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John Wesley tried to focus the Methodist movement on practical faith and heartfelt devotion, rather than doctrine. His over-all rule for doctrine was to agree on the essentials and allow diversity on the nonessentials. He is to be commended for that matter. Likewise, he affirmed that Methodism was the only movement he knew wherein a person is welcome regardless of what she thinks. Wesley was trying to create what OneLife is about, a unity-in-diversity, or a unified diversity.
In a diversifying culture, we find that agreeing on the essentials is becoming more difficult. Why? Persons and groups of a Communion can still disagree on the identification of essentials. Likewise, when agreeing on essentials, we can disagree on the interpretation of essentials. Identifying essentials is more likely than agreement on interpreting them. And, then, there are all the non-essentials that prove divisive to a people seeking unity.
However, identifying a list of Scriptures, the essential teachings in it from the non-essential, and the interpretation of the texts is not the greatest challenge in faith and spiritual formation. Neither is agreeing on doctrine. Attitude regarding the role of “letter” and “Spirit,” as it was in the time of St. Paul, is our most formidable challenge. The battle lines are the same, today, as when St. Paul was struggling to free the early churches from the tyranny of the “letter,” even the sacred “letter.”
St. Paul is clear. The “letter kills.” The “Spirit (or spirit) gives life.” Therefore, he cannot compromise on this essential matter. There is no middle ground in this life or death battle, for St. Paul, or for us.
But what, specifically, is this “letter” and this “Spirit?” John Wesley writes (John Wesley's Notes on the Bible), “… letter of Christ. … Written not in tables of stone, like the ten commandments. But in the tender, living tables of their hearts. God having taken away the hearts of stone and given them hearts of flesh.” He proceeds, “… if we adhere to the literal sense even of the moral law, if we regard only the precept and the sanction as they stand in themselves, not as they lead us to Christ, they are doubtless a killing ordinance, and bind us down under the sentence of death.” I translate, “An adherence to the moral stipulations, perfectly, is still a deathly process.” Likewise, adherence to the “letter” of both Scripture and doctrine, alone, is a deathly process. Even adherence to the doctrine of no doctrine is still a deathly adherence.
In our spiritual growth and communal sharing, we are called to go beyond all “letter.” In coming to the Scripture, as well as doctrine, written devotional sources, books, …, the “letter” is a means to be meet with the Spirit. Through the Spirit, we have access prayerfully to discern more subtle teachings and leadings. In and, then, through the “letter,” we practice contemplative listening to the inner, living Word, that speaks in community.
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The result of this deep Listening will be life, a life that brings us together in a diversified unity. We will never, history has proven to us, and human nature made sure, find a unified diversity based on the “letter.” This “letter” is either the written words or the surface, literalistic understanding of texts. However, we can find and will find unity in Love, below the surface and in the depths of the Heart of God, where we are all one, as we allow our minds to be touched and led by the Spirit through the “letter” and application of tradition, reason, and experience. Through the Spirit, we must remain always open to the fresh Living Word.
How does this process occur? I offer one simplified version, as best as I understand it as this time. The Spirit is the Source of Unified Diversity: we all, all we are, all we think, indeed, all creation seen and unseen derives from the potential that is the Creating One. This is to say, God includes everything as potential in God. In our reconciliation to God, Who is Spirit, we return to that Life, eternally, and participate in the Diversifying Unity. Through the “letter,” we are exposed to the Spirit, even as we can trace the radiance shining through a window to the Sun. In this process, the Living Word is spoken to our hearts. The Living Word is one with Christ and resides in God, eternally.
How do we hear this Living Word? We might sense a message translated to us through our words, or we might simply have an intuitive sensation. We might sense this Word more as an energy, felt in our body. Often we will have to pray about this received Word and, at times, seek help in discerning it. Anyone in spiritual formation needs some mentor to assist in discerning the leadings of Spirit.
Beyond receiving the Living Word, which gives life, holy Listening transforms us. So, we become more attuned to listen to the subtle messages of the Holy Spirit. The act of encountering the Holy Spirit in and through Scripture shapes us to be more spiritual, or spiritualized, persons.
Spiritual Exercises
1.Reflect on the opening saying by John Main. What does it imply about spiritual growth? How does it relate to the writing for today?
2.What is the relationship between learning to meditate and listening to the Spirit?
3.What is the difference between believing the Bible and trusting the Word that the Spirit speaks through, or beyond, the Bible?
4.Contrast written Word and Living Word.
5.What is deep Listening?
6.Can true unity ever occur through intellectual agreement on written sources? Explain.
7.What does a Diversified Unity mean?
8.According to Main, what is the one thing essential for us to tread the path open to the Spirit of Light?
9.What kind of love is essential for us to remain receptive to the Living Word, according to Main?
10.What is the relationship between Divine Grace and Human Choice in spiritual growth?
11.Do your daily meditation and spiritual reading…
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