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?

We have been dwelling on the beatitudes all week, and we’re not done yet. Take time to read slowly and meditatively through Luke’s version of the beatitudes (Luke 6:17-26). Then read Dallas Willard’s thoughts on the beatitudes, quoted below from his book The Divine Conspiracy and then do the exercises below:

Not only did Jesus tell us to make disciples, but he told us how to make disciples. In the Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20), Jesus lays out a method of spiritual formation that is from the inside-out:

• “Make disciples” - Enlist people as students of Jesus, engaging their mind and their will (or their “hearts”) in the intentional experience of learning from him.
• “Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” - This doesn’t just refer to dunking people underwater. It literally means to immerse (”baptize”) them into the presence and reality of the triune God. Put another way, we must immerse people in the kind of life that is full of the work of the living God. That is exactly what Christ did with his disciples.
• “Teach them to obey everything I have commanded” - Specifically, teach them the faithful outward acts of a genuine inward faith, like those found in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5-7). This means to praise them when they succeed, correct them when they’re wrong, and encourage them when they’re tired.