A balanced spirituality
Trevor Withers
1st July 2007
How can we pass on our spirituality, how can we share things which are in our spiritual make-up, how can we spiritually inform other people. How can we communicate not just the factual information about what we believe in, but the relationship we have with God in our everyday lives.
Trevor has been challenged by Richard J Foster's recent writings about how we sometimes keep our spirituality quite narrow. We have grown up in a tradition eg charismatic, which is good but we miss out on the wider picture of what God has for us.
Other spiritual dimensions:
Contemplative: the prayer filled life. Focuses on intimacy with God and spending time with him. Ps 42 v 1-2
Holiness: the virtuous life. Personal moral transformation and 'holy habits'. 1 Tim 4 v 7-8
Charismatic: the spirit empowered life. Focuses on the presence of the Spirit, and worship. Eph 5 v 18-19.
Social justice: the compassionate life. Justice and shalom in all human relationships and social structures. Amos 5 v 24.
Evangelical: the word-centred life. Focuses upon proclamation of the good news of the gospel. John 11 v 25-27.
Incarnational: the sacramental life. Focuses on making present and visible the realm of the invisible spirit. Experiencing God as manifest in everyday life. 2 Cor 4 v 7
We were each given a sheet of A4 paper with the above 6 spiritual dimensions printed around the edge. We had to put a dot in middle, and draw spokes from it radiating out to each area. We had to make a mark to show where we are on each spoke. Near the centre dot means this area is not a priority in my life. Near the edge of the paper means this area is strong in my life. How rounded is the wheel as we connect the marks we have made.
Liz West – personal experience of the contemplative life
Liz has been getting into contemplation, which is a surprise for her given her 'severe evangelical' roots. Has been reading a book by Richard Raw, a Franciscan, she has also been to some Catholic retreats and spent time with the monks, Catholic christians with such deep understanding.
God created your imagination, try this exercise: imagine yourself sitting on the bank of a river, boats come up the river and pass by. You label each boat with the stuff that comes into your mind as you sit in quietness; anxiety about tomorrow, irritation with other people, fears, concerns. Name each boat as it comes past, just note it, not even saying whether what you have labelled it with is bad or good. Let each boat go by. Might take 5-10 minutes before the river is empty, which is when you know you have got in touch with your spirit, you are now at a level of consciousness below what goes on in our heads every day. Takes practice and time and space.
Place of silence before God, beginning of contemplation. To get to this place, practice what we would call meditation. Liz has been meditating on the Trinity, thinking of them in conversation talking about events in the world, and sometimes she imagines herself running into them and interrupting the conversation. This morning she imagined them turning and welcoming our worship.
New language around contemplation:-
Solitude - scary because there is nothing in you which is not revealed when you are alone and silent, but you can only reach that level with God by going through the pain. Not to be afraid because God is with you in that place.
Emptiness - come with none of your gifts or experiences, just you, naked. All the boats have gone, it's just you left. Painful to come with nothing to God.
Centre-ing – preparing your body for the experience, sitting still, breathing, breathing out and then breathing in the spirit.
Imagination - it is inspiring to see how God uses our imagination. Also use it to understand the Bible, imagine the character and stories.
Why has this been so helpful for Liz?
Over the past 8 years her father has had cancer and her husband has has died, and this level of pain meant that she needed to find God at a different place. What she knew about God was not enough, she was all at sea. A 'spiritual director' helped her to bypass her mind and meet with God at a different place of spirit.
If you want more of God this is the place to find him. Often you'll be just sitting in silence for 20 minutes and there's nothing, but with practise it's a way of knowing the presence of God 24/7 and walking with him every moment. It feeds your spirit and the Spirit lives with you through each day.
In quietness and trust is your strength. Know that there is a place of security and love which is deeper than anything else which can happen to you.
David and Liz met with a man in Cairo who believes that the mission mindset of the West and the mystical tradition of the East need to be brought together.
Recommended book Greg Boyd 'Seeing is Believing'. | 
