Embracing Grace<\/a><\/em>, is that a theory of spiritual formation is at work in how we present the gospel and that everything flows from that gospel. To change spiritual formation from an individual emphasis to an ecclesial emphasis will mean that we have to broaden our sense of the gospel so that Church is vital to the gospel.
\nRobust Gospel, Robust Spiritual Formation
\nScot McKnight
\nNorth Park University
\nSpiritual Formation Forum
\nElmbrook Church
\nMilwaukee
\nIntroduction: Here I talked about developing \u201cskills\u201d in basketball \u2014 like shooting and dribbling. But some skills can\u2019t be learned alone in your driveway \u2014 like passing and rebounding and team play. Spiritual formation is too often too much about shooting and dribbling and not enough about about passing and rebounding. (And reading the defense.) So, this talk is dedicated to a one-sided emphasis on the need for a gospel that will lead Christians to realize that spiritual formation is not just about individual spiritual formation but also about ecclesial spiritual formation.
\n1.0\tThe Standard Gospel Presentation
\nGod loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.
\nYour problem is that you are sinful; God can\u2019t admit sinners into his presence.
\nJesus died for you to deal with your \u201csin-problem.\u201d
\nIf you trust in Christ, you can be admitted into God\u2019s presence.
\nProblems:
\n1. No one in the NT really preaches this gospel.
\n2. This gospel is about one thing: Humans gaining access to God\u2019s presence.
\n3. This gospel creates an individualist Christian life.
\n4. This gospel sets the tone for the entire evangelical movement.
\n5. This gospel leads to spiritual formation being entirely about \u201cme and God.\u201d
\n6. The evangelical gospel has created a need for evangelical monasteries.
\n7. The evangelical gospel turns local church into a volunteer society.
\n8. The evangelical gospel is rooted in Theism or Deism, but not perichoretic Trinitariaism.
\n2.0\tA Robust Gospel Presentation
\n1. A Robust gospel can\u2019t be \u201ctractified.\u201d
\n2. God made you as an Eikon to relate in love to God, to self, to others and to the world.
\n3. The \u201cfall\u201d cracked the Eikon in all four directions.
\n4. Bible readers can\u2019t skip from Genesis 3 to Romans 3.
\n5. Genesis 4\u201411 reveals the \u201cproblem\u201d of sin: the climax is a society of Eikons trying to build their way to God.
\n6. Genesis 12 begins to restore the Eikon by (1) covenantal commitment and (2) forming the family of faith. THE REST OF THE BIBLE IS ABOUT THIS ELECTED FAMILY OF FAITH.
\n7. The \u201cproblem\u201d is finally resolved in \u201cfour atoning moments\u201d: the life of Jesus, the death of Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus, and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
\n8. The \u201clocus\u201d of resolution is the family of faith: three big words in Bible are Israel, the Kingdom, and the Church.
\n3.0\tRobust Gospel, Robust Spiritual Formation
\nIndividual spiritual disciplines are important; they aren\u2019t the point.
\nI assume their importance and their disciplined practice.
\nJesus
\n1. Jesus thinks with the term \u201ckingdom\u201d: society in which God\u2019s will is done.
\n2. Jesus\u2019 primary category for spiritually formed people is the Jesus Creed: Mark 12:28-32.
\nPaul
\n1. Paul thinks with the term \u201cchurch\u201d: the fellowship of the Spirit that realizes through the Spirit the kingdom vision of Jesus.
\n2. Paul\u2019s primary category for spiritually formed people is \u201cgiftedness\u201d: 1 Cor 12\u201414.
\nJohn
\n1. John thinks with the term \u201clife\u201d or \u201cfellowship\u201d: the light of God invading a person\u2019s life so that they live in the light of fellowship and love.
\n2. John\u2019s primary category for spiritually formed people is \u201clove God, love one another\u201d: 1 John.
\n4.0 \tConclusions
\n1. The Church is what God is doing in this world.
\n2. Spiritual formation is both personal formation and ecclesial formation.
\n3. The gospel is something that is both proclaimed and performed and what we see is what we are really preaching.
\n4. Our biggest needs:
\nA gospel that is robust.
\nA spiritual formation that flows out of that robust gospel.
\nA spiritual formation that is shaped by the kingdom\/church vision.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The following outline was used for my talk at the Spiritual Formation Forum in Milwaukee last week. My week was more hectic than I wanted \u2014 owing to about five things happening at once, not the least of which was major house repairs, and so was unable to attend the whole forum. Next year I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":197,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1742],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2631","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-embracing-grace"],"yoast_head":"\n
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