During the spring term I took a class on Spiritual Formation in Ministry at Evangelical Theological Seminary (Myerstown, PA). My Engaged Learning Project and Classroom Presentation focused on the Incarnational Stream/Tradition. Over the course of the next several weeks, I’ll share my thoughts on the Incarnational Stream/Tradition and how I understand its value for followers of Christ in higher education. To begin the series, I’ll reflect on my classroom presentation as an example of seeking to teach and to “incarnate†Christ with head, heart, and hands.1 Please jump in to help me refine my thoughts.
[Note: I acknowledge that the seminary classroom is a unique teaching environment (most similar to presenting for InterVarsity, a local congregation, in the Christian college classroom, or another gathering of believers), but don’t let that hinder you from giving of examples of how you (and/or your colleagues) love God with your head, heart, and hands … not only in your discipline, but also in your rhythm of life.]
In Streams of Living Water: Celebrating the great traditions of the Christian faith , Richard Foster2 defines the Incarnational Stream/Tradition as “A life that makes present and visible the realm of the invisible Spirit†(272). He encourages participation in the Incarnational Stream/Tradition, “[b]ecause through it we experience God as truly manifest and notoriously active in daily life†(Foster, 272). The preparation, presentation, and reflection on the Incarnational Stream/Tradition at the end of the semester served as a timely reminder that all of life (head, heart, and hands), not just my head, is to grow in Christ likeness. Furthermore, I enjoyed the privilege, alongside my co-presenter, of inviting others to offer their whole lives to God. The process was an incarnational growing experience and the material continues to offer such opportunities. [Read more…] about The Incarnational Stream & Higher Education