64. Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God by Dallas Willard

This is my third time reading this book. The first time made me head hurt, the second time I grasped a little more, the third time was when I realized that Willard was a genius. While I was blessed to be involved in intentional discipleship through the ministry of the Navigators, I know that most have not had this kind of blessing. That is why I think The Divine Conspiracy is an important read for believers today. 

This is a beautiful book about being intentional about becoming a follower of Jesus Christ, not just someone who has made a decision and never done anything since. The culmination of the book is the "Curriculum for Christlikeness."  We have led three groups through this book, and we have every write one and submit it to others for accountability.

 Here is mine:

Carol’s Curriculum for Christlikeness 2013-14

Life Mission

To Abide in Christ so I can overflow as I encourage women toward abiding fruitfulness in Christ through relational evangelizing, establishing, and equipping.

I.            Enthralling My Mind and Heart with God Through

A.   His Creation

1.     Walk out and worship in creation at least three times a week

2.    Look at pictures of God’s creation when the weather is bad

3.    Look at pictures of peoples whom God created, especially those from other cultures

B.    His Word

1.     Spend daily time in Old Testament with Bible Book Club

2.    Focus on Jesus’ life through daily Jesus Story/Gospel reading

C.     Experience of Jesus

1.     Daily Jesus Story/Gospel reading

2.    Listen to His voice 24/7/365

3.    Theophostic prayer

4.    Read God Guides

II.         Acquiring the Habits of Goodness through the disciplines of . . . 

A.   Solitude and Silence

1.     Daily prayer before everyone gets up

2.    Day of prayer Labor Day, New Year’s Eve, Spring Break, Memorial Day, and mid-Summer with one-two overnighter at St. Benedict Lodge/Shalom Prayer Center/Abbey Retreat Center/Trappist Abbey/The Upper Room

B.    Study and Worship

1.     Daily Creation to Christ Meditation with daily “I wills”

2.    Romans (Knowing the cross) with Rachel and Stephanie every other week

3.    Worship Walks as above

4.    Worship through music by singing and dancing

5.    Worship through the Psalms 

 I love what he says about the Bible, and I could not agree more:

Its purpose is practical, not academic. An intelligent, careful, intensive but straightforward reading—that is, one not governed by obscure and faddish theories or by a mindless orthodoxy—is what it requires to direct us into life in God’s kingdom. Any other approach to the Bible, I believe, conflicts with the picture of the God that, all agree, emerges from Jesus and his tradition.
Willard, Dallas (2009-02-06). The Divine Conspiracy . Harper Collins, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

This is precisely why I started the BIBLE BOOK CLUB in 2007. If anyone reads this post and wants to come along, feel free. It just involved reading the 1-2 chapters of the Bible over a three year period. The people who have finished the previous two cycles have been richly blessed, and maybe you will be too! We start a new cycle on January 1!