Spiritual Formation, Sanctification, and Unsolicited Seminary Advice
Spiritual Formation
I know “spiritual formation” sounds like one of those churchy terms that can make your eyes glaze over if you’ve spent any time in church. You might even think it’s more of an academic concept than something that pertains to our everyday lives. BUT here’s the kicker: the idea has gradually (and rightfully) infiltrated mainstream churches. At its core, “Christian spiritual formation” is about intentionally growing our relationship with God and becoming more like Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit.[1] It's the intentional communal process with God and others where we start lookin’ a whole lot more like Jesus than ourselves.
To quote the R&B and hip-hop legend Lauryn Hill, “Everything is everything.”
“Ma’am, track 13 on the Miseducation album cannot be speaking about spiritual formation.” Yeah, you’re probably right, but the concept stands. For those of you who aren’t hip-hop enthusiasts, another way to say this is that everything is connected in one way or another to everything else. Quantum physicists, so people a lot smarter than me, say, “Every atom in the universe is connected to every other atom.”[2] But you don’t have to be a quantum physicist talking about cosmic ecology to see the interconnectedness in our world; open your bible to the very first sentence:
“In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth” (Gen. 1:1).
The Bible reveals God as the creator, and that alone suggests the concept of being connected to one another and everything He created. During that week of creation, God created a beautiful place, and the ecosystem was perfect. The garden, before the fall, was God’s perfect design for habitation. God's original intention for us was fellowship and interconnectedness with him and with one another. That means it matters.
Taking this a step further, everything isn’t just connected, it’s also interdependent. God created a world where things grow, develop, and are sustained through mutual relationships. Loosely quoting my fifth-grade science teacher, an ecosystem is a community of living organisms and the environment in which they live. The forest is an ecosystem, yes, but the church you attend each week is also an ecosystem. The “Big-C” church (or the Ecclesia) is also an ecosystem. There’s growth that should happen in you, your church, and the Ecclesia as a whole. The ecological model of spiritual formation, or how we grow as Christians, reminds us that growth isn’t just vertical; it’s also horizontal. “Well, what’s that supposed to mean?” It means that, as a Christian, both individual growth and corporate growth are necessary.
American church culture says: the ecosystem of the church doesn’t matter. Just show up. Grace-Grace-Grace! You do you!
Friends, perhaps it’s time for everyday Christians like you and I to consider the church as an ecosystem and examine our role within it. After all, as Lauryn said, everything is everything.
Sanctification
I’m going to throw another churchy word your way: sanctification. Pastors often discuss sanctification—the process of becoming increasingly more like Jesus. So, you probably already know what sanctification means and what it looks like in practice. (*Cue 🎶 More Like Jesus by One Voice*)
But here’s where the church falls short:
sanctification isn’t just vertical, it’s horizontal, too.
Did you know… that sanctification isn’t just about you growing to look more like Jesus? Of course, that’s part of it, but American Christians have this weird fixation with individualizing their faith experience. That individualistic mindset poses a significant challenge to collective growth as a reciprocal community. We (and I, including myself here) have had this idea that our sanctification walk has nothing to do with anyone else; I can go at my own pace, and it doesn’t affect anyone else around me. (*raises hand* hi, I’m the problem it’s me!)
The Apostle Paul often discussed this concept. In Philippians, Paul articulates the concept of corporate spiritual formation, wherein individual growth is deeply interconnected with the larger body of the church. Paul suggested that the growth and formation of the church were contingent upon the growth and formation of its individual members. SAY WHAAAT?
The Western Church says: spiritual edification occurs solely through vertical, personal engagement with God. It’s totally fine to neglect community interaction. You don’t even have to go to church if you don’t want! Love that for you!
However, when we examine the blueprint for the church, as highlighted in Ephesians 4, the church is a unified body, where every member plays a vital role in mutual edification, the growing into Christ, who is the head. “So, you’re saying spiritual formation happens when there are reciprocal relationships in the local body? That is what fosters an environment for growth to happen??”
* Nods in agreement. *
The ultimate outcome of reciprocal relationships and interactions between believers is individual and corporate transformation into the image of Christ.[3]
Paul reminds us, “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” (Eph. 4:15-16, ESV) The whole body, every member, should be striving for Jesus at full force, empowered by the Holy Spirit. Why?
Because being on fire for Jesus is contagious.
And you should be on fire 24/7, not just on Sundays. (That 90-minute drive-by church faith aint it, fam.) The ecclesia, the Big C church, is not confined to a specific building or location. Instead, we carry the Holy Spirit with us wherever we go. I encourage you to get involved in a local church if you haven’t already because church matters. In fact, it matters so much that Jesus died to reconcile you back to the Father and establish this very church.
A horizontal prayer of sanctification:
God, I love you. Make me look more like you. Set me on fire for you. Put me in places that need to be set on fire. Make me a thermostat and not a thermometer. God, sanctify my circle horizontally. Sanctify my church. Make us look like the church that you died to establish. I pray that your spirit will wreck my church. Help us to grasp this concept of the blueprint Paul outlined for The Chruch. Remind us that Jesus, YOU are the head of the church. It's not about any man or woman's name, it's just about you King Jesus. I pray for the pastors and leaders over me, that you would pour your spirit out over them and remind them why you've called them into the positions they're in. Help them to lead the way you want in your church. Have your way. And God, as I lead, remind me too, that you have the blueprint, I'm just lucky enough to play a part in this church you died to establish. So help us to be the church, and not some off-brand version of a church that looks nothing like the blueprint. We want you, God. Come Lord Jesus! Amen.
My Advice for Potential Seminary Students
If you’re considering seminary, this part is for you!
Ahhh, unsolicited advice. Everyone’s favorite.
The best advice I have for you? Be an uncomfy buffalo.
You might be scratching your head at that. Why do I have to be uncomfortable?
You may think you’ve got a strong grasp on everything related to Jesus but brace yourself—discomfort is on the horizon! Prepare your mind for this endeavor. If you’re passionate enough about the word of God to commit to an academic journey in seminary, it’s time to challenge your perceptions. Your professors—those wise bible scholars—are likely going to present ideas that shake up your previous understanding. A wise quote, “Seminary will ask you to take a step back and look critically at what you believe—not because your professors want to destroy your beliefs, but because they want you to think about whether they are the best way to understand the world, and whether they truly are in line with the Scriptures and not just a folk theology.”[5]
This isn’t like studying flowers, where you can remain objective without it having a personal impact. Seminary is deeply personal and directly tied to your identity. Expect to question your beliefs and explore why they shape who you are. Growth isn’t easy; it can be downright uncomfortable. However, remember that, while there may be nuances, your professors are likely to share most core beliefs with you. Just like a flower reaching for sunlight, you’ll bloom through this process, too.
Now, about the buffalo: when storms approach, cows tend to run away, which only prolongs their discomfort as they try to escape.
Buffalo, on the other hand, charge directly into the storm.
They go through it and come out stronger. The only way out is through.
If you shut your mind to new ideas, you risk becoming like those cows. Don’t be a cow. Be a buffalo. Keep an open mind. You don’t have to abandon your beliefs, but engaging with unfamiliar perspectives can deepen your understanding of others. Plus, it prepares you for the diverse views you’ll encounter as a leader. So, embrace that discomfort and be a buffalo!
The next piece of advice, and probably the most important, is to prioritize your time with God and be intentional with that time. Fun story: The first week of seminary, I walked into corporate prayer at our church that Friday and sat on the floor, crying. I realized that I spent 7 hours each day that week, Monday through Thursday, learning about Him, but I spent no time with Him. Spending time with God, going to a secret place, praying, and worshiping are all important. Learning about Him is important too, but it’s not either-or; it’s both. You need to study him, both mentally and emotionally.[6] Friend, God has a plan for you and wants to spend time with you. And at the end of the day, remember why you chose to enroll in Seminary. What’s your why? You’ve got this!
[1] James C. Wilhoit, Spiritual Formation As If the Church Mattered: Growing in Christ Through Community (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2022), 22.
[2] Stephen D. Lowe and Mary E. Lowe, Ecologies of Faith in a Digital Age: Spiritual Growth through Online Education (Downer’s Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2018), 11.
[3] Ibid., 185.
[4] H. Daniel Zacharias and Benjamin K. Forrest, Surviving and Thriving in Seminary: An Academic and Spiritual Handbook (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2017), 9.
[5] Ibid., 37.
