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01.  Introduction

In this conversation with his father, Nathan Foster asks lots of good questions and helps clarify the Six Streams of the Christian faith. They discuss why it’s important for all believers to understand the various ways God reveals himself to humanity, and how we can have a richer, more authentic faith if we partake in what each stream has to offer. If you aren’t familiar with the Six Streams discussed in this issue, have a look at the chart, “Understanding the Six Streams” as a primer before continuing with the article.

When Richard Foster was writing the book and considering how to explain the various ways of relating to God, and traditions or streams that allow believers to do that, he reflected on the history of the church and the life of Jesus.  Throughout church history various people formed groups or denominations to address a need. Richard devotes the first chapter of his book noting how the life of Jesus reveals all six streams. “We see it in the Gospels . . . how all these streams are illustrated and brought to their completion in the life of Christ.” So, we shouldn’t think of the streams as mere denominational or church-related concepts.

One of the first things that struck me in this article was Richard’s declaration that the church has entered a post denominational era in which denominations no longer define who we are.

Today, if you got any dozen people together in any church or in any fellowship group, they are going to reflect these streams in one form or another. The day is gone when a group can be, for instance, contemplative people, and not have any exposure to any of the others of these [streams]. That’s why I think this is a new form in which God is bringing his people together. . . . We’re no longer getting our theology along the vertical bars of denominational loyalty, but across the horizontal bars of interdenominational and inter-life communication. . . . We need them all, we need the balance.

In that same manner, Foster discussed how the spiritual disciplines flow together as well—not just as distinct practices, but ways of living with God that are being worked out together through the different traditions. As Nathan noted, Richard’s ministry Renovaré introduced the idea of a “well-balanced, holistic view of faith” to the Christian community through teaching and producing resources on the practice of spiritual disciplines within each of the six streams.

The two also talked about how personality or temperament might influence the tradition/stream that someone is drawn to. There’s an excellent article in this issue by Gary Thomas that addresses this very thing, Sacred Pathways. I’m challenged and encouraged by Richard’s response to the question,

We must never use [personality or temperament] as an excuse to stay away from other streams; these are not personality-based traditions, they are life traditions. But, of course, there are some people who will really like the Charismatic Stream, but they also really need the Contemplative experience. Usually, the area that we are least drawn to is the area that we need the most.”

For the remainder of this summary let’s look at the Six Streams, with a few remarks from Richard Foster about each one.

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02.  The Contemplative Stream: the prayer filled life

“It’s this life of intimacy with God; it’s the “with-God” life experience; it’s learning silence, solitude and walking with God day by day. . . . Learning to listen to God’s voice in his wonderous, terrible, loving all-embracing silence.”

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03.  The Holiness Stream: the virtuous life

“Holiness really means ‘to function well.’ We’re so accustomed to dysfunction in life that it’s good to think in terms of holiness or virtue as just functioning well.” He quotes Paul’s words to the Galatian’s, “I am in travail until Christ be formed in you.” “‘Holiness’ or the ‘Real Life,’ the workable life, if you will, comes about as we begin to function as dysfunction becomes less and less a part of who we are [as we become more like Jesus].

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04.  The Charismatic Stream: the Spirit-empowered life

“The truth of the matter is that if we’re Christian, then we are Charismatic because we depend upon the work of the Spirit.” “There are no non-Charismatic Christians. That is, we are Trinitarian.” As far as the giftings or charisms that the Spirit provides: “The Spirit is always highly personalized and never leads somebody into doing things that don’t fit who he or she is.”

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05.  The Social Justice Stream: the compassionate life

They focused upon “the righteousness of life in the Kingdom of God in its social dimensions.” Social Justice is the Christian’s responsibility to bring about “God’s care for the poor and for the bruised and broken, the outcast, the marginalized.”

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06.  The Evangelical Stream: the Word-centered life

“When I use ‘the Word-centered Life,’ I’m thinking in three ways. First, the Word of God, the debar Yahweh, that is the living Word that God speaks which brings life. . . . That is the living voice of God. The second, though, is Jesus who is the Word made flesh. And then the third way that we speak of the Word is Scripture itself. That is the Word of God written.”

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07.  The Incarnational Stream: the Sacramental life

“I am referring to a life that is made sacred by the work of God within us.” “It’s the idea of God using the material, physical world to ‘mediate’ His grace to us. Now we know what a mediator is, a go-between. So, God takes the physical world as kind of a go-between to show forth His life and the human beings and their creativity are, as the term Tolkien used, sub-creators.” We participating as “sub-creators” with him.”

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08.  Exercises and Questions for Reflection

1. Consider your faith journey through the lens of the Six Streams. Do you find that you’ve spent considerable time in one stream, or have you explored other traditions and practices over time?
2. What do you think about the idea of the streams representing food groups and having a “balanced diet” that contributes to a healthy and whole relationship with God?
3. What do you make of the post-denomination era that the Church has entered that Richard mentions in the article? Have you had experience in a “non-denominational” or “seeker friendly” church that purposely stayed vague about the “Stream” they planted themselves in? Or perhaps you’ve discovered congregations intentionally blending traditions, as is more common now? Discuss your thoughts with a friend.
4. Set aside some time this week to go on a walk and be in nature. Invite the Spirit to open your eyes to the beauty of God. May you be encouraged by the many ways that God seeks to connect with you.