Christian spirituality is the holistic
relating of one’s entire life as understood, felt, imagined, and decided upon
in relation to God as Father; united through Jesus Christ, and empowered within
the Spirit’s indwelling presence.*
It’s characterized as, “the quest for a
fulfilled and authentic Christian existence; involving a bringing together of
the fundamental ideas of Christianity into the whole experience of lifelong-living
on the basis of and within one’s Christian faith.”**
It is dynamic, living,
developing, evident, and nurtured.
It is not self-perpetuating; it’s intentionally
pursued and supported engagement.
It’s the living and nurturing of a growing
faith.
Check it out in biblical narratives, spiritual growth is (1) normative,
(2) intentionally nurtured, (3) behaviourally observable, and (4) modelled and
mentored.
While you’re checking biblical narratives,
pick up with Saint Peter’s words . . .
“So
don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your
basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline,
passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love,
each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities
active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day
will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master
Jesus. Without these qualities you can’t see what’s right before you, oblivious
that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books”
- 1 Peter 1:5-9 (Message Bible)
*John
C. Douglas, “The Effectiveness of a Rule of Life as Growth Processing Framework
in the Development of New Zealand Evangelical Church Leaders’ Spiritual
Discipline Behaviors”. (Denver Seminary: 2013), 29
**Alister
E. McGrath, Christian Spirituality: An Introduction (Oxford, UK:
Blackwell Publishers, 1999), 1.
