Asking

A sincere and unmanipulative request has the power to unite and equalize a relationship more than any other words.

The wrong goal?

Our house church gathered again, and we continued to discuss the book. Shari facilitated and began to draw out from the group reflections on the reading. The conversation was mild until we reached a point of fine delineation. The Tuesday night guys group (hitherto affectionately refered as "The Contemplatives") saw something in the author's words that was questionable. The author said that in order to reach the goal of transformation, the activities of disciplines must be followed (training vs. trying). A Contemplative saw a suttle nuance of self-effort as the problem. "I need to do these activities, so I can reach the goal..." (Heavy emphasis on "I".) Push back was given. Do we just sit there, almost paralysed? So spiritual disciplines are not necessary?

Then I thought to myself, are spiritual disciplines a form obedience or just a good idea to reach the goal? If they are "obedience" then I want to read the red letters of Jesus, or at least hear the Spirit clearly. If they are just a good idea to help reach the goal, then it seems like I am saying, "I WANT TO HELP YOU, HELP ME, BE LIKE YOU." Effort-filled, sophisticated training.

Furthermore, is it the concept of the goal that drives us? The goal of transformation. We hate that we aren't more like Jesus. We haven't reached the goal. We measure ourselves and come up short.

What if the problem is the goal?