Dallas' Corner

Last week, I came across a commencement address given by Dallas Willard in 2005.  Like much of his ministry, it's densely-packed and requires multiple readings to comprehend, but it's very much worth the effort.  A quote from his message is below, and I'll post the link at the very bottom.

What Christ has done for us calls forth something from us—daily and hourly discipleship.  Isaac Watts gets it. Contemplating Jesus’ death on our behalf, he cried out:

Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

His work for us then becomes His work in us. The goal is that we will be just like Him. As His disciple, Jesus teaches you to live your life as He would live your life. That leads to inner transformation, the transformation of character resulting in godly service in the kingdom of God. Transformation moves from the inside out. You take on His thoughts, His beliefs, and His judgments. They become yours. You feel as He did. Your body acts as He did. Your social relationships bear the imprint of His character, and the depths of your soul are renewed in a likeness to His.  This transformation into His likeness is a lifelong process.

 (from 'Your Place in This World,' http://dwillard.org/articles/artview.asp?artID=109)

Willard's message to college graduates reads like a summary - a magnum opus - of his life and work.  So much of his work focused on transformation - how people can become more like Jesus over time.  He never advocated perfectionism or moving into a place where we no longer sin.  Instead, he faithfully proclaimed the truth of the gospel - that people cannot save themselves, but with practice and discipline (born out of obedience and gratitude), we can become more like the One who saves us completely.  And this takes a lifetime.  Willard taught and believed that the key to spiritual transformation in our earthly lives must involve spiritual disciplines - Scripture reading, prayer, solitude, silence, journaling, etc.  He makes this case clear in his groundbreaking The Spirit of the Disciplines, which I would highly recommend.

A friend told me recently, "You love Dallas Willard.  That's not normal for 31-year-olds."  My friend's comment helped me realize that maybe - just maybe - part of what I'm supposed to do as a pastor and leader is to help introduce others to Willard's books and ministry.  In that spirit, I hope to offer quotes from Willard from time to time in the blog and in our church newsletter, and hopefully by doing so I can encourage a few more people to tackle his works and learn more about his theology of spiritual transformation.

Solo Dei gloria,

Travis