Eldon presented each image and then described the positive and limited aspects of each. What's good for me to remember is that each image can be helpful in a certain context. Just because an image has limitations, doesn't mean that is doesn't serve people at a certain time in their spiritual lives.
1) The Journey - This image has a strong base in the Exodus journey of the Old Testament. As with any journey there are stages to the trip. With the exodus story it's a journey that starts with slavery to sin and ends up at the promised land, traveling through the crossing of the sea, being guided by the cloud, being provided manna and traveling through the desert before reaching the desired destination.
The Catholic tradition follows the stages of the sacramental journey from birth to baptism, confirmation, confession, marriage and union in death.
The Journey metaphor can be helpful in that it has a communal aspect - you're accompanied by others who have said yes to the same journey. It's also descriptive so that you can have a sense where you're at on the journey. And it's teachable to those who want to embark on the journey. On the other hand, rather than being chosen it can become simply the cultural path that everybody else is on. It also can be limited because it can only reach the level of the collective.
2) The Ascent Model - This model describes union with God through a series of purgative steps. The ascent is from a life that is totally self-serving to a life merged with God. Some of the writings that Eldon shared were breath taking in their description of the sweetness of being submerged with our Creator.
Origen writes of three steps of ascent: purgation, illumination and union. Purgation is a time of cleansing, when we learn about what is true especially in contrast to our lower understandings of how things are. Illumination is a time of recognizing the presence of God around us in a 'This is Thou' kind of way. Union is a time of coming home to our rightful place as children of God. Bliss baby, pure bliss :-)
The Ascent model can be helpful because it goes beyond where the collective is at, for example it could describe the lives of some of the Christian mystics. It is a model of inspiration and in its purgative nature it can be very clarifying. On the other hand, it can encourage a dualistic view of life - the fallen vs. the perfect rather than acknowledging that we live in both sin and grace. It could also lead to a preference for ecstatic states rather than the slow development through stages.
3) The Developmental Model - This model has been Watershed's focus over the years. It stresses a relational approach to God, seeing God as Abba or Father who teaches us through the Holy Spirit to grow in likeness to him. An example of a developmental model is Fowler's stages of faith where a person develops through the mythic faith of a child toward the conventional faith of their community and with any luck (or grace), to an individually reflected faith and then perhaps even on to the paradox-holding conjunctive stage.
The helpful thing about a developmental model is how it invites ever enlarging capacities for development - there's always more to learn, new levels of depth to explore. It also acknowledges that different people develop differently and thus invites those of faith to stand alone (in their own faith stage) together (as people who share the same focus of faith in God). The unhelpful thing is how this model can trip people into confusing psychological development with spirituality. In truth, God can work beyond our developmental levels: love and forgiveness are always more definitive than one's stage of faith.