4 X 4 Discipleship and the Wall

“My faith just doesn’t seem as fun or meaningful as it used to. I’m thinking of changing churches.”

“I still love God’ it’s the church I’m not sure about. I blame General Assembly.”

“I still go to church, but it seems to lack the spiritual vitality it used to. It’s probably the pastor.”

If you have heard others say such things, (or if you have uttered similar comments yourself), the dilemma with your faith is not your church, not the denomination, and certainly not your pastor. And not even your own fault. The dilemma is that you have hit “The Wall.”

The Wall is that natural, inevitable place everyone finds themselves at some point in their spiritual journey, a place of “stuckness,” “spiritual exhaustion,” “boredom,” or “apathy” or “feeling adrift.” The Wall has been called “the Dark Night of the Soul” by some or “being in a dry place” by others, (depending upon one’s theological heritage). However one describes or defines it, it is vital that one experiences The Wall as an invitation.

An invitation? While stuckness, spiritual exhaustion or boredom don’t seem too inviting, they are but symptoms of the reality that each and every pilgrim experiences times when what we had been doing in our spiritual lives does not seem as fresh or life giving as once it did. From the perspective of the Reformed faith, this is the moment we are invited to realize and reaffirm that our spiritual lives begin and end with God, the author and perfector or our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Rather than call us to “try harder” or “work more” in the spiritual life, The Wall is overcome not by our own efforts but through deeper surrender to God.

At The Wall, we are led to reexamine faith questions that once were settled in our minds (but perhaps not our hearts); The Wall forces us to wrestle with God that we might move forward transformed (c.f. Genesis 32:28). According to Mike Johnson from Ascending Leaders, The Wall is “that moment when we are drawn to surrender and we become less fearful and more deeply confident of God’s leading. We may not understand it all but we are confident lead will lead to green pastures.”

Here are some of Mike’s suggestions for leaders to help their flock move beyond the Wall:

• Acknowledge and legitimize the struggle. Remind people The Wall is part of the journey.
• Do not be afraid. They have a ripe opportunity to grow into a less anxious disciple.
• Call people on any blaming they are doing.
• Remind people that The Wall calls for a deeper level of surrender.
• Encourage people to go to God emotionally.
• Create safe places for people to address their walls.
• Cultivate a culture of forward movement with Jesus.

According to the research on U.S. congregations, a typical church will have between 30% – 60% of their members confronting The Wall at any given time, so it’s time that we de-stigmatize being at The Wall, which is that that natural, inevitable place everyone finds themselves at some point in their spiritual journey. And an invitation.