After introducing the stages of spiritual growth in adults as a resource to help us develop spiritually I want to take the next few months to explore one model of the different stages. There are many models and schema available now, with remarkable overlap and agreement; a beautiful coming together of spirituality and psychology. They all point us toward a journey of growth and development, and ultimately union with God - a full abiding in God that connects us with ourselves, others and the cosmos. I get excited thinking about the trajectory of growth we are on and can consciously participate in, and I’ve found comfort, hope, and confirmation that I’m not crazy from these models! For the sake of our introduction I’ll be borrowing heavily from the model put forth by Fr. Richard Rohr, a Franciscan priest who believes that Action and Contemplation must be held together.
Anything But Linear
My own spiritual journey has been anything but linear, marked by growth and regression, mistakes, failure and a lot of what feels like groping in the dark for what I think might be God. A journey marked by these experiences seems to be typical for those who’ve sought God with any persistence and perseverance. Thus, when it comes to writing about stages of spiritual development it is important to note that what I am presenting is a model. While it can be a very helpful resource for our own and other’s growth, we must keep in mind that spiritual growth is much more subtle and complex, and rarely as linear as any model of the stages would make it appear. In addition, our ego (our small or false self) wants to use these models to place itself at a higher level or stage than it actually is.
Losing In Order to Find
Given that the move from one stage to the next is almost always through some death to the false self, darkness, failure or wounding, followed by a season of unknowing and confusion, we want to guard against this ego inflation as it works against the honesty and humility vital for further growth. By cultivating an open mind and open heart, as Fr. Thomas Keating teaches, we can learn how to walk in faith in these seasons of darkness.
This is where the contemplative disciplines come in. They help till the soil of our hearts, preparing us to suffer these ego/false self defeats graciously, so that a part of our false self can die and an internal and spiritual resurrection can take us to a new stage. Letting go, dying & resurrecting, losing in order to find . . . these are the tools and processes of spiritual growth we want to learn to embrace.
Being Led to the Liminal Space
It can be easy to come to a comfortable stage or place in our spiritual journey and either feel like we’ve arrived - that further growth would just be too hard, or is only for the spiritual elite or the saints. This is where a healthy and discerning community, alongside a spiritual director, teacher, or companion becomes vital. We need those who’ve learned to walk through the inevitable seasons of darkness, confusion and unknowing . . . the territory we inevitably find between the stages if we are to be led through to a new stage of development. Otherwise the false self will double back, return to the stage it was in, and just work harder to try and make life work at that stage.
At the same time we also don’t need to try to rush from one stage to the next (of course the ego will want to), but we must learn to trust that the stage we are in right now is actually the best one to be in, and that when it is time the mystery of God’s Spirit will nudge, invite or perhaps plunge us into the in-between, or liminal space, that inhabits the gap separating each stage. It is God who is the author and perfecter of our faith and of our faith journey. We cannot manufacture it, but must learn to wait, listen and trust, while at the same time practicing our contemplative disciplines, finding a spiritual director and otherwise taking steps that signify our intent and desire to grow, pulled along by our yearning for connection with and experience of God.
Coming next month: a look at the first few stages!
Todd Minturn is the Assistant Director of the Fresno Institute for Urban Leadership (FIFUL) where he provides spiritual formation and pastoral care. He also serves as a cross-cultural training specialist for the Surf & Turf Division. Todd will writing a monthly column on the spiritual life, reflecting on contemplative practices, spiritual disciplines and how these practices sustain us in urban ministry.
