SF 502 The Spiritual Life of the Minister

REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS Cassian, John. Conferences (The Classics of Western Spirituality). New York: Paulist Press, 1985. Harper, Steve. Devotional Life in the Wesleyan Tradition (A Workbook). Nashville: Upper Room Books, 1995. Mulholland, M. Robert Jr., Invitation To A Journey: A Road Map For Spiritual Formation. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1993 MacDonald, Gordon. Rebuilding Your Broken World (Expanded Edition With Study Guide). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990. Muto, Susan & van Kaam, Adrian. Divine Guidance: Seeking to Find and Follow the Will of God. Pittsburgh: Epiphany Association, 1994. Peterson, Eugene H. The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1989.https://place.asburyseminary.edu/syllabi/3741/thumbnail.jp

SF 502 The Spiritual Life Of The Minister

Cassian, John. Conferences (The Classics of Western Spirituality). New York: Paulist Press, 1985. Harper, Steve. Devotional Life in the Wesleyan Tradition (A Workbook). Nashville: Upper Room Books, 1995. Mulholland, M. Robert Jr., Invitation To A Journey: A Road Map For Spiritual Formation. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1993 MacDonald, Gordon. Rebuilding Your Broken World (Expanded Edition With Study Guide). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990. Muto, Susan & van Kaam, Adrian. Divine Guidance: Seeking to Find and Follow the Will of God. Pittsburgh: Epiphany Association, 1994. Peterson, Eugene H. The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction.https://place.asburyseminary.edu/syllabi/2598/thumbnail.jp

SF 840 Devotion, Balance, and Fire: Living the Heart of It All

Please read all four assigned texts. After working through each book go back over the whole and see where the Holy Spirit is speaking to you (see Mulholland on “Spiritual Reading” pp. 110-115). Remember, you are after “formational reading!” Take special note of how the Holy Spirit might be calling you to reform, go beyond, or include certain devotional habits in your daily life. Make just a few pages of notes on each text (these notes will help facilitate your integration paper), and hand these into me on the first morning of class. In addition, I want you to keep a one-month record of your devotional habits. Chart it out by day: how much time are you actually investing in devotion; what are your devotional practices; and how is your devotional life being integrated into the whole of your life? Yes, I know it’s impossible to chart everything—such as times of continual prayer in the midst of ministry—but it is crucial to see what your “holy habits” actually are. This assignment is not to be turned in, but I want to at least see that you have done it; and more importantly, we will be using it in our work together.https://place.asburyseminary.edu/syllabi/1478/thumbnail.jp

CL 613 Equipping the Laity

https://place.asburyseminary.edu/syllabi/3337/thumbnail.jp

SF 502 The Spiritual Life of the Minister

COURSE DESCRIPTION This course proposes to help students delve into and apply Christian spirituality to their everyday lives and ministries. Over a span of four months, we will swim in seven major spiritual streams: 1. Holy Leisure (the conditions necessary for a God-centered life); 2. Ministry From The Overflow (service that does not deplete); 3. The Well Ordered Life (balance in all things); 4. The Big Rocks (first things first on a daily basis); 5. Turning From Pride (humility); 6. Speaking The Truth In Love (spiritual direction); 7. Leading From Within A Family (team). All of these areas are essential to a joyful life in Christ and are necessary for vocational faithfulness. Through reading, reflection, interaction, and integration, we will seek to hear and obey the whisperings of the Holy Spirit who is ever wooing us into increasing Christ-likeness.https://place.asburyseminary.edu/syllabi/1160/thumbnail.jp

IS 502 Christian Formation: Vocation of Ministry

Required Textbooks Bernard of Clairvaux (1995) On Loving God. Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian Publications, (219 pages). Foster, Richard J. (1998) Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth. San Francisco: Harper, (228 pages). Grenz, Stanley and Roy D. Bell (2001) Betrayal of Trust: Sexual Misconduct in the Pastorate. Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, (213 pages). Groothuis, Rebecca Merrill. (1997) Good News for Women: A Biblical Picture of Gender Equality. Grand Rapids: MI: Baker Books, (266 pages). Guinness, Os (2003) The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life. Nashville, TN: W Publishing Group, (292 pages). Muto, Susan and van Kaam, Adrian (1994) Divine Guidance: Seeking To Find and Follow the Will of God. Pittsburgh, PA: Epiphany Books, (206 pages). Sire, James W. (2000) Habits of the Mind: Intellectual Life as a Christian Calling. Downers Grove, IL.: InterVarsity Press, (263 pages). Wesley, John. (1977) A Plain Account of Christian Perfection. Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press, 1777 (119 pages).https://place.asburyseminary.edu/syllabi/3914/thumbnail.jp

The Journey to God: Union, Purgation and Transformation within The Ascent of Mount Carmel and A Plain Account of Christian Perfection

This article is both a call to Christian maturity and an appreciative recounting of how a Roman Catholic mystic, John of the Cross, helped me reclaim and love my own Wesleyan tradition of entire sanctification. In this article I hold up the theological doctrine of Union with God as the goal of the Christian life and review and contrast how Wesley and John of the Cross approached the issue. UThile these two spiritual masters outline differing views of the path to perfection in love, they both, nevertheless, continue to inspire and offer the light of Christ to Christians seeking full renewal in the Image of God, cleansing from sin, and filling with the pure love of God

CL 610 Theology of Servant Leadership

Foster, Richard. Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth. San Francisco, Harper & Row, 1978. (184 pages) [Note: if you have not previously read this classical text please dive into it. For the purposes of our class I want you to read chapters 8 “submission” and 9 “service”] Greenleaf, Robert. The Power of Servant Leadership. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 1998. (313 pages) [Read these pages: Introduction, pp 1-15; Ch. 1, pp. 17-59; Ch. 5, pp. 111-167] Hunter, James C. The World’s Most Powerful Leadership Principle: How to Become a Servant Leader. New York: Crown Business, 2004. (224 pages) Miller, Calvin. The Empowered Leader: 10 Keys to Servant Leadership. Nashville: Broadman & Holeman Publishers, 1995. (227 pages) [Please read chapters 7, “The Politics of Grace and the Abuse of Power,” and 8, “Leadership: Coping with Difficult People”] Nouwen, Henri J.M. In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership. New York: Crossroad, 1989. (81 pages) Seamands, Steve. Ministry In The Image Of God: The Trinitarian Shape Of Christian Service. Downers Grove: IVP Books, 2005. (189 pages) The Arbinger Institute. Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting out of the Box. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2000. (180 pages)https://place.asburyseminary.edu/syllabi/3634/thumbnail.jp