Special to United Methodist Insight | April 1, 2026
I am writing about big-picture aspects of the spiritual life as they come to mind. Last week’s post about our being co-creators with God led me to think about community. Without a doubt, everything in these posts is developed in community. We are formed in fellowship. The spiritual life is life together.
One of the great perversions of spirituality is its privatization into a “me-and-God” paradigm. Egotism lives on this, and the group life it sometimes includes is not formative because at the core is the unspoken motive of the egotistical leader—to see how quickly participants can “become as spiritual as I am.” This is a harsh assessment, but a true one that needs to be called out because it creates toxic community.
True community is mutuality—the giving and receiving of abundant life. Everyone is a teacher and a learner. Artificial hierarchies do not exist. Oneness defines the group in formative ways.
Parker Palmer writes in detail about this in his book, A Hidden Wholeness.[1] Using his definition of true spirituality as “an undivided life,” he shows how true community shapes it by its undivided organization.
When E. Stanley Jones adapted the Ashram movement into his Christian ministry, he did so making clear that Christ alone is the Center of It. Not any guru or teacher, only Christ. He developed the Round Table conferencing experience with the same Christ-centeredness. [2[
Why? Because community exists to cultivate Christlikeness, not leaderlikeness. Community is healthy when members increasingly live like Jesus. [3]
[1[ Parker Palmer, A Hidden Wholeness
[2] E. Stanley Jones, Christ At The Round Table
[3] One of the things I like about the Renovaré spiritual formation ministry is its Christocentrism, and its aim to form participants increasingly into Chrstlikeness.
Steve Harper 2024
Courtesy Photo
The Rev. Dr. Steve Harper is retired seminary professor who taught for 32 years in the disciplines of Spiritual Formation and Wesley Studies. Author and co-author of more than fifty books.. He is also a retired Elder in The Florida Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church.