Spiritual transformation always includes a usually disconcerting reorientation. Change happens, but transformation is always a process of letting go, living in the confusing, shadowy space for a while, and eventually being spit up on a new and unexpected shore. You...
So what are we inviting ourselves and others into? For those who’ve been out for a while, what are we inviting them back to? ...When we can step out of our institutional concerns, reconnecting with the essence of our faith, we remember the Way of life to which Jesus...
So, in summary, if the gospel is about having the right information, then being right is everything. But, if the gospel is about transformation, then being Christ-like is everything.
Transformation isn't sweet and bright. It's a dark and murky, painful pushing. An unraveling of the untruths you've carried in your body. A practice in facing your own created demons. A complete uprooting before becoming. from Edge of Wonder
Christianity is not about “right beliefs.” It is about a change of heart. It is about the transformation of ourselves at that deep level that shapes our vision,... our commitment,... and our values.
Before conversion, we tend to think that God is out there. After transformation, God is not out there and we don’t look at reality. We look from reality. We’re in the middle of it now; we’re a part of it. This whole thing is...
With the mistaken view of God as a Punisher-in-Chief that most Christians seem to hold, we think our own violence is necessary and even good. But there is no such thing as redemptive violence. Violence doesn’t save; it only destroys all parties in both the short and...
Anger is an organic, living thing, and so is love. If we know how to handle our anger it can turn into love, just as when we know how to take care of our compost, we can transform it into a beautiful rose. Is garbage negative or positive? It can be positive, if we...
The butterfly does not look back at the caterpillar in shame, just as you should not look back at your past in shame. Your past was part of your own transformation.
The truth is that spiritual transformation takes place as we embrace the challenges and opportunities associated with each season of our life. from Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation