior management is beginning to notice her. However, working six days a week has also kept her from having a life outside of work. For the most part, Debbie does not get out much. There is just too much to do. When she is not working, she renovating her loft. Her parents are worried about her. The girl who once had several inseparable friends has drifted away from those relationships. “That’s the price of working for a Fortune 500 company,” she tells them. Besides, she is with people all the time. At work, at her gym, and at her church, people are everywhere. People surround Debbie. True, she does not really know any of them and they do not know her. This was fine, until recently. Doing life alone is taking its toll. Debbie is beginning to feel alone, even in crowds.” What is Debbie seeking? I believe it is authentic community, really focused on and around Jesus Christ.

Do you find yourself seeking authentic community?

What do you think authentic community is?

What is Spiritual Formation/Direction?

Wesley D. Tracy says; “The goal of spirituality in the Wesleyan mode is to bring converted believers into the experience of sanctifying grace whereby inner sin is cleansed, the image of God restored, and the heart so filled with divine love that the believer can love God with all the heart, mind, soul and strength and the neighbor as one’s self.”

Using Tracy’s understand of spirituality, Spiritual Formation becomes the experience of sanctifying grace of each and every believer. Spiritual Formation is the growth of the whole person, which is influenced by their relationship with God and others, along with spiritual practices or disciplines and ordinary life.

What are your thoughts about Spiritual Formation?

Working Definitions of “Spirituality”

Christian spirituality concerns the quest for a fulfilled and authentic Christian existence, involving the brining together of the fundamental ideas of Christianity and the whole experience of living on the basis of the within the scope of the Christian faith. -Alister E. McGrath

Spirituality is a lived experience, the effort to apply relevant elements in the deposit of Christian faith to the guidance of men and women towards their spiritual growth, the progressive development of their persons which flowers into a proportionately increased insight and joy. -George Ganss

What is your definition of "Christian Spirituality?"

Present Moment Quote

"To find contentment in the present moment is to relish and adore the divine will in the succession of all the things to be done and suffered which make up the duty to the present moment." - Jean-Pierre De Caussade

Final Year

Another semester has come and started. It is hard to fully comprehend that I have been enrolled in theological courses for almost eight years. This year is proving to hold challenges and joys that will shape the very core of my being. This semester I am taking three classes; Exegesis of Colossians, Theology and Practice of Preaching, and Spiritual Formation “The Life of Prayer.” This semester also holds new ministry opportunities with Stonewall and the Asbury Wesleyan Community; a new focus on spiritual formation is enriching both communities and impacting my journey towards Christ. As new people journey with me I am challenged to see faith in new ways and expand my own understanding of how God works. While those who have journeyed with me for three plus years hold me close to the rock of ages, reminding me of the story of God through out the human journey. This final year is bound to be a full and rich adventure.

Christian Community

I know it has been a long time since my last blog… I have been processing through the idea of holiness and how as Christians we need community in finding real holiness. Dietrich Bonhoeffer states: “The physical presence of other Christians is a source of incomparable joy and strength to the believer.” During this time of seeking wholeness and holiness, I have come to recognize a greater importance for Christian community in different forms. Many times in the past I only saw small groups as ‘real community,’ because it was a place of growth and transformation. In deed a small group is that, but working together repairing a tractor, or taking a car ride to Taco Bell for fourth meal, or even two guys working out at 6:45 a.m. can be a place of transformation. Anytime two or more Christians come together it should be a joy, because you are able to share spiritual truths. Bonhoeffer says: “There is probably no Christian to whom God has not given the uplifting experience of genuine Christian community at least once in his life.” So my question to you is, how do you experience Christian community on your journey?