June 3, 2008, Dave Sable: Great thoughts
by Lee. I downloaded the lectures to listen to. Here are some thoughts
his post raised in me. (OK, Lee is a theologian and I'm not so he might
rip this to shreds.) Nevertheless, this is what is working for me now:
For me, I no longer think of Christian spirituality in terms of striving
towards a perfect state of being. I no longer think that, “If only I just
(fill in the blank – reckon my self dead, crucify self, be filled with
Christ, master Romans 6, pray more, read my Bible more, deny self, fast
etc.) I will arrive.”
This illustration is how I think of things now (I don’t know if it is
technically accurate but it is still a good illustration): When a
commercial jet is going from point A to point B, it is off course 80% of
the time. With wind and heat changes, the jet slightly drifts from its
course. The pilot, however, sends a signal every couple of minutes and
constantly corrects its course.
To me, this illustrates my Christian spirituality. It isn’t that I never
have some really stinky ideas in my head or I don’t react in poor ways.
I do drift off course constantly. But as I learn more about God as well
as learn about myself, I find that I am able to make course corrections
sooner so that I don’t get so far off that I start really making a huge
mess of things.
I will never be perfect, per se, in this life. But the spiritual tools
and disciplines that I have been given (meditation, prayer, confession,
making amends, journaling, teaching, fellowship, communion, etc.) help
me correct my course.