For most pastors and church staffs, the week after Easter Sunday is like a big exhale and collapse on the couch kind of week.  It is a bit more than that for those of us who define the start of spring not by the cycles of the sun and moon but by the sounds of barred owl calls and spring turkeys gobbling from their roost.

It was an incredible Easter worship that we celebrated.  Definitely in my top five and maybe even the number 1 for me.  The thing about Sundays, my friend and fellow pastor, Tommy Willingham reminded me a number of years, is that after Sunday comes another Sunday, and another, and another.  Somewhere in there, clergy have to take Sabbath rest.  I found some of that rest time on April 1.

I have permission to hunt on some private land not far from my home.  I got home a little after 5pm, donned my camo, checked my calls, got my shotgun and headed out for what I thought would likely be an hour or so taking a walk in the woods listening for a non-existent gobbler nearby.

It was 5:30 when I began my walk, crawling under the barbed wire fence and walking up to the highest ridge.  Taking my time, I sent a few gently yelps and clucks out to let any turkeys know a "hen" was in the area.  No one picked up on my advances.  So about ten till six, I did something I rarely do.  I set up a turkey hen decoy on the ridge, found a nice pine tree and I sat down.  I played a game on my phone.  I checked e-mail.  I remembered my prayer beads in my vest and began to pray.

Then I waited.

I’ll admit I don’t wait well.  I get antsy, bored, and anxious.  I also know that I need those feelings and turkey hunting is a sport able to teach patience more than most.  It sure seemed like a lot more time had gone by but right around 6pm, I gobble sounded off right in front of me.  Game on.  I paused a moment and responded with a soft cut and purr from my call.  Nothing.

So I waited.

Five minutes later, the gobbling came from my right.  I turned my head slightly to see that old turkey had covered about 100 yards in five minutes and was anxious to get a glimpse of the hen he had been hearing.  I gave him another cluck and purr and watched his head perk up.  He began putting to hear from that hen.  Then he got a glimpse of the decoy moving in the wind.

He lowered his head down and came in on a string to that decoy.  When the tom was about 15 yards from my pine tree, I brought the hunt to an end.  In reality, my time with this bird was far from over.  I got him back home, took measurements and took to work cleaning him.  I think I'm one of the few who treasure this part of every hunt because it is a time for me to give thanks to God for the blessing of food for my family and the joy of being part of God’s creation.  I give thanks for the bird, for the life and for the hunt.  In these moments after a successful hunt, I am reminded of my own mortality, those sacred words we as clergy say on Ash Wednesday and at funerals: “Ashes to ashes.  Dust to dust.”

Why do I share this story?  In part, I have come to see and experience the camaraderie in hunt stories.  Sportsmen and sportswomen have a shared language and find meaning and life in the stories.  I have sat with folks in hospital rooms, at home or over a cup of coffee, who had no life in them but who caught spark when the stories of days in the woods came up.  It was people sharing their lives that have help me to come to hold stories, psalms and allegories in a much higher regard than I used to do.  In his article, “To Taste With Heart,” Dr. Mark Burrows writes about this when he observes, “Allegorical reading with its creative interest in possibility, finds its grounding in a spirituality of movement and change.  But this occurs only for readers who are willing to stay put, to remain at the still point within the text... (176, Burrows).”

In our rush toward advancements and achievements, human beings speed by the stories and poems around us.  In our commitment to quiet times with God, we become more interested in checking off our to do list.  In our hurry to be right, we fail to read and live what is written.  In fact, we fail to live at all.  The root of allegories and poetry in the Scriptures are the revelations of human beings who became still; who waited.  The reading and study of Scripture is more than an intellectual experience for it is intended to be spiritually transforming.  A Biblical spirituality needs a patient reading, reflection on a life lived and time in the presence of God.

On a Monday afternoon, I took time to be at rest.  I stopped my hurrying and chose to sit and wait.  I need to wait more.  I need to sit more often.  That old turkey reminded me once again what can be discovered and the stories that are written when we stop and wait in the presence of God.

Psalm 40:1-3 GW  For the choir director; a psalm by David. I waited patiently for the LORD. He turned to me and heard my cry for help.  (2)  He pulled me out of a horrible pit, out of the mud and clay. He set my feet on a rock and made my steps secure.  (3)  He placed a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see this and worship. They will trust the LORD.


Works Cited
Burrows, Mark. "To Taste with Heart," Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology.  April 2002.

However, there are those practices which Ignatius’ outlines and encourages within the Exercises that are problematic in nature and ought to be addressed as well. As I have just addressed the penitential practices in week one, we must consider that beyond fasting, Ignatius encouraged denying oneself comfortable sleeping and more drastic, the chastising of the flesh. He writes on this account: “This is done by wearing hairshirts, cords, or iron chains on the body, or by scourging or wounding oneself, or by other kinds of austerities (The Spiritual Exercises, 62).” I certainly have no doubt our Methodist tradition flinches at even the thought of such practices. The response I received in an e-mail correspondence with Paul Brian Campbell, SJ, a Jesuit and Publisher at Loyola Press, confirms the same from the modern day descendants of Igantius’ practice. Paul writes,

“Penance and self-denial can sharpen our senses and help us become more receptive to God's gifts. Ignatius wrote the Exercises in the 16th Century. Our understanding of the psychosexual dynamics of "scourging or wounding oneself" has progressed considerably since his time, to say the least…I cannot endorse any form of self-harm, any more than I would allow an illness to be treated by the standards of 16th century medicine (2012).”

Additional practices not part of Methodist (or many protestant churches) such as praying the “Hail Mary” or the “Anima Christi” are encouraged throughout. One also finds references to the “dark night” or that “the Divinity hides itself (The Spiritual Practices, 92).” John Wesley’s views on this subject are somewhat conflicted as both Collins and Tuttle note in their writing. Wesley appears to misunderstand John of the Cross’ “dark night” as a place of “sin and ignorance” and not as a spiritual journey of purgation (Collins 1993, 310). A spiritual director in the Wesleyan-Methodist tradition ought to be aware of this if using the Exercises.

So while both Collins and Tuttle address concerns of contemporary spirituality, we in fact are talking not about contemporary practices at all. Instead, to examine Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises is to engage in a ecumenical study and to continue in the same vein as John Wesley himself, which was to see what the practices of other denominations and Christian traditions might hold for us as a Methodist people. It seems on further reading, there is much in common with Ignatius and Wesley.

Unlike the complaint Wesley seemed to have with other mystics, namely, they tended toward the heresy of Quietism, Ignatius it might be argued, leaned more toward the Pelagian side of the equation – a salvation by works. As I have already stated, Ignatius placed his feet firmly in a belief in the atoning work of Jesus Christ. However, like other mystics (and Wesley himself), Ignatius believed the journey of our life was toward Christian perfection; a perfection in love. Ignatius made clear, “…love ought to be manifested in deeds rather than words (The Spiritual Practices, 103).” Indeed, much as the Wesleyan-Methodist movement has been characterized by “social-holiness," a faith of serving others, Ignatian mysticism could be described as at once a “mysticism of love," it is a striking “service mysticism" (Egan1978, 415). In one meditation, Ignatius calls the exerciant to reflect on the Nativity story, taking upon the role of a slave and caring for the needs of a the Holy family, who themselves are poor. This is done so a person might gain an understanding of the poor estate into which Jesus was born. All of this is consistent with Jesus’ own words given to his followers, "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13 NASB)

By examination using the Albert Outler's, "Wesleyan Quadrilateral," I have presented already the heavy emphasis on Scripture in the Exercises. In addition, the intent of the Exercises is to provide the exerciant with an experience of knowing Christ Jesus and imitating Christ Jesus. But what of tradition and reason? Rabbi Kushner makes a statement, I think, both Ignatius and Wesley would agree upon when he writes, “Religious rituals are a funny sequence of things we do to help us remember that we have forgotten why we have been created, and gently provide us with the instruments of return (Kushner 2006, 88-89).” Ignatius’ Exercises incorporate many of the rituals and traditions of the Church. Yet, the Exercises offer us additional instruments to return to the world with humility, “...that I may obey in all things the law of God our Lord (The Spiritual Practices, 81).” In addition, the exercitant is not asked to suspend reason in the exercises but employ it in the reading of Scripture, meditation, and in the use of imagination. In week two, Ignatius addresses making good choices and the exerciant is challenged to, “...use my reason to weigh the many advantages and benefits...(Ibid, 85).” While not solely ecumenical, clearly The Spiritual Exercises put to use the criteria of the Quadrilateral.

What then does it mean for us as Wesleyan-Methodists if we find a mystical practice does fit within the criteria of both Collins’ questions and the Quadrilateral? In the case of The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, where it is intended for a person to participate under the direction of an experienced spiritual director, finding an experienced director would be the first requirement. Secondly, it ought to be addressed that there are practices which fall outside the norm for the Methodist Christian (already named). Ideally, a Wesleyan-Methodist spiritual director will have already participated in the Exercises and would be aware and available to those seeking to practice the exercises.

It would benefit the spiritual director to have an understanding of what Gary Thomas terms an exerciant’s, “sacred pathways” or personality type, such as Myers-Briggs. This need not be required but worth the time to consider. Because of Ignatius’ use of imagination, Eucharist ritual, and full engagement of the senses, to name a few practices, having an understanding of either the pathway or personality, the spiritual director might be more attentive to the work of the Holy Spirit during certain aspects of an exerciant’s experience. This is not to imply the director manipulate the exercise, but to be aware of where an exercise might overlap with a natural pathway in the life of the exerciant.

Worth considering as well, is the use of the Exercises as part of a Methodist Select Band. Daniel Prechtel references the work of Morris and Olsen in regards to group spiritual direction as they highlighted the unique aspect of the Select Bands in the Methodist Societies. Not only were the select bands a unique peer group, the focus of these small groups had to do with the coming to live out a perfect for God and for one’s neighbor (Prechtel 2010, 65). The unique process of The Exercises would need to be honored and so would the typical ways we might measure success in a small group (Dougherty 1995, 65 & 67). Directors in the United Methodist Church should also be aware of the reporting structure of the Vital Congregations reporting format.

The Spiritual Exercises are given the flexibility by Ignatius, through the spiritual director, to be accessible to all, regardless of ability or education. Ignatius writes, “A person who is uneducated or of little natural ability should not be given matter which he could not…bear or…get no profit...to each should be given those exercises which will be of the most profit…(The Spiritual Practices, 41).” This is certainly in accordance with John Wesley’s wish for us to speak “plain truth for plain people (The Wesley Study Bible 2009, 592).” The director ought to be attentive to making the Exercises available to all so all might grow in grace.

In our time of societal upheaval and religious exploration, churches are being both challenged by searching voices and offered practices from differing faith traditions. The growing field of spiritual formation as both an academic area and ministerial practice, as well as the vocation of spiritual directors, presents us a unique opportunity to re-examine faith practices within our Christian traditions. John Wesley’s own journey provides the Methodist people with an example of this practice of questioning and assimilating and Kenneth Collins’ questions provide us with a modern means for this endeavor. A further refining of these questions might benefit us in exploring spiritual practices to be introduced into our churches.

In the case of The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, the questioning work has demonstrated the Exercises to be beneficial to the life of Christians, regardless of their denominational background. The theological and practical similarities between Wesley and Ignatius prove at times to be striking. Under the guidance of an experienced and gracious director, both Methodists and Roman Catholics could find a meaningful middle ground to journey together in grace toward the perfecting love which both Wesley and Ignatius clearly desired and prayed for in the followers of Jesus Christ.

This third installment on examining spiritual practices focuses on the third and fourth questions which Dr. Kenneth Collins offers as a means to examine spiritual practice through a Wesleyan-Methodist lens.  I chose to use The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius because I had no bias towards him.  I had never read his works prior to this point.   My previous two posts are found here and here.  For some of you, this whole line of questioning makes no sense.  "Who cares?," may be one of your thoughts.  "What does it matter?," may be another.  I tried to address this in a previous post found here.  I think at the heart of it, these questions are not limited to being just a Wesleyan-Methodist lens, they reflect a Christian lens beneficial for any believer.

Next up is Collin’s third question, “Are these trends soundly rooted in the atonement?” This question plagued Wesley’s relationship with William Law, a mentor and one whom Wesley considered a mystic. The central argument for Wesley was Law’s understanding of justification - saving faith. In reference to Law’s recommendation of the mystical classic, Theologia Germanica, Wesley wrote, “I remember something of Christ our pattern, but nothing express of Christ our atonement (Wesley 1996, Vol 3, 301).” To read Wesley’s writings, one would hardly miss the importance he placed on Christ’s atonement for sin.

A similar view of the atonement is found in Ignatius’ theology as expressed in the Exercises. As outlined in his four week program, Ignatius moved the excertiants from the first week of reflecting upon God’s love, God’s creation, and our sinfulness, to the second week, where the focus is on following Jesus Christ as a disciple. Then, in the third week, a person’s focus becomes the week of Christ’s passion, the Last Supper and Jesus’
death and the Eucharist being the fullest symbol of God’s love and grace. This third week begins with three preludes, the third of which expresses, “…the Lord is going to His passion on account of my sins (The Spiritual Exercises 1964, 91, emphasis mine).” Further reading reveals that our prayers should focus particularly on Christ’s atonement. Ignatius writes, “In the Passion the proper thing to ask for is grief with Christ suffering, a broken heart with Christ heartbroken, tears, and deep suffering because of the great suffering that Christ endured for me (Ibid, 93, emphasis mine). This consistency in reflecting upon Christ’s atonement places Ignatius’ Exercises alongside Wesley’s own theological beliefs.

There remains then, a fourth question presented by Dr. Collins, namely in regards to the means of grace. Is there a judicious employment of the means of grace in the spirituality presented? Specifically, Dr. Collins refers to, “…prayer, receiving the Lord’s Supper, and reading the Bible… (1993, 314).” To these means of grace, we can add a few more as outlined by Wesley and the United Methodist Church. These additions would include the practice of fasting, journaling, singing, small group meetings: classes and bands, public preaching, love feasts and family devotions (Coppedge 1993).

As noted at the beginning of this paper and it is echoed in the beginning of The Spiritual Exercises, spiritual direction is part of the faith experience. That there should be a “master of the Exercises,” is similar to John Wesley’s instructions to preachers not to preach if there can be no follow-up in a class meeting or band (The Spiritual Exercises 39 and Jones 2002, 79).

Prayer is found to be a consistent, daily practice throughout the Exercises. Not only is praying the Lord’s Prayer expressly stated, there is guided prayer throughout as well as encouragement to pray as one is led to do so. Prayers for forgiveness of sins and prayers to be made aware of our shortcomings become part of the rituals of each session. Ignatius appears to agree with John Wesley’s own practices when he encourages those using the Exercises to set aside an hour for prayer (Ibid, 49).

The book itself contains the scripture passages which Ignatius instructed exerciants to use for their meditations. Questions for reflection are given for those passages so one might pry more deeply into the text. These Scripture passages outline the life of Jesus Christ for the exerciant in 30 days, to study and contemplate, the full Christology (as we have previously noted).

Ignatius encouraged, “…Holy Communion every two weeks, or better, if he is so inclined, every week (Ibid, 42).” While this may seem excessive to us as protestants, it certainly was not to John Wesley. His sermon on “The Duty of Constant Communion,” states the Christian ought to participate in the Lord’s Supper, “…every time he can; like the first Christians, with whom the Christian Sacrifice was a constant part of the Lord’s day service. And for several centuries they received it almost every day: Four times a week always, and every Saint’s day beside (Wesley 1996, Vol. 7, 148).” I suppose it could be argued Ignatius does not go far enough, at least in comparison to Wesley. Still, the importance of the Eucharist for Ignatius is demonstrated not only in this teaching but the focus in week three on the Eucharist as well.

All Methodist Clergy are asked if we practice fasting and if we teach it. For Ignatius, fasting is an integral part of the Exercises especially in week one, where it serves as part of the reflections and practice of penance. Some of today’s modern mystic writers such as Jane Vennard make an important point to “…keep the purpose of your fast before you. (Vennard 1998, 21).” Even though within the Spiritual Exercises fasting is a penitential experience it is not to punish the body but is still in line with Vennard’s words, “to create space in your life to attend to God (Ibid, 22).” Ignatius himself writes one does not need to “…harm ourselves or cause ourselves serious illness (The Spiritual Exercises, 62).”

Another current mystic writer, Marjorie Thompson, author of Soul Feast, observes, “We trivialize spiritual disciplines when we lose sight of their real purpose (2005, 78).” However, if we do not examine a discipline or spiritual practice, it may not be trivialization that becomes the problem. Instead the problem will be our allowing of "infection" into the church, either through confusion regarding means of grace or possibly practice not in line with Christianity. This is what seems to concern Wesley. Dr. Collin’s questions give us guidance in this examination especially in light of John Wesley’s over-simplification of mystics as “all and only those who slight any of the means of grace (Collins 1993, 305).” I feel confident, that a spiritual director in the Wesleyan-Methodist tradition could use Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises as part of a program of spiritual formation and be able to do so knowing the exercises would be both beneficial and in line with our own Methodist criteria of practice.

Today's post is the continuation of yesterday's post found here.  Today, I focus on the first two questions that Dr. Ken Collins proposes: "Is the practice Christologically based?" and "Does the practice detract from Jesus as mediator?"  If you have never read any of John Wesley's writings you may not appreciate the time he took read, examine, write and publish responses to books, preaching and tracts in his day.  Wesley did not take spiritual practices lightly, in fact, he was very careful about what he endorsed to the people called Methodists, should it be any less important to us today? 

The questions Dr. Collins raises in part, address the concerns he terms “...the health of contemporary developments in religion...(Collins 1993, 314).” Dr. Robert Tuttle affirms in his own chapter the need to examine spiritual practices in our day. It is hard to miss the nod to Wesley’s own questioning of not just mystical writings but any and all theological or spiritual practices in his own day. Collins begins by asking, “...are current trends in spirituality Christologically based?” This is the first question with which we will examine Ignatius’ writings in The Spiritual Exercises.

For the sake of this paper, a simple understanding of Christology should suffice. Christology is the study of the nature and person of Jesus found in the Canonical Gospels and Epistles of the New Testament. In the first week of the Exercises, there is much time for reflection upon God’s position of authority as well as his grace. At the same time, there is an opportunity for the Christian to reflect upon one's place in this world and our fallen state. “Man is created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord, and by this means save his soul (The Spiritual Exercises 1964, 47),” writes Ignatius. These words seem to echo the Westminster Shorter Chatechism when it is asked, “What is the chief end of man? Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever (www.shorterchatechism.com, 2012).” The beginning of the Exercises, positions us at the Creation - the first exercise asks the exercitants to “consider the sin of Adam and Eve (The Spiritual Exercises 1964, 55).” Yet, this is not where the exercise ends.

Ignatius has the excertiant focus upon Christ Jesus in this first exercise as well. In a most significant moment of reflection, the excertiant is asked to speak with Jesus about his role as the Christ. Specifically, one is to consider how God became human, possessed eternal life but suffered temporal death for our sins (Ibid, 56). As we move into the Second Week, “The Kingdom of Christ,” we find Ignatius leading excertiants to reflect on the Trinity and God’s plan and work of redeeming humanity (Ibid, 70). In addition, Ignatius makes a specific reference in the Fifth Contemplation, no. 4, which is a desire, “to know more thoroughly the eternal Word Incarnate (Ibid 72).” In such passages, it is hard to miss the careful acknowledgment of Jesus as both God and human as well as the trinitarian language of the orthodox faith.

There is a wealth of scripture references for the recommended meditations which Ignatius asks of excertiants. These passages all have to do with the life of Jesus. From the annunciation to the ascension, the focus of a person’s time in Scripture is to be upon the life of Jesus. As Methodists, this brings to mind our practice of doing theology based on the quadrilateral. The first and primary means of any of our theological work, begins with Scripture and Scripture is the most important of the elements among the four which include tradition, reason, and experience.

The second question which Collins proposes in his paper is to examine if the practice or trend encourages a “direct relation to God which detracts from the work of Christ as mediator?” A cursory reading of John Wesley’s writings and experiences shows this to be an area of great concern for him. Here, Tuttle notes the distinction being that on one side is the idea that implies, 'God helps those who help themselves.' Christianity insists that God helps those who cannot help themselves but who are willing to be helped by God (1989, 176).” This earlier thought Tuttle argues, is a sort pantheism, that God is all things. As such, the need for a mediator between us and God is not necessary. This is certainly in conflict with the Christology we noted before but it is also inconsistent with a theology of Christ as the mediator; our high priest as expressed in Hebrews,

(17) Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. (18) For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.” (2:17-18 NASB)

How does Ignatius’ Exercises respond to this questioning? To start, we return to the first weeks exercise and acknowledge the theme Ignatius establishes in stating, “…He [Jesus] submitted to temporal death to die for our sins (The Spiritual Exercises, 56, emphasis mine).” Ignatius continues this recognition of our sin and Christ Jesus as our mediator into the third exercise where he asks, “Him [Jesus] to intercede with the Father to obtain these graces [knowledge of our sinful state] for me (Ibid, 58).” While not as extensive as some may prefer, clearly, Ignatius acknowledges the work of Jesus Christ as the mediator.

Back in January I raised the point that United Methodists are faced with what I termed "an inconvenient truth."  Our Book of Discipline outlines the primary sources for our work as the church.  Some of us, namely ordained clergy, are in covenant together regarding our work of ministry.  When we begin to discuss what is taught in our UM Churches, these sources are intended to be our guides for faithful covenant and practice.