I often hear very good questions about spiritual formation. In fact, I asked these in many different ways when I first began to read in the Spiritual Formation genre. New terms entered my Christian vocabulary, along with new experiences and concepts. Perhaps you have raised these questions:
What is the difference between Spiritual Formation and Spiritual Transformation?
What are spiritual disciplines?
How are spiritual disciplines such as Lectio Divina and Centering Prayer related or helped through Silence and Solitude?
How do the classic spiritual disciplines bring God closer to our hearts?
So, let me begin to unpack these questions. Spiritual formation is the process of being transformed by God’s Love through the Spirit of Christ Jesus. That is exactly what I longed for and never seemed to fully achieve, at least not to the degree that I sensed the New Testament set forth. Perhaps you have had a similar problem.
The goal of spiritual formation is to fulfill the promise of the Gospel that we may be “conformed to the Image of Christ” (Romans 8:29). As followers of Christ, we are on a journey to be transformed and re-shaped by God’s Love into the persons He created us to be.
How We Twist the Gospel
There is a world view, common to the Protestant/Western societies, of individualism and a correlating work ethic of earning our own way. We believe it and we are proud of it. We like Frank Sinatra’s song, “I Did It My Way.” In fact, that might as well be our national anthem.
Protestant/Western societies are the product of the Enlightenment, which has influenced us to think from a rather singularly-focused, rational, scientific mindset. This mindset is boxed in with a cause/effect mentality, and we expect God to live in that box as well. Our philosophy is that we effect our own destiny by our choices and actions. We believe that, we are proud of that, and it is true to some extent. Bear with me.
In that view, God is distant, separate, far away. There is a dualism which we have assumed is true. Man is reaching, trying, hoping, praying, earning. In that mindset, while the Gospel is heard as Christ bridging the gap, we still make the effort to change our lives. We believe that through redemption we can now change our lives, improve ourselves. While that is not entirely untrue, it is not the whole truth. Spiritual formation is not a DIY job! We are not alone in this endeavor, with an angry God waiting for us to mess up.
That mindset hears scripture through those perceptions—that we add to our salvation with our efforts. Now, all of that is not untrue as I must keep saying, but it is not the whole truth. To a large extent, we labor under the belief that our salvation is dependent upon our effort to gain information through studying the Bible and learning about God. We then apply it to our lives in DIY determination.
As a result, we anxiously live out our faith, wondering if we are doing it well enough. We judge and condemn ourselves and one another in ways that God does not. But, listen to the Gospel truth that Paul declared in Romans 8:1-2:
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. (NIV)
But in the ways we think and live, the Gospel is twisted to mean that God has made it possible for us to earn our salvation—though we know with part of our mind that something isn’t adding up. That is not the pure Gospel expressed throughout the New Testament.
The Truth of the Gospel
I encourage you to take the time to read the book of Ephesians, at least chapters 1 and 2. But here is a key verse from Chapter 2, verses 8-9:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. (NIV)
Do you hear any effort on our part reflected here? When you read the entire chapters, look for the action verbs and phrases and who is doing them:
blessed • chose us • predestined us • adopted • freely given • redemption through his blood • forgiveness of sins • made known to us the mystery of his will • to bring all things together • marked in Him with a seal • guaranteeing our inheritance
There is not one of those actions that we can accomplish ourselves. Now, listen to Chapter 1, verses 13-14:
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. (NIV)
What are the verbs that relate to us? “Heard” [the message of truth] and “believed.” That is the Gospel, my friends. That is the truth. That is our part of what God has promised us and done for us. Our part is to hear and believe, but we can greatly accelerate our growth by opening our lives to the Presence of God through the classic spiritual disciplines. That is where many wonderful spiritual formation resources can assist us. I hope you will check out the books that I recommend here on the website.
Whose Effort?
The Holy Spirit is our source of assurance and our guarantee for spiritual formation as He leads us in a path of spiritual growth. We can set the framework in our lives, but we cannot transform ourselves. We NEED the Spirit. Spiritual formation is God’s work within our souls as He transforms us into the people He created us to be.
Let’s look at II Peter 1:2-11:
Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.
For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (NIV)
It is easy to hear this in terms of OUR effort, but that is not what Peter is intending. God’s Divine Power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him. The only effort on our part is to align our lives in such a way that we can be in communion with Him—so that He can do His work of transformation in us.
The Myth of Study
Our culture gets in our way because we have an information-driven theology and philosophy of life. If we can just gain enough information, listen to enough Bible studies, sermons, Christian music, or audio books—we can live a Christ-centered life. In that view, it all depends on our fastidious efforts.
Now, there is nothing sinfully wrong with that. Study is good. But there is a reason that we study, and study, and never seem to make the progress we expect. This Informational approach is not sufficient to bring about Spiritual Formation.
Spiritual Formation and Spiritual Transformation are correlated—almost like synonyms. Transformation is the outcome of our Formation as we make lifestyle choices to walk in closer communion with God. Transformation is promised throughout the New Testament and happens when we open our lives and let God do it.
The true Gospel of our Salvation is that we are called to be formed in Christ (see Galatians 4:19; Romans 12:1-2; II Corinthians 3:18). Paul said that the mystery and hope of the Gospel is “Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27, NIV)).” That means spiritual transformation is our primary goal, and it is achieved through spiritual formation.
Spiritual Formation Is New Birth
My life verse is II Corinthians 5:17:
But “the new” didn’t come as fully and quickly as I had assumed or hoped. So, I thought for many years it just meant that it would happen when we cross from death to life. But I have come to the wonderful understanding that it can be accelerated and experienced now.
But, pay close attention. It necessitates a change—a real change of perspective and life—a transformation that is only possible in and through Christ. We cannot renew our minds by our study alone or religious effort alone.
That is what Jesus told Nicodemus: “You must be born again (John 3:3).” John began his Gospel account by saying that all who received (Christ), who believed in his name, are given the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God (1:12-13).
For a moment, set aside the evangelism that has always been attached to the idea of being born again, at least in evangelical circles. That is not all that this is about. It isn’t just about believing right and turning away from your sins to follow Christ. Repentance is the first step, yes. But you truly must have a complete new start, new orientation, new beginning, new source. You have to be born of the Spirit, and you CANNOT do that alone. It also doesn’t happen all at once.
That didn’t happen in the womb. You didn’t suddenly develop into a new life. You didn’t birth yourself by your own efforts either. As the conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus revealed, it couldn’t happen if we could re-enter our mother’s womb. The outcome would be the same. It can only happen in the Spirit—the Spirit that Jesus promised would come to us.
The Spirit Brings Transformation
Jesus went on to say that you have no control over the Spirit. It blows where it will, and you can’t see where it came from or where it goes—you can only see its effects. Yet, it is the Spirit that brings transformation. The reason we lack the transformation promised in the Gospel is because we do not realize that we can open ourselves to the transformative blessings of the Spirit.
We may sing “Come Holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove”[1]—and mean it. We may pray, “Come into my heart, Lord Jesus”and mean it. But the Spirit comes when we open more than our lips in prayer and hymns. We must open our lives and be willing for the Spirit to actually change us. The old gospel hymn had it right: “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”
Learning to engage in spiritually formative disciplines will enable us to do that with more fulfilling results.
Entering the Kingdom of God
We begin by focusing our lives more and more upon the Lord and His Will. That sounds well and good, doesn’t it; but how in the world can we actually do that?
The spiritual masters of ancient times and today are saying: you enter the Kingdom, and the Kingdom enters you, through spiritual practices such as Silence and Solitude. That is the foundation for all the other spiritual disciplines and the avenue through which the Spirit does the work of transformation in your life.
The Psalmist set forth God’s voice to us, saying “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10, NIV) I think of Moses who stepped aside from his occupation for the day and paid attention to God at the burning bush (Exodus 3:1-12). Until we slow down and set aside time with God, we cannot expect to know much about Him. Nor can we experience living in the Kingdom with Him.
Don’t despair because you are not there yet. Look at the life of Jesus. Even though He was born the Son of God, He took thirty years to mature in His understanding of His call. He took forty days alone in the wilderness in the utmost isolation that he could find for silence and solitude before even He was fully formed into the Messiah He came to be.
He took time apart often during his brief ministry, early in the morning, late at night, across the lake, up the mountain, whatever he had to do to find Silence and Solitude so that He could discern His Father’s voice within Himself.
It is the Spirit who makes all things new in you—it is not by your own effort. There is no harm in trying to improve, as long as you realize that spiritual transformation doesn’t come through your working efforts. It comes through your surrender—choosing to step aside from the world’s influence, abiding with Christ as Christ abides in you.
So, how do you do that? Where do you go? Where do you begin? Let’s turn back to what Jesus taught. Where did He say we will find the Kingdom of God? In Luke 17:21 we read this:
Jesus began His ministry in the same way John the Baptist had, with the simple declaration: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” The earliest declaration of the Gospel was that the presence and reign of God are near. (Matthew 3:2)
Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy Kingdom come” (Lord’s Prayer: Matthew 6: 9-13). At first, I understood that as asking for the reign of God to come over the earth. But, if the Kingdom of God is within you, then it is a prayer for the reign of God to come within you more and more fully.
The Apostle Paul declared that God wanted people to “seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.” Paul went on to quote from a writer of his times: “For in him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:27-28, NIV) He is nearer than our next breath.
In Luke 17:20-21, Jesus said, “The Kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is’ or ‘there it is’ because the kingdom of God is within you.” (Gasp) You can’t see it because it is not found “out there.” It is within you. Be still and know His presence. Re-shape your life to allow room for the Kingdom of God.
Finding True Life
We live our lives “outside” ourselves, where all the action is—we think. The spiritual masters speak of the False Self and the True Self. The False Self is created as we grow up in this world, shaped by the expectations and directions of the surrounding culture. Jesus invited us to turn inside, where God’s action of transformation is waiting to take place within our True Self—the soul created in God’s own Image.
Our expectation in spiritual formation is based on Jesus’ prayer for us. Read John 17: 20-26. (I recommend that you pause and look it up! Mark it in your Bible! Remember it.) Here is an excerpt:
My prayer is not for them alone [the twelve disciples]. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. . . I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them. (NIV)
He prayed for us to experience the unity that He had with the Father—Christ in us, and us in Christ, as He knew God was in Him and He in God. Jesus prayed for us to find true life in the Kingdom of God within us.
So, now we have raised other good questions: How do you enter into Christ and He into us? Where do you go? Where do you begin?
Entering into Christ
You have to turn where Jesus said you would find the Kingdom of God—within you. This requires turning off the world and entering the kingdom within you, where God reigns whether you know it or not. So, silence and solitude are basic necessities for spiritual formation which will lead to transformation. That is why Jesus said to go into your closet and pray to your Father who is in the secret place of your own heart.
Hence, the Psalmist said in God’s Voice to us: “Be still and know that I AM God.” In other words, God is saying, “Be still, alone with me, so that you can know that I am with you and in you. Give me the opportunity to reveal myself to you in my way. There is no other way. For flesh and blood cannot figure it out or earn it.” God is saying in many ways in scripture: “I am the gift within that you can only receive when you get still enough to know me.”
Transformation is the gift of the Spirit, and it is what salvation is really all about. In I Corinthians 15:50, Paul said, “I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood, our carnal self, cannot inherit eternal life.” Only that which is eternal can inherit eternal life. That which is eternal is the Spirit of Christ who shares with us in the kingdom of God within the soul.
Jesus the Christ is the agent of creation, as we are told in Hebrews (1:1-4) and John (1:1-3). So, Jesus is in union with the One who created us in God’s own Image. But He created us with free will. He waits to be given your permission to reign fully in your life in order for you to be transformed.
He is sovereign in all things, yet He awaits your turning to Him in exhaustion from your own efforts, in surrender to His gracious work of transformation. Then, and only then, can He bring about the transformation for which you long—the true life He wants you to live.
The Role of Spiritual Disciplines
The next question I want to address relates to spiritual disciplines because it is the key that opens our lives to the promised transformation in Christ. Spiritual formation begins and grows as we implement the spiritual practices that enable us to turn inward to the Kingdom of God within our soul. The transformation happens gradually over time; and the more we give ourselves to the Kingdom of God within us, the more transformation is quickened.
This is an over-simplification, but think of your life in Christ as a salad. You can put many things on a salad—tomatoes, cucumber, mushrooms, celery, olives, avocado, nuts, seeds, cheese, eggs, carrots, and so on. But if you don’t have some greens, all you have is a bowl full of toppings. There is nothing wrong with that—it is all good for you, but it is not a salad.
Likewise, you can do a lot of spiritual practices that are all good and good for you. But, if you don’t begin with the base of Silence and Solitude, you are only carrying out good religious activities.
Why? Because we have to turn off the flood of wrong that we are bombarded with—the flood of misinformation about God, the flood of individualistic rhetoric, the politics, the siren calls of self-focused pleasures, especially the responsibilities imposed by others in which we find our false sense of self-focus.
We must turn aside like Moses from the path we are on if we want to see God, for we may find Him in unexpected ways, like in a burning bush (Exodus 3:1-8). We must also step out of our comfort zone like Elijah at the mouth of his sheltering cave in a whirlwind and a storm, to patiently listen until he could hear only God’s voice (I Kings 19: 9-12). Finally, we must come apart from what influences us the most and let God speak in His still, small voice—which becomes noticeable only when all the other sounds are quieted.
Alone in the Woods
Parker Palmer says the Spirit within our soul is like a shy forest creature that only comes out when the forest is still. When I read this analogy in A Hidden Wholeness[2], I was reminded of a childhood incident with our son. He was a young Boy Scout and had an assignment for a badge that required him to go out into the forest for an hour in the early morning with a pen and paper and make notes of any wildlife that he saw.
The wooded property behind our house belonged to my husband’s family and we often trampled around it, seeing nothing but birds, squirrels, rabbits, or maybe a box turtle. So, I sent him out with a watch so he would know when to come back. When he returned, I asked him what he had seen. His initial response was, “Not much.” Then, he got a pensive look on his face, was silent a few moments, and then said, “Mom, you know, I saw the strangest dog I have ever seen.”
Of course, I immediately was alarmed that I had let our son go alone in the forest where a stray dog came around. He began to describe the ‘dog’ as having a bushy tail and a long snout. Then, I nearly fainted at the realization that I had let our son go alone into the woods with a fox!
Parker Palmer’s analogy is right. As long as we went into the forest to walk, play, laugh and talk, we saw very little. But, when our son was quiet for an hour, a shy, sly fox was comfortable enough to stroll through the woods near our son. So it is with the Spirit.
As the prophet Elijah found, it isn’t always in the fire and brimstone that we will hear God. Rather, it is in the quiet space and place where we turn to commune with Him in Silence and Solitude.
For prayer, Jesus advised us to “go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place…of your soul.” (Matthew 6:6). That is the basic spiritual discipline. Beyond that, there are many classic spiritual practices to enhance your walk with the Lord. I would encourage you to add Lectio Divina, Centering Prayer, Spiritual Discernment and The Examen. I also recommend seeking out a Spiritual Director to encourage you in this formative path.
Check out the wonderful resources that I recommend here in order to learn more about these disciplines. Then prayerfully find or form a group near you in which you can be encouraged to grow in spiritually transformative practices. There are wonderful retreats and conferences to be experienced as well.
Explanations for Basic Spiritual Disciplines
Let us return to some often-asked questions and begin to summarize: What is the relationship of Spiritual Formation to Spiritual Transformation? Formation is the path to Transformation. It is a path of chosen life practices that align us more with the Spirit of God. Now, what about Spiritual Disciplines? What are they? How do they bring God closer to our hearts?
Spiritual disciplines are practices of faith, but they aren’t intended to bring God closer—because God is already close. They bring us closer to God within our hearts. They enable us to do more than read the scriptures to gain information for life practice. Rather, they enable us to enter the Kingdom of God that is near, even within us. Spiritual Disciplines such as Lectio Divina and Centering Prayer are dependent upon Silence and Solitude to deepen our communion with God.
Lectio Divina
Lectio Divina is a four-fold reading of scripture, interspersed with periods of reflective silence. It follows an outline of spiritual reading stages named in Latin terms: Lectio, Meditatio, Contemplatio, Oratio (not always in that order). Sometimes there is a beginning movement of Silencio (Silence) and ending of Incarnatio (letting the Word become flesh in us by actions of justice and mercy).
Through Lectio Divina, the Bible becomes more than a source of knowledge for our lives. It becomes a pathway that we enter and walk with God. It provides us the light we need for our path in following Christ daily. The important difference between typical reading and Lectio Divina is the way in which we intentionally open to the Holy Spirit through contemplation, listening with the soul.
In Lectio Divina, we listen for the Word that speaks to us beyond the printed page. John declared Jesus to be the Word of God in the flesh and Jesus promised to send His Spirit to guide us into all truth. We believe that happens as we read the scriptures in a sacred manner. It doesn’t mean we will have all knowledge, but we will have the truth we need for the living of our life with God.
The author of Hebrews declared that the “word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit” (Hebrews 4:12). Through the practice of Lectio Divina, the scriptures becomes alive for us.
Centering Prayer
Centering Prayer is a wonderful companion to the practice of Lectio Divina. It is the meditative prayer practice of letting no thoughts come between us and God in our soul. Centering Prayer is essential because it brings Silence and Solitude and Lectio Divina together to quicken our spiritual transformation.
It differs from clearing our mind as in Hindu or New Age meditation—not that there is anything wrong with that. There are physical and psychological benefits that many people find helpful. But this Christian practice is about spiritual benefits. It is not about clearing our minds as much as it is about preparing our minds to hear God.
Spiritual Discernment
Spiritual Discernment is a process for finding the counsel of God for specific needs in your life. The Quakers have a communal practice of prayerful seeking called the “Clearness Committee.” It is a wonderful model for finding light for our path with the help of prayerful friends. I encourage you to research more about this practice which involves several steps that draw us to reach a place of “holy indifference” to anything other than God’s will for our lives. It is not an easy process, but it is essential to a walk with the Lord in true spiritual integrity.
The Examen
The Examen is a method of prayer with many variations that has come down to us through the ages. Basically, it is the practice of spending time with the Lord at the close of your day and paying attention to how you walked with the Lord that day. It is not a time to beat yourself up for your failures, but to trust that God loves you and is always present to guide you.
The simplest version of the Examen is to ask yourself when you were aware of God during the day and when you missed His gentle nudges. Over time, this practice helps you become more of aware of His loving presence throughout your life. It also encourages you to align yourself with His will more and more.
Spiritual Direction
Spiritual Direction is the single most valuable gift you can give to yourself. Any trained practitioner of spiritual formation can serve as a spiritual director, but it is wise to find one who is either recommended by someone you know, or has some recognized training in the process. There is an increasing number of certificate and graduate programs in Spiritual Direction offered around the country and the world.
While Spiritual Direction differs from psychological or pastoral counseling, it can be a companion to both. It is likened to the role of a midwife, in that a spiritual director is one who accompanies you as the Lord brings to birth what is coming to life in your soul from the Spirit and encourages you as you turn more and more into the spiritually formative path.
Spiritual Formation in Daily Life
Spiritual formation is the process of being transformed by God’s Love through the Spirit of Christ Jesus. All the spiritual disciplines make up a great transformational pathway for us in that process. There are many such disciplines, and great spiritual masters and authors have written about them extensively. No one can do them all unless you are going to live in a monastery. But, the more we practice, the more we will experience transformation.
While no one can do them all, we can and should practice the ones that will best put us in a place in our lives to receive what God has promised. I would say that the basic disciplines are Silence, Solitude, Centering Prayer, Lectio Divina, Examen and Discernment. The others, named by numerous spiritual formation authors, will flow into your life as needed—some perhaps occasionally, such as fasting; some as a way of service, such as giving and helping others; some as a way of life, such as simplicity.
The important thing to remember with any religious practices in your life is to test them for effectiveness. It has often been said that the test of insanity is whether a person continues to do the same things while expecting or longing for a different result. So, we need to be honest about where we are in our walk with the Lord.
For tips on how to incorporate spiritual disciplines into a busy schedule, see the FAQ page.
My Journey of Transformation
If we undertake our Christian pilgrimage with a view toward experiencing what God has promised, then we must take stock of our lives to see how that has turned out for us. In my case, after many years, I asked myself how I could have touched all the prescribed bases in the Christian journey, and yet was so far from the goal of what is promised in the Gospel.
After all, I had read and studied the Bible quite thoroughly, both as a personal devotional practice and in theological studies. I had prayed earnestly, fervently and regularly for many years. In addition, I had practiced stewardship of time and resources, sometimes to my detriment—especially in the sacrifice of time. I had regularly attended Worship all my life and participated energetically in the wider life of the church wherever I had been.
By God’s Grace, I was led into the Spiritual Formation path and was introduced to the rich trove of literature in that genre. I began to avail myself of as much experience with it as possible. Gradually, I began to notice slight changes in my perspective, which began to translate more into my words and actions.
The single most important thing that this path of transformation has done for me is to enable me to believe and receive God’s Love at a deep level, with none of the typical reservations related to my sinfulness and unworthiness. Love is the most transformative aspect of the Gospel, and spiritual formation is the process of being transformed by God’s Love through the Spirit of Christ Jesus.
The Work of the Spirit
Many Christians have an uneasy relationship with the Spirit. This is either because of excessive emphasis on the gifts of the Spirit or due to little knowledge of Him. Since the Holy Spirit is invisible and mostly silent, it is easy to ignore the reality of His presence. But from Jesus’ teachings, we know that the Holy Spirit is a great gift, and necessary for our lives. So, we need to engage in practices that enable us to experience the work of the Spirit in our souls.
Paul wrote extensively about the work of the Spirit. He urged us to be led by the Spirit, as in Romans 8:5:
Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires (NIV). (I hope you will take time to read more in Romans 8.)
In Conclusion…
It is my sincere desire that I have clarified some things about spiritual formation, but I realize that I may have also stirred up some things. So, I invite you to share your thoughts, your responses, or further questions by responding in the comments section below.
Overall, I hope I have inspired you to enter the marvelous
stages of growth that are possible to anyone who opens his or her life to them.
It is the path of Spiritual Transformation to which Christ calls us. May you
walk this path with inner peace and joy, and may your life journey bless the
world.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
[1] Hymn in public domain.
[2] Palmer, Parker J. A Hidden Wholeness. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-
Bass, 2004.
