G.W. Bill Elliott, Jr once noted;
While you work, plan, and dream about 'making your mark' in this world, don't let this world make it's mark on you.
Week:
12
Deep Formation and Mystery
Advanced formation, spiritual depth, mystery of God. The final week invites participants into deeper, often paradoxical dimensions of spiritual life—mystery, silence, and ongoing transformation. It focuses on practices for sustained interior formation, embracing questions that have no quick answers, and living with wonder. The goal is to leave learners equipped for lifelong formation rather than a finish line.
Objectives
Plan a long term formation pathway beyond 12 weeks.
Embrace mystery and God’s hidden work.
Practice deeper listening and contemplative rhythms.
Reflections
What contemplative practice will I adopt?
How will I continue formation after this series?
What spiritual longings remain unmet?
NowTo the HowTo
Accountability/Tracking
Commit to a monthly check in with a mentor and log progress toward the 3 month plan.
Community Action
Pair with a mentor to share a spiritual longing and request one prayer or resource.
Creative Project
Draft a 3 month personal formation plan with one contemplative practice, one study goal, and one community rhythm.
Leader Prompt
Close the series with a guided silence and invite participants to name one long term formation goal.
Personal Practice
Practice a 20 minute contemplative prayer and journal one image or phrase that lingers.
Devotionals
Close Your Eyes, You'll See
Yeah, closing your eyes seems like the last thing you'd do to see, but we must always remember that we '...look through a glass darkly, but then face to face', as the passage reminds us. People who could see but became blind, have reported how keen their remaining senses became. No, closing your eyes will not help you 'see' the future, or around corners, or interpret dreams... nothing mystic, at all. This is actually a spiritual reference encouraging me and you to be less distracted by this...
Thwarting God
No, we should not plan to thwart God, we should not set out to undermine His will, His leading, even His calling (on you, or others). Sure, He is The Almighty God, The Everlasting, The King of kings, so who would even try to thwart Him? It'd be an exercise in futility, surely. But, we don't set out to thwart God... it's just what we seem to do. Our devotional today really centers around 'judging', as is admonished in Matthew 7:1 , which states; " Judge not, that ye be not judged. " Now,...
Dress Reversal
Anytime there is a 'big event', there is typically a dress rehearsal, or at least a dry-run pass for it. As you know, this process allows all parties/participants involved to 'pre-experience' how the event may go. But it also helps to expose and work out any kinks, errors, timing quirks, and it especially helps the participants to 'shake off' the fear of the unknown (where do I stand, what's my line, what's my role). Our devotional today helps us focus on something very similar in our lives...
God Within or Without
Ever thought about where God hangs out? Where He rests? We understand from scripture that He's out there. But, in the universe? Outer space? Our upper atmosphere? The devotional today helps convey His presence, both within or without. In fact, way back with the beginning of the 'exodus', God instructed Moses in Exodus 3:14, with; " And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. " There had to be someway to...