Spiritual Formation Archives

Exploring Spiritual Formation: Empathy

Jesus and the Disciples Perhaps you will find this odd, but, one of my favorite stories about Jesus is found in Matthew 15, where, responding to Peter’s request for an explanation of a parable, Jesus says: “Are you still so dull?” It makes me laugh every time I read it. There are more passages that describe the disciples’ cluelessness—including two in which Jesus again confronts the disciples about their lack of understanding. And there are other people who also don’t understand Jesus at times, including Jesus’ parents, Nicodemus, and the crowd. But none of those passages use the Greek word translated in the New International Version as “dull.”… Read the whole post

July 6, 2020October 30, 2020

Lynn Karidis3 mins read

Spiritual Formation, Book Reviews, Gospel

The Prodigal Prophet: a review

Like the two brothers of the parable Many are familiar with Tim Keller’s book, The Prodigal God, published in 2008. In that book, Keller highlighted the grace of God portrayed in the parable of the prodigal son. Similarly, in a more recent book, The Prodigal Prophet, he shows how the story of Jonah gives us an Old Testament illustration of that parable. He writes in the Introduction, Many students of the book have noticed that in the first half Jonah plays the “prodigal son” of Jesus’s famous parable (Luke 15:11-34), who ran from his father. In the second half of the book, however, Jonah is like the “older brother” (Luke 15:25-32), who obeys his father but berates him for his graciousness to repentant sinners. In the Introduction, Keller outlines how the book of Jonah portrays the Prophet’s disobedience (chapters 1 & 2) and then his reluctant obedience (chapters… Read the whole post

June 16, 2020September 29, 2020

Gary Ridley2 mins read

Spiritual Disciplines, Character, Finishing Well, Spiritual Formation, Training

Exploring Spiritual Formation: Discipline

The Problem I hate discipline. But I love what it does for me. When I see the word, I think of how I felt each time my parents punished me for my transgressions. Yet those episodes helped me learn right from wrong. And when I heard the gospel, I knew I was a sinner in need of a Savior. Though it was painful to admit my sin, I’ve loved what repentance and seeking the forgiveness of God have done for my life. Despite the benefits of discipline, the word itself can cause discomfort. As I talk with others about engaging in the spiritual disciplines, many say they feel an inner resistance to the concept due to the connotations of the word. There is, however, more to discipline than punishment. Here is a brief review of some concepts attached to “discipline.”… Read the whole post

June 8, 2020June 8, 2020

Lynn Karidis2 mins read

Character, Disciple-making, Hardship, Spiritual Formation, Self-Feeding

Making sure the roots go deep

Deep roots are essential in times of drought Growing up on a farm in Saskatchewan taught me the importance of roots going deep. In the Prairies, rain is very unpredictable and with dryland farming, rain is also an absolute necessity in summer. If during those hot, dry, dusty summer months, weeks went by without rain, the concern became palpable. Farmers would mention rain as a prayer request at every prayer meeting. My grandfather would call us early in the morning to find out if the latest rainshower had hit our farm or not. But if the crop had developed deep roots in the early part of the growing season, it could survive even a month or longer without rain. Roots grow toward the water. Even if the top few inches of the ground are dry, the crop can survive by drawing on those resources well below the surface. The roots… Read the whole post

April 24, 2020December 12, 2022

Ken Guenther2 mins read

Spiritual Formation, Spiritual Disciplines, Hardship

Exploring Spiritual Formation: Contentment

This is the fifth of a series on “Exploring Spiritual Formation” by Lynn Karidis. The Situation Pasta. Again. Don’t get me wrong, I like pasta. At least, I used to before it began to show up on my dinner table multiple times a week. Now I’m not so sure. My predicament is no one’s fault but my own. I’m the one who stocked the pantry for our shelter-in-place experience. It’s true I’m discovering how many ways one can use pasta to feed the family. But my discontent is troubling me. After hearing about the thousands of people who’ve lost their jobs—and seeing hundreds of cars lined up to receive help from food banks—I feel a bit foolish for complaining about anything that shows up on my dinner table. Though my dilemma is real, I want to avoid responding like the Israelites did while wandering in the wilderness.… Read the whole post

April 20, 2020April 20, 2020

Lynn Karidis1 min read