Dynamics of Spiritual Life - Gordon

SF/CH 591 - Dynamics of Spiritual Life
He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does
not wither. Psalm 1:3, NIV [Photo © D. Kevin Adams]
If then you are wise, you will show yourself rather as a reservoir than as a canal. For a canal
spreads abroad water as it receives it, but a reservoir waits until it is filled before overflowing,
and thus communicates, without loss to itself, its superabundant water...In the Church at the
present day, we have many canals, few reservoirs.
Bernard of Clairvaux, c. 1120
I offer my heart to thee, Lord, promptly and sincerely.
John Calvin's motto
CH/MC/SF 591: Dynamics of Spiritual Life
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary—Jacksonville campus
May 16-21, 2016
Course Instructor: Dr. Gwenfair Walters Adams
Class Meeting Times: Monday to Friday, 5:30-9:30 p.m., Saturday, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
An optional workshop may be offered Saturday evening from 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Contact Information: TBA in class
Course Description and Objectives:
Drawing on the biblical Creation-Redemption narrative, the course trains students
in LifeStory Exegesis™, a model of Christian spirituality that can be used in personal
renewal, spiritual formation, direction, discipleship, mentoring, and counseling.
Combining theological reflection, historical analysis, literary theory, and practical
application, it explores key spiritual dynamics, equipping persons for ministry to those
seeking a deeper life with Christ. Issues of discovering one’s design and calling,
equipping for facing opposition, pursuing intimacy with and worship of God, learning
to be attentive to God and His Word, and growing into Christ-likeness by the power of
the Holy Spirit, will be dealt with in an integrated model.
This course will also examine key models of spiritual formation in the history of
the Church, analyzing their theological foundations, organizing principles, structures,
and themes, and will study selected related issues in the devotional life. It will combine
theory and praxis as it explores corporate worship, individual devotional life, and
character transformation.
Students will learn to identify the key spiritual dynamics at play in models of
Christian formation and will explore biblical principles for assessing the various
approaches to Christian spirituality.
Dynamics of Spiritual Life meets the MC 501 Spiritual Formation requirement for the
M.Div. and MACT. It can also count as a Christian Thought elective.
Course Objectives:
1. To explore key historical models of spiritual formation, learning to identify the
organizing principles and theories of the atonement behind various forms of
worship. And to study the integration of theological paradigms, epistemological
premises, worship structures, spiritual disciplines, and character formation.
2. To encourage students to reflect biblically, theologically, historically, and
pastorally on the purposes and structures of worship, devotional life, and
character transformation.
3. To develop and articulate an integrated, theologically grounded, coherent model
of spiritual formation for use in one’s future ministry.
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4. To provide for the possibility of a deeper understanding and practice of worship
both as an individual and for effective leading of corporate worship.
5. To examine key issues in deepening one’s devotional life with Christ.
6. To gain understanding about one’s own vocational makeup and challenges.
7. To model creative teaching methodologies for a variety of age groups, learning
styles, and ministry contexts.
Class Sessions (subject to change if necessary and/or salutary):
Session #1 (Monday evening): A Theology of Spirituality
Session #2 (Tuesday evening): Growing Deeper in Worship
Session #3 (Wednesday evening): LifeStory Exegesis™
Session #4 (Thursday evening): Equipping to Persevere
Session #5 (Friday evening): Developing Attentiveness to God and His Word
Session #6 (Saturday morning): Transforming into Christlikeness
Session #7 (Saturday afternoon): Pursuing Intimacy with Christ
Required Texts:
To read before the class meets:
1. Charles Spurgeon, Spiritual Warfare in a Believer’s Life (YWAM, 1993) - 9781883002022 – $10.49 on gcts.christianbook.com. Please read at least 100 pages
before our week together. Key question: What tools and teaching does it offer for
power encounters?
2. John Bunyan, Pilgrim’s Progress (Random House) – 9780375725685 - $9.99 on
gcts.christianbook.com – Please read Part I (141 pages) before the class meets –
Key question: According to Pilgrim’s Progress, what is the point of the Christian
life? And how does one reach it?
3. C. S. Lewis, Horse and His Boy (HarperCollins) - 9780064409407 – Count as 150
pages – $7.19 on gcts.christianbook.com – Please read in its entirety before the
class on C. S. Lewis. Key question: What does this book model (metaphorically)
about attentiveness?
4. Diana Hayes, Forged in the Fiery Furnace: African American Spirituality (Orbis
Books, 2012) - 978-1570754722 - $19.80 on gcts.christianbook.com. – Read at least
100 of the 232 pages – Please read before our week together in preparation for a
class discussion on corporate worship, personal devotional life, and character
and social transformation in African American spirituality.
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5. John Jefferson Davis, Meditation and Communion with God (IVP, 2012) - 9780830839766 - $15.99 at gcts.christianbook.com – Read at least 100 of the 157 pages.
For reading after the class meets:
6. Gerald L. Sittser, Water from a Deep Well: Christian Spirituality from Early Martyrs
to Missionaries. (IVPress Books, 2010). 978-0830837458 – $14.49 on
gcts.christianbook.com (or $5.69 for pdf download at gcts.christianbook.com) 285 pages. – Read in total. If you have not taken CH 500 or 501/502 yet, it may
be helpful to read this book before the class so that you have a chronological
framework that will help you absorb the course lectures more fully.
7. Pete Scazerro, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality (Zondervan, 2014) ISBN - 9780310342465 – $8.99 on gcts.christianbook.com – Please read a minimum of 100 of
the 210 pages – An example of a pastor developing a model of Spiritual
Formation for his church. Using the Spiritual Formation Model Analysis chart
presented in class, analyze the model. What are its strengths? What might you
adopt for your Spiritual Formation Model paper? Where might you make
modifications? Please read at least 100 pages and skim the rest in advance of the
class and come ready to discuss what Scazerro teaches about corporate worship,
the devotional life, and character transformation.
8. Choose one of the following:
a. Richard Lovelace, Dynamics of Spiritual Life (IVP Academic, 1979)
9780877846260 –– $16.99 at gcts.christianbook.com – minimum of 200
pages from the 455 pages - Read as a conversation partner in developing
your Spiritual Formation Model.
b. Richard Foster and James Bryan Smith, eds., Devotional Classics: Selected
Readings for Individuals and Groups (Harper SanFrancisco, rev., 2005) –
9780060777500 - $10.99 at gcts.christianbook.com. Minimum of 200 from
the 350 pages – This is best read one excerpt at a time. It does not need to
be read until after the week of class.
Please download copies of the following and bring to class. You don’t need to read
them in advance, but you will need to refer to them in class discussions/ lectures.
9. Rule of St. Benedict
a. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/benedict/rule
b. OR Timothy Fry, ed., The Rule of St. Benedict (Vintage, 1981) - $10.99 on
gcts.christianbook.com – 9780375700170
10. Sarum Missal Mass
a. Sarum Mass - pp. 394-408
https://books.google.com/books?id=7A1KAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontc
over&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false
b. OR in Bard Thompson, Liturgies (cf. below)
11. Eucharistic Service from Book of Common Prayer (1549 & 1552 editions)
a. 1549 and 1552 Book of Common Prayer at
https://archive.org/details/thetwoliturgiesa00unknuoft
b. OR in Bard Thompson, Liturgies (cf. below)
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Recommended for reference purposes:
1. Adele Calhoun, Spiritual Disciplines Handbook (InterVarsity Press, 2005). 9780830833306 – $11.99 on gcts.christianbook.com – 293 pages – A helpful
reference work for planning your retreat and for doing the spiritual life log
assignment.
2. Bard Thompson, Liturgies of the Western Church (Philadelphia: Fortress Press,
1961) - 0800614283. May be helpful as a reference for your Spiritual
Formation Model paper. You do not need to read any of it, but if it is of
interest to you, you may want to read the introductions to each liturgy. It
also includes the Sarum Mass and 1549 and 1552 Book of Common Prayer
Eucharistic liturgies (cf. above) so may be easier to use in class than the pdf
downloads mentioned above.
Course Requirements: Students who are taking the course for credit are expected to
attend all the class sessions, to complete at least 1400 pages from the required texts
(including the per book minimums mentioned above); to participate in and write an
analysis of the Spiritual Life Log OR 21 Scenes exercise; to spend a 7-hour retreat alone
with God and write an analysis paper about it; write a Model of Spiritual Formation
paper; and write a LifeStory Exegesis™ paper. (If you are doing the course for only CH
credit and would prefer to substitute a 12-15 page church history research paper on
some aspect of spirituality for the Model paper, please contact the professor).
The written assignments will require knowledge that you will gain during the
class sessions, so please wait until the week of class before embarking on them.
1. Reading Report: Students need to submit a bibliography with brief annotations (a
paragraph of personal reflection per book), listing all reading done for the class. Please
total the pages and write the total at the end of the list. The minimum is 1400 pages
from the required texts (including the minimum pages for each text, as specified above).
2. LifeStory Exegesis™ Paper (12-15 pages long)
Building on the work you have done for, during, and after the class sessions, describe
and analyze your design, purpose, vision, and mission, etc. Detailed instructions will
be given during the course. Include as an appendix your LifeStory Exegesis™ Diagram.
3. Spiritual Formation Model Paper (40%; 12-18 pages) Design a model of Spiritual
Formation that incorporates—among other things—corporate worship, personal
devotional life, and Christian transformation, in an integrated whole. More guidelines
will be given in class.
4. Retreat: Spend a full day (at least 7 hours) alone with the Lord, putting into practice
what you are learning in the course that fits with your theological framework and
conscience. The assignment will be assessed on the percentage of hours completed and
the attainment of a satisfactory level of thoughtfulness in the analysis involved in the
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written report (2-3 pages). Please indicate the number of hours completed. More
instructions will be given in class.
5. 21-Scenes chart or Spiritual Disciplines Log: For at least four consecutive weeks,
each student will be required to do one of the following:
a. Each week, fill in (or review) a 21-Scenes chart that organizes the week to come.
More directions will be given during the class.
OR
b. Keep a log recording elements of his/her spiritual life. One intention of the exercise
is to help provide accountability in order to assist students in developing healthy habits
in maintaining spiritual disciplines. More directions will be given in class.
With either assignment, at the end of the time, students will write an analysis of their
experience. The 2-3 page analysis should be submitted on the Final due date for written
work. The log and/or zone charts do not need to be submitted.
6. Class attendance - may be taken into account, with one point per unexcused missed
two-hour block being taken off of the final grade for the course. More than three
unexcused, missed blocks may result in failure of the course. Official auditors and
those taking the course pass/fail must attend at least 75% of the course class sessions.
Final Due Dates for all assignments:
All written work (except for retreat and reading) must be postmarked by August 30,
2016. If, due to an emergency, you need an extension beyond August 30, please contact
the Registrars' office before the deadline.
Grading Percentages:
LifeStory Exegesis™ Paper 20%
Mallon Research Paper
40%
7 hour Retreat & Analysis 10%
Reading
Log /Zone Analysis
20%
10%
The grades of the Spiritual Formation Model paper and LifeStory Exegesis™ assignments
will be averaged, with the Model paper weighted twice as heavily as the LifeStory
Exegesis™ paper. If all other work is done completely, the two-paper (Model and
Exegesis) grade will stand. If other assignments are incomplete, the final grade will be
reduced proportionately according to the percentages indicated above.
Estimated Hours:
Class sessions
Writing Spiritual Formation Model Paper
Writing Design Paper
Retreat & Analysis
Reading
30 (or 32 with workshop)
27
20
9
47
6
Log/Zone Analysis
TOTAL
2
135
Grading Scale (from Catalog)
"Grade A is given for meeting with conspicuous excellence the demands which can
fairly be made in relation to the requirements of the course. These demands would
normally include unusual accuracy in fact, completeness in detail, perfection in form of
work, independence of method, grasp of the subject as a whole and constructive
imagination.
Grade B is given for exceeding the minimum of satisfactory attainment and for
meeting certain aspects of the course with excellence.
Grade C is given for attaining satisfactory familiarity with the course and for
demonstrating at least some ability to use this knowledge in a satisfactory manner.
Grade D is a passing mark but indicates unsatisfactory control over the material.
Grade F declares that the course has been failed.
• Plagiarism is considered a serious academic offense at GCTS. Please follow
guidelines at https://www.indiana.edu/~istd/definition.html.
• Intellectual Property / Privacy Rights: In order to protect intellectual property and
privacy rights: No audio, photographic, video recordings or transmissions (including,
for example, internet posting and broadcasting) may be made in class without the
consent of the professor. This paragraph applies to all visitors and auditors as well.
• Internet Usage: In order to foster focused attention, learning, and community,
students are required to refrain from accessing the internet or playing computer/cell
phone games, etc. at any point during class sessions, unless otherwise instructed by the
professor. “Surfing the web,” checking email, and other internet-based activities are
distracting to other students and to the professor, and prevent the student from fully
participating in the class sessions. This paragraph applies to all visitors and auditors as
well.
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