Lantern Road book review chapter 9

Spirituality, one of my favorite topics. Spirituality outside of community is one of the most dangerous exercises a human being can attempt. Deception is almost inevitable. Without the counsel and accountability of community we all drift toward self indulgence and that includes the arena of spirituality. Jesus greatest expression of spirituality is found in the statement concerning him in the Psalms and Hebrews, "In the volume of the book it is written of me, I come to do your will O God." The proof is in the doing, the going, not the being. Being spiritual is one thing, but living spiritual is another ball game.
Page 142 is excellent on the topic of spirituality and the Word of God. I love the statement that "God reveals himself by his Spirit through his word." Far too often our concepts of spiritual encounter are not rightly compared to the Word of God and are tainted. I liked the balance concerning the leading of the Spirit that begins at the bottom of page 142. In many circles, there is such a craving for prophetic words to direct lives that it has become like a Christian fortune telling center in some churches. I do not discount the prophetic, but I do believe we are becoming addicted and remaining infantile in our spiritual growth due to our reliance on prophetic input. I do disagree with the argument on page 143 that all we need is Jesus. For certain any instruction, whether by teaching or prophetic etc. must conform to the words of Jesus himself or as given through the writings of the New Testament, but Jesus did give the ministry gifts and the gifts of the Holy Spirit to help instruct us and to train us into His will.
The thoughts on "Spirituality and the Gospel Mission" are helpful. Gnosticism is addressed and certainly that is a major issue in the church today. The points about John 15 on page 146 are definitely part of the discussion. I also liked the section on passionate prayer. I think that the theology of corporate prayer is a much needed topic today. Much of the Old Testament pictures national petition and gathering to seek God and it almost seems assumed by Paul in the New Testament that there are times of petition prayer happening in the churches. The statements on page 150 about concentration in prayer being helped by corporate praying are definitely true. I will say that the statements on page 148 that seem to discourage praise and thanksgiving as a needed component for prayer are wrong. It is true that petitioning God is a form of humility and need for God, but it also is first centered in myself and not God. And, there is definitely a clear teaching in scripture concerning petitioning according to the will of God which is likely best found in first focusing upon Him.
Lastly, for me the final section is the key principle of the chapter. Any time we begin our approach to God as if it is only about God and me I think we abuse the Lord's intention to redeem a people. It automatically isolates me when I think in terms of my need for God without regard to the people He has joined my life to. The emphasis on page 150 about not separating ourselves and the reference to the scriptures that point to sins that separate us from God are very insightful. Also, the concept that the scriptures urge us to live in relationship where we are encouraging and exhorting one another imply clearly that part of our spiritual growth is dependent upon relationship. Exhortation is so lacking in most of the churches relationship instruction. We are not often taught how to "speak the truth in love", in fact we are seldom encouraged to do so but rather most of the time we are actually encouraged not to do so for the sake of unity. How twisted we are to think that there could possibly be God glorifying unity where there is no confrontation happening in the spirit of love and meekness. As simple as it sounds, the sentence on page 151 that sums it all up for me is, "We need to be sharing our lives." Sharing is a concept our parents taught us from the start, how did we find ourselves so wounded and hardened by sin that somewhere along the way we forgot that it is wrong to keep things to ourselves and it is always right to have a heart to share. Paul said it this way in I Corinthians 6:19-20, we are not our own but rather we were bought by a price. Paul also encourages us in Romans 12 to present our bodies as living sacrifices. We belong to Jesus and he is an unselfish and generous giver. Our lives are to be shared with others.