Spiritual Formation, Part 2

Kris Miller Lipscomb University Hazelip School of Theology Spring 2017 Spiritual Formation, Part 2 Course Description The spiritual formation of leaders is a key commitment of the Hazelip School of Theology and is central to the entire M.Div. program. The two courses of Spiritual Formation are designed to nurture the student s personal participation in the formative work of the Holy Spirit for life and mission with God. Spiritual Formation, Part 2, focuses on our participation in the mission of the Triune God, and will give attention to the three-way relationship between God, the church, and the world, emphasizing the missional formation that occurs in co-laboring with God in the world. In other words, this course intends to be transformissional, intending the formation of the person for the mission of God in daily life. Theologically, this course is designed to introduce students to the theological, historical, and ecclesial dynamics of Christian spirituality and spiritual formation in light of the mission of God. Practically, the aim of this course is to initiate students into a spiritually-vital, sustainable way of life on mission with the Triune God in their own context. This course will focus upon formative practices to help students experience greater union with Jesus and the missional activity of the Spirit. This course will also include a practical introduction to the common challenges which leaders face throughout their lives and what promotes health and longevity. Both the personal-experiential and critical-reflective forms of knowledge are essential in the formation of students for Christian life and mission. This course is built upon the dynamic interaction between experience and reflection. Objectives 1. Students will grow in love for the Triune God and in awareness of God s love for them and the world around them. 2. Students will revise and implement a rule of life, envisioning and experimenting with a rhythm of life that is helpful, sustainable, and fitting with their current season of life toward intentional participation in the mission of God. 3. Students will discover historic and theological themes of Christian spirituality and spiritual formation, particularly in relation to the missio dei. 4. Students will understand the nature of Christian spiritual life and spiritual formation in the light of Christian theology, especially the missio dei and theological anthropology. 5. Students will think through the role of movements and traditions in spiritual formation. 6. Students will become more aware of their relationship with God in the context of the church s engagement with the surrounding culture. 7. Students will engage and reflect upon missional practices as part of their own formation for more faithful missional living in union with Jesus and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. 8. Students will become familiar with and prepare, as best as possible, for the most common challenges that leaders in vocational ministry face today. 1

Objectives and Measurements Objectives How Delivered How Assessed Goals Grow in love for the Triune God and in awareness of God s love for them and the world around them. online discussions, written assignments, small group meetings, spiritual direction, and missional practices Written project Acknowledgement in written projects Discover historic and theological themes of Christian spirituality and spiritual formation online discussions Course interaction, online posts, written project Successful identification in written projects Understand the nature of Christian spiritual life and spiritual formation in the light of Christian theology online discussions Verbal assessments, online posts, written project Successful identification in written projects Think through the role of movements and traditions in spiritual formation Readings, lectures, online discussions Written project Successful identification in written projects Become more aware of their relationship with God in the context of the church s engagement with the surrounding culture Engage and reflect upon missional practices of the Christian tradition as part of their own formation for mission online discussions, missional practices online discussions, missional practices Online posts Online posts Engagement and reflection Engagement and reflection Develop a rule of life, envisioning and implementing a rhythm of life toward their own missional formation written assignments, missional practices Written project Successful construction of a rule of life Prepare for the most common challenges that leaders in vocational ministry face today and written assignments Written project Successful identification in written projects 2

Course Requirements Practices The following practices are the primary emphases of this course. Ontologically more important than reflecting on spiritual formation, you are to participate in spiritual formation, engaging the Triune God with your whole heart (person). The first practice is more centered on Jesus Christ, and the second on the Holy Spirit. The first is more inwardly-focused, and the second more outwardly-oriented. The first leads you into contemplation, the second into action. God will work through these two practices synergistically toward your spiritual-missional formation. 1. Contemplating Jesus through a condensed version of the Ignatian Exercises. You will receive weekly guides for you to experience a shortened version of the Ignatian Exercises (IEs). The shortened versions of the IEs are known as the 18 th Annotation. It is called an Ignatian Retreat for everyday life. Spiritual Formation 1 began with a one-week retreat together. Central to the Spiritual Formation 2 course is this Ignatian retreat which we will experience together in our everyday lives. The IEs have been a powerful tool of missional formation for over 450 years. The focus of the IEs is the contemplation of Jesus. The one-page guides you will receive will invite you into specific contemplations and prayers. Over the weeks, these practices will help you experience union with Jesus in new ways, and consequently participate in God s mission in the world with him in new ways. The guides come from the following Jesuit resource designed for guiding others through this retreat-in-dailylife: Joseph A. Tetlow, S.J. and Carol Atwell Ackels, Finding Christ in the World: A Twelve Week Ignatian Retreat in Everyday Life (Saint Louis, MO: The Institute of Jesuit Resources, 2013). You are NOT required to purchase this resource. Instead, you will receive the weekly guides online to participate in this retreat for everyday life. (For your future reference, this resource can be found at ww.jesuitresources.bc.edu.) Engaging the Ignatian Exercises (IEs) will require a daily commitment of approximately 30-45 minutes. This will be your devotional time for 14 weeks, beginning the week of January 16, and concluding the week of April 17. Here are a few of the practices in which you will engage. (1) A daily examen of your consolations and desolations of the previous day; (2) resting in God s love and knowledge of you; (3) daily stating your desires before God; (4) an imaginative reading of Scripture ( contemplation ), experiencing yourself in the story; (5) in response to your imaginative engagement, praying a triple colloquy, expressing your heart to each person of the Triune God - Father, Son, and Spirit; (6) meeting with a spiritual direction group weekly to accompany you through these exercises; and (7) sharing an online summary of your experience of each week of the IEs on Sunday s beginning January 22 through April 23. The summary should answer the question, What was your experience of God (Father-Son-Spirit) in the IEs this week? More details and discussion about these seven practices and how to engage 3

the IEs will be provided in an introductory class meeting on Monday, January 9 th at 1:00-2:30pm CST. In preparation for the introductory class meeting on January 9, students are to read a few items for the discussion of the unique practices and perspectives of the IEs. Students are to read James Martin, The Jesuit Guide to Almost Everything, chapter 1 only (pages 1-28). (This chapter will be provided for you online); Timothy M. Gallagher, Contemplation & Meditation, introduction and chaps. 1-3 only (pages 9-46); Gregory A. Boyd, Seeing is Believing: Experience Jesus through Imaginative Prayer, Part 2 (pages 71-139) and the Appendix (pages 191-208) only; and a few one or two-page handouts on the Ignatian Exercises (which will be provided for you online). Students are to post a response to these readings on the online discussion board, and respond to two other posts by Friday, January 6. On Monday s beginning January 23, you will meet in an online small group (5-6 students) to participate in group spiritual direction as part of the communal experience of the Ignatian Exercises. Kris will facilitate these weekly online sessions. At each meeting, Kris will teach for 5-10 minutes and then offer brief spiritual direction to one or two participants, asking about their experience of God in the IE s and in life. (Your online summaries on Sunday evenings will be important preparation for these meetings.) There will be three group meetings every Monday: 11:00am-12:00pm, 3:30-4:30pm, or 5:00-6:00pm. You are to choose one meeting time in which to participate weekly on Monday s from January 23-April 24. Your experience of the Triune God through the IEs is one of the two most important, formative aspects of this course. 2. Experiment with weekly missional practices. Jesus trained his disciples on the way of his kingdom-mission. Since his ascension until today, disciples learn to collaborate with the Holy Spirit and are formed for mission through missional engagement. In order to participate in the Holy Spirit s mission and experience missional formation, you will engage in intentional missional experiments, in deeds and/or words, for someone or some organization in your local context beyond your church s membership beginning the week of January 16 through the week of April 24. You will discern your weekly missional activity by learning to engage the three-way conversation between (a) the biblical text and its theology of mission, (b) your specific cultural context, and (c) the Holy Spirit of mission (Tyra, The Holy Spirit in Mission, 139). The first few weeks will include prayer, conversation, informationgathering, and perhaps visits to various locations as you discern the Spirit s invitation to you. Then, as you go out on mission, your missional practice(s) may change. This is an essential part of spiritual-missional formation: learning to become attentive to the Holy Spirit who guides the mission. To begin, you are to read the following book and submit a summary and response: Gary Tyra, The Holy Spirit in Mission: Prophetic Speech and Action in Christian 4

Witness. Your summary-response paper should be approximately 3-5 pages total, summarizing the content of each chapter and your response. As you read the book, pay attention to your desires, your imagination, and perhaps the prayers that emerge in you. Then, in your paper s conclusion, answer the question, How might the Spirit of God be inviting me to participate in mission this semester in my context? This paper is due on Friday, January 13. To submit the paper, email it to me at kris.miller@lipscomb.edu. We will discuss this book and our potential, beginning missional engagements in a class meeting on Monday, January 16 at 1:00-2:30pm CST. Then, for the rest of the semester, you will experiment with missional engagements in your local context, posting online about what you are learning from these experiments. You are to post these observations on Sunday evenings, beginning January 22 through April 23. The posts should respond to the following questions: (1) Why did you chose the particular missional engagement this week? Describe your experience of discerning the Spirit s guidance to this missional engagement or your experience of the Spirit within the missional engagement; (2) What happened in the missional engagement?; (3) What did you learn? and (4) What is happening in you as a result of this experience? Participating in the mission of God involves risk. God will bless those we serve and we will be formed by engaging. Your experience of the Triune God in your missional experiments, and your reflection upon those experiences, is the other of the two most important, formative practices of this course. 3. Re-write your rule of life for this semester, incorporating the previous two practices. The mission of God and missional formation is propelled by the Holy Spirit and includes intentional human participation. To participate and live well, re-write your rule of life for this semester. It should outline a rhythm that is life-giving, sustainable, and fitting with your current life circumstances toward intentional formation for the mission of God. As a cohort, we will commit together to (1) the daily practice of the Ignatian Exercises and (2) to weekly missional experiments. Beyond these two practices, outline the other daily, weekly, monthly, and perhaps quarterly practices that you desire to implement this semester. Discuss your rule of life with your small group sometime during the week of January 9-13. Reflect with one another: Does it fit my life circumstances? Is it realistic and sustainable? Will it help me grow as a missional person? Once you have discussed your rule of life with your small group, you are to submit it in written form by Friday, January 13, emailing it to me at kris.miller@lipscomb.edu. Reading Alongside the two primary practices described above, you will read one chapter per week about spiritual formation. (Weeks 1, 2, and 16 you will read more. The week of the intensive, March 27-31, there will be no assigned readings.) Reading about spiritual formation is important, helping us understand its history, theology, nature, and purpose 5

within Christian spirituality. Gaining new concepts and language for the various dynamics of the spiritual life is a helpful and enjoyable part of formation, conceptually and verbally savoring what is and what can be. In fact, reading itself is a practice in which the Spirit of God forms us. A helpful way to more fully comprehend the readings is to share your thoughtful response with your classmates, and to hear their responses. Thus, as a learning community, we will read the assigned material and discuss the selected readings online. This will help you engage the reading material more broadly and fully than simply reading alone. We will share our responses to the following readings through an online threaded discussion (beginning with the pre-ignatian Retreat material on Friday January 6, and then) every Friday from January 20-April 21. With a paragraph or two, simply answer the questions, What was most influential or helpful to you in your reading this week? Or, with which important point do you agree, disagree, or need to think about some more? You are asked to read everyone s posts and comment on two other students posts. One of your two comments should contain a disagreement with something or some aspect of what a fellow student has posted. See the schedule at the end of the syllabus (pages 9-12) for exact due dates for each of these readings. 1. James Martin, The Jesuit Guide to Almost Everything, chapter 1 only (pages 1-28). (This chapter will be provided for you online); Timothy M. Gallagher, Contemplation & Meditation, introduction and chaps. 1-3 only (pages 9-46); Gregory A. Boyd, Seeing is Believing: Experience Jesus through Imaginative Prayer, Part 2 (pages 71-139) and the Appendix (pages 191-208) only; and a few handouts on the Ignatian Exercises which will also be provided for you online. (This cluster of sources was already mentioned above on the top of page 4 to prepare students for the Ignatian Exercises.) 2. Evan B. Howard, The Brazos Introduction to Christian Spirituality, chapters 7-9, 11-12, pages 229-335, 371-437 (172 pages total). 3. James K. A. Smith, Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2009), Part 1, chapters 1-3 only, pages 37-139. 4. Richard Foster, Streams of Living Water, chapters 4-7 only, pages 97-274. The Intensive We will meet for a five-day intensive on March 27-31. In keeping with the purposes and objectives of this class, the intensive aims to be transformissional, joining with the Holy Spirit s formation of the whole person for participation in the mission of God. Consequently, the intensive will provide opportunities to experience contemplative and missional practices alongside reflection upon those practices. The focus of this intensive will be our personal and corporate participation in the mission of God. 6

Final Paper Write an approximate 12-15 page paper to develop an inhabitable theology of missional living for yourself. This paper has two primary purposes. It is designed (1) to help you reflect upon your own spiritual-missional formation and (2) to assist you in articulating your practical theological vision for missional life and work with God. To accomplish these two purposes, there are three sections to this paper. First, this paper should assist you in reflecting upon your own formation through the experiences of this course. Specifically, you will reflect on your experience of contemplating Jesus through the shortened version of the Ignatian Exercises and your experiments in following the Holy Spirit on your missional experiments. From the Ignatian Exercises, you may reflect on some of the following sample questions: What did you learn from recording your consolations and desolations? What themes did you notice? How were you formed by regularly resting in God s love and knowledge of you? What did you learn about your desires? What has been the fruit of your experiences with Christ through contemplation and meditation on the Scriptures? What did you notice about your prayers to Father, Son, and Spirit? What has changed in your image and relationship with God? What did you gain from your group spiritual direction meetings? Overall, how have you been formed through the Ignatian Exercises? From the missional experiments, you may reflect on some of the following sample questions: What have you learned about the mission of God? What have you learned about yourself? What have you learned about the hurts and needs of people in your own context? What did you learn about the Holy Spirit? What have you learned about discernment? Overall, how have you been formed through your missional experiments with the Holy Spirit? Second, this part of the paper is to help you reflect upon your formation as a leader over the span of your life thus far. To write this portion of the paper, you must first read J. Robert Clinton, The Making of a Leader. (You are to read it the week of April 17-22 in preparation for class on Monday, April 24.) The leadership lessons shared in this book have been based on the assumption that God is in the business of cultivating leaders and [working] in their lives to develop them for His purposes (179). In response to this book, you will then reflect on questions emerging from each of the chapters to help you notice the work of God in your life thus far toward forming you as a leader. This part of your paper should engage each of the following questions and reflections based on Clinton s book. a. (From chapter 2): Look at your life story that you wrote for the Spiritual Formation 1 course. In a few paragraphs, identify the major markers or boundary events in your life, noting what you discern God was doing in each of the time periods of your life. Then, answer this question: how would you locate yourself along the Generalized Timeline on page 37? 7

b. (From chapter 3): In a few paragraphs, describe how you have experienced integrity checks, obedience checks, and/or word checks? How were you formed through these experiences? c. (From chapters 4-5): In a few paragraphs, describe any of the process items of the Ministry Maturing Phase that have you experienced. What did you learn through these experiences? d. (From chapter 6): Guidance is an ongoing need in the life of a leader! (pg. 110). In a few paragraphs, describe a few instances of how you have experienced guidance from God in your life thus far. Did it involve any of the six process items that frequently accompany the experience of discernment (pgs. 110-122). What needs to be a part of a balanced cluster of guidance elements for you? e. (From chapter 7): In a few paragraphs, describe how God has used isolation, conflict, or crisis to deepen you. If you have not had episodes of isolation, conflict, or crisis, how might awareness of this means of deepening the being of leader help you? f. (From chapter 8): What are some of the most important lessons God has taught you personally concerning your leadership character? What are some of the most important lessons God has taught you personally concerning your ministry? g. (From chapter 9 and Appendices C and D): In a few paragraphs, reflect on the characteristics, barriers, and enhancements to finishing well. Which of these are currently present in your life? To which of these do you feel invited to implement? Third, the final section of this paper should assist you in briefly summarizing several theological and practical perspectives for your life and work on mission with God. You are to describe your theological and practical values (at least 10) for a life of mission and ministry. Each of these values may be stated in a few sentences or short paragraphs, perhaps similar to the Ministry Philosophy as J. Robert Clinton discussed in chapter 8 of The Making of a Leader. (My hope is that you will be able to add to this section of the paper the rest of your life to help guide you and your ministry.) As you articulate brief theological perspectives for missional living, you should use some of the following theological topics from your readings in this course and others: the Triune God, the mission of the Triune God, christology, pneumatology, the kingdom of God, the gospel, eschatology, the mission of the church, formation, transformation, anthropology, a theology of desire, a theology of the imagination, social action/social justice, and the new creation. In summarizing your theological perspectives for missional living, this section should also include perspectives that will help you live well and finish well on mission with God, using Clinton s research and Kris s lecture on this theme. The overall purpose of this section of the paper is to help you to begin to develop an inhabitable vision of life and work on mission with God. This final paper is due on April 28 and is to be emailed as a Word attachment to kris.miller@lipscomb.edu. 8

Required Reading Gregory A. Boyd, Seeing is Believing: Experience Jesus through Imaginative Prayer (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2004). ISBN: 978-0-8010-6502-6. Chapters 5-9 and the Appendix only, 85 pages. J. Robert Clinton, The Making of a Leader: Recognizing the Lessons and Stages of Leadership Development (2 nd ed.; Colorado Springs, CO, 2012). ISBN: 9781612910758. 215 pages. Richard Foster, Streams of Living Water: Celebrating the Great Traditions of the Christian Faith (San Francisco, CA: HarperOne, 2001). ISBN: 978-0060628222. Chapters 4-7 only, 177 pages. (Already purchased for the Spiritual Formation I class.) Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V., Meditation and Contemplation: An Ignatian Guide to Praying with Scripture (New York, NY: Crossroad, 2008). ISBN: 978-0-8245-2488-2. Introduction, and Chapters 1-3 only, 37 pages. Evan B. Howard, The Brazos Introduction to Christian Spirituality (Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2008). ISBN: 978-1-58743-038-1. Chapters 7-9, 11-12 only, 172 pages. (Already purchased for the Spiritual Formation I class.) James K. A. Smith, Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2009). ISBN: 978-0-80103577-7. Chapters 1-3 only, 93 pages. Gary Tyra, The Holy Spirit in Mission: Prophetic Speech and Action in Christian Witness (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2011). ISBN: 978-0-8308-3949-0. 182 pages. Course Schedule Fri., Jan. 6 Read and post online responses to: Martin, Jesuit Guide, 1-28 (provided) Gallagher, Contemplation & Meditation, pgs. 9-46 Boyd, Seeing is Believing, 71-139, 191-208 A few Ignatian retreat handouts (provided) Mon., Jan. 9 Class meeting: 1:00-2:30 Discuss your Rule of Life with your small group Fri., Jan. 13 Submit your revised Rule of Life for this semester Read and write paper in response to: Tyra, The Holy Spirit in Mission 9

Mon., Jan. 16 Fri., Jan. 20 Sun., Jan. 22 Ignatian Retreat, Week One Class meeting: 1:00-2:30 Howard, Brazos Introduction, chap. 11 Post summary of your experience of Week One Mon., Jan. 23 Fri., Jan. 27 Sun., Jan. 29 Ignatian Retreat, Week Two Smith, Desiring the Kingdom, chap. 1 Post summary of your experience of Week Two Mon., Jan. 30 Fri., Feb. 3 Sun., Feb. 5 Ignatian Retreat, Week Three Smith, Desiring the Kingdom, chap. 2 Post summary of your experience of Week Three Mon., Feb. 6 Fri., Feb. 10 Sun., Feb. 12 Ignatian Retreat, Week Four Howard, Brazos Introduction, chap. 8 Post summary of your experience of Week Four Mon., Feb. 13 Fri., Feb. 17 Sun., Feb. 19 Ignatian Retreat, Week Five Smith, Desiring the Kingdom, chap. 3 Post summary of your experience of Week Five 10

Mon., Feb. 20 Fri., Feb. 24 Sun., Feb. 26 Ignatian Retreat, Week Six Foster, Streams, chap. 5 Post summary of your experience of Week Six Mon., Feb. 27 Fri., Mar. 3 Sun., Mar. 5 Ignatian Retreat, Week Seven Foster, Streams, chap. 6 Post summary of your experience of Week Seven Mon., Mar. 6 Fri., Mar. 10 Sun., Mar. 12 Ignatian Retreat, Week Eight Foster, Streams, chap. 4 Post summary of your experience of Week Eight Mon., Mar. 13 Fri., Mar. 17 Sun., Mar. 19 Ignatian Retreat, Supplemental: Ministry of Jesus Howard, Brazos Introduction, chap. 7 Post about your experience of Supplemental Week Mon., Mar. 20 Fri., Mar. 24 Sun., Mar. 26 Ignatian Retreat, Supplemental: Ministry of Jesus Howard, Brazos Introduction, chap. 9 Post about your experience of Supplemental Week 11

Mon., Mar. 27 Sun., Apr. 2 Ignatian Retreat, Week Nine Intensive Week: March 27-31, 2017 Post summary of your experience of Week Nine Mon., Apr. 3 Fri., Apr. 7 Sun., Apr. 9 Ignatian Retreat, Week Ten Foster, Streams, chap. 7 Post summary of your experience of Week Ten Mon., Apr. 10 Fri., Apr. 14 Sun., Apr. 16 Ignatian Retreat, Week Eleven Howard, Brazos Introduction, chap. 12 Post summary of your experience of Week Eleven Mon., Apr. 17 Fri., Apr. 21 Sun., Apr. 23 Ignatian Retreat, Week Twelve Read and begin to prepare responses to: J. Robert Clinton, The Making of a Leader Post summary of your experience of Week Twelve Mon., Apr. 24 Class meeting: 1:00-2:30 Fri., Apr. 28 final paper due Grading Scale All requirements for this course will be graded on a pass or fail basis. If the student completes an assignment, demonstrating meaningful engagement and understanding, the student will pass that assignment. If the student does not complete an assignment, or does not 12

demonstrate meaningful engagement or understanding, then the student will not pass that assignment and will be asked to repeat it until successfully completed. Successful completion of all requirements will result in a pass. No incompletes will be given except for extreme emergency for the student or his/her immediate family. Failure to submit an assignment will result in a failing grade for the course. Academic Integrity In keeping with our identity as a Christian University and our goal to help shape lifelong disciples of Christ, academic integrity will be taken very seriously in this class. Unless specific permission is given to collaborate on assignments with other students, each student's work shall be his/her own. Cheating on exams or assignments and plagiarizing on written assignments will, depending on the severity of the case, result in penalties ranging from a significantly reduced grade on the assignment to failing the course. Instances of cheating or plagiarism may also be reported to appropriate members of the administration, depending on the situation. Decisions in these matters rest with the instructor. For information on Lipscomb s policies and procedures see the Academic Integrity page on Lipscomb s website (http://academics.lipscomb.edu/content.asp?cid=5329&sid=12) Dropping the Course A decision to stop participating in the class or to not turn in assignments does not constitute dropping the course. Please see the "Graduate Catalog" for the official policies and procedures for dropping a course. If a student's name appears on the roster at grading time and the course has not been officially dropped, he/she will receive a grade based on the course requirements and grading percentages above. Students Requiring Accommodations If you require accommodations for a documented disability, please discuss your circumstances with the instructor ASAP, preferably prior to the beginning of class. If you are entitled to accommodations but have not yet registered with the Counseling Center, contact that office immediately at 615-966-1781. 13