DEFINITION OF SPIRITUAL FORMATION

Although many reading this article are familiar, even comfortable, with spiritual formation, you may find the following definition a helpful tool as you attempt to define spiritual formation for others:

Spiritual formation is the process of being conformed to the image of Christ by the gracious working of God's spirit, for the transformation of the world.

a process:
- gradual, life-long movement, not single, momentous conversion
- goes against grain of "quick-fix, instant results, Five Easy Steps" culture
- draws us by God's magnetic attraction, awakening our desire for God
of being conformed to the image of Christ:
- Christ is the image of God made visible to us (Col.1:15)
- image of Christ is pattern of human wholeness -- we share God's image (Gen.1:26)
- God's likeness feels strange since we are misshapen by images of worldly culture
- the Christ image heals, renews, restores us
- moves us from being centered in self to being centered in God
by the gracious working of God's spirit:
- we want to make things happen in our self-reliant culture
- but cannot conform ourselves to Christ by own will power
- we can open ourselves to gracious working of God's spirit
- the Spirit enables us to choose way of Christ over self-interest
- grace helps us give reins of control to God and to cooperate with Spirit
- we resist Spirit's work because change in ideas/habits/ behaviors is scary
- spiritual disciplines (practices) are ways of opening ourselves to grace
for the transformation of the world:
- being like Christ means living in self-giving love
- spiritual life not about "me" but about the world God loves
- as we are conformed to Christ we embody more of God's love for others
- fruits of spiritual formation are compassion, patience, truthfulness, reconciliation
- transformed persons are leaven for transforming the world