The with-God life

You could be forgiven for thinking that the Renovaré International Conference, held June 19–22 in Denver, Col., was an Anabaptist-sponsored event.

Some of its significant themes were the centrality of Jesus as ultimate standard and guide; the Sermon on the Mount as a way to live now; the formation of Christ in you as the call to discipleship; the Bible as a reliable guide to life with God; the church as a loving community of people who have God’s character; humble, plural leadership as the norm for Christian community; corporate discernment as the best way to make significant group decisions; intimate relationships in small group life; learning to live well with suffering; and practising hospitality as a way of life. How’s that for a list of common Anabaptist distinctives? It would appear that a significant number of evangelicals have started to connect with some very old, very basic truths of the faith.

MB caucus at the Renovaré Conference

Renovaré (Latin meaning “to renew”) was founded by Richard Foster, author of many books, including Celebration of Discipline and Streams of Living Water. Renovaré is a resource to the wider church, seeking to combine the best from six traditions of the Christian faith (prayer-filled, virtuous, Spirit-empowered, compassionate, Word-centred and sacramental life). Its aim is to nurture growth in Christ through a practical strategy that is focused on spiritual formation groups.

The conference was subtitled “The With-God Life: The Dynamics of Scripture for Christian Spiritual Transformation.” Through ten plenary sessions which included worship and teaching, as well as more than 50 workshops, participants worked with the critical question: “How does the Bible serve as the primary written resource for transforming our hearts and minds into the very nature of the heart and mind of God?”

This gathering attracted 1,600 participants from a wide range of denominations and generations.

Among them were 14 Canadian Mennonite Brethren from eight congregations in Manitoba, Ontario, and British Columbia.

Walking cheerfully

The dominant tone of the conference was joy, captured in phrases like “an irrepressible life,” “walking cheerfully over the earth in life with God,” life that is a “sweet aroma” to those around. Foster opened the conference with a description of “The With-God Life” – a life we have been given by God and made possible through the indwelling presence of Jesus by His Spirit.

We have been launched into a cooperative relationship with God, he said, in which our role is to “ask, listen and obey.” The goal of this cooperative spiritual formation is to have Christ formed in us (Galatians 4:19), to be conformed to (Romans 8:29) and transformed into the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Dallas Willard, a key teacher in the recent emphasis among evangelicals on spiritual formation and author of books such as The Divine Conspiracy and Renovation of the Heart, followed by other speakers, focused on the revelation of God through the Scriptures, by which we are shown God’s purposes in human history and are given a reliable guide for this life.

A central theme, repeated as a call to worship at the beginning of every plenary session was: “The aim of God in history is the formation of an all-inclusive community of loving persons with God Himself included in this community as its prime Sustainer and most glorious Inhabitant” (a quote from the newly-published Renovaré Spiritual Formation Bible). This provided ongoing perspective that our spiritual formation into Christ’s image is part of God’s grand purpose to create a community of loving persons within which intimate communion with God and creative partnership with God is lived out.

MB caucus

What impressed participants about this conference experience? Here’s what some of the Mennonite Brethren participants who gathered one evening said to each other:

• “We were given an inspiring panoramic view – the big picture of God’s purposes in human history.”
• “It was good to find the spiritual disciplines which I’ve learned over the past few years from Roman Catholics being re-located within the more familiar culture and language of the evangelical church.”
• “I have been put in touch with the reality behind the things I grew up with – that God does really speak to us and that a personal relationship with Jesus is centrally important.”
• “I was impressed with the organic nature of this With-God Life. It’s not about making something happen but rather making space for God’s life to grow.”
• “The call to enjoy deep communion and partnership with God the Trinity was striking.”

Several B.C. MBs commented on the inspiring impact of “The With-God Life in Church Community” track. Four case studies were given, each highlighting one church that has focused its life on “enjoying deep communion with the Triune God” where “authentic relating takes first place and everything else is secondary.”

While the term “spiritual formation” has become something of a fad in North America, many of us came away convinced that what we are dealing with lies close to the heart of being Christian, being church – something that will not be a passing fad.

Roland Balzer is pastoral elder of Highland Community Church, Abbotsford.

To learn more from MBs who attended, contact Sharon Johnson, director of adult ministries for the Canadian Conference of MB Churches. Information on Renovaré and next year’s conference is at Renovaré.