Getting caught up in the pressure of life hinders connectedness to God, spiritual growth, and personal satisfaction. And it makes us more like the world we are trying to season with salt, light, and grace.

God calls His people to a counter-cultural lifestyle, to a mode of living that reflects God’s presence in us. We are not meant to be overwhelmed with commitments, but to be enveloped in the peace of Christ. The great reality of the Christian life is that Christ lives in us by the Spirit, and we live in Him. Our priority, therefore, must be to cultivate the presence of the One in whom “we live and move and exist” (Acts 17:28).

Neglecting the contemplative dimension not only lets the fires of inner passion burn down; ultimately it leads to real lethargy and ineffective service.

A.W. Tozer observed that in his day there were many Bible teachers and preachers around: “Too many of these seemed satisfied to teach the fundamentals of the faith year after year, strangely unaware that there is in their ministry no manifest Presence, nor anything unusual in their lives.” Tozer concluded, “It is not mere words that nourish the soul, but God himself.” God shows Himself to us, not only in silence and solitude but as we follow him in obedience.
As Christians we achieve balance in contemplative living with prayer and action. Activity for God must be born of reflection; service, of contemplation; and action, of prayer. Outward acts of evangelism, discipling, and social concern, to which we are called, must be fueled by the fire of spiritual consideration. John of the Cross (d. 1591) wisely wrote, “What we have joyously harvested with the sickle of contemplation in solitude, we must thresh on the floor of preaching, and so broadcast.” Kingdom service, in turn, stimulates deeper reflection and contemplation, thereby completing the circle of truth.

Augustine urged Christians to pursue both contemplation and action. “No man must be so committed to contemplation as, in his contemplation, to give no thought to his neighbor’s needs, nor so absorbed in action as to dispense with the contemplation of God.”

Extended quote taken from Satisfy Your Soul by Dr. Bruce DeMarest. Pages 182-183.

Spiritual maturity is not possessing vast quantities of Bible knowledge or possessing the most powerful spiritual gifts. Carnal people can have both of these things. Spiritual maturity is sharing the affections of God and discerning his voice. It is loving what God loves and hating what he hates. Spiritually mature Christians love God and his people passionately, and they hate anything that takes them away from God. Only in the context of such love will Bible knowledge and the gifts of the Spirit ever achieve their divine purposes. The power of the Spirit can flow unhindered through passionate love for God and his children

Surprised by the Power of the Spirit by Jack Deere, page 206

For centuries, philosophers and psychologists have studied personality types. One of the most widely used and tested personality assessment instrument is the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The MBTI categorizes human personalities in four pairs of preferences that offer sixteen combinations. The four pairs answer the following questions.

• Where does one focus attention?
  Extroversion (E) – Introversion (I)
• How does one take in information?
  Sensing (S) – Intuition (N)
• How does one make decisions?
  Thinking (T) – Feeling (F)
• How does one deal with the world?
  Judging (J) – Perceiving (P)

The MBTI and other personality instruments can help us Christians understand our strengths and weaknesses. They can give us insights into how we might better respond to God’s working in our lives. Rather than relying on a generic model of spiritual training, the MBTI allows us to structure patterns of spiritual formation suited to people’s unique personalities and temperaments.

For example, extroverts flourish through lively interaction with other Christians. Introverts most comfortably relate to God through quiet reflection. Thinkers find spiritual stimulation in theological studies. Feeling types find emotionally uplifting praise music more to their liking. We tend to live out the faith through the grid of our temperamental comfort zone.

The greatest potential for growth, however, will come through the less preferred or weaker function, although overcoming the inertia of habit may be difficult. Jesus said, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind” (Luke 10:27)–that is, with every God created capacity.

High-energy extroverts find new potential for growth by practicing the disciplines of biblical meditation, contemplation, and journaling. Introverts find new spiritual resources through inter-personal relationships and engaging in group experiences. Sensates develop repressed intuition through the practice of contemplative prayer or by listening to others more sensitively. Intuiting types grow by being attentive to God’s ways in nature and history. They are enriched by drawing on all their God-given senses in worship.

Thinking types grow the heart by disciplines that stir the emotions and draw out feelings. Such might include meditating on the beauty of creation, praying the psalms, or imaginative reflection on biblical stories, such as the prodigal son or the lost sheep. Thinkers become more adaptable by exploring a variety of worship experiences (sacramental, liturgical, and contemplative). Feeling types grow as they use their minds more creatively by formulating their biblical world-and-life view. Judging types grow as they seek variety in their spiritual experiences. They should be more spacious to the unexpected workings of Providence. Perceivers do well to take a more disciplined approach to spiritual formation.

When I consider the uniqueness and complexity of each human being, I recall the words of the psalmist: “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous” (Psalm 139:14).

Extended quote taken from Satisfy Your Soul by Dr. Bruce DeMarest. Pages 182-183.

Hey, here’s an interesting article in Christianity Today on the Pope you never knew appropriately titled: The Pope We Never Knew

Who am I?

A lot of people (well, actually just Kelly and I) wonder why I am so different from other people. Some might say I am anti-social. But I don’t think that’s totally accurate. I love spending time with a select few close friends, especially when we can talk about things that are deep and meaningful. I really enjoy having conversations that analyze world problems (political, social, ecclesial (of the church) and figure out theoretical solutions. If the solutions would ever be realized that would be wonderful, but if not oh well. At least I’m right.

Being an INTP (1% of the population) is a great way to live. If you aren’t sure what an INTP is, you might not be familiar with the Myers Briggs Type Indicator. The MBTI categorizes human personalities in four pairs of preferences that offer sixteen combinations. The four pairs answer the following questions.

• Where does one focus attention?
  Extroversion (E) – Introversion (I)
• How does one take in information?
  Sensing (S) – Intuition (N)
• How does one make decisions?
  Thinking (T) – Feeling (F)
• How does one deal with the world?
  Judging (J) – Perceiving (P)

As I said before I am an INTP: an I (introverted) N (intuitive) T (thinking) P (Perciever). In other words I am a Designer Theorizer.

DESIGNER THEORIZER

Becoming an expert. Seeing new patterns and elegant connections. Talent for design and redesign. Crossing the artificial boundaries of thought. Activate the imagination. Clarifying and defining. Making discoveries. Reflect on the process of thinking itself. Detach to analyze. Struggle with attending to the physical world.

Here are some of my favorite activities

• asking hard questions
• critical thinking
• systematic theorizing
• abstract modeling
• data analysis
• systems synthesis
• minimizing problem structure
• loophole analysis
• algorithm development

It is clear that my current profession of being a campus minister is well outside of my natural abilities. I know I am wierd but I think about inventing and designing stuff all the time. One of my favorite pasttimes other than watching movies, playing games, and sleeping, is inventing things. I dream about having a studio, an inventor’s laboratory to concoct secret potions to turn animals into agents of espionage. I’m just joking by the way. “But seriously, how cool would it be if…” is a phrase you will hear often if you spend time with me.

So until the think tank calls me home and asks me to figure out how to build a rocket from 3 straws, a cardboard box, some coffee, and a roll of duct tape, I’ll be dreaming of the next website or technological advancement, designing a logo, or maybe just theologizing. In any case, you can be sure that I’ll be making something new even if you don’t want it.