In the parable of the prodigal son, the younger son runs away from home to an alien country, and the older son stays home to do his duty. Both are lost. Their father grieves over both, because with neither of them does he experience the intimacy he desires. Both lust and cold obedience can prevent us from being true children of God.

Whether we are like the younger son or the older son, we have to come home to the place where we can rest in the embrace of God's unconditional love.

--Henri Nouwen

I knew that coaching girl's basketball would be a challenge at an elite, ivy-walled New England prep school. The expectations were enormous, and this particular year, nine of the twelve players had never played the sport! With only three weeks to practice, where do you start?

The first game was a hormone-filled van ride up the interstate into snowy southern Maine. The smell of fresh popcorn and stale sweat greeted us at the door of a cozy, well preserved, yellow-lit gym packed with students, parents, and an overly-zealous pep band.

Our team looked formidable in their crisp new uniforms as they executed the warm-up drills to perfection. My motivational pre-game spiel was simple: “Remember the basics.” And with that, we were ready to do business.

The opening tip-off went to the other team and they quickly scored the first basket. Following the made shot, one of our players snatched the ball out of the bottom of the net and took-off dribbling. The whistle blew. She forgot to first take the ball out of bounds, so the other team got it back. “Nerves,” I thought.

A minute later, our opponent scored again. As the ball fell through the net and bounced on the floor, another of our players immediately picked it up and threw a long overhand pass to a waiting teammate.

Another whistle.

The head referee motioned me onto the court for a private conference.

“Coach, what’s going on here? Don’t your players know that after a made shot, they need to inbound the ball from behind the end line?”

“Everybody knows that! That’s the most basic thing there is!” I said.

It turned out that most of my team didn’t know. “Someone” forgot to go over the basics.

It’s not your best moment as a new coach in a high expectation prep school, to have to call a time out in order to walk your players around your key rival’s gym, in front of a packed crowd, pointing out the different colored lines on the floor and what they mean.

This happens in our relationship with God. We plunge headlong into spiritual activity, without ever understanding the “colored lines on the floor”—the basics of how this works.

Here’s my best shot at explaining the basics when it comes to spiritual formation:

God doesn’t want my conformity or commitment to his rules.

He wants my consent to a relationship.

It’s easy to avoid an intimate relationship with God when the focus is on keeping all of the rules. Sometimes it’s our quest to maintain all of the moral laws, not our wrongdoing, that can insulate us from sharing in God’s love.

Reading the Scriptures is not a way to meet an obligation.

It is a way to meet God.

It’s a place where I willingly place myself to wait, to be attentive, and to respond to God’s invitations, not a place to mine for information.

Authentic prayer is not the result of my determination.

It is the response of my heart to love.

It is longing and desire expressed through faith and hope that move my heart to respond to God, in contrast to my will, which is simply trying to make something happen that isn’t already.

The colored lines on the floor tell a lot about how it all works. Sorry if I forgot to explain this before. It wouldn’t be the first time. . .

Something to think about.

David Smith
Lead Navigator

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
(Ephesians 2:8-9)

Quick Updates

Small groups have started in cities all over California: San Diego, Santa Cruz, Hollister, San Jose, Campbell, Pacific Grove, Auburn, Sunnyvale and more. Groups are also forming in Portland, and  Albany, Oregon, as well as in Arizona and Pennsylvania!

We have 37 leaders this year - many of whom will be leading small groups of 5 to 10 people through the Theodyssey Series in Spiritual Formation. Imagine the possibilities this year!

Saturday, Oct. 3rd is our first Leadership Community event (Leadership Community is for those who have completed the Certificate in Spiritual Formation program), 8:30-11:30 a.m. at David Smith’s. This is a combined Common Meal/Workshop, with a focus on the new Leadership Training Cards, ongoing learning possibilities, and visioneering.