Review:
Adele Calhoun’s second book, Invitations from God, is in the spiritual formation genre. She
says: “Invitations from God bring healing and liberation from the gnawing lies
of the enemy”(p.11). The invitations she chose for the book are
meant “to mend, shape and anchor us into the character of Christ” and are
chosen because they “are the ones our achievement and entertainment-addicted
[western] society tends to ignore or avoid”(p.16). Some of her observations:
1.
The
invitation to participate in our own healing: “The invitation to get up and walk [to the
paralytic at Bethsaida], was the first in a series of invitations. Now the man
was to stop sinning… [God wanted] character change and deep down renovation of
the heart. This man, like us, would have to keep the healing process of change
alive inside of him…A ‘yes’ to one invitation is always a ‘no’ to another” (pp. 30, 32).
2.
The
invitation to follow: “Jesus didn’t buy the pyramid structure of leading
and following. He said that following and ruling (leading) are both about
serving. Serving flattens the pyramid into a circle. Serving bring us
down…Following Jesus means identifying with God’s broken heart over poverty and
his holy anger at injustices in our world. It means following his lead on who
and what matters” (pp. 40, 47).
3.
The invitation
to rest: “The body-satisfying, soul replenishing rest to which God calls me
happens when 1.) I pay attention to my physical limits and the toll that work has
taken on my soul. 2) I become intentional about creating space for treatment,
healing and renewal. 3). God can reach out to me with his healing hand (p.82).
4.
The invitation
to weep: “How remarkable that God has hard-wired us to weep when we come to
the end of our resources. Tears wash
away the buildup of toxic chemicals that accrue under stress. They are part of
the process that can restore psychological and physiological balance”…You need
to stand in solidarity with Jesus and this hurting world. That means accepting
His invitation to vulnerability, weeping and redemptive love” (pp.88, 96).
5.
The invitation
to wait: “To wait expectantly and with open hands requires a relinquishment
of control that gets at the roots of our motivations, fears and idolatries…I
come face to face with anxieties, demands and my need to control and direct the
Holy One…Waiting on God is like waiting in the wings for God’s grace and
presence to help me live in a very difficult present” (pp. 135, 148).
6.
The invitation to admit I might be wrong: “A relationship
with the One who is the Truth is an invitation to teachability...Being
in error and needing help, guidance and a teacher to set us straight are not
things we outgrow…The type
of humility that admits you’re wrong when you know you are wrong is confession.
The humility that admits you might be
wrong when you’re pretty sure you’re right is maturity…Owning our own faults,
blind spots and failures…can be a freeing thing…Confession opens us wide to
Jesus and one another”(pp.112,114, 115).
7. The invitation to the most excellent way: “Our [western] culture is
obsessed with excellence,[but] it is a merciless idol…Paul’s assessment of the most
excellent way is love (I Cor. 13)…Here is a heavyweight theologian making a case for excellence not
being limited to the gifted, talented, powerful or successful” (pp.183-5).
Calhoun’s book is particularly helpful for those seeking
spiritual transformation because the book has exercises within each chapter to
help the readers apply each point of her teaching. For example:
·
The
invitation to remember: “Memories govern our choices, give us our bearings
and form our futures… When someone asks you to tell your story, notice what you
tell and what you leave out. Talk to God
about these things. Notice how family
history has shaped your story in good ways and deforming ways” (pp. 170, 169).
·
How does my need to be right affect my relationships
with others? (Invitation to Admit I’m Wrong
- p. 103)
·
Describe the feelings you experience when you
have to wait. What do these feelings reveal about the way you think life should
work? (Invitation
to Wait
- p. 137).
·
How can catching a glimpse of God’s image in
another person change the way you pray for them? (Invitation to Practice the Presence of People
- p.68).
·
How is God’s kingdom shaping your choices and
plans? (Invitation to Pray – p. 161).
Calhoun’s combination of spiritual insights coupled with
application questions throughout the book engage the reader and make the book a
helpful guide in spiritual formation.
- M. L.
Codman-Wilson, Ph.D., 1/13/12