Word cannot express how much I loved this biography. Gary Moon offers it with such love and affection for this wonderful man. This is a Renovare Book Club pick. Update: I led a discussion with six people. It was such a great discussion, and I had narrowed down the questions that the author gave in supplementary material for the book club. So I am going to put them here in case you ever read the book and want to think about your own spiritual formation.
I. NATURE/NURTURE/CULTURE: “Before I can tell my
life what I want to do with it, I must listen to my life telling me who I am.”
(Parker Palmer) What is your life telling you about your deepest desires?
- NATURE: How has your nature (e.g. temperament, learning style, etc.) become part of your becoming?
- NURTURE: How has the image of one of your parents (or grandparents) contributed to forming your image of God?
- CULTURE: What do you carry with you from the early years of your church-life experience that continues to help shape your spiritual formation? What aspects have you needed to rethink, or find for yourself?
II. WORK/FAMILY/MINISTRY: Three Stages for Living a
with-God Life. How is the drama of your with-God Life playing out on the stages
of work, family, and ministry?
- WORK: What aspects of your work-life are/were you most grateful and which pose/posed the biggest challenge to your Christian life?
- FAMILY: How do you see God’s hand in your family relationships?
- MINISTRY: Is there something you have come to understand or to do that helps you see the image of God in every person you meet? If yes, please explain. (I have an exercise attached that I did last December for the Renovaré Institute, and I thought it would be perfect for you as you head into this December! It was written by Jan Johnson who was mentored by Dallas Willard. Enjoy!)
III. FINISHING WELL: Ideas for Time and
Eternity/Intentionality in Living the “With God” Life/Spiritual Formation and
Spiritual Disciplines/Loving God Flowing to Loving Neighbor
- At your stage of life, how are you intentionally living in light of eternity? (I attached praxis exercises for Psalm 23 and the Lord’s Prayer. Practices by Dallas mentioned in the book)
- What are some barriers you have experienced for being able to life in love with God and neighbor as you go through the day? What are your ideas for bursting out of those barriers?
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