The beginning of a Contemporary Christian Spirituality Journal

It is interesting to me that 20 years ago I started this blog for a class. It was an independent study that took me to a gathering of 3 different groups of church developers in Orlando. We had to blog about our experiences.

And now today I am starting a journal for one of the classes in my first semester of a Doctor of Ministry program and I thought why not just do this online, so those who read my blog and devotions can just follow along this journey with me.

So this journal is for a class called Contemporary Christian Spirituality and most weeks from now until December 12, 2022 we will have a prompt to write on. The blog posts will be roughly 500 words and may or may not actually include what the prompts are. So if you really want to follow along, I have listed the prompts below.

You can also find all of these posts at this link.

DateSpiritual Journal Assignment for the week (~300 words each assignment for First Professional Students; ~500 words for DMin students)
8/29What is at least one hope you have for this class, personally or for ministry?
9/5 NO CLASS- Labor DayNo spiritual journal assignment for this week  
9/12Discuss your experience today learning about and trying some spiritual practices. What practices made you comfortable or uncomfortable (learning about or practicing), and why? How can you incorporate some of these spiritual practices in your daily life?
9/19How has your understanding of spiritual gifts been expanded? What is one spiritual gift that God has given you to specifically use in your ministry (current or future), and how is it being used/could it be used?
9/26What are your impressions of contemplative practices, such as centering prayer? Would you consider using them regularly in your own spiritual life, or utilizing them in a ministry setting? Why or why not?
10/3Pick 1-2 aspects of simplicity or minimalism that surprised you or shocked you today. How could these aspects affect your relationship with God and your spiritual journey?
10/10 NO CLASS- ULS Reading WeekNo spiritual journal assignment this week
10/17Which Contemporary Christian Spirituality person and their spiritual emphases did you relate to most, and why?
10/24What does liberation look like in your relationship with God and your relationship with others?  
10/31What aspect of the charismatic tradition resonated with you, and how could it continue to be part of your spiritual journey?
11/7Describe an experience of nature in which you felt the presence of God.
11/14How can technology both help and hinder your spirituality?
11/21 NO CLASS- ULS Thanksgiving BreakNo spiritual journal assignment this week
11/28How can spiritual direction and spiritual friendship play a role in your own spiritual journey?
12/5What was one aspect of metta meditation that surprised you? How could you incorporate aspects of it into your own prayer life?
12/12Describe a time you discerned God’s direction for you. How did you know you were on the right track?

who

From Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I’m sent to bring about the faith of God’s chosen people and a knowledge of the truth that agrees with godliness. Their faith and this knowledge are based on the hope of eternal life that God, who doesn’t lie, promised before time began. God revealed his message at the appropriate time through preaching, and I was trusted with preaching this message by the command of God our savior. To Titus, my true child in a common faith. Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our savior. The reason I left you behind in Crete was to organize whatever needs to be done and to appoint elders in each city, as I told you. Elders should be without fault. They should be faithful to their spouse, and have faithful children who can’t be accused of self-indulgence or rebelliousness. This is because supervisors should be without fault as God’s managers: they shouldn’t be stubborn, irritable, addicted to alcohol, a bully, or greedy. Instead, they should show hospitality, love what is good, and be reasonable, ethical, godly, and self-controlled. They must pay attention to the reliable message as it has been taught to them so that they can encourage people with healthy instruction and refute those who speak against it. (Titus 1:1-9, CEB)

Who would measure up to these standards?

Without fault.
Faithful to partner
Have Children that are not self-indulgent or rebellious
Not stubborn
Not irritable
not addicted to anything
Not a bully
Not greedy

Who among us meets this list? Faithful to our partner might be the only one any of us could actually say we do, unless we take Jesus’ expansion of the 10 commandments and say if you thought about someone other than your partner in an unfaithful way towards your partner now that one is shot too.

We all have faults, and our children are human so they will have faults too, and we can be stubborn, irritable, we are all addicted to something, and we can bully and have tendencies to be greedy.

If we strive to show hospitality, love what is good, be reasonable, ethical, godly, and self-controlled then we are doing what we can.

We all fall short but if we strive to live as God intended then we are showing the world a better way.

Loving People. Loving God.

Give around

Remember your leaders who spoke God’s word to you. Imitate their faith as you consider the way their lives turned out. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever! Don’t be misled by the many strange teachings out there. It’s a good thing for the heart to be strengthened by grace rather than by food. Food doesn’t help those who live in this context. We have an altar, and those who serve as priests in the meeting tent don’t have the right to eat from it. The blood of the animals is carried into the holy of holies by the high priest as an offering for sin, and their bodies are burned outside the camp. And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy with his own blood. So now, let’s go to him outside the camp, bearing his shame. We don’t have a permanent city here, but rather we are looking for the city that is still to come. So let’s continually offer up a sacrifice of praise through him, which is the fruit from our lips that confess his name. Don’t forget to do good and to share what you have because God is pleased with these kinds of sacrifices. Rely on your leaders and defer to them, because they watch over your whole being as people who are going to be held responsible for you. They need to be able to do this with pleasure and not with complaints about you, because that wouldn’t help you. Pray for us. We’re sure that we have a good conscience, and we want to do the right thing in every way. I’m particularly asking you to do this so that I can be returned to you quickly. May the God of peace, who brought back the great shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus, from the dead by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with every good thing to do his will, by developing in us what pleases him through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory forever and always. Amen. (Hebrews 13:7-21, CEB)

Remember those around you and know it is better to be filled with grace than with food. We should look out for those around us and give when we see a need.

We do not have a permanent place here, but we await the place that is to come when the kingdom is fulfilled. So use what you have to help those around you and to make everyone see the love they are given.

Loving People. Loving God.

motivation

One Sabbath, when Jesus went to share a meal in the home of one of the leaders of the Pharisees, they were watching him closely. When Jesus noticed how the guests sought out the best seats at the table, he told them a parable. “When someone invites you to a wedding celebration, don’t take your seat in the place of honor. Someone more highly regarded than you could have been invited by your host. The host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give your seat to this other person.’ Embarrassed, you will take your seat in the least important place. Instead, when you receive an invitation, go and sit in the least important place. When your host approaches you, he will say, ‘Friend, move up here to a better seat.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. All who lift themselves up will be brought low, and those who make themselves low will be lifted up.” Then Jesus said to the person who had invited him, “When you host a lunch or dinner, don’t invite your friends, your brothers and sisters, your relatives, or rich neighbors. If you do, they will invite you in return and that will be your reward. Instead, when you give a banquet, invite the poor, crippled, lame, and blind. And you will be blessed because they can’t repay you. Instead, you will be repaid when the just are resurrected.” (Luke 14:1, 7-14, CEB)

As I read this I was thinking, “I know I should be at a place of higher honor, but I will sit in the worst seat, so the host will find me there and move me, so I will look good to all of those gathered here.” Now I know that isn’t what Jesus meant by saying this. Jesus is not telling us to manipulate the system. Jesus is telling us to check our motivation. Because doing what I said I thought and taking the seat of honor is what Jesus is telling us not to do. We are stuck on ourselves and do not care about anyone else.

We need to check our motivation and know that we are not the best thing and should look to lift others up.

What is your motivation? To be seen by people or to show love in all you do?

Loving People. Loving God.

You want to sit where?

Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus along with her sons. Bowing before him, she asked a favor of him. “What do you want?” he asked. She responded, “Say that these two sons of mine will sit, one on your right hand and one on your left, in your kingdom.” Jesus replied, “You don’t know what you’re asking! Can you drink from the cup that I’m about to drink from?” They said to him, “We can.” He said to them, “You will drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left hand isn’t mine to give. It belongs to those for whom my Father prepared it.” Now when the other ten disciples heard about this, they became angry with the two brothers. But Jesus called them over and said, “You know that those who rule the Gentiles show off their authority over them and their high-ranking officials order them around. But that’s not the way it will be with you. Whoever wants to be great among you will be your servant. Whoever wants to be first among you will be your slave— just as the Human One didn’t come to be served but rather to serve and to give his life to liberate many people.” (Matthew 20:20-28, CEB)

I always found this verse to be interesting. James and John’s mother wants Jesus to let them sit at his right and left side in the coming of the kingdom. Now I will give you they do not have the Nicene Creed yet, but the audacity of the request is mind-blowing. But if we look at the creed it tells us that Jesus ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. Which means who is sitting at Jesus’ left-hand side? The Father, so their mother just asked if one of her sons could sit in the Father’s place.

And rightfully so the other 10 were upset about this, but probably not because they said it out loud, but because they wanted that seat.

We get so hung up on what others have that we don’t that we fail to see what we have that they don’t and realize that we all receive grace but we also all receive differently and that is part of the beauty of life.

We need to serve others if we want to be great and lift up their gifts.

Serve.

Loving People. Loving God.

Give

The end of everything has come. Therefore, be self-controlled and clearheaded so you can pray. Above all, show sincere love to each other, because love brings about the forgiveness of many sins. Open your homes to each other without complaining. And serve each other according to the gift each person has received, as good managers of God’s diverse gifts. Whoever speaks should do so as those who speak God’s word. Whoever serves should do so from the strength that God furnishes. Do this so that in everything God may be honored through Jesus Christ. To him be honor and power forever and always. Amen. (1 Peter 4:7-11, CEB)

It is better to give than receive. We have all received more than we could ever need from God and still receive from God. We should share what we have been given abundantly.

By giving we are loving and by loving we are showing that all were made for love.

Loving People. Loving God.

Do evil?

Finally, all of you be of one mind, sympathetic, lovers of your fellow believers, compassionate, and modest in your opinion of yourselves. Don’t pay back evil for evil or insult for insult. Instead, give blessing in return. You were called to do this so that you might inherit a blessing. For those who want to love life and see good days should keep their tongue from evil speaking and their lips from speaking lies. They should shun evil and do good; seek peace and chase after it. The Lord’s eyes are on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord cannot tolerate those who do evil. (1 Peter 3:8-12, CEB)

We need to love others and not seek revenge but shower others with love.

Do not pay back evil with evil or insult with insult but give a blessing and by showing love we heap burning coals on their heads and allow them to see love the way God intended!

Do not give hurt for hurt. But show love to all.

Loving People. Loving God.

Sabbath rules

On another Sabbath, Jesus entered a synagogue to teach. A man was there whose right hand was withered. The legal experts and the Pharisees were watching him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. They were looking for a reason to bring charges against him. Jesus knew their thoughts, so he said to the man with the withered hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.” He got up and stood there. Jesus said to the legal experts and Pharisees, “Here’s a question for you: Is it legal on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” Looking around at them all, he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he did and his hand was made healthy. They were furious and began talking with each other about what to do to Jesus. (Luke 6:6-11, CEB)

It is illegal to go more than a mile on the Sabbath, or cook, or use an animal, to do any kind of work. So healing is work and not supposed to be done on the Sabbath. So couldn’t Jesus just wait until tomorrow so that way he just keeps the peace?

Yes, Jesus could have waited, but the regulations for the Sabbath were put in place because man was not resting like God did. The Sabbath was put in place because God rested, so we need to rest. And the rules were put in place to help people, not har, them, so while Jesus could have waited, why should the man have to wait to be healed?

The greatest commandments are love God and love neighbor. If that means we heal on the sabbath, we heal on the sabbath.

Loving People. Loving God.

Shut

“Write this to the angel of the church in Philadelphia: These are the words of the one who is holy and true, who has the key of David. Whatever he opens, no one will shut; and whatever he shuts, no one opens. I know your works. Look! I have set in front of you an open door that no one can shut. You have so little power, and yet you have kept my word and haven’t denied my name. Because of this I will make the people from Satan’s synagogue (who say they are Jews and really aren’t, but are lying)—I will make them come and bow down at your feet and realize that I have loved you. Because you kept my command to endure, I will keep you safe through the time of testing that is about to come over the whole world, to test those who live on earth. I’m coming soon. Hold on to what you have so that no one takes your crown. As for those who emerge victorious, I will make them pillars in the temple of my God, and they will never leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from my God. I will also write on them my own new name. If you can hear, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. (Revelation 3:7-13, CEB)

You have so little power and yet you have kept my word and haven’t denied me. Who is this? I know it is literally the people of the church of Philadelphia, but who is this today?

So many people say they have the complete understanding of the bible and know who is in and who is out and usually today it falls along the lines of who you choose to be physically intimate with. And there are people who are a part of the alphabet mafia, as it has become known, LGBTQIA+, who are truly devoted to faith and being followers of Christ, and yet those who are of the synagogue of Satan say they are not followers. Do not let anyone other than God tell you you have not followed Christ. We do not live up to the standards of people but to the standard of God.

Stand fast in your faith.

Loving People. Loving God.

Living God.

So, as the Holy Spirit says, Today, if you hear his voice, don’t have stubborn hearts as they did in the rebellion, on the day when they tested me in the desert. That is where your ancestors challenged and tested me, though they had seen my work for forty years. So I was angry with them. I said, “Their hearts always go off course, and they don’t know my ways.” Because of my anger I swore: “They will never enter my rest!” Watch out, brothers and sisters, so that none of you have an evil, unfaithful heart that abandons the living God. Instead, encourage each other every day, as long as it’s called “today,” so that none of you become insensitive to God because of sin’s deception. We are partners with Christ, but only if we hold on to the confidence we had in the beginning until the end. When it says, Today, if you hear his voice, don’t have stubborn hearts as they did in the rebellion. Who was it who rebelled when they heard his voice? Wasn’t it all of those who were brought out of Egypt by Moses? And with whom was God angry for forty years? Wasn’t it with the ones who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? And against whom did he swear that they would never enter his rest, if not against the ones who were disobedient? We see that they couldn’t enter because of their lack of faith. Therefore, since the promise that we can enter into rest is still open, let’s be careful so that none of you will appear to miss it. We also had the good news preached to us, just as the Israelites did. However, the message they heard didn’t help them because they weren’t united in faith with the ones who listened to it. We who have faith are entering the rest. As God said, And because of my anger I swore: “They will never enter into my rest!” And yet God’s works were completed at the foundation of the world. Then somewhere he said this about the seventh day of creation: God rested on the seventh day from all his works. But again, in the passage above, God said, They will never enter my rest! Therefore, it’s left open for some to enter it, and the ones who had the good news preached to them before didn’t enter because of disobedience. Just as it says in the passage above, God designates a certain day as “today,” when he says through David much later, Today, if you hear his voice, don’t have stubborn hearts. If Joshua gave the Israelites rest, God wouldn’t have spoken about another day later on. So you see that a sabbath rest is left open for God’s people. The one who entered God’s rest also rested from his works, just as God rested from his own. Therefore, let’s make every effort to enter that rest so that no one will fall by following the same example of disobedience, (Hebrews 3:7— 4:11, CEB)

God will not let us into glory if we abandon God and do not follow after where God leads us. And there are a lot who claim to be Christian who say there are many who have stopped following God and are allowing all kinds of abominations to happen. The line above that really struck me was, “Watch out, brothers and sisters, so that none of you have an evil, unfaithful heart that abandons the living God.” And many in what is termed Evangelical Christianity today would say that those who allow women to preach and allow LGBTQIA+ to be full members have an evil and unfaithful heart that abandons the living God. But…

The thing that really struck me about that sentence was living God. Living. As in changing and flowing. Water is dead when it is pooled and stagnant. Living water is moving and changing. God does not stay the same and yet is always the same. God is never changing and always changing. God is living and if we take texts written thousands of years ago and simply say they need to be applied at face value without using context of when they were written and working on how that applies to today, then we are not following the living God.

You need to be ready to give up what you learned for what God is telling is the way now. Pull your head out of the sand and listen and follow.

Do not abandon the living God to follow your evil, unfaithful heart.

Loving People. Loving God.