Spiritual Formation Articles

Empty That We May Be Full

Marlena opens her book, The Way Up is Down, by pouring out her complaints to God (“reading God the riot act”) after a particularly painful event. That honest prayer opened the way to illuminating insight.

Marlena Graves

November 30, 2020

The Longing of God to Be Connected to You

Written for the first week of Advent as part of the Renovaré resource Meditations on the Birth of Jesus, Miriam Dixon and Margaret Campbell engage our imaginations to help us hear God’s invitation into restored relationship.

Miriam Dixon & Margaret Campbell

November 25, 2020

Life Goes On

In this meditation, Howard Thurman — one of the great preachers of the twentieth century and spiritual advisor to Martin Luther King, Jr. — invites us to overcome by evil and despair by attending “to the little graces.”

Howard Thurman

November 20, 2020

Come, Then Stay

Alive. Vibrant. True. Accessible. Anointed. These are good words to describe the writing of Andrew Murray, which has endured for generations. Here is the first day of his classic thirty-one day devotional, Abide in Christ.

Andrew Murray

November 13, 2020

Hearing and Obeying

With straightforward clarity, Richard Foster explains that “Christian meditation, very simply, is the ability to hear God’s voice and obey his word. It is that simple.”

Richard J. Foster

November 13, 2020

The Formation of Christian Character

From W.S. Bruce’s 1908 book, The Formation of Christian Character, this buried gem of wisdom outlines why the words“Christian” and“character” can’t be separated.

William Stratton Bruce

November 6, 2020

What Do Spiritual Formation Based Congregations Look Like?

In this May 2006 pastoral letter to the Renovaré community, Richard Foster lays out the characteristics and principles of spiritual formation based congregations, and puts practical skin on them with personal stories.

Richard J. Foster

October 30, 2020

A Magnificent Act of Mercy

In Mark’s Gospel, four men dug a hole in a roof to help their friend. “Their childlike trust in Jesus’ power to heal their paralyzed friend ravished Jesus’ tender heart.” Asking for mercy, Fil Anderson points out, requires humility.