The Genesis of Relationship

You can see the previous post where I talk about the Life with God series with Grafted Life. This is the first book and starts out in Genesis. The whole purpose is to get people to think relationally about God. It is about life with God. 

It is written by recovering evangelicals who have been raised in the church and didn't really clue in about the relationship piece and life with God. They went to a spiritual formation program in seminary, and their eyes were opened. So this is written to be a bridge to understanding for people who have been raised this way. 

I often feel like a fish out of water because I was not raised in the church. When I went through the training, I was in the minority as they talked of their upbringing. There were a couple of us, but I always know that I am different, and it is a cross-cultural experience for me. 

So with that, it is a bridge study with podcast sermons to accompany each lesson (until you get to Book 5: Daily Abiding with Jesus and a deep dive into the book of John). They have taken out the contemplative language, and I am assuming this is because words like lectio divina and imaginative contemplation would be unsavory for your mainline evangelical. I get that. That is what the Navigators did with me. They taught me a lot of this stuff, but they wouldn't call it by the Catholic name 30+ years ago. 

I feel like this can fit in a church. I am not necessarily called to the churched person. So, I am not sure I would use this. People apply to go through The Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius, and that is where I am called. 

I do think this study is biblically very sound and a good bridge. I also think if you had your whole church go through it, it would establish a DNA with everyone that would lead to better relationships. I would love to interview people who established it in their church. I do know a pastor who did. He was trained to be a spiritual director when I was an intern trainer. So I might talk to him.