As we evaluate urban poor spirituality, we can contrast it with classical Western spiritual disciplines across the centuries.

1. Classic Spirituality
Viv Grigg, Oct 2010

2. Learning Objectives
 1.Understanding: Understand a diversity of
strands of Christian spirituality.
 2. Understanding: Understand the
relationship of the three main traditions of
spiritual growth to urban poor ministry.
 3. Skill: Evaluate the effectiveness of their
spiritual disciplines in enabling them to cope
with the pressures of urban life.
 4. Character: Understand the effect of stress
on spirituality and family by identifying three
major stressors and determining changes of
lifestyle or spiritual practices to cope with
them.

3. A. Three Main Genres of
Christian Spirituality
1. The Way of Action
a. The Way of Love (1 John)
 Ma Theresa, the preaching
friars,
 St Francis of Assissi (1182-
1226),
 Walter Rauschenbusch
(1861-1918),
 Toyohiko Kagawa (1888 -
c1946)
b. The Way of Doing Justice
(Jer 23:29)
 William Law (1886-1761)
 Liberation theologians
 Dom Helder Camara
2. The Way of Wisdom
(Proverbs) (knowledge)
 Augustine (354-430)
 John Calvin (1509-1564)
 William Temple (1881-1944)
3. The Way of Devotion
(mysticism)
 The age of mysticism (11th-
15th C)
 Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-
1153)
 George Fox (1624-1691)
 Sundar Singh (1889-1933)

4. Practices of Devotion
 Being Fit
 Disconnection from things, Simplicity
 Listening to God
 Practice of the Presence
 Practices of self-examination
 12 Step Repentance

5. B. The Way of the Spirit
 These Three Lead to the Way of the
Spirit
◦ cf Watchman Nee
 Review Power point on Prayer &
Fasting
 or The Ministry of Intercession

6. C. Classic Spiritual
Disciplines
 The Daily Devotional
 The Weekly Prayer Meeting
 The Emergence of Corporate Prayer
 Spiritual Formation
 The Disciplines of Quiet Time,
 Mentoring
 The Word Hand: Hear, Read, Study,
Memorize, Meditate
 The Wheel Diagram
 The collection for the poor

7. D. The Spirituality of the
Apostolic Workers
 Servant-Partners: Incarnational
Communities of Graduates
 InnerChange: Following the
Charismatic Prophet Among the Poor
 Kairos: Following Jesus the
Wandering Preacher

8. Spiritual disciplines
(From the Lifestyle and Values of Servants)
 We believe our whole lifestyle should become a true
walking in the Spirit. We hold to the importance of Spirit-
directed self-discipline in the cultivation of spirituality,
through regular meditation, study of the Work, worship,
prayer and fasting. We recognize that without
steadfastness in these disciplines our lives will be
inadequate to cope with the stresses of living among
the poor. Our first work is intercession, from which
spring our ministry.
 Our lives are to be a sign of joy among the people. The
center of our lifestyle is the daily celebration of our
Lord’s death and resurrection. Wherever we go, we
seek to lead others into this celebration of the
resurrected Lord, bringing the hope of Christ into slums
without hope, the joy of Christ into slums of despair.

9.  We rejoice, too, in suffering, knowing that
suffering produces character (Romans 5:3-5;
James 1:2:4).
 Celebration, rest and joy were built into the
Scriptures in the concepts of the jubilee and
Sabbaths. Knowing that joy flags under
overwork, we will zealously keep free one day
per week for rest outside of the slum areas.
 We will season our year with weeks for
celebration and festivity, rest and retreat. The
seventh year should be a year for rest, reflection,
and recommitment.
 We will read and review our lives at least
monthly, rewriting our values and lifestyle yearly,
in consultation with a spiritual adviser.

10. E. Spirituality in the Midst of Modernism
Responding to the Spirit of Greed
(From the Lifestyle and Values of Servants)
 Non-Destitute Poverty
 The Master not only chose poverty in birth, in life and death,
he also calls his servants to such a lifestyle. We recognize
our basic needs for food and clothing (I Timothy 6:6-8,
Matthew 6:25-33), which may include tools of our trade,
children’s toys. We recognize the just need, inferred from the
Scriptures for each family to own its own home, although
some, like the Master, may choose a mobile, apostolic life
with nowhere to lay one’s head (Luke 9:58). In putting our
treasure in heaven, we covet the unsearchable riches of
Christ.
 We desire to possess nothing that cannot be shared with
those around us. Regarding what we have, we hold it not as
our own but rather as lent to us for a season. We will seek to
exclude from both our personal and communal lives the cares
of the world, the delight in riches and the desire for other
things (Matthew 4:19 A.V.). We will avoid the abundance of
communal properties or wealth. Buildings, administration and
ministry shall be developed in the simplest manner consistent
with good health and with efficient, well-pleasing work.

11. Inner Simplicity

 Renouncing possessions is an outworking of an inner
simplifying of our lives which lead to the openness,
gentleness, spontaneity, and serenity that marked the Master.
In renouncing possessions we seek to simplify our external
lives in order to simplify more clearly our inner lives and focus
on knowing our Lord.
 Along with outward poverty, we desire an inner humility;
along with servant works, we seek the spirit of a true servant
In caring little for this world where we are strangers and
pilgrims, we set our hearts on that spiritual home where our
treasure is being saved up, and on that glory which we shall
share with our Lord, provided we suffer with him.
 We encourage middle-class Christians to such simplicity of
lifestyle. For some it means earning less, and using their time
for the kingdom. For others it means to earn much, consume
little, hoard nothing, give generously and celebrate living.
Such lifestyles are infinitely varied. We refuse to judge others
in such areas.

12. Postmodern Spirituality
 How do we develop a spirituality that responds to
the following elements of urban culture?
◦ The Spirit of sex
◦ The Spirit of power, expansion of bureaucracy, one
world government
◦ The Spirit of violence
◦ The Spirit of technicism, positivism, scientism,
mechanisation
◦ The Spirit of secularism
◦ Futurism
◦ Nihilism
◦ Homelessness,
dispossession Individualism Narcissism, self-
gratification Abuse of Creation, Manipulation of
creation

13. F. Spirituality Based on Spiritual
Gifts
 Evangelistic?
 Pastoral?
 Deliverance?
 Hospitality?
 Justice etc.?
 What is your gift? What is your style of
spirituality?
 What is the darkness, the flip side of
the gift? The Archilles heel?

14. G. Coping with the Stress of Urban
Ministry
 Theology of rest - the ebb and flow of ministry seasons.
 Cities: Intensifiers of Stress The mental stresses of the
city require a response from the church.
◦ For example the stress of life in Hong Kong has resulted in 1 in
10 developing mental problems.
◦ The social dislocation of migration leaves long term social
problems.
◦ The pressure of commuting, of economics, of education create
stress.
◦ Stimulus overload results from constant noise, people and
events.
 We can only absorb so much. Hence we develop several
stages of adjustment:
◦ Cutting off stimuli
◦ Being selective about movements

15. H. The Need for a Spiritual
Advisor/ Supervisor
 Human beings are limited and need
other counselors to help.
 Who do you meet with monthly to
mentor you with spiritual issues?