This week we watched the first installment of the John Ortberg series "The Life You've Always Wanted." In it, John talked about personal transformation or "morphing", changing into what we want to be. Hopefully that is more like Christ. He introduced the concept of training instead of trying. In trying, we just will ourselves into being different. It doesn't really work. But by training according to God's word, we eventually find ourselves being different. We set up a space for God to work and He does it.
Ortberg also talked about "boundary markers". These are things we put on, ways of appearing or speech perhaps that set us apart from others not in the "group". In this case, Christians or church men. By doing this, we have really despaired of real transformation. It's just a cheap substitute and it doesn't really do what God intends.
As always, we invite your comments.
See you next Saturday at 7AM! Coffee, juice and donuts will be served.
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6 comments:
I love this stuff! I've just been wrestling with the disciplines and here we go with the men's group getting into it! Also, I just got back from Vision New England in Boston and the disciplines came up too. I love it when God does that.
That concept trying vs. training really clicked for me. I just read it in a book by Dallas Willard called The Great Omission. That really helped me to reconcile the idea of doing the disciplines not being "works" based religion.
I came into Christianity from Eastern religion where I did a lot of meditation and I thought Christianity had nothing to do with that. That is, I thought you just said the sinners prayer and God changed you. No effort! I think a lot of Christians think that way if only subconciously.
I was glad he pointed out the "boundary markers". Sometimes we just try to look the part rather than be really who we are, warts and all.
I agree with you 100%. Howeveer, I noticed that the blog referrs to the meeting on Saturday at 7PM instead of 7AM. You might want to correct that.
Thanks, John, for pointing out the error in the mtg time. Could have been interesting for some poor soul wanting to check out the mtg for the 1st time! :-)
Please spend more time training, and less time on the internet.
Dikart
Thanks, Dikart! :-)
I started a new personal blog about doing the spiritual disciplines: http://mrbigface.spaces.live.com/
check it out and leave your comments!
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