John Ortberg: Space to Become New
An Abiding Practice Short Film on the Formational Power of Space
It’s not everyday that you get to meet one of your heroes.
And as much as I know John would hate that title being attributed to him, I honestly don’t have a better one.
From his work with Renovaré in the mid 2000’s, his writings on spiritual formation, and his courageous, public vulnerability as he faced some of the most difficult blows that a life in ministry can offer, he is indeed a hero for us at Abiding Practice.
In this short film at his home office, we tried to capture the invisible.
The spirit of a place.
The soul of a space that has witnessed many formational moments of the man who works inside of it.
The trail of tears and the river of delight.
The mountaintop and the mundane.
The shadow and the Light.
All of it coalesced into a space that seemed to be as much of a reflection of the man, as the man was a reflection of the space. It was hard to tell who formed who. The person or the place.
One thing was certain, this was an environment that was built on the wisdom of another.
A space that was shaped around the words of one of John’s heroes, Dallas Willard.
Words that no doubt came from Dallas’ intimacy with The One True Hero, Jesus.
“You must arrange your days so that you are experiencing deep contentment, joy, and confidence in your everyday life with God”.
I believe what we saw that day in John’s home office was a space that was built on this wisdom.
And because this place was built on this wisdom, I believe that ministries like Abiding Practice exist today.
Thanks John.
- David and The AP Team