Without wonder, we approach spiritual formation as a self-help project. We employ techniques. We analyse gifts and potentialities. We set goals, We assess progress. Spiritual formation is reduced to cosmetics.
Without wonder, the motivational energies in spiritual formation get dominated by anxiety and guilt. Anxiety and guilt restrict; they close us in on ourselves. They isolate us with feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness; they reduce us to ourselves at our worst. Spiritual formation is distorted into moral workaholism or pious athleticism.
(Eugene Peterson, Living the Resurrection, p.30f)
