Dr. David Field, Paths to Human Maturity, lecture excerpts and a few thoughts....

Here are a few excerpts From Dr. David Field, Paths to Human Maturity: 

"The chief aim and desire of a Christian is to be "like Christ" and this is also God's own purpose for human beings.  Given the fact that union with Christ effects human transformation at the most fundamental level, the discrepancy between our character and conduct and thus of Christ, is a form of contradiction of the gospel and therefore a sadness, a madness, and a dishonor to God, the gospel, and ourselves." 

"God has given us what each of us needs to live lives pleasing to him.  His grace is sufficient, his power unlimited, his will clear, and his personal presence constant.  Dismayed, therefore, by the discrepancy between Christ's life and ours, we will avail ourselves of anything and everything lawful to close the gap between assenting to and living out the gospel, between having and being like Christ, between our adherence to the truth and our attainment of godliness."  

"To pursue Christ-likeness is to seek change and since there are almost no human beings who believe that everything about their life is precisely and wholly as they would wish it to be, almost all human beings are concerned with change.  The definition of the "good life" is, therefore, a near universal concern and this, in turn means that humans are constantly ruminating on reasons for change and constructing or devising means of change." 


Examples of the pathways Dr. Field's eloquently discussed were:  1.) The Desert Fathers and their hesychastic successors pursuit of radical self-renunciation and mortification through silence and contemplative prayer, 2.) the use of stillness and breathing or mindfulness-meditation, and 3.)  radical self-examination through attention to the unconscious and a sort of meditation a-deaux. He stressed the Biblical justification for paying attention to that of which you are unconscious, the unnoticed emotions of heart which inform our behavior.  Each session opened and closed with 3 minutes of silence where we were encouraged to use reflexivity in thought and prayer and to always listen to what the "little bit of me" says to God, ourselves and others. 


I believe Dr. Field has been given a gift for helping many people on the path to maturity (and restoring those who may have taken the wrong path).  His course can help us in the healing process of our own wounds and gives hope that we too can have the "good life" as well as be used of God to help build up others.  I highly recommend his lectures/workshops for counselors, pastors, laymen who have a heart to help people who are immature.  Surely he has the gift of which Paul wrote, "to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you the hope of glory." and to proclaim Him, "warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ." 1:27-28