Chapter 13 – Spiritual Practices: Secret and Shared

1. Dan notes that when he and Neo are forced to communicate via e-mail it changes their relationship in a surprising way: “as soon as he was so physically distant, we seemed to get closer.” Have you ever experienced this? In Chapter Four, Neo lists how major changes in technology, specifically in communications technology, alter the nature of the world in which we live. Do you see the interconnectedness of the world changing our perceptions of reality? How are developments in communications technology changing the nature of our relationships?

2. According to Neo, for any kind of Christianity to be valuable, it must engage the financial realities of our lives: “if we can’t discipline ourselves to learn the joys of generous living, I think we’re an embarrassment to the gospel.” In a culture that is awash in individualism and consumerism, why is generosity so radical and necessary? Why does Dan continue to push aside the issue of money? Is Neo right to be concerned?

3. Neo writes about Christian institutions and media ministries being captive to money. What does he mean by this? Do you agree? If so, where have you seen examples of this captivity? Is Neo right when he asserts that this captivity keeps these Christian organizations from being able to respond to the reality of our world? Why do appeals to fear generate revenue for ministries?

4. Neo asks Dan a series of direct questions that are worth considering. Do you think that God would want a heaven filled with people who care more about being saved from hell than being saved from sin? Who care more about getting into heaven than being good? Who care more about having their sins forgiven than being good neighbors? How does Neo’ description of this active, engaged, and “worldly” faith mirror the description of faith found in James 2:14-19?

5. What does Dan mean when he states that heaven is a by-product, not the main point (p. 131)? Reread Neo’s technology metaphor that compares how a computer “saves” data with what it might mean for people to be saved (p. 19-30). How effective is this analogy?

6. Compare and contrast what it means to be “saved for privilege” versus being “saved for service.” Dan describes his dream for his church: “. . . that it would increasingly become a community of communities, a place full of little ‘villages of Christ’ where people really connect, really care, really make their faith visible through love. A place where we help people believe and become by helping them belong.” Have you ever experienced a church community like the one Dan describes? How does such a community cut across the grain of an individual-centered faith?