| I would like to invite you on a journey with me. I am struggling with the label of blessing. I hear individuals saying that they are "blessed with multiple houses and new cars." Meanwhile, I hear others saying that they have nowhere to sleep and no means to get somewhere. I wonder where God is in the midst of this struggle. I am writing these words as the prosperity gospel and its proponents label many privileges and financial prosperity as God's blessing upon their lives. The global church is moving from the Global North to the Global South. As it moves south, the global church is moving into poorer areas that still struggle after many years of colonization, industrialization, and globalization. The church is becoming comprised of more complexities than ever before, which makes this struggle pertinent for today.;I believe that spiritual formation in the midst of a world with an ever widening gap between poor and rich is vital. My effort in writing this journey is to spark awareness in the souls of those around me. My writing is for everyone, but those who follow Jesus Christ will find it particularly pointed at them.;More than on one occasion, I have been accused of overthinking things, including in relation to constructing my theology and helping others in the area of spiritual formation. I believe in the theological quadrilateral. We cannot solely rely on God communicating to us through the Bible. God continues to speak through scripture, traditional, reason, and experience. I bring all of these to the table; I hope that you will do the same. Truly, all of them are gifts from God!;Some have asked me if I am hoping to start a revolution or reformation with the penning of my struggle. I am hoping for awareness in all peoples when they claim something as a blessing. This spiritual formation needs to happen in all religions. I can only speak from the one that I call home. All spiritual formations, at their best, should open the door for all to come home. It is needed now more than ever in the twenty-first century.;Participants in the study were members of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Ventura, California. An invitation was sent out to the entire congregation to participate. Materials used were a movie and a questionnaire. Participants also stayed and discussed the topic in a larger group. |
