Tag: #spiritual formation

Do I Act Like I Have a Soft Heart?

Published by mhelbert on April 5, 2023

During this Lenten season, some of us from St. B’s have met on Sunday evenings for discussions on The Way of Love. This is something that the Chief Cooks and Bottlewashers of the Episcopal Church prepared for us. Basically, there are some prompts during the week and a video to watch. On Sunday, we met on Zoom to talk about them. It is a Spiritual Formation thing that enables us to stop and think a bit about the direction of our lives as we relate to God and each other. Well, that’s what Spiritual Formation is all about. So, I guess it’s appropriate. Anyway, (I use ‘anyway’ a lot), a couple weeks back we talked about “Blessing.” Of course, this was prepared by Progressive Christians, so the Scripture text that we used was stretched almost beyond recognition in order to fit what they wanted us to see.
Excursus:
Conservative Christians tend to read the Bible literally. There were 6 actual 24 hr. days of creation. Noah really built a big boat and floated around to escape a world-wide flood that destroyed all life on the planet. They do this in order to protect a predetermined belief system that they think will fall apart if they question this “doctrine.” Ok, they’re allowed to think what they want.
Liberal Christians like to start with belief and practice. They, then, interpret the Scriptures so that they will fit into that neat little package. Again, this is a reaction to the Conservative practice. Jesus and the Bible talk about love and peace and all kinds of good stuff. So, our interpretation of the Bible must be love and peace and all kinds of good stuff. Ok, nothing wrong there. The Scriptures are able to be interpreted in lots of ways that are not out of bounds. Both of these ways, though very different, fall within the playing field.
Ok, now that the excursus is over, we can get back to the main point of this blog post thing.
The person on the video went on to talk about baptismal covenants and sin and stuff. Many sentences and speculations later, she got to what I believe was the point of all of that rambling. The text we were instructed to read was from the Prophet Ezekiel. While speaking to the Israelite refugees who had been shipped off to Babylon, Ezekiel said that their days of captivity would one day end. At that time, God would, “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezek. 36:26).
A new heart. One that is flesh and not stone. Our discussion landed on that thought. What does a heart of flesh mean? A heart of stone? And, what does any of this have to do with Blessing?
As we talked folks started talking about benevolent practices. Feeding the hungry, supporting the marginalized, etc. Now, I think that I may have mentioned once or twice the influence of the Fundagelical world on me. One of the things that we were big into was the difference between being ‘spiritual’ and ‘worldly.’ For us, ‘worldly’ was a bad word. It was something that no self-respecting believer would ever allow themselves to get sucked into. And, it just so happened, benevolent practices fell under that rubric. Yeah, it was ok to be nice and help folks out. It was way more important to preach the gospel and get them saved. So, we didn’t really help anyone out unless they were 1. One of us. Gotta support the brothers and sisters. Paul said so. 2. So called, “Unbelievers” and we could get them to sit down and listen to a “message.” We’ll fill your belly if you’ll sit and listen to us try to fill your spirit. Actually, it was pretty much just a bait and switch con that we could justify with a veneer of spirituality.
Anyway, (there I go again!), as we talked I realized something. Having a new heart of flesh is pretty conclusive evidence that the person with that heart is living according to God’s will. The need to get all doctriney about preaching and saving and all of that does not prove a thing. Well, other than the person doing all that doctriney stuff is a jerk. No, the real proof of the Godly person is whether or not they have a heart that is soft and fleshy. Stone hearts are for statues and idols. There will come a day, so the Scriptures say, when all people will stand before God and give an accounting. Of what? Of what they had DONE, not what they merely thought or believed. A person with a soft heart DOES the work of God whether they believe in God or not.
Think about that for a minute. After you pick up the pieces of your brain, think about it some more. The Apostle James wrote, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (Jas. 2:18). If the stuff that we do is a reflection of who we are, and I think that it is, then it is in the Doing from a soft heart that is what is important.
Please don’t burn me at the stake! I’m only the messenger.

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A Wandering Mind and a Murder of Crows

Published by mhelbert on March 16, 2023

So, I’m sitting here on the day between the Ides of March and St. Patrick’s day. I just got back from walking Josie, aka the Beast, and, after, giving her a much needed bath. On days like today when we get to go out a walk for a few miles in the sunshine and air my mind tends to go somewhere on its own. As I listened to the screaming of a murder of crows echoing through the woods, a small hawk flew over. Earlier, I had watched as the Beast looked up. She had spotted a buzzard circling in search of a snack.
So during all of this time, my mind was wandering where it would. Now, I don’t know if anyone else’s mind works like this. Sometimes it’s a bit unnerving. When it came back there was a question formed within its deep folds. And, of course it had nothing to do with sun or birds, or even the Beast. It was a question that I’ve grappled with before. It goes something like this:
What makes the Church any different than any other benevolent organization?
The reason that I wonder about that is that so many people read the Gospel stories and find that Jesus taught moral and ethical behavior as a kind of truth statement. He treated the “Other” as real people who deserved love and acceptance. That whole bit about “turn the other cheek” rings true to many people. So, a lot of people, many who are devote Christians, view the Gospel as a manifesto for doing good works. A case in point, I was part of a discussion about Spiritual Formation with members of a progressive church. Well, the church that I attend, actually. When I asked about what Spiritual Formation was, the overwhelming answer was to grow as moral people. We should learn to do what’s right. Just like Jesus showed us. It sounds like the Red Cross or Crescent. Or, perhaps the local food bank. Doing good and moral work, for these people, is the same as Spiritual Formation.
I thought about that for a bit. What is the difference, if any, between that and classic Spiritual Formation? Because, actually what they are saying is more like Moral Formation to me. There’s nothing wrong with that. It just doesn’t sound like Spiritual Formation.
Moral Formation is necessary for communities to live together in a healthy environment. We must be aware of the needs of others. It also covers such things as environmentalism, health care, housing, and food insecurity. All of these are good and necessary for people to thrive. But, they are all directed outward to the world. That isn’t Spiritual Formation at all.
On the other hand, when I think of Spiritual Formation I think of an inward journey. My mind is drawn to look at God and allow God to look at me. The trajectory is more inward and upward. Not Moral Formation at all.
However, when one practices Spiritual Formation, and it is a practice, one finds that God is looking outward at the world. That’s why Jesus was always looking out at others. Not because He was some moral person. It was because He was the exemplar of a Spiritual person. When we seek to know God and to be known by God, our vision also turns outward. One of my heroes was a Trappist monk named Thomas Merton. He wrote that one day he was standing on a street corner in Louisville, KY when this thought came to him, “In Louisville, at the corner of Fourth and Walnut, in the center of the shopping district, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the realization that I loved all those people, that they were mine and I theirs, that we could not be alien to one another even though we were total strangers … There is no way of telling people that they are all walking around shining like the sun.”
Merton was not a better person than anyone else. He did, however, have a deep and lively Spiritual life. Just like Jesus before him, Merton’s practices of Spiritual Formation helped to inform his moral life. The Inward/Upward journey is not complete without the outward focus.
Now, I want to make one thing very clear. In no way am I saying that a person must be a follower of Jesus and practice Spiritual Formation in order to be a moral person. That’s as stupid a statement as it is arrogant. Like I mentioned above, Moral Formation is a good thing. It is a necessary thing. It is a community thing.
What I am saying is Moral Formation is not Spiritual Formation. Even though, in the end, they may net similar outcomes. So, when I consider what is the difference between the Church and benevolent organizations or people, I see that One has the good and welfare of the world as its focus and purpose. The other has God as its focus and purpose. And, to follow God faithfully requires that we also gaze outward.

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What? Another Committee?

Published by mhelbert on October 8, 2019

Tonight I’m going to be meeting with something called the “Spiritual Growth Committee” at St. Barnabas.
Now, I’m not really sure why this committee was originally formed. I guess I’ll find out later. I do know that the Bible study that I have led for the past few months is somehow under the auspices of that committee. So, there’s that.

Those who know me can maybe understand my apparent ambivalence to this. First off, I’m not a big fan of ‘committees.’ They are usually formed for some arbitrary reason like, “Gee! Maybe we should form a committee for that!” (Whatever “that” is.) There rarely is a need for them. Then, once formed, they tend to exist for the singular purpose of ‘existing.’ In the rare event that there truly is a need and a mandate for a committee to form, the mandate seems never to be met and the committee just lives on and on and on……

I also really hate meetings. Another example of existing for the mere purpose of appearing to do something. Anything. At all. Even when nothing of any real substance is, in fact, taking place.
“Hey, Bill! Let’s get the committee together to have a meeting.”
“What do we need to talk about,” Jim?
“Oh, I don’t know. But, at least we’ll look like we’re accomplishing something.”
“Good call, Jim!”
Yeah, meetings…not a big fan.

So, you ask, why am I involving myself with these two things that I really don’t hold in very high esteem?

Well, sometimes I think that we must entertain some things that appear pretty much useless in order to add legitimacy to something that IS important and NEEDS to be addressed. In this case, appearances are pretty important. People seem to really like it when something appears to be important and official. I don’t know, to me it seems pretty silly, but hey, there are “People.” You know?

Ok, so what’s so important that it can get me to leave my house and miss Jeopardy!?

Spiritual Growth and Formation. That’s what.

I’m convinced that the only thing that separates the Church from every other social justice organisation on the planet finds its source in those few words. In fact, most of those secular organisations can do the work far better than the Church. They can mobilize a larger slice of the population and, far and away, they can fetch the financial resources needed far more easily.
I’m not implying that the Church should abdicate this vital work and allow secular groups to own all of that work. No, no, no. The Scripture is clear, and our hearts concur, that justice for those who are in need and who are ostracized by society is part of what God desires us to pursue. All I’m saying is that on the ground these other organisations are really well-equipped to do that work. (In fact, it’s usually a good idea for the Church to partner with them. Together much good can be done.)

Back to Spiritual Growth.

The Church is unique in that she can help people find a path that leads to the Source of Life.

Yeah, that’s what I said. A pathway to the Source. That alone is not necessary to do good works. But, it is necessary for the Church to be the Church. It is our Raison d’être.
Awareness; Presence; Communion is the fertile soil in which ALL other expressions and acts of faith sprout and grow. This produces good fruit in the life of the Church and in the lives of the people.

I am convinced that attention to Spiritual Formation is the ONLY thing that can make the Church the Incarnate Body of Christ. The living, breathing Gift of God to the Cosmos.

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Formed by the Spirit

Published by mhelbert on September 27, 2019

“Formed by the Spirit.”

Wow! That’s a pretty loaded phrase. I mean, what does that even mean? Lots of folks over the centuries have tried to define that in ways that are clearly and easily understood by people. They offer suggestions about reading Holy Scripture so that, “The Word may dwell richly within you.” Hey, that sounds good! Or, “Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,” to quote St. Paul’s missive to the Church at Rome. What does THAT mean? Others say that to be formed by the Spirit involves learning all that we can about “why we believe what we believe.” The big word for that is Apologetics. I have found that kind of approach really only creates arrogant, ignorant people.

What about prayer? Surely, that must form people in a spiritually kind of…thing. Right?

Maybe. Again, what does that mean? How can I, or anyone, perform any ritual, be it reading, praying, attending a church, or whatever that will actually allow for Spiritual Formation?

As you might guess, I do have an idea or two. Well, maybe only one. I’m really not sure myself. But, I think that it stars with…wait for it…Grace.

What?!? Grace? Now, what does THAT mean?

It means that I have no idea. It means that I’m not the one making the call. It means that any formation, or better, transformation is by nature out of my hands.

Now, I also want to make something else clear. We are NOT without responsibility in this. At the end of the day, I must make the decision to accept that grace. But, I truly think that’s pretty much all that I can do. Why, you ask? Why am I not more integrally culpable in my own formation? I think the easiest answer is the first one to come to my mind.

So that I may have nothing to boast about.

That’s right, kids. If I don’t have the wheel in my hands. If someone else is driving, re. God, then I can’t go around telling folks to “Look at ME! I’m spiritual!

Another reason that may not be as obvious, but is certainly more important, is that I really don’t know what it is that I really need. What does formation look like in my life? I am truly without a clue. But, there is One Who does know.

That’s where faith comes in. “Faith,” you ask, “Do you mean blind following your invisible friend to some unknown destination”? Well, no, not at all.

It means that no matter what practices I may find myself doing, I trust that God is doing something. What that is I neither know nor care. Not in my pay grade. It means that I accept that God actually DESIRES to be graciously active in my life. And, that God is actually CAPABLE of being active in my life. Perhaps more importantly, that God actually IS active in my life. There is no following the Yellow Brick Road to some paradisiacal Emerald City. There is only faith.

That, my friends, is where Spiritual Formation is securely moored.

What that all looks like is impossible to describe. For every person there is a different world being created. God doesn’t work in systematic ways that can easily be adduced and analyzed and then mass produced for everyone. No. Can’t be done. Although, many have tried with their surveys and polls. God is Spirit. God is essentially “Other.” We cannot describe nor define God. Period.

We can only sit quietly and let God’s grace flow over us, through us…permeate every cell. To, in essence, alter our Spiritual DNA.

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