How does our concept of Word add to suspicion of spirituality?
Reformed Theology's view of scripture has played a role in making spirituality something of a dirty word. Our theology posits that scripture is not the Word of God but scripture functions as words that point to Christ, the true Word. So if someone wants to "hear a word from the Lord," this cannot be accomplished simply by reading the Bible, although most people of Reformed faith would admit that the Spirit can reveal Christ, the Word, to us if we ask for the Spirit's help in understanding the scriptures and thus comprehending something of the Word.
But for those of the Reformed faith tradition, Word "happens" best for us in the context of worship when preaching on scripture with the help of the Holy Spirit reveals the Word to us. Although some of you sitting in the pews each Sunday may have trouble believing it, we do affirm that somehow the Spirit works through the preacher so that the words of the sermon preached are the Word of God revealed. The Word is given to the community in the context of worship.
Brad Kent speaks to the communal understanding of Reformed Spirituality in an article from the Spring 1999 issue of Hungry Hearts entitled Reformed Spirituality at the Millennium. (A link to Hungry Hearts can be found in the links at the right of this column) Kent says that reformed spirituality as it comes from John Calvin can only be understood in light of Calvin's desire to make the human kingdom conform to God's kingdom, as much as possible. Kent's view of Calvin's influence on reformed spirituality is summed up in the following paragraph.
Reformed spirituality takes its distinctive stampfrom the ethical and the social. It is never removed from the realities of the world. It is rightly skeptical of any spiritual experience that cannot be authenticated in community. While we may “come to the garden alone” to be with Jesus, we also expect to find him on crowded city streets. Calvin would counsel that the goal of any spiritual practice is not “self improvement” but the welfare of one's neighbor.
Word and Spirituality
Howard Rice in his book, Reformed Spirituality, says that the majority of people from the reformed tradition aren't comfortable talking about their personal experience of God outside of communal worship. Given our reticence to focus on individual experience of God and our insistence that our understanding of God must be examined in a communal context, it is not surprising that people in the reformed tradition have not historically been comfortable with any discussion of individual spirituality. And since much of what other people of faith would traditionally characterize as "spirituality" happens not in community but in an individual's personal experience of God, people from the Reformed tradition have shied away from many of the classical spiritual disciplines practiced by members of the Catholic or Eastern Orthodox traditions. It seems very possible that this fact can account for the reputation of Presbyterians as the "frozen chosen" and a correspondingly small percentage of Presbyterians in recent polls who characterize themselves as having a "passionate spirituality."
And yet, if we take seriously the notion that Jesus' incarnation and the carrying of his human flesh into the Godhead at ascension serves as an invitation to Calvin's notion of "mystical union with Christ" and to take part in the ministry of Christ and of the Trinity, then it seems that we need some ways of discerning our particular call to participate in those ministries. And, since preachers seldom go through the congregation addressing each member individually and sharing God's particular vision for their lives, it would seem that daily devotion to the prayer and scripture and silence and contemplation of classic spiritual disciplines can probably serve to inform people of reformed faith about the ministry to which we are invited and which Christ longs to share with us as we are empowered by Spirit. It may just be that people of the reformed tradition will have to begin to get comfortable with spirituality after all. Of course, in good reformed fashion, we'll have to compare notes with members of the community on our perceptions of God at work in our lives and allow the community to guide our understandings of God's will for our lives in view of our relationship to God and neighbor and the historical witness of scripture and the faith community.
But for those of the Reformed faith tradition, Word "happens" best for us in the context of worship when preaching on scripture with the help of the Holy Spirit reveals the Word to us. Although some of you sitting in the pews each Sunday may have trouble believing it, we do affirm that somehow the Spirit works through the preacher so that the words of the sermon preached are the Word of God revealed. The Word is given to the community in the context of worship.
Brad Kent speaks to the communal understanding of Reformed Spirituality in an article from the Spring 1999 issue of Hungry Hearts entitled Reformed Spirituality at the Millennium. (A link to Hungry Hearts can be found in the links at the right of this column) Kent says that reformed spirituality as it comes from John Calvin can only be understood in light of Calvin's desire to make the human kingdom conform to God's kingdom, as much as possible. Kent's view of Calvin's influence on reformed spirituality is summed up in the following paragraph.
Reformed spirituality takes its distinctive stampfrom the ethical and the social. It is never removed from the realities of the world. It is rightly skeptical of any spiritual experience that cannot be authenticated in community. While we may “come to the garden alone” to be with Jesus, we also expect to find him on crowded city streets. Calvin would counsel that the goal of any spiritual practice is not “self improvement” but the welfare of one's neighbor.
Word and Spirituality
Howard Rice in his book, Reformed Spirituality, says that the majority of people from the reformed tradition aren't comfortable talking about their personal experience of God outside of communal worship. Given our reticence to focus on individual experience of God and our insistence that our understanding of God must be examined in a communal context, it is not surprising that people in the reformed tradition have not historically been comfortable with any discussion of individual spirituality. And since much of what other people of faith would traditionally characterize as "spirituality" happens not in community but in an individual's personal experience of God, people from the Reformed tradition have shied away from many of the classical spiritual disciplines practiced by members of the Catholic or Eastern Orthodox traditions. It seems very possible that this fact can account for the reputation of Presbyterians as the "frozen chosen" and a correspondingly small percentage of Presbyterians in recent polls who characterize themselves as having a "passionate spirituality."
And yet, if we take seriously the notion that Jesus' incarnation and the carrying of his human flesh into the Godhead at ascension serves as an invitation to Calvin's notion of "mystical union with Christ" and to take part in the ministry of Christ and of the Trinity, then it seems that we need some ways of discerning our particular call to participate in those ministries. And, since preachers seldom go through the congregation addressing each member individually and sharing God's particular vision for their lives, it would seem that daily devotion to the prayer and scripture and silence and contemplation of classic spiritual disciplines can probably serve to inform people of reformed faith about the ministry to which we are invited and which Christ longs to share with us as we are empowered by Spirit. It may just be that people of the reformed tradition will have to begin to get comfortable with spirituality after all. Of course, in good reformed fashion, we'll have to compare notes with members of the community on our perceptions of God at work in our lives and allow the community to guide our understandings of God's will for our lives in view of our relationship to God and neighbor and the historical witness of scripture and the faith community.
posted by Frank at 2:45 PM
4 Comments:
So if the Word is revealed in community and "the Spirit works through the preacher so that the words of the sermon preached are the Word of God revealed" does that mean that all the rest of us in the laity need a properly ordained intermediary?
Good question. Intermediary? No. I don't mean to say that God doesn't speak to individuals. I think that as we read scripture and ask for the Holy Spirit to guide and inform us, we can certainly discern something of God's will for us. The same can be said about prayer. But in the reformed tradition, the subject of all prayer, meditation and reflection is God as revealed in scripture. What I was saying is that our individual revelations don't necessarily bear as much weight as that which is revealed in community and preaching and sacraments. We need the faith community to help us check out what we think we hear from God so that we don't go around giving poisoned "Koolaid" to people in the name of God. Catherine of Siena says that we individuals are just given "one step at a time." She says it's good that we don't get the whole revelation of God's purpose for us at once. This way, we aren't paralyzed by the realization of how far short we are of realizing God's goal for our lives or we aren't so full of our selves in our "Godrelatedness" that we get high and mighty, so heavenly minded that we're no earthly good.
Hi. Thanks for commenting. I'm not saying "that you need a pastor (or a priest) to read you the Bible during a worship service in order for you to fully appreciate and understand the Word of God." I'm just saying that the reformed faith privileges the understaning of the community over that of individuals. I'm not saying you can't read the Bible and hear from God. But I'm saying this notion keeps us from going off on individual tangents that community can correct.
As for "passionate spirituality" I mean nothing more than a strong desire to know and love Christ intimately and to make all of life sacred by continually conversing through prayer and meditating on scripture as we reflect on the choices we make and how they relate to the needs and demands of the kingdom. Maybe it's a confusing phrase but all I really mean is living an informed faith empowered by Spirit. As to evangelism, I couldn't agree more. paying attention to the gentle leading of the Spirit will help us see opportunities to authentically witness to Christ in a meaningful way to someone who is ready to hear the good news of the Gospel. Again, that's not just for ministers or priests but for all believers. Paying attention to spirit will help us become aware of the right time and place to share Christ with people who are ready to hear our witness.
No problem. Thanks for your frequent reading and comments on my blog.
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