Theological Reflection

I am supposed to be writing a Theological Reflective paper about my own spiritual journey. (Why do I feel like I should cite this phrase because it comes directly from the assignment?) We are to use Oden's "Order of Salvation" as a guideline to discussion. And, I can't help but ponder how odd that is. And, I consider how good that is. And, how hard that is. It's odd because somehow it implies that my spiritual journey could somehow be wrong. What does it mean if my means of salvation, if my story does not follow the pattern set forth? It is good because it forces us to think about our own faith theologically. The next time I tell my testimony I am sure to include information about preveniant grace and label the seasons of sanctification as such. I will be sure to talk about my assurance of salvation, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It's hard because real life is messy, and we don't think in theological terms in the moments of our lives. This makes it difficult to reflect back and rename a moment "regeneration" or "Sealing of the Holy Spirit." For that matter, how do you discuss those things when you weren't paying attention to them, and all of a sudden, they were there. God often works in my life in a way that I realize an absence of a sinful attitude or there is a soft awareness of a change in my heart. But, it didn't happen in a "moment" which makes for difficult story telling. Plot is a useful tool in story telling. When the activity occurs in the spiritual realm, how do we describe it?

Soundtrack: Sing Like the Saved, David Crowder Band and Mighty to Save, Hillsong United