What has been eroding the Church for the last two generations has been the denial of its central and primal mystical dimensions. We keep seeing Jesus as some historical personage, delimited by time and space. We keep seeing “church” as institutional. We keep seeing the Word as a collection of black scribbles on a page. We keep seeing the core of our ecclesial nature as either canonical or biblical or organizational. We keep refusing the ineffable, immeasurable, and unimaginable dimensions of our Christ, and the universal utter Presence of the Holy Spirit.
*"The Mystical Christ." www.orderofjulian.org .
Let no one ... say, "It is not Christ who speaks," or say "It is not I who speaks." No, rather, if he considers himself to be in the body of Christ, let him say "Both Christ speaks and I speak." You should be unwilling to say anything without Him, and He says nothing without you."
*Augustine. In Scott Hahn, Mike Aquilina. Living the Mysteries: A Guide for Unfinished Christians.
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Liberal theologian James Gordan Gilkey, in The Certainty of God, wrote in 1928, the following...
Some months ago two students were walking through a new dormitory at one of our eastern colleges. Along the wall in the corridor were several niches, designed for the busts of eminent individuals. One of the students paused before an empty niche, took a pencil from his pocket, and drew on the wall a huge question mark. His companion stared in surprise, and then asked innocently, "Who's that for?" "That," said the first student grimly, "is for God."
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The opening quote might seem likely to come from persons not part of Christian faith and the historic Church. However, no, for the words are from devout Christians associated with a major figure in Christian history, Julian of Norwich, canonized as a saint by the Latin Church.
As an example, note the words of Augustine above, possibly the greatest theologian in Church history. His words arise from a profound mystical sensibility, one he sees as the norm, not the ab-normal, in Christian experience. Mystical union with Christ was the initial norm among the great and early teachers of the Church, and they affirmed this mystical life was for every follower of Jesus Christ.
Likewise, another early example of the orthodox position on the Christian faith as mystical at core is seen in Clement of Alexandria. Clement was born about the middle of the 2nd century; he died between 211 and 216. He united Greek philosophical traditions with Christian teaching and valued gnosis [mystical knowledge]. He used the term "gnostic" for Christians who had attained the deeper teaching of the Logos - the principle of Christ (i.e., the mystical Christ). Clement developed a Christian Platonism. He presented the goal of Christian life as deification, identified both as assimilation into God, as in Platonism, and the biblical imitation of God.
I propose the mystical tradition, or contemplative, is the sole means of speaking with strength and persuasion to the postmodern age. This demands of us a reclaiming of an almost-forgotten and essential aspect of conscious, true Christianity. Much, indeed, of the New Testament cannot be understand without seeing in Christ the mystical Logos, the living, relational principle of the Universe.
Today, I attended a gathering of clergypersons from my state Conference. I find, while we are talking of transforming churches, we are not leading persons well in spiritual experience. Indeed, I propose likely a major challenge in the postmodern church is so transforming clergypersons that they are seen to be men and women of an intimate, mystical experience of union with Divine Reality.
Yet, this is exactly the teaching in the Early Church. The goal of religious instruction was appreciation for the call of each Christian to mystical union with Divine Love. We need to take more seriously, then, the affirmation in the words: "What has been eroding the Church for the last two generations has been the denial of its central and primal mystical dimensions." This entails the mystical dimension is "central" and "primal" in Church history. The mystical tradition cannot be lost, or religion becomes domesticated and trivialized, and we lose the depth dimension that makes it lasting and powerful to change lives regardless of time and circumstances. Could it be that much of the powerlessness of Christianity in North America, and in other places, has been the de-mystification of our faith in and experience of the Divine Presence?
If, as indicated in the story above, "God" is dead to much of our society, churches need not put major blame at the feet of persons not in the churches. Rather, churches, and we clergy, have not rightly embodied and trained persons in spiritual life "in Christ." We have too politicized, institutionalized, dogmatized, and moralized the mystically-oriented Gospel of Christ.
In my own Christian denomination, the Conference engaged in years of pressing upon congregations a plan for transforming churches. The plan, for the most part, did not work. The conclusion, as stated by a denominational leader: Spiritual Formation was listed as one among many priorities in being a healthy, vibrant church, not the core from which the other priorities grew. I find it confusing that leadership did not discern that up-front, and that is apparently one sign that often even key leadership have not been trained well in the basics of Christian spiritual formation. Is it possible many among us clergy have become churchmen and churchwomen, rather than spiritual men and women?
I, as a Pastor, find persistent struggle to nurture my life "in Christ" as a spiritual being, when surrounded by little that appears to encourage such attention to the depth dimension of Spirit. I can empathize with laity and others who see the churches as often not welcome places to live out the mystical spirituality of the Gospel of Christ.
What does Christian mysticism in faith community look like? This is important to discern, for not all going under the name "mysticism" is in agreement with the Spirit of Christ.
Dallas Willard, a leading, evangelical writer in Christian spiritual formation, writes...
Spiritual formation in the tradition of Jesus Christ is the process of transformation of the inmost dimension of the human being, the heart.... It is being formed (really, transformed) in such a way that its natural expression comes to be the deeds of Christ done in the power of Christ.
Spiritual training in the churches and among followers of Jesus Christ will reflect Willard's explanation of Christian spiritual formation. A Christian mysticism will include the following ingredients:
1) Christian spirituality arises from the richness of the Christian tradition.
This does not mean helpful insights cannot arise from elsewhere. Yet, the shape of Christian spirituality arises from the great streams of Christian spirituality and their great teachers over the centuries, from the early Church until the present.
2) This process will be a process of transforming from, mainly, the inside-out: the "inmost dimension."
This does not mean the outer life of work is not a priority; however, the priority is the inner transformation that prepares a Christian to show an outer life springing from the Spirit of Christ within.
3) Such spirituality will be a re-shaping of the total self, what we call "transformation."
This spirituality includes transforming from the depth dimension, called heart, soul, spirit, ..., but will include the whole self, including the body.
4) The result will be a "natural expression" of active life, wherein the person does the "deeds of Christ" and they are "done in the power of Christ." So, "passive" and "active" aspects of Christian life are of one whole experience.
Too much professed Christianity does not appear natural, but it comes over as one more addition to life. Too much of it appears imperialistic, fake, dogmatic, and moralistic. We need an organic relationship with Christ. Christian spirituality does not make a person less human; such spirituality makes a person more human, more real, more approachable, more just, and more caring.
Again, if "God" is apparently absent from much of our culture, the teaching and practice of Christian spirituality is the key means for churches restoring faith in the validity of the Jesus message and its meaning for us, today.
I have been contending for these matters for several years in my writings. But, frankly, I have found much of Christianity in our culture to be an unwelcome place for contemplatives, or persons who prioritize the mystical core of Christianity. I can understand well why persons of ardent spiritual sensibility have found it a struggle to stay in or get into the churches. I have heard their stories, I have witnessed their desire for more, and I am deeply saddened there is little place in most of our churches for their truly Christic longings, for such desire arises from a depth dimension that at one time the Church saw as the goal of the normal Christian life; not, as such seems to have become among most of our faith, the abnormal Christian life.
Finally, I write as one of the Church. I love the Church, and I have given over thirty years, since age fifteen, to serving the Church in varied roles, including Youth Minister, Pastor, author, and Professor to ministry students. One of my early beds for sleep was a hardwood pew of Philadelphia Missionary Baptist Church, in South Georgia, where I gave my life to Christ at age nine. There, I struggled to find answers to my spiritual longings, as early as age thirteen. There, later, I accepted a call to full-time Christian work. Over the years I myself have become one with the frustration of the myriad within and outside the churches who seek a vibrant spirituality of depth. I write these words, not as an outside critic, but as a son of the Church. Indeed, the teachings, rites, and sacraments of the Church cannot be adequately appreciated or lived without our being Spirit-initiated into the depth dimension we call "God": Christian baptism is a sign of this immersion, "initiation." This I have discovered through the painful and long search that was largely unaided by the Church. Thankfully, a very small minority guided me, for part of this way, but, often, I was mostly all alone in the seeking.
The major calling of the churches is, not to educate persons in denominational beliefs, morality, social activism, ..., but to introduce, with the help of the Holy Spirit, persons into the mysteries of Life in Christ. Any church agenda without major focus on mystical life in Christ is inadequate to the demands of our time. Any failure in providing a place for persons seeking a deeper life in Christ, is a major failure of the Church.
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1) In your own words define "Christian spirituality," "Christian mysticism," and "Christian contemplation." Are they the same? Explain.
2) Does the church you belong to prioritize Christian spirituality as an intimate life in Christ? If so, how?
3) What are traits of a healthy Christian mysticism, or Christian spirituality?
4) Why might many Christians be afraid of the language "mysticism"?
5) Why would I claim inner transformation is a priority over outer service?
6) What sets Christian mysticism apart from New Age teachings?
7) Do you agree or not with the opening quote? Explain.
8) Do you have deep, unfulfilled longings that you might could call "mystical"? Explain.
9) In what sense are sacraments mystical?
10) Have you had a mystical experience? Explain.
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*Charitable contributions would be appreciated to assist Brian in the continuance of his work of ministry. For contributions, contact Brian at barukhattah@embarqmail.com .
*Brian's book of spiritual love poetry, An Ache for Union: Oneness with God through Love, can be ordered through major booksellers, or through the Cokesbury on-line store, at www.cokesbury.com .
*Brian K. Wilcox lives in Punta Gorda, FL, and Clearwater, FL, with his wife, step-son, and two beloved dogs. Brian has an independent writing, workshop, and retreat ministry focused on Christians living as spiritual disciples of Jesus Christ in everyday life. He serves the Christ Community United Methodist Church, Punta Gorda, FL. Brian is vowed at Greenbough House of Prayer, a contemplative Christian community in South Georgia. He lives a vowed, contemplative life and inspires others to experience a more intimate relationship with God-in-Christ. Brian advocates for a spiritually-focused, experiential Christianity and renewal of the focus of the Church on addressing the deeper spiritual needs and longings of persons.
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