Beginnings
the road ahead Theodyssey is a made-up word (aren’t they all?) cobbled together from theos, God, and odyssey, a wandering and eventful journey. This seems to be the nature of the spiritual journey— A wandering and eventful journey with God. Tourist versus explorer There is a world of difference between a tourist and an explorer. One has reservations, the other, only resolve. The tourist follows a pre-planned path filled with amusements and comforts; the explorer is left to the elements. Life would be much easier as a spiritual “tourist,” where we had some degree of predictability, comfort, and control. Say goodbye to that idea if we want to pursue an authentic relationship with Jesus. Questions like, “Where are we going?” and “How do we get there?” are largely irrelevant on the spiritual journey. God has his own ideas about progress, which often confuse and frustrate the unaware. He seems more concerned about “next steps” than “getting there.” Predictably— and to our discomfort—the route is seldom predefined. This isn’t easy. Instead, God seems to have a thing for making us into explorers. Explorers have little idea where the path will lead; they only know they must take it. Every day, the fabric of their lives is woven from the thread of each new encounter. As they make choices, their choices make them. God weans us away from our addiction to independence and invites us to the sacred work of placing one foot in front of the other, to walk the unfamiliar path of dependence. The more we understand this up front, the better things will go for us.
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Conversations—Honest questions to wrestle with There is no program for spiritual growth. None exists. However, there are honest questions that we invariably have to wrestle with when exploring a relationship with God. Questions like: “If there is a God, what does he really think of me?”, “What are realistic expectations I should have of God?”, and “What difference does God make in my life?” We need a place where we can ask our questions and explore together, and to have conversations. We need dialogue instead of a talking head; probing questions and possibilities in place of propositions. The process needs to be authentic, where anything can happen, and will. That process is not necessarily safe. But it’s real.
How change happens For better and worse, we all have lenses through which we understand and experience life. We have ideas and feelings about God, ourselves, and others which have been forming from the day we were born. What if our lens is distorted? How would we know?
And how can we change it? The ten conversations engage us in the process of examining different lenses that form our faith experience. Each conversation opens up new possibilities to notice, evaluate, and potentially deconstruct distorted and destructive ideas, and to replace them with truth.
Our starting point “Truth” means God’s perspective about how to have an authentic relationship with Him, as revealed in the Bible. Without at least an openness to explore what the Bible says, this may be a counter-productive pursuit for you. See what you think.
God weans us away from our addiction to independence and invites us to the sacred work of placing one foot in front of the other Beginnings 5
The voice The stories, narrative, and interactive questions are from me, David. They’re all true, even the examples.
Orientation Along the way, various markers and attributes facilitate the journey. Here are a few of them:
Vox humana
This means “human voice”— quotes from all kinds of sources.
Empty space
Take notes. Doodle if you want. It’s up to you.
Lectio Divina
Relinquish, Read, Think, Pray, Respond is an adapted form of Lectio Divina, or, spiritual reading. It’s an ancient rhythm for creating time with God. (See, pp. 7-10)
Sharing Wisdom
Self-directed
Journaling
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Interactive case studies where we can work out the implications of the principles we are exploring. Each Conversation builds on the previous one. But feel free to start in any order. You can work through a Conversation as an individual, or as a group. Determine what pace works best: days, weeks, or months. Few things are as potentially rewarding as the process of spending 10-15 minutes every day, and responding to a spiritual direction question with just one word. (See, Endings).
about lectio divina Being attentive to God can be hard work. When our inner lives become cluttered with busyness and stress, it’s difficult to distinguish between the voice of God and a competing chorus of suitors. Lectio Divina, or, spiritual reading, is an ancient, well-established form of Christian prayer that helps us to pay attention and respond to what God is doing in our lives. It is simple, but not easy, as it requires several internal shifts in perspective and practice. We use an adapted a form of Lectio consisting of five movements: Relinquish, Read, Think, Pray and Respond. It is a regular practice throughout the Theodyssey Conversations.
Relinquish, relinquere Relinquish means, “to leave behind,“ in this case, leaving behind our own agenda, anxiety, and expectations, and being fully available to what God has for us.1 It requires both 1) a readiness to receive, and, 2) a fixed determination ahead of time to respond. There is no use in proceeding until we are ready, otherwise we end up practicing the presence of self. You know how often Christ and His apostles, in their epistles, speak of hearing and not doing. If you accustom yourself to study the Bible without an earnest and very definite purpose to obey, you are getting hardened in disobedience.2
1. Note that, unlike in Eastern prayer, which seeks to empty oneself to be open to some great “Nothing”, we are simply making room to be attentive to the One almighty, transcendent, triune God we come to know through Scripture, as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We do this by relinquishing our inner agenda to Him. 2. Andrew Murray, The School of Obedience (Chicago: Moody Press, date unavailable), 55. Beginnings 7
Without a fixed resolve ahead of time to embrace what God shows us, we quickly become opportunistic observers—choosing and ignoring what we want. We can quickly harden our hearts toward God and do great damage to our souls. Relinquish requries an internal shift from distraction to awaiting. This is hard work. Be patient. Often, just “waiting” amid our inner distractions and focusing on the person of Christ is all we can do. This is the beginning of prayer.
Read, lectio We are now ready to ingest the words and absorb their meaning. Read through the scripture passage several times. First quickly, then a second time more slowly, then a third time very deliberately. Feel the rhythm of the verses and the cadence of the words. Pause, and breathe where the passage does. Push ahead with energy where the writer presses in with passion. Reading in this way requires an inner shift from control to receptivity.
Think, meditatio We use books to acquire information, strip mining them for facts and figures—information that will help us to solve problems and get us what we want. We are in control of the text, using it to get what we want.
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By contrast, in spiritual reading we come to be acted upon. Instead of problem-solving, we approach the text with a deep humility, recognizing that we are not in control. This requires a massive shift within us. We come to the text with an openness to hear, to receive, to respond, to be a servant of the Word rather than a master of the text.3 Like a dog gnawing on a bone, we“chew” the words over and over and over, awakened and alert to God’s possibilities within and through them. We may need to look up unfamiliar words, research the historical context, or study an ancient map. But we bring this understanding back into our experience with the Living Word.4 We are more than simply a mind, and experience and know in ways beyond just logic and reason. Let the Holy Spirit engage the whole person. Be aware of all five senses—what do you see? Hear? Feel? Taste? Smell? Close your eyes and picture yourself in the scene. Ask God to make you aware of what He wants to communicate to you. What word, image, character, feeling, or thought are you drawn toward? Where is your energy being directed? What is God inviting you to pay attention to? What is he convicting you of?5 Reading in this way requires an inner shift from analysis to awakening. The key question is not, “What does this passage mean?” but, “How does Jesus want to make Himself known, or what does He want to communicate to me through this passage?
3. M. Robert Mulholland, Shaped by the Word (Nashville: The Upper Room, 1985) 54. 4. There are different modes for engaging the Bible. For example, academic work such a historical background, contextual studies, and exegetical work all demand specific tools and analysis. While these forms of study are necessary for properly understanding the Bible, they are in and of themselves, not necessarily sufficient for personally relating to God. That is, information does not necessarily equal formation. 5. An important caution here: We must constantly measure our experience of God with what he has already revealed in the Bible. God does not contradict himself. Anytime we come away with insight or direction that opposes his written Word, we can be sure it is not from God.
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Pray, oratio It’s one thing to be attentive; it’s another to respond. In prayer, we acknowledge, often wrestle with, and respond to God’s invitations. It’s about the will and choosing. This kind of prayer requires an inner shift from observation to obedience.
Respond to God, contemplatio This is about God and us. It’s personal and dialogical. Our hearts know how to respond and relate to God here; we simply need to give them permission. This might include: Thanksgiving, conviction, worship, joy, (appropriate) guilt, awe, peace, tears, laughter, insight, courage, remorse, love, vision, hope, prayer, silence, singing, confession, repentance, bowing, kneeling, standing, and more! This phase requires an inner shift from processing to Presence.
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about the theodyssey series While there is no program for spiritual growth, we all have to wrestle with similar questions as we sort out our faith experience. Theodyssey is simply a series of honest conversations about some of the questions we share in common. Welcome to the journey!
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volume one conversations 1-5 one | A Conversation About Desire The spiritual journey begins with desire. We have to figure out what God really thinks about us. And then we have to honestly ask ourselves, “Do we really want a relationship with God? And if so, what will that mean for us?” two | A Conversation About Architexture Our life development process shapes our understanding and experience of God, self, and others. Understanding the lens through which we experience life, including distortions or flaws, has big implications for the spiritual journey.
three | A Conversation About Father Our concept of God determines how we relate to Him. Distorted ideas are common. Recognizing the difference between distortion and truth is often the beginning of new possibilities. four | A Conversation About Godwalking Sometimes we are disappointed with God because He did not meet our expectations. Evaluating our expectations against those we find in the Bible can help us to sort out our own experience. five | A Conversation About Excavation When we struggle to move ahead in life—when we’re stuck—it’s often because of unresolved issues. Getting past our past means facing our obstacles and learning how to overcome them.
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volume two conversations 6-10
six | A Conversation About Sexuality Spirituality and sexuality are inseparable. We are hard-wired with a deep longing for connection. For intimacy. Understanding about how we are wired, insight about counterfeits, and wisdom regarding our vulnerabilities can help us to find and experience God’s best for our lives. seven | A Conversation About Navigate God has a dream and a design for our lives. But how do we know what He wants us to do? This is where we explore how to understand and partner with His possibilities.
nine | A Conversation About Contend Spiritual conflict is unavoidable. It involves an ongoing battle for the mind. Knowing how to deal with it can empower us to be everything that God designed us to be.
eight | A Conversation About Morph Spiritual transformation doesn’t happen by itself. It is the result of God’s dynamic work in our lives. Our role is to learn how to partner with the process.
ten | A Conversation About Belong We were designed to do life together with others. In community we learn to become whole, and to be bringers of life to others. We can’t do it by ourselves. Beginnings 13
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