Spiritual Formation (Spiritual Guidance part 1)

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To Timothy, My true child in the faith… (Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible, 1 Timothy 1:2)

Samuel [the Prophet] said to Saul, “You have acted foolishly… now your kingdom shall not endure…” (Idib. 1 Samuel 13:13-14)

Nathan [the Prophet] then said to David … “Why have you despised the word of the Lord… Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house…” (Ibid. 2 Samuel 12:7-10)

            Spiritual Friendship and Spiritual Guidance are similar in ways, because both rely on a relationship between two people and are tools for spiritual growth.  Hierarchy can be a tricky topic when it relates to these relationships.  In the broad sense, there is more of a hierarchical structure in Spiritual Guidance, however, I feel this can be best explained using a ladder.  Imagine a ladder that is flat on the ground, you can see that the third rung is farther from the start than the first rung, but since the ladder is flat on the ground, the third is no higher than the first (Spiritual Direction and the Care of Souls, Kindle Location 1088).  As I understand it, Spiritual Formation is similar to this flat ladder.  There are people who have had more time and opportunity to move up the rungs of the ladder and are therefore farther along; however, not higher, the way a regional manager is over a store manager, who is over a department manager and so forth.

            What makes for a good spiritual guide?  Let me tell you about two spiritual leaders that I have personally encountered.  The first was not a mentor and the second was.  I don’t know if the first loved his neighbor as he loved himself; however, I saw the second love his neighbor as he loved himself.  The first once mistakenly said the Babylonian captivity lasted 80 years and when I pointed out that it was 70 years, he was gruff and abrasive that I would correct him.  The second once confused the words dispensationalism and cessationism, but was accepting and grateful to be corrected.

            Remember the episode where a Pharisee invited Jesus to dinner (Luke 7:36-50), and a woman with the reputation of being a sinner made her way to the dinner also.  There she wept on Jesus’ feet and dried them with her hair.  This made the Pharisee doubt Jesus’ holiness because He accepted the sinful woman.  Jesus then told the story of a money lender and two debtors, both of whom were unable to repay their debts.  In the story, the money lender forgave both debts, then Jesus asked the Pharisee, “which will then love the money lender more?”  The Pharisee was right to point out the one that was forgiven the greater debt.  Jesus used that to illustrate the relationship between grace and a person being changed.

            That change, the kind brought about by God’s love and His grace, as opposed to a change brought by a higher religiosity, is vital in a Spiritual Guide.  Because, they have be changed by God and by themselves.

Written by Pastor Ozzy

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Works Cited

1995. Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible. LaHabra: The Lockman Foundation.

Moon, Gary W., and David G. Benner. 2004. Spiritual Direction and the Care of Souls. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press.

Spiritual Formation (Reading Scriptures part 2 of 4)

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“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night…” (Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible, Josh. 1:8).

“I will meditate on all Your work and muse on Your deeds” (Ibid. Ps. 77:12).

            Stop for a moment and picture someone you’d like to see, or something you’d like to have, or somewhere you’d like to be.  In your mind’s eye, can you truly “see” that someone, something or somewhere?  In truth, there is nothing substantive to the picture in your mind; however, what it represents to you could not be more real.  What you have done is mediated on that person, place or thing.  Before we explore the exercise of Bible meditation, it will be helpful to define the word meditation.  It should be understood as time spent in quite contemplation, often alone, to consider and think about God’s word and attempt to hear from Him (Manser, section 8662).  Therefore, this is not an emptying of the mind or an attempt to cease conscious thought, but a focusing of the mind on the words of scripture.  This can be done the same way that you just mediated on that person, place or thing.

            In our last blog we listened to the words of Psalms 66:16 and because of the poetic nature of the Psalms, it’s easy to begin this exercise there also.  So first, listen to the words of Psalms 71:17-19:

O God, You have taught me from my youth,
And I still declare Your wondrous deeds.
And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me,
Until I declare Your strength to this generation,
Your power to all who are to come.
For Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens,
You who have done great things;
O God, who is like You?  (NASB)

Like last week’s passage, we don’t know who the original author was; therefore, let your mind choose the author.  Perhaps you can see an aged Samuel, whose soul was saddened by Eli and his son’s cavalier attitude towards the God of Israel.  Then he also witnessed Saul’s failings and now before he dies, he is reflecting on making sure the knowledge of the God of Israel is passed on.  In your mind, go to Ramah and sit outside of Samuel’s house as he speaks.  Hear these words and remember the story of Samuel meeting God in the tabernacle at Shiloh (1 Sam. 3).  Now he is old and gray, but it has been his heart’s desire to instruct the sons of Israel to obey God.  Just like before, become the speaker.  Read these words the way you’d say them.

            Now, reflect on the meaning of the passage.  Perhaps focus on them line by line.  The first states that God is a teacher from the author’s childhood.  How did that happen in ancient Israel?  How does it happen today?  How did it happen for you?  Where you born in a Christian family and therefore learned scriptural truths from a young age?  Keep in mind that even out of heartache and tragedy, God can teach[1].  Why is this image of God as teacher in the Bible?  How does that affect your picture of God?  These are some good questions that arise when we stop and reflect on Scripture.

[Jesus said] “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?”  Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures… They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” (Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible, Luke 24:26-27 & 32)

[Next week: Prayer]

Written by Pastor Ozzy

1995. Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible. LaHabra: The Lockman Foundation.

Manser, Martin H. 2009. Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies. London: Logos Ed.

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[1] Consider a child born to unreligious parents or parents who were Christian in name only.  Before he went to school, they divorced and remarried.  What can God teach out of that situation?  That there are real consequences for sin and sometimes those consequences are passed on to the next generation.  Maybe, that child will be reached by God and see His plan, one husband and one wife in a covenant relationship.  Perhaps then the cycle will be broken, he won’t treat love like a four-letter-word.



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