Thoughts on Passionate Spirituality

Passionate Spirituality.  It's a term we've been kicking around a lot lately.  A few of you have been in focus groups where we've discussed how to stir up this passion in our souls - both individually and corporately.

In light of tonight's concert of prayer I thought I'd share a few thoughts that have been stirring in my own soul about this topic.

A short definition of passionate spirituality that has been very helpful to me is "individual hearts reflecting God's glory."  Our own KC Harding coined that phrase, and it hits the bull's-eye for me.  God is like the sun, constantly giving off love, light and life.  We are moody, inconsistent and fallen.  We go through season of night where we've turned out backs on God (either intentionally through sin or unintentionally through distraction), and season of rain where the clouds of depression, illness and fatigue put a barrier between us and God's presence.  The goal of passionate spirituality is to craft a life that is more like Hawaii than Seattle.  More exposure to the sun, less distance by the oppression of the world, more heat, more life, more light.

The first step towards this sort of life is VISION.  We have to ask ourselves "what would my life look like if it were passionately spiritual?"  If my soul was more like Hawaii and less like Alaska, how would I react to stress?  If my heart was being renewed by the warm sunshine of spring, how would I interact with my co-workers?  with my children or grandchildren?  with my neighbors?  We'll never live that sort of a life if we don't take time to imagine it.  For me, it's very helpful to read good Christian biographies.  Seeing how others have lived lives of passionate spirituality helps me imagine my life lived in the presence of God.

The next step towards this life is INTENTION.  We can exercise our imaginations all we want, but there comes a time to exercise our will.  If we could wave a magic wand or say a super prayer and immediately become the sort of person we imagine in step one, most of us would.  We want that life.  We want to live in the eternal sunshine of God's presence.  Now we have to intend to actually shape our lives, habits and souls in such a way that results in a life lived reflecting God's glory.

Intention means asking hard questions of our every-day practices.  For a pastor's retreat I was asked to read Dietrich Bonhoeffer's book "Life Together."  He goes to great lengths to describe the sort of intentionality a life of passionate spirituality would require.  He asks about how we wake up, how we sing, how we meditate at the close of the day.  Intentionality means claiming the dozens of little opportunities presented to us throughout the day, and turning them into ways to transform our souls.

Once we see where we're going (vision) and decide to get there (intention) we need to apply ourselves to helpful MEANS of Grace.  "Means of Grace" is a fancy word for helpful habits that shape your life.  Reading the Bible.  Prayer.  Church Attendance.  Reading helpful books and biographies.  Fasting.  Silence.  Giving.  Service.  There are dozens of these.  Many of these we are already doing, but maybe not doing in a helpful way.  If your goal is to read a chapter of the Bible, then we'll plow through the chapter.  If our goal is to take half an hour with the Bible to clear the clouds that separate us from God, then maybe you'll read the chapter, or maybe you'll get hung up on one phrase and spend the rest of the day turning it over and over in your mind.

There's more, but as I've been considering my own heart these three things have been very helpful.  (The insight of Vision/Intention/Means or VIM comes from Dallas Willard's book the Renovation of the Heart)

Tonight there is a Means of Grace available to us all.  From 6:30-7:30pm there will be a concert of prayer.  During that time we will be seeking the filling of the Holy Spirit, begging God for revival, and for healing.  Afterwards we will be able to join the Youth Group for worship and some skits.

So whether you can make it tonight or not, spend time today in prayer for the youth group.  We have over 20 teens connected to Kimberlee and our Youth Ministry.  99% of these kids do not attend church.  Many of them have friends and families who are spiritual wanderers.  Our church exists to help spiritual wanderers become authentic followers of Jesus.  Tonight we can pray for that, work towards that, and join God in what He is already doing.

Standing With You!

- Tim