This week’s intro is by Renovaré President Ted Harro.

What would Richard Foster say to leaders of the modern spiritual formation movement?

In my role as president of Renovaré, I’m asked this from time to time. Having spent a good bit of time with Richard in the past three years, I had my guesses. But in mid-February, I found out firsthand. 

Around 30 leaders of formation-oriented ministries from across North America (and a couple from Brazil!) gathered at Fuller Seminary in Pasadena for an informal summit. The first evening, Richard joined us via Zoom. 

He recounted the early days of the modern spiritual formation movement…

How they responded to an underlying spiritual hunger prompted by the superficiality of the 60s and 70s Western culture.

How they realized that hunger alone doesn’t guarantee that anyone will become more like Jesus—we need practical ways to bring the with-God life into everyday life.

How they invented nothing new but simply reintroduced people to the treasures of God’s people (the Church) from across centuries and Christian traditions. 

Richard closed with an exhortation and a blessing. 

First, he exhorted us to work together and walk together, always aiming to stride cheerfully across the earth, serving with as little fanfare as possible. 

Then, he offered this blessing: ​“May God give you the gift of tears. As you walk on this tired and sad earth, may you have the gift of weeping, of a soft heart.”

At first this seemed like a ​“Danny Downer” benediction. I was expecting — perhaps hoping for — sunnier words of blessing like light or power or joy. 

Tears? Not so much.

But as we discussed the state of the world, the Church, and the contemporary spiritual formation movement, the wisdom of those contrasting postures became clear. 

A light step. A sorrow-soft heart. Sounds a lot like Jesus. And it might just be the kind of person our crazy world needs today.