Colossians 3: Ascending the Mountain of Transformation

Spiritual formation is an intentional, lifelong journey of transformation. It is the process of becoming increasingly aware of God’s presence while allowing that awareness to shape our thoughts, emotions, and desires into the likeness of Christ (Rom. 8:29, 2 Cor. 3:18).

The goal of this journey is not merely moral improvement, but to live a flourishing and abundant life within the present reality of God’s Kingdom — participating in His ongoing work of redemption in the world.

1. The Nature of Spiritual Formation

Spiritual growth begins with God’s initiative — a favor that awakens us to His reality. Yet as growth progresses, it requires our intentional participation. Like a plant reaching for the sun, we must set our will toward growth.

This partnership of divine grace and human effort is what Jesus often called faithful persistence — the willingness to keep seeking, knocking, and asking (Matthew 7:7-8).

The purpose of this formation is simple: to become attuned to God’s presence and to live as an instrument of His love and wisdom in a world that desperately needs both.

2. Formation of the Whole Person

Spiritual formation touches every dimension of human life — the mind, spirit, soul, will, and body. It is not an escape from the world, but the transformation of the self within the world.

• Mind – Renewing thought patterns according to God’s wisdom.

• Spirit – Rejuvenating the spirit and awakening awareness of God’s presence.

• Soul / Psyche – Bringing together our conscious and unconscious mind, emotions, and memories into wholeness and harmony. In modern language, scholars call this individuation.

• Will – Aligning our intentions and choices with God’s will.

• Body – Living the faith tangibly through our actions and habits.

Genuine transformation is holistic — it involves every part of who we are

3. The Path of Practice

Spiritual growth unfolds through intentional rhythms that open our hearts to God’s transforming presence. These practices are sacred habits of attention — quiet doorways through which grace enters. Each discipline shapes the soul to hear, to see, and to love more clearly. They are not ends in themselves, but instruments by which we tune the spirit to the frequency of divine life.

Core Practices of Spiritual Formation:

• Prayer – A sacred dialogue with the living God — a rhythm of speaking and listening that reshapes our hearts even as it stirs the heart of God. In prayer, heaven and earth touch: our desires are refined, and God’s lovingkindness moves mysteriously into action, weaving His will through the fabric of our lives and the world.

• Contemplation – A quiet, passive awareness of God’s presence — resting rather than striving.

• Meditation – An active seeking of God through reflection on His Word and His ways.

“meditation investigates, contemplation wonders”

Richard of St. Victor (1111-1173)

• Fasting – The intentional removal of physical pleasures and distractions to sharpen our spiritual sensitivity and detect the subtle movements of God’s presence.

• Silence and Solitude – Creating sacred space away from noise and distraction, where the soul learns to listen.

• Study – Immersing ourselves in Scripture and the wisdom of the saints so that our minds may be renewed.

• Charity (Giving) – Shifting the focus away from ourselves; generosity opens our eyes to the humanity and divine image in others.

• Service and Community – Embodying love through tangible acts that extend the Kingdom of God into the world.

• Journaling – Writing grounds our inner life in concrete form. It captures the hidden work of prayer and contemplation so that, in time, we may look back and discern what God was teaching us all along.

At times, we are called into seasons of solitude — not for withdrawal, but for renewal. Like John on the island of Patmos, moments of isolation prepare us to return with a message that strengthens the community of faith.

JOHN ON THE ISLAND OF PATMOS: THE WILDERNESS OF THE WORD

The Book of Revelation opens with John’s words:

“I, John… was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and my testimony about Jesus.” (Revelation 1:9)

Tradition holds that John was exiled there by Emperor Domitian, yet this rests on church tradition rather than historical evidence.

Some scholars interpret John’s statement differently. The Greek phrase “because of the word of God” echoes the Hebrew dabar — which means both word and to speak. A related term, midbar, refers to the desert.

The Rabbis observed this connection: why is the desert – midbar – linked to Word - dabar?

Because it is in the desert that God’s word is most clearly heard.

John may therefore describe not a forced exile but a chosen withdrawal to Patmos — a spiritual midbar.

Amid the noise of first-century Ephesus, he sought stillness to hear God’s voice. On Patmos, without distraction, he received revelation meant to strengthen his community: that the true King of Heaven and Earth is not Caesar, but the Lamb upon the throne.

4. The Mountain: Metaphor of Ascent

One of Scripture’s most enduring metaphors for the spiritual journey is the mountain.

In the ancient world, mountains were where humanity met the divine — the Tower of Babel, Mount Sinai, and Mount Hermon, location of the Transfiguration, are all sacred summits.

The mountain reminds us that:

• The journey upward is difficult — it demands perseverance.

• Vision is limited — we walk by faith, not sight.

• Perspective changes with altitude — each step offers greater clarity.

As we ascend, our vantage point widens; we begin to see life through God’s eyes.

At the base of the mountain, humanity resides in darkness. Our limited perspective leads to foolishness and delusion — the world’s illusions. At the summit, there is light and a wide perspective. Here we find wisdom and divine perspective — the ability to see reality as it truly is.

“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.” — Psalm 14:1

5. The Seven Stages of Spiritual Growth

Mystics and spiritual guides have long described the ascent as a series of stages.

Drawing on numerous writings about mystical journeys throughout the centuries, we can envision seven levels culminating in a mystical union with God (John 17).

Stage	Description	Focus
1. Unawareness/Rejection of God	Life lived apart from God’s presence – in delusion or denial.	External
2. Awakening/Awe	A sudden awareness of God; the soul feels rejuvenated or “born again.”	External
3. Ritual & Structure	Belonging to a faith community, learning beliefs, rituals, and doctrines.	External
4. Serving God	Expressing faith through action and community	External
----------- The Wall ---------- A crisis of faith or a period of suffering that drives us inward, dismantles the old image of God, and begins another level of transformation and renewed life, only if we have the courage to move through it. The Wall represents our will (ego) meeting face-to-face with God’s will.
5. Re-learning	Letting go of externals; seeing God in new ways, rethinking what you thought you knew.	Internal
6. Letting Go	A radical release. Releasing our will to God helps us release (forgive) others. We find peace amid the chaos of humanity as we release our connection to the lower nature of man.	Internal
7. Union with God	Mystical communion – resting in the divine love and peace of God.	Internal

6. The Wall¹ and the Dark Night

Eventually, everyone on the journey encounters The Wall — a barrier that cannot be bypassed. It may arise from a crisis of faith, a profound longing for more, or a period of suffering and inner turmoil. The Wall represents our will (ego) meeting face-to-face with God’s will. We complete the Wall when we genuinely surrender our will to God. Modern psychologists call this “ego death”.

During the early stages of faith, we may sincerely want to surrender our will to God, but in practice, our lives are led by the ego, and we rely on our natural strength or gifts. We can’t, at these stages, fully grasp what it means to surrender our full selves to God. The Wall serves to strip away these illusions and demands that we meet God anew.

Journeying through the Wall is frightening and disorienting. Yet, as we move through it step by step with God, we become less afraid of our own fears— our courage grows. Despite the suffering needed to shape us, we paradoxically develop a stronger desire to keep going. We recognize the cathartic power of healing that comes from these hardships.

The Wall shows us times of disorientation and deep loneliness, as if God’s presence has left us. This is what St. John of the Cross calls The Dark Night of the Soul. To our surprise, as St. John also affirms, we will ultimately see that God was with us and acting for us behind the scenes.

At this stage, we begin to understand that God is not who we imagined — He is far greater, deeper, and more intimate than our doctrines could express. What feels like loss becomes the birthplace of spiritual maturity.

The experience of the Wall varies for each person but shares common themes as we journey through letting go, humbling ourselves, accepting our limitations, and learning that we are “beloved” right where we are.

QUANTUM PHYSICS AND GOD’S WISDOM

Modern Quantum Physicists increasingly describe reality in ways that echo the ancient concept of Wisdom.

They propose that the foundation of the universe is not matter, but consciousness — a field of information and awareness that gives rise to everything material.

Physicist John Archibald Wheeler captured this idea with the phrase: “It from bit.”

Everything we experience as tangible — the “it” — arises from information — the “bit.”

Reality is in-formed; it is shaped and sustained by information at the most fundamental level.

Scripture declares, “By wisdom the LORD laid the earth’s foundations” (Prov 3:19).

In biblical thought, Wisdom is divine information — guidance, order, and meaning flowing from God into creation.

Through spiritual practices — prayer, contemplation, fasting, silence — we tune our consciousness to that divine source. Inspiration and creativity often arrive through this same channel.

Even great scientists echo this truth:

Albert Einstein described sudden “flashes” of insight revealing relativity.

Nikola Tesla spoke of seeing electrical designs in his inner vision.

These are modern glimpses of an ancient mystery: Wisdom is the information of God. As James writes, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let them ask of God, who gives generously to all without finding fault.” (James 1:5)

7. The Spiral: The Chambered Nautilus

The second major metaphor for spiritual growth is the spiral — often represented by the Chambered Nautilus.

The spiritual journey is not linear. We return to familiar places, but at new depths of understanding. Each revolution of the spiral expands the soul’s capacity for love and awareness.

The descents of the spiral take us inward, into the depths of our psyche (soul)—confronting fears, past trauma, and generational wounds. The subconscious mind exists as an iceberg beneath the mountain, representing our unconscious life — the powerful but hidden currents that shape our actions.

Like Pinocchio descending into the deep to “rescue the father,” we too must redeem what lies buried in the depths of our souls before ascending to wholeness in God.

8. The Goal: Union and Service

The summit of the journey is union with God — not the annihilation of self, but the full integration of self within divine love.

This union is not an escape from the world, but a return to it — just as Moses descended the mountain radiant with God’s glory.

We are transformed not for isolation, but to carry God’s light into the community, bringing healing and redemption wherever we go.

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¹ Hagberg, J.O. and Guelich, R.A (2005). The Critical Journey: Stages in the Life of Faith, pp. 114-129