For Janet Hagberg and Robert Guelich each, the wall was a failed marriage that took them by surprise. Successful in everything else they had done, each had to process this new reality. Each came out of it a better believer, closer to God.
They describe that process in their book The Critical Journey: Stages in the Life of Faith. I have proposed working with four stages: 1) Merit-based Faith, 2) Confirmed Faith, 3) Convicted Faith, 4) Close-to-God Faith. Having a Wall experience can become a transition from Confirmed to Convicted Faith, or from Convicted to Close-to-God faith. Hagberg and Guelich note that many church professionals remain only at Confirmed Faith.
Luther’s Latin term for this critical experience is tentatio. He explained it in his prescription for learning to do ministry effectively: meditatio, tentatio et oratio—meditate, struggle and pray. His personal journey was full of struggle perceived as fighting off the devil.
Many believers get stuck at Stage 1 or Stage 2. Here is Hagberg and Guelich’s description of what can happen when we get on the other side of whatever Wall we personally have run into:
“A crisis can knock us off balance, making us afraid, vulnerable and ripe for change. This also happens in our spiritual journey. We have a crisis in our faith that causes us to reconsider. It might frighten us, or at least make us vulnerable. If we become bitter or too resistant, we can get stuck. But if we let the change or crisis touch us, if we live with it and embrace it, we are more likely to grow and to move eventually to another stage or spiral in our journey. When we are most vulnerable, we have the best chance to learn and move along the way. In the midst of pain there is promise.”
They observe, “It is easy to mislead people into thinking that they can move themselves to the next stage by just doing the things listed, talking to the right people, or setting their mind to it. Nothing could be further from the truth. The journey of faith is our personal journey, and movement on the journey is the place of mystery, holy ground.”
What they found is what I personally have also observed. Transitioning requires the help of others. We can glibly say to read the Word. But we need others beyond the preacher to interpret and reflect its practical meaning personally.
In Luther’s Large Catechism explanation of the third article of the Apostles’ Creed (I believe in the Holy Spirit), he notes that the next phrase is “the communion of saints.” He writes, “Until the last day, the Holy Spirit remains with the holy community of Christian people. Through it [the community] he gathers us, using it to teach and preach the Word. By it he creates and increases sanctification, causing it daily to grow and become strong in the faith and in the fruits of the Spirit.”
In the Smalcald Articles, which he personally wrote, Luther describes how the Gospel is communicated through means of grace. He lists the fifth as “the mutual conversation and education of brethren.”
It is critical to avoid leaving the impression that believers at earlier stages are somehow inferior. They are simply not enjoying all the benefits available through the Spirit. Moving on happens at the initiative of the Spirit. What we all can do is pray “Come, Holy Spirit, Come!” We can all sing Luther’s hymn: “Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord, Be all your graces now outpoured on each believer’s mind and heart; Your fervent love to them impart.”
I found it interesting to discover that my hero, Danish existentialist philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, mused about the stages of life. He famously described “the leap of faith,” based on Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac at God’s command, as irrational as God’s action seemed. That was a Wall experience for him, and it set him on his path of leadership.
Have you encountered a significant “wall” in your life?
Hi Dave. Do you have an IPhone? If you would ever be open to a FaceTime 10 minute call to our discussion group on Sunday
Yes, I have an iPhone, but I won’t be available Sunday because we will be returning from our Thanksgiving with our whole family of nineteen. I will be glad to interact with your people on a later Sunday.
Dave
I often wonder about those of faith that have never been through any sort of fire. How strong can their faith be? If things head south in their lives would their faith remain strong enough to endure through it? So many fall away from their faith as they see such terrible tragedies unfold in our world today. If there was a God why would He allow such things to take place? If they knew the depths of the Scriptures they should be well prepared for what is happening and what is still to come. But even if you are very knowledgeable of the Scriptures, but have never been tested. I have seen many who have served the Lord in the trenches all their lives, but have never truly felt His presence. In fact they wonder if they are really doing any good as the need of those they are helping just continues to grow. Frustration and doubt can easily creep in. The key is to go beyond having Jesus in our hearts to making every attempt for the recipients of our love to know that He is the very source of our peace, love, joy and hope. We cannot leave that as an assumption or simply hope that the Spirit will find His way into them because of the kindness we have shown. I know for many that is too scary! That is why it is so important to get PACK started at your church. Opportunities are created where believers of any age and faith level can go out and start sharing Christ’s love & a taste of His grace with all others through simple surprising acts of kindness. When you work together in unselfishly loving on all people, no matter who they are, for Jesus and use the Connect Card to give Him all the credit & glory some very amazing and powerful things happen! You start seeing God at work everywhere! The testimonies, the timing, the teamwork all works together to actually energize your faith to an all time high! Because with every touch the Connect Card also invites the recipients to your church/school/youth activities and so on you are also growing His Kingdom at the same time! Please do yourself a favor and give PACK a good try. You will find it will impact your life like God intended the Gospels to do! The PACK program download is totally free as that is the very message it is intended to deliver. http://www.acts18.org God bless!
Hi Lee,
I think many pastors and church workers have not been deeply tested. But we don’t accomplish anything when scolding them or considering them second class citizens. Respect all believers where they are, even the C and E Christians. It is up to the Spirit to move them closer. Our job is to get them into the Spirit’s workshop: believers gathered around and sharing God’s word.
Our PACK of Servant Saturdays are a good start. Ours, by the way, had 350 participants last month. I have come up with a new phrase I will use in the next collection starting January: It takes a fellowship to raise a believer. We learn how to be a Christian from other believers as they demonstrate through their daily living what God’s Word means to them. Another good phrase I am using is The best is yet to come. Be built up by the Spirit to find more love, joy and peace in your life.
I thought I had a good grasp on grace and faith until God had me hit a wall. It wasn’t a very kind wall and it took God about five years to make sure my pride was whacked out of me. However, I discovered the magnificence of His love like never before. Paul nailed it when he wrote what God told him, “My grace is enough for you; my strength is made perfect in your weakness.” Amen.
I discovered a new book by Paull Miller: J-curve: Dying and Rising with Jesus in Everyday Life. Like the slanted letter J (big in statistical analysis) we need to go down before rising in a new form. Being born-again means the death of some previous ambitions. The j-Curve is the spine of sanctification. Dying and rising with Christ is the normal Christian life.