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Christianity Today, September, 2008 |

A Life Formed in the Spirit

Richard Foster's disciplined attention to spiritual formation began early on.

Interview by Mark Galli | posted 9/17/2008 10:23AM

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They encouraged me to rest a little bit, to quit work a little early. And I did. There were some little lakes nearby at a county park. It was in the wintertime, January. I went and walked around these partly frozen lakes. And my spirit was renewed, and I wanted to pray again.

On the other hand, spiritual formation is life. And in one sense it never gets tiring, because we're working with people's stories and people's lives with God. And that's always fresh. There's a little chorus that nobody sings anymore, and the first line goes, "In a new and living way, Jesus comes to us today." It's always fresh and new because we are living out our lives in a new and living way. We can never get away from it, because it's our life.

Related Elsewhere:

"Richard Foster on Leadership" accompanied this article.

Foster is head of Renovaré, an interdenominational renewal movement.

Christianity Today interviewed Richard Foster and Dallas Willard on the Renovaré Spiritual Formation Bible and on the difference between discipleship and spiritual formation.

Celebration of Discipline and Life with God: Reading the Bible for Spiritual Formation are available from ChristianBook.com and other retailers.

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September 2008, Vol. 52, No. 9

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joel V. ciriaco

Posted: September 21, 2008 10:23 AM


celebration of discipline that helps me realize that i have not even come half way on this discipline. its true many born again Christians wait God to transform them. now i have to prepare the ground to let the seed grow. I thank God for using people understand the path by discipline. I thank God

Judy	Posted: September 21, 2008 1:57 AM


I'm blessed and refreshed reading this interview. It helps me to know not only about Richard Foster's spiritual journey but also about spiritual formation. Thanks a million!

Dave N.

Posted: September 20, 2008 6:30 PM


Great article. Foster's work is so important to the Evangelical movement. Would that even more people will pay attention to it in the future.

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