(Note: anyone is invited to attend this - I would love to have you come!)I have been teaching prayer, spiritual formation and transformation, and dweling in God’s presence for 35 years. I’ve developed my own materials and have been blessed to teach them in many environments, to include: seminaries, pastors retreats and conferences, churches, all over the world, and in our own Redeemer Ministry School.
As an experiment I want to offer and invite you to take my Spiritual Formation class in a 6-week course. Here are the details.If you want to sign up please call the Redeemer office (734-242-5277) or e-mail me (johnpiippo@msn.com). Persons who have studied this material with me may re-take it. Why not invite a friend to take it with you?
REQUIREMENTS
Attend two 3-hour classes.
1. Sunday evening, Jan. 29, 5-8 PM. An Introduction to Spiritual Formation.
2. Sunday evening, March 11, 5-8 PM. Sharing our experiences with one another; wrap-up.
Six weeks of prayer and journaling:
- Feb. 5 - March 18
- Pray one hour/day, 5 days/week
Read and reflect on my writings on spiritual formation and prayer. Needed: e-mail access – I will e-mail you the readings.
Needed: Commitment to fully engage in this experience.
Materials Needed:
- Bible
- Journal to write in
Cost: Free.
If you want to prepare in advance for this here are some books I recommend.
Boyd, Greg. Present Perfect: Finding God In the Now. (Zondervan: 2010) This is an excellent, clearly written little book that contains some deep spiritual insights that are not found in other spirituality texts. Greg’s meditation on “death” is worth the price of the book.
Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection. The Practice of the Presence of God (Garden City: Image, 1977). A spiritual classic by a 17th-century monk that is still relevant today, and is especially good at knowing God in the everyday, mundane tasks of life.
Foster, Richard. A Celebration of Discipline (San Francisco
Kelly, Thomas. A Testament Of Devotion (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1941). This brilliant, provocative little text makes my top ten ever-read books on Christian spirituality. A modern classic.
Merton, Thomas. Seeds (Shambala: 2002). A killer collection of Merton quotes. A tremendous introduction to the depth, wisdom, and discernment of Thomas Merton. Prophetic.
Nouwen, Henri. In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership (Harper and Row). A brilliant little book, among the best I have ever read on pastoral leadership.
Nouwen, The Inner Voice of Love (Image Books: 1999). I find it hard to express how much God used a slow, meditative reading of this book to effect changes in my life.
Nouwen. The Way of the Heart (New York: Ballantine, 1981). A beautiful, meditative little book on solitude, silence, and prayer.
Peterson, Eugene. The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction (Dallas: Word, 1989). I have read this book two or three times. It always reminds me of my priorities in pastoral ministry.
Willard, Dallas. Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God (IVP: 1999)
