Comments on: The Future of Christian Spirituality: Part 4 | A More Welcoming Stance from a Rooted Depth https://transformingcenter.org/2024/05/the-future-of-christian-spirituality-part-4-a-more-welcoming-stance-from-a-rooted-depth/ Strengthen The Soul Of Your Leadership Sat, 31 Aug 2024 00:49:16 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 By: Ruth Barton https://transformingcenter.org/2024/05/the-future-of-christian-spirituality-part-4-a-more-welcoming-stance-from-a-rooted-depth/#comment-734996 Sat, 31 Aug 2024 00:49:16 +0000 https://transformingcenter.org/?p=18540#comment-734996 In reply to Renee Grubb.

What a lovely response! The openheartedness you express here… the willingness to have your own soul churned up as you are welcoming others in spiritual direction… the freedom you are recognizing in not always having to be right…that is the Spirit blowing through your life. This is the spirit that will take us to someplace beautiful and new.

]]> By: Renee Grubb https://transformingcenter.org/2024/05/the-future-of-christian-spirituality-part-4-a-more-welcoming-stance-from-a-rooted-depth/#comment-734993 Fri, 30 Aug 2024 15:41:23 +0000 https://transformingcenter.org/?p=18540#comment-734993 This was both challenging and a breath of fresh air – the whisper of a wind. In training in a cross cultural spiritual direction program, this freedom has been a surprising joy. After working with youth and young adults for over 40 years in various contexts, this movement away from “being right” and being more of a fellow spiritual pilgrim has more times than not brought renewed revelation for my own heart. Even resistance has been a churning up the soil of my soul. I so appreciate your articulations, Ruth both on this topic and for leadership. Blessings

]]> By: Ruth Barton https://transformingcenter.org/2024/05/the-future-of-christian-spirituality-part-4-a-more-welcoming-stance-from-a-rooted-depth/#comment-734193 Sat, 15 Jun 2024 15:12:10 +0000 https://transformingcenter.org/?p=18540#comment-734193 In reply to David Hughes.

This is a really helpful perspective, David. I would be so curious to hear from those who have changed their interpretation of Scripture on the subject of slavery about how that same process might apply to other controversial topics they are taking a hard line on now…

]]> By: David Hughes https://transformingcenter.org/2024/05/the-future-of-christian-spirituality-part-4-a-more-welcoming-stance-from-a-rooted-depth/#comment-734164 Thu, 06 Jun 2024 16:26:31 +0000 https://transformingcenter.org/?p=18540#comment-734164 Thank you, Ruth, for this helpful word about inclusiveness in a season when Christ-followers are as divided as the American culture about us. It seems much of our division falls between those who claim Scripture, as they interpret it, is the final word on all things vs. those who want to make space for an experience of the Holy Spirit that would inform and even shape their response to the issues at hand. A case in point: in earlier times, many from my Southern Baptist tradition insisted that the Bible not only allowed for but advocated for the practice of slavery. And strictly speaking, they were correct. But others within the Christian tradition began to hear the Spirit declare that this evil practice needed to end, regardless of how the Bible had previously been interpreted. Who among us today would argue they were not hearing the Spirit correctly? This example seems to affirm the truth behind Jesus’ words in John 16:12-13: “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth….” In other words, the process of inspiration that gave birth to Scripture would not end with Jesus’ earthly ministry, or with other New Testament writings of the first century, but would continue on, even to the present day. Yes, there are “lines and limits” within the Christian tradition. But our job is not to so much to draw the lines and execute the limits (God will do that far better than we could in our imperfect wisdom) but to welcome, love, and winsomely engage those whose life experiences and theology may differ from ours. 

]]> By: Ruth Barton https://transformingcenter.org/2024/05/the-future-of-christian-spirituality-part-4-a-more-welcoming-stance-from-a-rooted-depth/#comment-734149 Mon, 03 Jun 2024 13:21:56 +0000 https://transformingcenter.org/?p=18540#comment-734149 In reply to Michael Fox.

Such an encouraging comment, Michael. Thank you!

]]> By: Michael Fox https://transformingcenter.org/2024/05/the-future-of-christian-spirituality-part-4-a-more-welcoming-stance-from-a-rooted-depth/#comment-734094 Mon, 27 May 2024 22:05:21 +0000 https://transformingcenter.org/?p=18540#comment-734094 Ruth, penetrating thoughts, as always. You make me think. It’s one aspect of your giftedness that has served me well for the many years I have learned from you. I appreciate the reference from Romans 14: “Who are you to judge the servant of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And stand they will, for the Lord is able to make them stand.” As I read your words I remembered the story of Jesus when he ministered to the blind man—twice. It took two healings to restore the fellow’s sight. After Jesus’ initial effort, the formerly blind fellow said he could see the forms of men, but they were vague and appeared to be as trees walking. His eyes fully opened with the second touch. Many of us who follow Jesus need additional illumination to get to the rooted depths of truth. I thank God that all our differences are a living testimony that we all depend upon the magnificent grace of God.

]]> By: Ruth Barton https://transformingcenter.org/2024/05/the-future-of-christian-spirituality-part-4-a-more-welcoming-stance-from-a-rooted-depth/#comment-734078 Sat, 25 May 2024 13:17:56 +0000 https://transformingcenter.org/?p=18540#comment-734078 In reply to Scott Pittman.

I love hearing that you might be receiving a new invitation from God! Doesn’t get any better than that!

Heteronormative is simply making our own experience (in this case of being heterosexual) the norm. We can do the same thing with maleness/femaleness, with whiteness, with being American/whatever nationality we are, etc. –making them the norm by which everything else gets measured. The process of making our own experience the measure of all things is unconscious until God, by God’s grace, brings it to consciousness. The lack of awareness that we do this quite naturally can cause us to dismiss or diminish others’ experiences that are different than our own, AND can cause us to overlook the fact that these different experiences are worthy of being acknowledged and considered. I think Paul’s statement in I Corinthians 12 applies here–that in the body of Christ none of us have the right to say to another part, “we have no need of you.” (Try to not to worry about my trajectory…I am still grounding everything I write about in Scripture, as you can see. 🙂

]]> By: Ruth Barton https://transformingcenter.org/2024/05/the-future-of-christian-spirituality-part-4-a-more-welcoming-stance-from-a-rooted-depth/#comment-734074 Fri, 24 May 2024 19:07:35 +0000 https://transformingcenter.org/?p=18540#comment-734074 In reply to Mark A. Cheatwood.

Thank you…your “suffering-in-Baptistville” comment made me laugh out loud!! Many people are suffering in their own “villes” right now, that’s for sure!

]]> By: Ruth Barton https://transformingcenter.org/2024/05/the-future-of-christian-spirituality-part-4-a-more-welcoming-stance-from-a-rooted-depth/#comment-734073 Fri, 24 May 2024 19:04:28 +0000 https://transformingcenter.org/?p=18540#comment-734073 In reply to Rodney Page.

Thank you so much for this gracious encouragement, Rodney! I love the attention you are drawing the Peter’s vision of the unclean animals…it reminds me that to be in Christ is to be open to the continual unfolding of God’s will and purposes.

]]> By: Mark A. Cheatwood https://transformingcenter.org/2024/05/the-future-of-christian-spirituality-part-4-a-more-welcoming-stance-from-a-rooted-depth/#comment-734072 Fri, 24 May 2024 16:33:05 +0000 https://transformingcenter.org/?p=18540#comment-734072 Hello!

I think this is a very good way of saying this, “We don’t care about what the Bible says the way you have interpreted it.” I’ve seen way too many “The Bible is our guide” arguments by people who apparently don’t know that THEY have an interpretation that isn’t the Bible itself. Alas.

LOVE the poem.

Ruth, thanks for all you do. You’re a breath of fresh air for this suffering-in-Baptistville believer.

M

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