I am entering a period of deep reflection on what it means to be a pastor and what it means to be the church. I am asking questions that I have considered for years but now approach with a deeper sense of urgency and attention. I find myself wondering over and over again: what are …
Our Mind and Our Choices
This past weekend in my message from Psalm 1:1-2, "Roots," I specifically mentioned the power within our thoughts and interior life in relationship to discipleship. Here are some further comments on this point from Dallas Willard, one of the most influential writers on discipleship in our current time, in his book The Divine Conspiracy. I …
Dallas Willard’s Spirit of the Disciplines
As I continue to reflect on the influence of Dallas Willard, I am turning back to some previous posts on his book, The Spirit of the Disciplines. Here is one post from two years ago: I re-read Dallas Willard's book The Spirit of the Disciplines. It's a great book on entering into the deep life with God. Willard …
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Remembering Dallas Willard: 1935-2013
I heard the news yesterday that Dallas Willard, a great writer on life with God and spiritual formation, passed away after battling pancreatic cancer. Willard was a professor of philosophy at the University of Southern California while also writing and speaking as a Christian on issues of cultivating life with God. He is perhaps best …
Study and Worship
This post continues my reflections on Dallas Willard's book, The Spirit of the Disciplines. As a follow-up to yesterday's post on disciplines of abstinence, here I look at two basic disciplines of engagement. These two spiritual practices, study and worship, are foundational to the active participation in the life with God. Study In study, we …
Matthew Erickson 