If You Want Spiritual Maturity, then Start a Spiritual Community!
Take a look through the Christianity section of any bookstore, look at conferences and organizations like Renovare and Promise Keepers; books, Bibles, podcasts, and so much more – it seems that in the last decade the shift in the Christian West has moved unarguably toward “maturity in Christ.” Col 1:28 Following Jesus is no longer (truly, was it ever?) just about “fire insurance” – playing nice enough in the “sandbox of life” that you are given the green light to enter heaven when you die. No, discipleship was never that transactional in Jesus’ eyes.
The pathway to maturity is a “Way” that ends in intimacy and identifying with God – to become “little Christs” as Martin Luther put it. But if this is true, then why do so many Christians seem to be slogging through the same demons of immaturity that they were struggling with a decade ago? In my opinion, its because we’ve forgotten the context and mission in which Jesus calls his disciples: community development.
Yes, I know “community development” has its own connotations in our culture today – but think about it for a minute:
What was Jesus Christ’s only investment here on earth?
He had no assets, no heirs or lineage to pass on, he had no books (his only written words were in SAND!) (John 8:6), founded no new political party…
Jesus’ only investment on earth was community…
Investing-in-community-development is the “Way” Jesus calls us to…
…Which brings us to maturity.
Much like parenting that can act as a “turb0-charge” for an individual’s maturity — (no longer does your money go to yourself alone, but now you are primarily focused on the thriving of a young child and the whole family!) — Similarly, when you begin to plant little faith communities, organic churches…even little MICROs, you will find much of the New Testament making more practical sense. All of a sudden, you’ll find yourself depending on the words of Jesus in listening prayer, (not just coming to him with a list of self-centered requests), and you’ll see the basic mission Jesus commissioned us to begin to orient every part of your life. ”Go into all the world and make disciples…”
Yes – if you want maturity, then start a community.
Nothing should be more basic to Christian discipleship than this — so why does some leaders in the American Church resist their members from branching out and starting something new?
Jesse, and 
traviskolder 3:37 am on September 5, 2011 Permalink
Absolutely. You will grow in ways you never thought possible. I have a book on my Amazon.com wishlist called “Spiritual Formation As If The Church Mattered.” Unfortunately I’ve been to busy with my church to actually have time to read it! But community does call us away from even “the spiritual self,” and that is incredibly healthy for us. Isn’t it amazing that we have a whole list of spiritual disciplines designed for individuals but almost no corporate spiritual disciplines? I think you hit the nail on the head Mark. Great to see a new post. Keep it up.
Mark W 3:29 pm on September 5, 2011 Permalink
Travis — Great point! it is almost astounding to me that today’s Church has such a lack of awareness on Jesus’ strategy of discipleship. It is as if we believe that Jesus left us alone to write the manual on discipleship ourselves! But truly, when he said, “Go and make disciples” he immediately reminded us that “he would be with us always” — like a mentor in the process of disciple-making. So in terms of disciple-making, we can pray the perennial question, “What would Jesus do?” and then look at scriptures like Luke 10, Matthew 9, and so many more to see “What Jesus Actually DID!” But what would you suppose are some of the “corporate disciplines” you mentioned in your comment?
Jesse 4:28 pm on February 22, 2012 Permalink
Ah, I just realized that this was an old post, but since you tweeted it . . .
I disagree with you a little here, at least in the details. Christ did not start a spiritual community so that HE could become spiritually mature, and we shouldn’t think that we can do the same. Perhaps joining one should be a first step. I do agree that we cannot become spiritually mature without being a part of one, though.
As for the spiritual disciplines, how about fasting, praying, reading of scripture, doing good works? After all, those were never meant to be solitary disciplines, but communal ones.
Mark W 4:49 pm on February 22, 2012 Permalink
Thanks Jesse. Good point – I believe that after a follower of Christ can grow in maturity when they join a faith community. No doubt. I believe there is another kind of maturity that happens when they help form one with the help of the Spirit. Thoughts? How does each action form a person specifically? Food for thought.
So good to hear from you. How are you? Feel free to email me — I’d love to catch up!