Spiritual formation is a kind of catch word these days. A lot of people, from a host of varying backgrounds and beliefs, talk about spiritual formation. This is in many ways fadish. As we all can attest, fads have a way of coming and going. I personally believe the fad of spiritual formation, in terms of popular books/titles/dabbling, will go the way of most popular interests. One of the reasons I believe this will be the case is in part due to an approach to spiritual formation where the paradigm is the following:

- Spiritual formation is something a person does in a church building.

In other words, we tend to relegate formation in Christ to small group Bible studies, personal time in God’s Word, meetings and committees. These are all well and good but if they are the sole means to being formed in Christ they fail. They fail because formation is not something that happens simply in the walls of a building with other Christians. Formation in Jesus is meant to happen in life as it is lived. So… what I hear, what I take in, what I learn at Church is meant to be the beginning place. I am, by the power of the living Christ, to take what I receive and incorporate it… kneed it into, my daily life. You know, those times when I’m working out the checkbook, sitting down at dinner with the family, answering an unexpected call, turning on the TV or linking into the internet. All of these mundane realities are meant to be the very place where I seek to learn the ways of Jesus and incorportate those ways into how I relate/respond/react… really… live the life Jesus has gifted me.

Formation happens in a life lived. How are your living life? How is Jesus being formed in your daily activities, actions, relationships/decisions?