Alastair Sterne (lead pastor of St. Peter’s Fireside in Vancouver, British Columbia) discusses his new InterVarsity Press book Rhythms for Life: Spiritual Practices for Who God Created You to Be. We cover the key challenges of spiritual growth, transparency in ministry, creating healthy and integrative rhythms for living, and helping others to integrate Christian identity, spiritual gifts, values and mission.
James K.A. Smith You are What you Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit https://amzn.to/2Qv4ZcN and Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation https://amzn.to/32IrgcX
Links to Amazon are affiliate links. Deep Dive Spirituality Conversations gets a small fee if you purchase products through the links. This does not affect the price you pay. Thank you for supporting my podcast by ordering some of the suggested resources.
In this week’s episode, Dr. Elaine Heath takes us deep into contemplative spirituality, entire sanctification, and the healing of trauma. Dr. Heath draws on her expertise in Scripture, spiritual formation (rooted in contemplative spirituality), mission and the theology of Phoebe Palmer. We have a rich conversation about inner healing and holiness.
Healing the Wounds of Sexual Abuse: Reading the Bible with Survivors (A revised and retitled new edition of We Were the Least of These: Reading the Bible with Survivors of Sexual Abuse) (Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2019). https://amzn.to/3hdOSvY
The Mystic Way of Evangelism: A Contemplative Vision for Christian Outreach, Revised and Updated 2nd Edition (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2017). https://amzn.to/3aD90oC
Five Means of Grace: Experiencing God’s Love the Wesleyan Way. Nashville: Abingdon, 2017. https://amzn.to/3j0jstv
God Unbound: Wisdom from Galatians for the Anxious Church. Nashville: Upper Room, May 2016. https://amzn.to/3kZXRDf
Missional.Monastic.Mainline. A Guide to Starting Missional Micro-Communities in Historically Mainline Traditions. Eugene: Cascade, 2014. https://amzn.to/3kWBjTQ
The Gospel According to Twilight: Women, Sex and God. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 2011. https://amzn.to/3iOi90C
We Were the Least of These: Reading the Bible with Survivors of Sexual Abuse. Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2011. https://amzn.to/3hdOSvY
Longing for Spring: A New Vision for Wesleyan Community, co-authored with Scott Kisker. Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2010. https://amzn.to/3iWylNn
Naked Faith: The Mystical Theology of Phoebe Palmer, Princeton Theological Monograph Series. Eugene, OR: Pickwick, 2010. https://amzn.to/34dMJwq
The Mystic Way of Evangelism: A Contemplative Vision for Christian Outreach. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2008. https://amzn.to/3aD90oC
More Light on the Path: Daily Scripture Readings in Hebrew and Greek, co-authored with David Baker, with a Foreword by Eugene Peterson. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1999; electronic version published by Logos Bible Software, 2006.
Books Recommended by Dr. Elaine Heath:
Besser van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Traumahttps://amzn.to/3gdqB7G
Morton Kelsey, Psychology, Medicine, and Christian Healing
Andrew Sung Park, The Wounded Heart of God: The Asian Concept of Han and the Christian Doctrine of Sinhttps://amzn.to/2EdhNS9
Ann Taves, Fits, Trances, and Visions: experiencing religion and explaining experience from Wesley to Jameshttps://amzn.to/34e5q3h
Full Bio:
Elaine Heath is an author, retreat leader, speaker and consultant. Her work is interdisciplinary, weaving together the study of Scripture, theology, and Christian spirituality with the practices of ministry in ways that help the church to reach beyond its walls and into the community. She is the former Dean of Duke Divinity School as well as the former McCreless Professor of Evangelism at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University. She is co-founder of Missional Wisdom Foundation, President of Neighborhood Seminary, and an Elder in the United Methodist Church. She currently lives in intentional community at Spring Forest, a farm in North Carolina, where she serve as Abbess.
Links to Amazon are affiliate links. Deep Dive Spirituality Conversations gets a small fee if you purchases products through the links. This does not affect the price you pay. Thank you for supporting my podcast by ordering some of the suggested resources.
In this episode, I speak with Dr. Robert Wall (Professor of Scripture and Wesleyan Studies at Seattle Pacific University) about the theological interpretation of Scripture. We focus on distinctively Wesleyan approaches to reading the Bible. In particular, we discuss how Scripture invites us to a deeper life of holiness and transformation.
Books by Rob Wall: Wesley One Volume Commentary (co-editor with Kenneth Collins; Abingdon 2020) https://amzn.to/3alvXg3 The Marks of Scripture: Rethinking the Nature of the Bible (with Daniel Castelo; Baker Academic 2019) https://amzn.to/33Sz2mD A Compact Guide to the Whole Bible: Learning to Read Scripture's Story (Co-editor with David Nienhuis; Baker Academic, 2015) https://amzn.to/2XYv1t8
1–2 Timothy and Titus (Two Horizons Commentary; 2012) https://amzn.to/33Vx9Wq Books recommended by Robert Wall
Bonhoeffer, Cost of Discipleship https://amzn.to/2PPHoDh Childs, New Testament as Canon https://amzn.to/2XYQQsk
---------, Biblical Theology in Crisis Hays, Richard. Conversation of the Imagination: Paul as an Interpreter of Israel's Scripture https://amzn.to/30TUOV6---------, Moral Vision of the New Testament. https://amzn.to/33VLVfw Sanders, James. From Sacred Story to Sacred Text https://amzn.to/2E0f928 Education: BA, Valparaiso University, 1969; ThM, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1973; ThD, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1979; additional graduate study at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University. At SPU since 1978. Bio:
Robert Wall’s books and articles — whether aimed at other scholars or clergy — originate in the ferment of the university classroom and in conversation with his students and colleagues. In both his published research and classroom teaching, Dr. Wall approaches the Bible as a sacred text — a “production of the Holy Spirit” — and in a manner that forms a clearer understanding of God for the people of God.
The Reverend Dr. Wall is a Seattle native, an avid sportsman (CrossFitter, hiker, rower, and grandpa), and a dedicated Seattle sports fan. He is an elder of the Free Methodist Church who enjoys an active ecumenical ministry of preaching and teaching adult Bible studies in congregations of various faith traditions.
Dr. Wall has recently published two important projects. He co-authored Marks of Scripture with his SPU colleague Daniel Castelo and served as co-editor of the Wesley One Volume Commentary (contributing the lead essay “Intro To Wesleyan Biblical Interpretation”.
In Episode 16, Dr. David Watson (Dean and Professor of New Testament at United Theological Seminary) talks about what it means to read Scripture as Wesleyan Christians. He talks about the critical need to read Scripture theologically for the Church. We do a deep dive on the inspiration and illumination of the Scripture by the Holy Spirit, “filters” for reading the Bible, the role of historical creeds, prayer, and holiness.
Dr. Watson teaches New Testament, Greek, courses in church renewal and courses in Bible and disability. His interests include theological (and especially Wesleyan) readings of Scripture and the Bible and disabilities. He participates both in the Society of Biblical Literature and the Wesleyan Theological Society. As Academic Dean, Dr. Watson oversees the academic program of the school and is a member of United’s Executive Staff.
Firebrand: firebrandmag.com Links to Amazon are Affiliate links. If you purchase items through these links, Amazon returns a small percentage of the sale to Brian Russell. This supports the podcast and does not increase the price of the items you may choose to buy. Thank you for your support.
Dr. Brian Russell explores this question: What kind of person do I need to become to live out my calling within a missional community?
Growth into the person God created us is vital for our long term spiritual and physical health. Does the way that we live our lives model the actual mission that we believe we are serving?.
Here are some deep dive questions that can help us to grow in our love for God, others, and self:
Who am I apart from the roles that I play and the experiences that I’ve had?
What am I trying really hard not to feel? What do I do to avoid these feelings?
How am I complicit in the reality that I claim I don’t desire for my life?
Interested in a deep dive conversation? Email Dr. Brian Russell: deepdivespirituality@gmail.com
The process of surrender in centering prayer is critical to the taming of our need for control. When we pray, we commit to sitting in solitude with God. This is a form of self-denial. Recall Jesus’ summary of the essence of discipleship: “If any want to come after me, let them deny themselves, take up their cross, and continually follow me” (Matt 16:24 cf. Mark 8:34 Luke 9:27). The focus of discipleship is on consciously following Jesus. Jesus’ words in Matt 16:24 serve ably as a model for centering prayer.
Intending the Things of God
In Matt 16:21, Jesus had laid out the necessity of his journey to Jerusalem. There Jesus would experience suffering, death, but also resurrection. In response to this revelation (16:22), Peter attempted to rebuke Jesus by saying, “May this never happen, Lord!” Jesus responded to Peter with “Get behind me Satan. For you have not set your mind on the things of God but on the things of humanity.” In other words, Peter struggled because he assumed that his plans, desires, and will should govern the actions of Jesus his Lord.
This is not to say that our goals and ideas have no value. As we live in the world, we will continually take decisions and actions. But the process of growth in grace involves removing the idolatry and injustice out of our decisions. The challenge of the spiritual life is that, when we learn about the mind of Christ, we discover that our truest humanity resides in living fully as the person whom God created us to be. The irony is that we are often the greatest impediment to our growth. Our false self attempts to block access to discovering who we are at the deepest level.
To set our mind on the things of humanity means that it is our will and talents that remain in control of our destiny. It is the full flourishing of our flesh apart from reliance on the Holy Spirit (cf. Rom 8:1–17).
To set our minds on the things of God involves realigning continually with the will of God. Our guide is Jesus. Centering prayer allows us to practice this ongoing surrender of the will.
Invitation to Surrender
16:24 begins with an invitation: “If anyone wishes to come after me….” Jesus calls would be followers to set an intention. Decide and commit to go in the way of Jesus. Jesus calls us to a person–the Son of God. When we take the decision to sit in solitude, we are answering the call of Jesus.
What does this intention or decision involve? It involves surrender to a new mode of being. In centering prayer we do not set the agenda. In fact there is no agenda. The moment we seek one we have gone the way of Peter and set our mind on the ways of humanity.
Centering Prayer and the Meaning of Surrender
What does surrender look like? Jesus uses three phrases in 16:24: deny self, take up cross, and continually follow me.
Deny self. This is not merely a call to a disciplined life involving deprivation. It is more radical. To deny self means to orient fully to the way of Jesus so that the cross shapes our goals, desires, rights, and privileges. In centering prayer, this means a steadfast recognition that my stray thoughts, emotional baggage, and even brilliant insights must give way to being present with God.
Take up the cross. In the ancient world, the cross was a terrifying symbol. Crucifixion was gruesome, humiliating, and meant certain death. To take up one’s cross meant literally lifting the wood upon which one would soon die and walking under its weight to the place of your death. A person taking up the cross was a dead man or woman walking. In solitude, we come to God empty handed in the surrendered posture of one whose life is over. This frees us from both past and future in order to be with God in the moment.
Continually follow me. If the first two phrases involve a letting go of one’s rights, privileges, past, and future, Jesus’ final phrase points to the pathway for the present. Disciples follow Jesus moment by moment. This was true during Jesus’ earthly ministry. It remained true for the Christians to whom Matthew was writing in the first century. Jesus’ words are still vital for us in the 21st century. Discipleship involves a deep ongoing relationship with Jesus. This is why Jesus came to earth. In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus is Immanuel “God with us” (1:23). In Matt 18:20, Jesus promises, “For where there are two or three gathered in my name, there I am in their midst.” In Matthew 28:20b, the risen Jesus declares, “Behold, I myself am with you all the days until the end of the age.”
Centering Prayer and the Practice of Surrender
In prayer, denying self and taking up the cross serve as the means of purging our rights to ourselves. Whatever thoughts, feelings, desires, dreams, goals, visions, triumphant memories, or nightmarish recollections arise in solitude, we surrender them and continually follow Jesus. This means using our prayer word to realign ourselves with our Lord.
Imagine yourself taking a walk with Jesus. He leads you down a path. You hear birds singing so you look up for a moment. You then turn your gaze back to Jesus. Then you get an idea for a project at work followed by a worry that you don’t have enough time to accomplish your goals for the day. You catch yourself and again return to the master. A few moments later you reach a point in the path that triggers a painful memory of great loss. Yet again you turn to Jesus. Martin Luther’s dictum comes to mind in this process: “You can’t prevent a bird from landing in your tree but you don’t have to allow it to build a nest.”
Recognize that the process of centering prayer is to continually return to the Lord. Period. Thoughts are thoughts. Feelings are feelings. Memories are memories. The call to discipleship challenges us to turn away from self and follow Jesus. This is the way of prayer too. The question is trust: Do I trust God enough to release my attachments to whatever the hamster wheel inside my head offers up?
Merton writes on the need for continual surrender, “to have a will that is always ready to fold back within itself and draw all the powers of the soul down from its deepest center to rest in silent expectancy for the coming of God, poised in tranquil and effortless concentration upon the point of my dependence on him;…”
There is a dynamic tension between surrender and our role in the surrender. Merton’s words capture it well. It is not that our will disappears. Our will remains. Its intentions have become aligned with the divine will. The Lord’s prayer becomes reality in our inner world, “on earth [in me] as it is in heaven.”
In fact, the process of recentering is the critical discipline that opens us up to God’s presence and grace. There is no contemplative moments apart from the our conscious return to God every time that we find ourselves lost in a stream of thoughts. This is how souls are made. It is a moment by moment journey.
