Spiritual Formation - An Enlightening Journey

By Pastor Ashlee Decker

“Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.    Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, “You must be born again.’ (John 3:5-7 NIV)

Spiritual formation is a process that takes on many shapes. It begins as soon as you accept The Lord into your heart as your Savior and Guide. There are several spiritual formation concepts. A book from one of my seminary classes called Ecologies of Faith in a Digital Age: Spiritual Growth through Online Learning helped me to understand these concepts as they were new to me. Two that really stood out and I feel I need to incorporate more in my life to be a better disciple and child of God are; Growing Spiritually in an Online Setting and Growing as a Member of the Body of Christ.

“In God’s ecology, individual things and people do not grow alone. They grow when they connect to and interact with the ultimate Source of Life and other growing people” Ecologies of Faith in a Digital Age, by Stephen D. Lowe and Mary E. Lowe

In having a very traditional upbringing in the Roman Catholic Church, the organ, choir and smells of incense burning were just a few things that made me feel like I was truly worshiping God. The standing, sitting, kneeling and praying together gave you a sense of community. As much as we need food and water to survive, we need intimate bonds with God and our fellow man.

When Covid hit, the thought of online worship was out there for me. How do you grow spiritually watching service on the computer? Never had I been on a blog or social media platform and the last thing I thought I would be doing is spending my Sunday morning worshiping with people online. What I found was whether we are united face-to-face, on social media outlets or digital platforms, spiritual formation happens when believers get together, engage fully in scripture, dissect it, reflect on it and listen to others take on it.

Although we have been back in person, being introduced to this new way of worship allowed me to step out of my comfort zone. It has continued to be a focus for our church and me as our online presence is expanding. What tips do you have in helping to make someone’s online worship experience better? I’d love to hear your ideas on helping to make our online worship experience better!

Here are a couple ways I intend on growing spiritually in this digital setting:

1. Read a different person’s blog weekly focused on online / digital spiritual formation

2. Join a weekly online Bible Study / small group

“For believers do not together constitute one body because they are members of one another, but because they are members of Christ, and thus are one body in him.” Herman Ridderbos

The Universal Body of Christ is the organism built of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and us, the church. Every human being who believes in Christ is made up of this body regardless of denomination. Jesus and Paul refer to this body several times through an ecological perspective. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. (Ephesians 4:16) Christ is the head and we are the intricate parts.

As believers, caring for the body is our focus. When we accept Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us and provides us with special gifts to build up that body. How do we do that? We turn our focus to God, His Word, His Plan and His Mission. Building spiritual connections through worship, prayer and discipleship, with Christ being at the forefront, is a great way to start!

Why this is so important is because it is easy in today’s world to lose sight of what God really intended when He sent His only Son to die for our salvation. Jesus’ message was to build the Body of Christ by sharing His good news with everyone. Do you, your church and prayer groups embody this spirit? I’d like to learn from you.

What I am going to do to help nourish and grow both myself and this body is:

1. Join a prayer group belonging to a different denomination so I can learn from all Christian believers

2. Pray with my brothers and sisters for God to open our eyes and hearts to what He wants us to see, enlightening us so we may embrace the Mystical Body of the Universal Christ

3. Participate in mission groups here and all over the world focused on spreading the Gospel

Peter, my close friend just enrolled in seminary. As a new seminary student, I pray that you “Prepare your Heart” as Zacharias and Forrest point out in Surviving and Thriving in Seminary. Seminary is challenging, especially if you have never taken religious courses. Sometimes it feels like there are not enough hours in the day to get all of your work done.

When building a schedule (if you have not yet done so please do), incorporate personal prayer time with God. Even though you are in the Bible, studying every day, this does not mean you are building a relationship with Him. Zacharias and Forrest talk about “Digging a well of spiritual depth. A shallow well dries up but a deep well provides enough water to give a family life.” The Holy Spirit is that water and God will provide you with an abundance helping you in your spiritual formation. If you can, start your day with prayer.

God’s wisdom and grace will be with you while doing assignments. This enhanced my relationship with God and helped my education tremendously. May the Lord bless us all as we progress on this enlightening journey.