Yesterday I said everything we do is spiritual, which is why Paul says that true Christian “worship” is not a visit to the temple or time spent in prayer, singing to God, or reading scripture, but rather the sacrifice of one’s whole life to God:

Therefore I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship” (Rom 12:1).

Worship is not merely the religious acts we commit at religious times. Worship is the natural act of devoting ourselves to something in which we find value or worth (worth-ship). Remember, whatever we do with our bodies is always the result of our spirit. Always. We always act in accordance with the deep values and beliefs that direct our decision-making. We simply can’t help it. We may be motivated by faith or fear, we may even have competing beliefs that cause bizarre, erratic, or contradictory behavior, but our spirit – however fragmented and compartmentalized – dictates our actions nonetheless.

In the rhythm of life we’ve proposed for Ikon Community, “spiritual formation” (or discipleship) stands at the very heart of the life of faith. Last night we talked about some ideas for seeing discipleship differently. This week I’ll post a series of articles meant to stimulate our thinking on this topic.

The trouble with talking about spiritual formation is that spirit is invisible. How do we know if we are becoming spiritually strong or good? How do we know who requires more or less spiritual training? In the church we talk about “spirit,” but don’t explore what exactly it is.

So, what exactly is our spirit? What exactly are we trying to form when we seek to becomes disciples?

Another thing we discussed Sunday night was how we could look to Christ as the example of how we might live our our faith as a community. I other words, how would we see church differently if we viewed Jesus Christ as the prototype of the Church?

Theologian Chris Wright says Jesus is the “hermeneutical coherence” through which all disciples must read the texts that “lead up to” and “on from” Christ. In our case, this means developing a prophetic imagination that is able to grab hold of Christ’s example to be a foundation for our own gathered lives as missional pilgrims in 21st century America.

Not surprisingly, examples of Christ acting as a missionary to his own culture are everywhere in the gospel narratives, but I’ve chosen a specific passage to highlight because I believe it reveals so much about Christ’s overall posture toward the people of God, the world, and the gospel itself: John 5:1-30.

This past Sunday, several of us gathered to discuss the vision and formation of Ikon Community. Over the next few weeks I’ll post a variety of notes, ideas, video clips, links to other communities of faith, etc. to give us a central place to foster discussion. Please take some time to chip in your thoughts.

One of the main things we discussed last Sunday night was how in a culture dominated by entertainment and consumerism church tends to slip into a performer/spectator and producer/consumer mode of existence. Being a Christian comes to mean buying into the right beliefs, or wearing the right kind of clothes, or reading the right kind of bible. Going to church means driving to an impressive facility, hearing good sermons, and enjoying good worship. Everything is receptive – just like our culture.

This tends to create passive consumer Christians who become serial critics of sermons, worship bands, and church programs, and are content to accumulate knowledge and religious accessories rather than radically follow Christ by infiltrating our culture with the gospel.

Consequently at Ikon our aim, as Alan Roxbourgh has stated, is to create:

“A place where members learn to function as cross-cultural missionaries rather than be a gathering where people come to receive religious goods and services.”

This is the shift in perspective we are looking for at Ikon Community. Let’s start with a simple question: What about this appeals to you and what doesn’t?

This weekend we did things a little differently at Ikon Community. Normally we gather every Sunday night at someone’s home for a meal, the Eucharist, some reflection and discussion of scripture, and prayer. But this Sunday was the weekend for the local Stand Up Against Poverty event, organized by ONE San Diego in support of the Millenium Development Goals.

So, we decided to show up there for “church” instead.

Today is the last day of our journey through the Sermon on the Mount. You’ve spent almost 2 months reading and reflecting on the most important teachings of the most important person to walk the earth. Now is your chance to reflect on the big picture:

• What are some of the most important lessons you took from this?
• How did this change your perception of Jesus and his teachings?
• How will The Sermon on the Mount affect your practice of Christian faith from here on?
• Find someone to partner with and share your reflections. Talk about how you can help each other continue your journey of following Christ.

Today is our day to practice worship together. If you’re not part of Ikon Community, get together with a group of friends and practice the following exercises:

• Eat together
• Receive communion together (choose a reading from John 6:43-58, or 2 Cor 11:23-26, a liturgical book like the Book of Common Prayer)
• Read all, or some portion of the beatitudes from Matthew 5:1-12 or Luke 6:17-26, together and share your experiences from your exercises this week
• Pray for anyone in need

Today is a Reflection Day. Enjoy the break.

Read the last portion of the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 7:24-29 and do the exercises below:

• Jesus tells us here to put his teachings into “practice.” There are two ways to practice: Athletes have long known that aside from physically going through the motions, it’s critical to mentally visualize yourself performing new skills too. In fact, as a general rule, if you can’t imagine yourself doing a skill first, then you can’t learn to do it physically. So, the twofold question is, what do you tend to “practice” most in life? What do you tend to think about most and what do you tend to physically practice most?
• How can you begin to put Jesus’ teachings into practice more effectively in your life? What teaching in Matthew 5-7 provides you with the most understanding for how to do that?
• Jesus himself lived his life among others in a community of faith, and called others to do the same. Who are the people that you might consider inviting to walk more closely with you through your exploration of faith?
• Heavier lifting: Read Proverbs Chapter 1 and compare it to the words of Jesus here. What are the similarities?

Read Matthew 7:15-23 and do the exercises below:

• What words stand out to you most from this passage and why?
• I have a friend who calls “I never knew you” (v23) the four scariest words in the Bible. Reflect on what these words mean. How can Christ “know” us?