Cool take on that Scripture. I wish I would’ve known you were at Messiah – that is near me. Thanks for the reminder to continue to go deeper with our spiritual formation.

Scot,
I agree … we are to kindle the light so that it burns bright — in order to clearly see those in need of that cup of cold water. Sometimes it seems that we shine in order to dazzle others….
Back to the old privilege for purpose. Bearing the Image is not so that we are “cool”, but so that we can serve.
Thanks for the passion with which you engage the young minds out there. I know that the Spirit is at work before, during, and after you pass on the truths of the Jesus Creed.

Thanks for this Scot.
When spiritual formation becomes the new designer spirituality without an outward focus then it’s really just another way to avoid the real needs around us.
Here in Africa a lot of us are realizing that if we’re giving the cup without the bulb then we become burnt out and bitter, if we only have the bulb then we become blinded and preoccupied with ourselves.

While absolutely believing spiritual formation includes both light bulb and cold water for the needy, isn’t the context of Matthew 10:40-42 “unbelievers” giving cold water to needy disciples/apostles/missionaries of Jesus?
Does this simply indicate that, for some people, giving the cold water precedes the light bulb (i.e., giving the cold water isn’t some advanced form of spiritual development but an elementary, integral part of it)?

Roger,
The context of the passage suggests those to whom Jesus offers the reward are those who respond favorably to the Jesus-kingdom messengers. I don’t know how one could construe them as “unbelievers.” There is here only a contrast between the receptor and the messenger, with the latter being one of Jesus’ special messengers, but not between believer vs. unbeliever.

Scot (#5), I put “unbelievers” in quotes as the context was the 12 being sent out to (presumably) unbelievers in Jesus among the “lost sheep of Israel” (v. 6).
I guess I’m simply pointing out that, in the context of Matthew 10, the needy ones (receiving the cold water) are believers/disciples–not unbelievers.

Roger, I didn’t fill the picture in but there are a number of factors at work when we use that image of a “cup of cold water”:
1. The Jewish at the time of Jesus of “works of mercy,” which is to show mercy to those in need.
2. Jesus’ famous parable of the sheep and goats.
3. The early Christian senses of hospitality and Jesus’ footwashing.
4. Faith and works being integrally related from the very beginning with Jesus and the early Christians.

Thanks for that Roger, and I see that your emphasis is on the condition of the apostles. Good point. In my talk I developed the image of how Jesus himself had a cup of cold water for a variety of folks, including prostitutes and tax collectors and sinners. He was a known as a friend of tax collectors and sinners for the way he treated them at table … that’s the idea, and I know you agree with this emphasis as well.

Scot,
This is a good reminder. Spiritual formation only begs the question: formed, trained for what? For a Jesus-Creed way of life. Inner change is the servant of outer works of service.

I like the both-and. Either without the other is insufficient, as Tom Smith points out above. Some want to stop with a nice warm inner glow. Others want to avoid any inner life transformation whatsoever, and skip directly to giving cups of cold water as if that were the sum total (rather than the evidence) of transformation.

Scot–Two very good images. Spiritual formation does lead to the most obvious question (as T notes above) “Formed or Trained for what?” I think that such images are helpful in trying to grasp the importance of an inside/outside ministry. This inside change must lead to outside change (ministry).

Unfortunately, I think many do stop with the light bulb. They begin to feel good and feel good about their progress with the Lord (which is good). But that good feeling can lull us into a sense of “all is well” when we should constantly be asking, “Is there more I should be doing?” When we stop asking the questions, that’s where I think growth stops. We should be “ever attaining”.

I’m not sure it is all as easy as that (i.e. a light vs. a cup). I value spiritual formation as a way of Christian life, just like many of the desert fathers, but also as being valuable in and of itself. But unlike the desert fathers, there is no need to exclude oneself from society.
There are private as well as communal spiritual formation activities, and service to others is one of the latter. Sometimes a spiritual formation activity can reignite the passion of the inner light (easy example: even if you are not feeling happy, smile, and soon you will be happy). But then again, one doesn’t “do” spiritual formation activities, service included, just to feel happy. but it’s a nice perk.

As always Scott you get me thinking and wondering. thank you for your images of spiirtual formation. as a local pastor of a congregation within a SA context for the past 30 odd years-first within the apartheid era and now within an equally challenging post apartheid era-I have learnt that it is often possible to go about “doing” spitual formation and living the Jesus creed within a bubble that does not expose one to the contexts of suffering often caused by systems of injustice. I find myself constantly wrestling with ways of doing spitual formation that will enable those in our congregation, as well as myself, to become more aware of our paricipation in structural evil. So your images got me thinking about an image that would embrace this justice engagement as well–I have not got one yet but i am wondering!