Several years ago I was introduced to the spiritual formation program at the Dominican Center of Marywood out of Grand Rapids, Michigan (www.dominicancenter.com). Something that has changed my heart, my mind and my life forever.
I was already experiencing personal dissatisfaction, things in my spiritual life no longer “lined” up. I had a lot of questions about my faith and no place to process them. Still I entered the Dominican spiritual formation program cautiously, understanding I was in no way looking to discard my Christian faith and become a “Buddhist”, but also hoping to find answers to questions I hadn’t even asked yet. Basically, I wasn't interested in changing my theology about God, yet yearned to better understand the changes that were already occurring in me. I desperately needed confirmation that what I was experiencing was from God and in fact pulling me into a new dimension of my faith, not away from Him.
Since my involvement with the Dominican spiritual formation program, I feel like I have fewer theological issues that are “non-negotiables,” but I am more certain on the core issues of my faith. My basic theology centers on the scripture Acts 4.12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name (but Jesus Christ) under heaven given to men by whom we must be saved.”
I believe that there are many ways that people come to know and love Jesus Christ. It may be through nature, poetry, music, art, other faiths, literature, movies, challenging circumstance, relationships, gardening, mediation, yoga, exercise, etc. All of these things and more can draw individuals towards Jesus Christ.
I thought I knew what I believed about creation and Jesus' humanity, yet I have been challenged to look at them from a different perspective. I'll admit, it is a scary journey but each time I have been willing to risk examining a "sacred cow" I have found myself drawn deeper into the heart of Jesus. I am learning to trust the Spirit for discernment and truth.
One factor that drew me to Westwinds Church was their understanding that people come to God through various avenues and that He is experienced in all aspects of life. Our faith in God is not just a “ticket” out of hell, but rather a calling to build the Kingdom of God in our lives and communities today. As followers of Jesus, we are called to become a people, a community in which others around us will be "blessed" through us.
The belief that everything is sacred, from my relationship with my kids, my eating and spending habits, my friendships at the soccer field, my marriage, to serving at my local church, reading my Bible and praying. “God blesses everything He creates, making all creation the sign of his presence. If spirituality means the way we grow into the kind of being we are intended to be, then the starting point is not a striving after another world, but a deepening awareness of the true nature of this world and our place in it.” – The Sunrise of Wonder, Michael Mayne. This deeper understanding of Christian spirituality is far beyond the more “fundamental” background that I grew up with.
Three years later, I laugh at my comment, "I don't want to change my theology." My theology has radically changed!! and at times even my own family - brother, sister, and parents don't fully understand how I have changed. Yet all I know is - I love Jesus in a way that I've never before.
That's a good trade off for me - uncomfortable, but in love with Jesus!
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