MBTI

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

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Myers-Briggs Type Indicator The Myers-Briggs is a tool used to differentiate between personality types (thus the designation of “Type Indicator”). The words “Myers-Briggs” are the surnames of the two women, mother and daughter, who developed the indicator. The MBTI was first published on the open market in 1975 some 60 years after these women began their work. This personality test is the most widely used in the world.1 The whole theory of personality type rests on personal preferences. Each of the 16 types is actually a preference for determining why people behave the way that they do. In this theory, behavior is a combination of one’s preferred way to gather information (through Sensing or iNtuition) and ones preferred way to make decisions on the information gathered (Thinking or Feeling). Additionally, the MBTI considers from where one obtains personal energy – either from others (Extroversion) or from within (Introversion). Finally, each person must live in the world in relationships with others. The last measure of personality is the way in which a person lives in the world – either in an organized way (Judging) or a spontaneous way (Perceiving). Thus, each type comprised of four letters measures the strength of the individual. The MBTI does not measure unhealthiness or pathological personality traits. No one preference is better or more desirable than another; however, each has is overall strengths and weaknesses. A balance of preferences indicates maturity. The Learning Style Inventory you have taken for this retreat is a free MBTI test available on the internet. This Inventory is included in the Appendix. Additionally, another MBTI that reflects one’s spiritual formation is also included at the end of this packet for you to take at a later time.

MBTI in the general US population

Totals:

ISFJ – 13.8%

ISFP – 8.8%

INFP – 4.4%

INTP – 3.3%

ESFJ – 12.3%

ESFP – 8.5%

ENFP – 8.1%

ENTP – 3.2%

ISTJ – 11.6%

ISTP – 5.4%

INFJ – 1.5%

INTJ – 2.1%

ESTJ – 8.7%

ESTP – 4.3%

ENFJ – 2.4%

ENTJ – 1.8%

SJ – 46.4%

SP – 27.0%

NF – 16.3%

NT – 10.3%

Free online Myers-Briggs: Here is a link to a free online test Myers-Briggs that has additional information that you might find useful. http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes1.htm 1

Malcolm Goldsmith. Knowing Me Knowing God (Nashville: Abingdon, 1997), 22.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

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Understanding Your MBTI Style 1. Extrovert (E) or Introvert (I) [Where we prefer to do our perceiving and judging – in the outer world of people, action, and things or in the inner world of concepts and ideas] Showing where we get our energy, how we are revitalized E – Extroverts are energized by engaging the outside world I – Introverts gain strength from their own inner depths. They prefer to have alone time. They can become extremely tired when they over engage with the outside world. 2. Senser (S) or iNtuitive (N) [data-gathering function] Showing how we take in information S – Sensers rely on the five senses to provide the bulk of information they handle. This information comes to them through what they see, hear, touch, smell, or taste. N – iNtuitives rely on a “sixth sense” (their intuition, gut feelings, or hunches). These people have a general view of what is or might be, rather than a specific view of precise details. 3. Thinker (T) or Feeler (F) [decision-making function] Showing how we process the information taken in through S or N T – Thinkers tend to be objective and more concerned with principles F – Feelers tend to be more subjective and concerned with harmony and with establishing good relationships 4. Perceiver (P) or Judger (J) [how we are perceived in the real world function] Showing whether we prefer an “open” or “closed” lifestyle. This is the function others see. P – Perceivers prefer to leave things to the last minute. They prefer flexibility and spontaneity and are likely to change their minds much more easily than the judgers. J – Judgers get things done well in advance and they like to know where they stand on a whole range of issues. They value dependability, structure, and loyalty.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

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Understanding Your Behavior Through the Lens of the MBTI The Myers-Briggs provides an explanation for behavior. Notice that one’s behavior is comprised of 4 elements – Introversion, Extroversion, Judging, and Perceiving. To understand the diagram below, begin the Perceiving (how one gathers information about the world) then move to Judging (how one decides to use that information) and then consider the energy source of the person (Introversion or Extroversion).

3 – Energy to Act on Information

2 – Decide on Information

Introversion

Judging

Behavior

Extroversion

Thinking

Feeling

Sensing Perceiving

1 – Gather Information from Environment

4 - Behavior impacts the environment thus impacts perceiving, judging, and energy.

iNtuition

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

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MBTI Characteristics2 Judging (J) (55% of U.S.) Self-disciplined, purposeful, exacting Decisive Defend against unnecessary experience Aim to be right Plan ahead Conform to plans and standards Wants the bottom line Get things settled Closure, even when data is incomplete Controlling and regulating Organizing and scheduling

Perceiving (P) (45% of U.S.) Flexible, adaptable, tolerant Curious, tentative Seeks out experience Aim to miss nothing Adapt as we go Respond to the situation Wants options Take time to study Resists closure to obtain more data Curious and interested Adapting and changing

Sensing (S) (70% of U.S.) Perceiving with the 5 senses Practical and factual details Present moment Looking for specifics Down to earth Craving enjoyment, fun loving Enjoyment of life as is – content Sensible Uses experience for decision-making Concrete (here and now) Meticulous, systematic Accurate observer of detail Lets “the eyes tell the mind”

iNtuitive (N) (30% of U.S.) Perceiving with memory & associations Patterns and meanings Possibilities for the future Looking for the big picture Head in the clouds Craving inspiration Change-oriented, restless Imaginative Uses hunches for decision-making Abstract (principles & possibilities) Impulsive, spontaneous Picks up only what fits preoccupation Lets “the mind tell the eyes”

Thinking (T) (60% of men, 40% of women, U.S) Using logical analysis Using objective and impersonal criteria

Feeling (F) (60% of women, 40% of men, U.S.) Applying personal priorities Weighing human values & motives (one’s Own and others) Appreciating Valuing warm relationships Trusting Prizing harmony Persuasive Tactful Personal Relating to People

Drawing cause and effect relationships Being firm-minded Being skeptical Prizing logical order Analytical Truthful Impersonal Relating to things, ideas, concepts

2

Roy Oswald and Otto Kroger, Personality Type and Religious Leadership (Alban Institute, 1988), 18-21

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

Extroversion (E) (70% of U.S.) Interest in external happenings Energized by contact with large number of people Fatigued by steady reading or study; needs breaks to talk to people Opens mouth; then engages brain Leaves wishing s/he hadn’t said it Expansive, dispassionate, and unloading emotions Action and practical achievement Living life to understand it Multiplicity of relationships Breadth Talkative, active Scanning the environment for stimulation Using trial and error with confidence

5

Introversion (I) (30% of U.S.) Interested in internal reactions Fatigued by contact with large numbers of people Energized by reading, meditating, study Engages brain; then may or may not open mouth Leaves wishing s/he had said it Intense, passionate, guarding emotions Ideas and abstract invention Understanding life to live it A few intense relationships Depth Reserved, reflective Probing inwardly for stimulation Considering deeply before acting

4 Core Combinations Applied to Pastoral Leadership3 1. SJ – Dutiful and are useful to the social units to which they belong. They feel best when they are bound and obligated; they want to be caretakers of the world. They are more comfortable being the giver than the receiver. They are the most responsible of the temperaments and often become the backbone of most institutions: the family, the church, service clubs, banks, corporations, the nation. SJ temperaments are ISTJ, ESTJ, ISFJ, ESFJ 2. SP – Action-oriented wanting to be engaged, involved, and doing something now. They are frequently bored with the status quo and so are often spontaneous and impulsive. They prefer dealing with crises which they manage well in practical, down-to-earth ways. Very few pastors are SPs (>8% in mainline denominations). SP temperaments are ISFP, ESFP, ISTP, ESTP 3. NT – Desires power over the environment. They want to be able to understand, control, predict, and explain realities. This tendency makes NTs natural scientists. They love abstract theory and building great architectural plans for the future. They want to be known for their competence. NT Temperaments are: INTP, ENTP, INTJ, ENTJ 4. NF – Searches for authenticity and self-actualization. They are natural questioners in search of self. They want to become who they really are. NFs are the most idealistic and romantic of all the types and have a great capacity for empathetic listening. Often, NFs have high verbal skills. ½ of all clergy are NFs. NF temperaments are INFP, ENFP, INFJ, ENFJ

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Oswald, 57-58

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

The Four Temperaments – http://www.personalitypage.com/fourtemps.html You can take the MBTI we use at this retreat online at www.keirsey.com Some of the most important recent work done in the field on Personality Typing has been done by David Keirsey, who has created the theory of temperament associated with type. In his research, he has made observations that have allowed him to combine two of the four sets of preferences, into four distinct temperament categories. Each of the sixteen personality types fits into one of these temperament categories. The titles used here for the temperament types, and the individual personality types listed within each temperament, are Keirsey's own descriptions. You'll notice that they do not match our labels for the types.

SJ - "The Guardians" Keirsey describes the SJ group's primary objective as "Security Seeking". The SJ grouping includes the types:    

ESTJ - "The Supervisors" ISTJ - "The Inspectors" ESFJ - "The Providers" ISFJ - "The Protectors"

SP - "The Artisans" Keirsey describes the SP group's primary objective as "Sensation Seeking". The SP grouping includes the types:    

ESTP - "The Promoters" ISTP - "The Crafters" ESFP - "The Performers" ISFP - "The Composers"

NT - "The Rationals" Keirsey describes the NT group's primary objective as "Knowledge Seeking". The NT grouping includes the types:    

ENTJ - "The Fieldmarshals" INTJ - "The Masterminds" ENTP - "The Inventors" INTP - "The Architects"

NF - "The Idealists" Keirsey describes the NF group's primary objective as "Identity Seeking". The NF grouping includes the types:    

ENFJ - "The Teachers" INFJ - "The Counselors" ENFP - "The Champions" INFP - "The Healers"

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Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

Assessing Spiritual Leadership Strengths4 Spiritual Depth – INFP/INFJ/INTJ/INTP Strong Preacher – ENFJ (the most popular type of ministers) or ENTJ ENFJ is identified as one of the best teachers Youth Ministry – ESFP or ENFP Pastoral Counselor – INFJ/ENFP/INFP Effective Leader – ENTJ/INTJ/INFJ/ENFJ Parish Administrator – ESTJ/ISTJ Please recognize that if the ministry position that you aspire to fulfill is not identified in the above list, that means the authors did not identify the personality type that might be beneficial to have when serving in that capacity. Many more ministry positions exist that are not listed above.

Spiritual Life and Personality Type5 SP – Action-Oriented (NFs try to love them, SJs try to organize them, and the NTs theorize about them). In general, SPs are not into organized religion. Many people perceive them as hedonists. However, SPs make up 38% of the U.S. population. SPs have little toleration for the abstract, theoretical, non-practical, and non-functional aspects of education. SPs often have high IQ scores but are disinterested in studying. They want to act. Style is everything – staying up all night to get a project done, having a certain kind of car, developing a presentation that is emotionally moving. The moment is everything – either it is caught and savored or it is lost forever. An SP preacher is an entertainer at heart. SP preachers are more flexible and prone to spontaneity than the other types. SPs may be the hardest people to preach to because they have little tolerance for abstract theory. Sitting quietly in a pew in itself is an uncomfortable experience. SPs need to be involved if they are to learn and grow. The sermons most likely to reach the SPs are children’s sermons – the kind where children come up front and things are a little out of control and the pastor has to shift and improvise. That’s the kind of action that appeals to the SP. General Characteristics of an SP Spiritual Leader: 1. on the go and may have trouble preparing sermons in advance (especially the Extroverted ones). 2. Do well in a crisis – can live in the moment. Some will create a crisis to solve proving that they are still capable and competent. Can find practical solutions to church problems. 4 5

Oswald, 55. Excerpted sections from Oswald, chapter 6, “Temperaments and the Pastoral Role.”

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Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

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3. Gets bored with routine after a while. 4. History, loyalty, continuity, tradition usually take a back seat to total immersion in the moment. They seem to have an easier time severing ties with people. 5. Love going to retreats but hate planning them. 6. Hidden entertainer in every SP 7. Especially suited to a mission church or a church in a rapidly changing environment. 8. Do well in environments where little is predictable (inner city). 9. A charismatic Spirit-led congregation prefers an SP. The spontaneous prompting of the Spirit changes history, tradition, and programs. 10. Prefer programs that let people get their heart out and feel moved. 11. SPs have a presence in the moment and capitalize on what is happening. 12. As leaders, SPs are practical pragmatics who can deal with concrete problems in a methodical fashion. They can analyze a church and see how it works, find where breakdowns and errors occur, and then quickly figure out the corrections needed. 13. Very observant of others 14. Better leaders than managers 15. Great pastoral counselors when in crisis situations. After the crisis is over, the SP minister will have little interest in follow-up sessions. Potential difficulties for an SP leader: 1. May feel confined by narrow pastoral roles and expectations 2. Other temperaments will tend to see SPs as mavericks. 3. If self-doubt plagues an SP or if unrest is present in the congregation, an SP can have trouble. 4. The ability to be flexible, open, and spontaneous can be problematic when the situation calls for more conformity to expectations. 5. May have trouble running a church in an orderly manner. Has trouble with organization and being in charge of routine tasks and responsibilities. 6. Becomes irritated when told how to work. They want to fly by the seat of their pants. Annoyed with standard operating procedures and being pushed to meet deadlines. 7. Can annoy church members by not following up on agreements, being careless about details, being unprepared, and be springing the unexpected on them too often.

NT – The intellectual, Competence-Seeking Pastor NTs gather data from the environment through iNtuition, through a search for meaning and possibilities. Then they make decisions about this data through logical, linear analysis. General Characteristics of an NT Spiritual Leader: 1. Usually visionaries 2. tend to energize situations and provide strong leadership 3. Characterized by truth and justice 4. Brings conceptual skill and intensity to their roles 5. Needs to project competence in the role taken – be consistently competent in whatever is undertaken 6. Seminary is a haven for NTs although they are frequently critical of it (critical thinking, dissecting problems, analyzing solutions)

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

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7. Believe that the “truth will make us free” 8. Try to understand religion 9. Seeks to perform better to be seen as competent – always striving for excellence 10. Can make the church into a smaller version of the Bible College / Seminary 11. Can become discouraged if the average Christian is not curious about the faith 12. Usually great teachers and preachers – inspiring their churches through their great capacity for words and concepts. 13. Press the church hard on social justice and social consciousness issues (similarly to the prophet Amos) 14. Consistency is a target – views self as competence when performs well or reaches established goals. 15. Look for principles in the text and not necessarily offer practical application. Reasons that if thinking can be altered, behavior can be altered. 16. Shies away from emotional worship 17. Has a large library 18. Strong pastoral leaders (especially Extroverted, Judging NTs) – sets the vision and leaves the details to someone else. 19. Brings a systematic approach to growth and development. Values planning and goal setting. 20. Figures out the politics of the church 21. finds opposing points of view stimulating 22. Must not remain undeveloped in interpersonal abilities 23. Tends to be restless – needs to feel like (s)he is continually growing 24. Thirst for knowledge includes a thirst of self-knowing. 25. Tend to be highly critical of themselves 26. Will handle congregational feedback objectively (no other temperament does). They tend to base the value of the feedback on the competence of the critic and will dismiss criticism if they do not value the source. 27. Must come to terms with the non-rational side of church life. They must surrender their rationally from time to time to walk with fearful, troubled people. 28. Can help people with their emotions because they teach others how to channel them rather than merely express them. 29. An NT mystic will use the mind to try and go beyond the mind – must be grounded in theology and then can explore the faith emotionally and experientially. Potential difficulties for an NT leader 1. Theological snobbery 2. Impatience 3. Too demanding 4. Arrogance 5. Interpersonal distance (some NTs are frightened by intimacy) 6. Authority counter-dependent – demand competence from those who claim authority. Likely to make an incompetent authority known. Needs a clear rational for decision in the church. Will push for an explanation of what does not make sense to them – even from their superiors. 7. Fear of incompetence 8. Drive to be correct “Our research on the long pastorate indicates that Feeling type clergy tend to settle back into a strong pastoral ministry after accomplishing a variety of goals in a parish, but they

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may not continue to exercise consistent strong leadership. On the other hand, strongly goal-oriented NT clergy do not appear to fall into this trap. Their temperament makes them change oriented; their drive for power over their environment consistently motives them to raise the quality of life in any community. If congregations do not tire of being pressed relentlessly for excellence, NT clergy can continue to be effective in a congregation for 20 to 30 years.”6

The conserving, Serving Pastor, SJ (The Traditionalist/Stabilizer) SJs are well grounded in reality as it comes to them through their senses and they prefer having that reality structured and ordered. The combination of Sensing (having reality touch him/her through the five senses) and Judging (wanting things decided, planned) is so powerful that their other two letters become a minor theme. General characteristics of an SJ Spiritual Leader: 1. seek to belong and to serve and nurture others 2. Offers concrete, practical ways to assist those in pain, need, or distress. 3. Can see training at the Bible College or Seminary as impractical, unworkable, even pie-in-the-sky flakiness but will listen and give it consideration. 4. Focus on the rich heritage of the church building on the best that comes from the past. 5. Emphasize the fundamentals of the faith, attempting to impart to people a simple faith with practical, down-to-earth rules for living the Christian life. 6. Tend to be the most traditional of all leaders bringing stability and continuity 7. Loyal unless someone has “abandoned the faith” and then they will go back to their understanding and practice. 8. as change agents, will work the system to bring about change. NTs can envision the changes but the SJs are more adept at making them happen. Politically astute, grounded in reality, aware of the incremental steps necessary for change, the SJ leader deliberately and methodically develops a church. 9. What is tried, tested, and true will tend to be preserved with an SJ rather than change. They see themselves as the protectors and conservors of their rich spiritual heritage. 10. They want others in the church to be as loyal and dedicated as they are 11. Naturally hunger for membership and belonging so they excel at community building. They want their group to be healthy and useful. 12. Driven by an internal set of “shoulds and should nots” they tend to communicate to others a sense of social, moral, and spiritual obligation. 13. They want to be needed, desire to serve, like being obligated, and work best with people who come at life with a similar motivation. 14. Look for tangible, concrete ways to give to others. Want to help someone nearby than someone overseas. 15. To be ‘saved by grace” is almost to deny their SJ temperament, duty, and obligation being so much a part of their personality. Jesus’ admonition to the rich young ruler, “Do this and you will live,” is the natural spiritual path of the SJ. 16. Bring order and stability to the church 17. Persevere 18. Patient 19. Work steadily 6

Oswald, 69-70.

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20. Seldom make errors of facts and tend to be outstanding at precision work. 21. Will be restless until things are decided 22. Super-dependable 23. Efficient 24. Work from a planned and ordered agenda in committee meetings 25. Berate themselves for failing to act 26. People will be well cared for under SJ leadership 27. Lowest leadership divorce rate among SJ leaders. Distressed by anarchy and chaos. Divorce can be fearful for them just to think about. 28. As counselors – realists, emphasizing the “common sense” approach to problemsolving. Prefer short-term counseling sessions. Major values they bring to counseling sessions are: belonging, social responsibility, nurturance, relatedness, and stability. Can become impatient with counselees if SJs don’t see the results needed each and every counseling session. 29. SJs encourage people to launch out into life from a strong family and social support base. 30. Have trouble dealing with deeply unconscious aspects of their lives (especially if their iNtuitive function is underdeveloped). 31. They are a class act for the church. They want what is best for the church. 32. They spend wisely 33. Motto - Anything worth doing is worth doing well 34. SJ ministers will lean toward formal and dignified worship. 35. Well organized sermons centered on the Word of God. Conformity to traditional Christian values will be encouraged. Sermons will be down to earth, realistic and direct, reflecting the appointed lessons for the day. Members will be reminded of their duty and obligation as Christians and be given practical applications on how to respond to the message. 36. Must be connected and accepted in their relationships Potential difficulties for an SJ leader 1. Literalism – tend to want to take what is written literally. This literalism usually develops into a more conservative approach to Scripture and doctrine. Gets nervous with figurative or symbolic messages. 2. Pessimism – expects problems because they are grounded in reality. Murphy’s law is thoroughly SJ – “Whatever can go wrong will” or “Everything takes longer and costs more.” 3. Burnout – particularly vulnerable to burnout because of their long list of “shoulds” and “oughts.” More prone to becoming exhausted, worried, and sad which adds stress to their lives. Self-care is vital for an SJ leader. Burnout has 4 key characteristics: physical/emotional exhaustion, cynicism, disillusionment, and self-deprecation. 4. Rules and Regulations – others can become annoyed by the constant hammering of rules/regulations/policies/moralisms 5. Christ and culture – culture can get mixed into the church more easily with an SJ and a conservative Christian culture is easily accepted. SJs may have more trouble accepting single-parents, non-patriots, divorced couples, counterculture youth and adults, non-conformists, and other ministers or leaders who are divorced or who take a more radical stance to ministry. 6. Expressing appreciation – can be stingy on their praise because of their high sense of duty. SJs want to praise only extraordinary effort but NF people thrive on praise.

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7. Work irritants – tend to be irritated by others who do not follow standard operating procedures, fail to give deadlines, or deviate from the plan. Tend to irritated with those who do not value caution, carefulness, thoroughness, and accuracy of work (because these aspects of life are highly prized by an SJ).

Authenticity-Seeking, Relationship-Oriented Pastor, NF 1 out of 2 mainline Protestant clergy are this temperament but only 12% of the general population is. General Characteristics of an NF Spiritual Leader: 1. All NFs share a common search for authenticity, a search for their deeper selves. Many take the spiritual route to get there. 2. Intuitive NFs are the natural mystics – an internal search in which they run to God. 3. Most idealist and romantic of the temperaments – attracted to helping professions that deal with human suffering. 4. they want to find fellow spiritual journeyers but we have the virtual loss of monastic communities today. The church is a viable option. 5. Perceive the world as possibilities and want to translate those possibilities interpersonally and intrapersonally. They look at the church and see what can happen. 6. NFs love Bible Colleges and Seminaries as a place to be transformed into a higher spiritual being. They want to belong to fellow journeyers. 7. Identity in ministry is tied to the role that they have idealized. If their spiritual heroes in ministry are tender, loving authorities, they will reflect that model. They will model themselves after the role that is most significant to them at the moment. This role is subject to change without notice, however. 8. NF leaders are flexible and unpredictable. 9. Personalize authority issues – they can become like the model they emulate or resist the model they don’t like (even to being considered rebellious) 10. Often caught between trying to please people important to them and being true to their own selves. Dark side – try to please everyone and think that they can. 11. Highly articulate and effective communicators. 12. Want to inspire their listeners to greater acts of kindness and love and to a quest for wholeness. 13. Will personally feel the pain of broken people and identify with Hosea or Isaiah. 14. Desire for others to apply what they (the NF) has told them. 15. Common criticism of NF preachers – they are to idealistic and simplistic (Norman Vincent Peale – “Smile and change the world”). 16. Make outstanding preachers because they are able to deeply touch the hearts of their listeners (Billy Graham is an NF preacher). 17. On the other hand, NF leaders can be the most seductive of all the types (more on this later) because they first seduce themselves and then others. NFs believe what they are saying with every ounce of their being (Adolf Hitler and Ronald Reagan are both NFs). 18. Fully developed NF – high interpersonal, intra-group competence. 19. Very perceptive of others both intellectually and emotionally 20. Will often forgo their own personal needs to reach out to those who are in pain in their churches. 21. Have a hard time of balancing their lives by taking care of themselves in the face of human need.

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22. High on inspiration and low on the practical, down-to-earth, nut-and-bolts aspects of ministry. 23. NFs who have a preference for J have an advantage over their P co-leaders. 24. Are prone to discouragement when people don’t respond as positively as they expect. 25. Very intense spiritually. 26. the least understood of the personality types because others can’t figure out why they are continually trying to “become” rather than be at peace with who they are. 27. As leaders, prefer to be catalysts and facilitators – enthusiastic communicators. 28. tend to be optimistic about the future and can be contagious in this regard – a very useful trait to deal with people-problems. 29. Natural trap of an NF – be a people rescuer. Their ability to empathize sets them up for this disaster. 30. Are natural counselors and people talk with them everywhere. Potential difficulties for the NF leader 1. Irritants – irritated when treated impersonally or as just filling a role (a widget). They are also irritated by negative feedback, and are agitated by structure, deadlines, and detail. They tend to irritate others by playing favorites, finding people charming but then abandoning them, by making every situation emotional, by implying that others are hardhearted and unsympathetic, and by acting in “helpful ways” that are neither wanted nor needed. 2. Appearing wishy-washy – give the impression that they agree with everyone but they really don’t. They appear to go along with something to avoid conflict. Have the most difficulty of all the temperaments of establishing clear personal boundaries. 3. Saying no – have difficulty with persistent people. 4. Faddism – they reason that the latest thing may help them discover who they really are. They join the latest movement, read the latest book, and do the latest activity. 5. High need for strokes – NFs have the greatest need for approval from others. They get discouraged and demoralized when they are not complimented. They may play favorites with those who lavish approval on them. 6. Conflict avoidance – do not do well with differences and disagreements. Try to find ways around conflict. They don’t see its usefulness or universal nature. For some, they deal with conflict only when it escalates and cannot be avoided any longer. 7. Dependency relationships – attract needy people like a magnet because they are natural nurturers and rescuers. NFs are often at a loss about how to cope with this problem. 8. Long pastorates – when the conditions are right, NFs become very attached to their people and stay a long time. Saying “good bye” is one of the most difficult tasks for NF leaders. A potential problem exists for Feeling ministers (particularly NFs) in that they have the “tendency to stop giving the parish effective leadership and more and more interpersonal pastoral care only [becomes] a problem. When certain goals in the parish have been achieved, these clergy often fall back into a strong one-to-one ministry and fail to res for the on-going growth of the congregation.”7

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Oswald, 89.

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9. Endless search – the endless search to find oneself can leave the NF with a lack of peace and joy in their lives. 10. Emotional rollercoaster – can run hot and cold, vacillating between euphoria and depression. Can become easily discouraged because they are natural idealists. Specific Observations of combinations 1. The NTJ combination is an indicator of a change agent. This person will constantly try to improve any situation. 2. The NT combination needs intellectual stimulation to experience spiritual growth. They tend to develop their minds first and then later their emotions. NTs can be emotionally locked up and unexpressive. Later in life they can experience a great deal of inner emotional conflict if they continue to repress feelings. 3. The NF combination is the most prone to adultery and sexual problems. When combined with a P (NFP), this person is at the greatest risk. ENFPs are at the greatest risk because of their outgoing charismatic nature and willingness to help people. Their negative side can influence them to become emotionally entangled with others making them capable of relationally or sexually abusing them. 4. The NF combination needs new experiences and changes to remain spiritually refreshed. They need to find a number of different spiritual avenues in order to experience God. 5. The SJ combination is the least likely to experience adultery or divorce due to their loyal nature. 6. The SJ combination is the most likely to get stuck in a rut with regard to spiritual disciplines and may become dry over time using the same methods over and over. They also tend to be the most resistant to new ideas for personal spiritual growth. SJs report that they experience problems praying and feeling God, especially if their iNtuitive side is not well developed. 7. The SP combination is the least likely to be involved in a traditional church, be a minister, or a church leader. This person needs an active involvement for personal satisfaction and sitting still and talking is not personally desired. 8. Spiritual development for an SP is an “on-the-go” process. They must experience God and spiritual life through an active process – conversation, serving, loving, listening, etc. They have trouble being loyal to a method just because it’s always been done that way.

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MBTI Dominant, Auxiliary, and Shadow Traits A helpful way to understand how these traits function is to think of a group of four people standing in a line shouting directions at you. The loudest voice is the dominant trait. The second loudest voice is the auxiliary trait, the third loudest voice is the second shadow trait and the third loudest voice overall, and the weakest voice is the first shadow trait and the weakest voice overall

Dominant

Auxiliary 2

nd

st

Shadow 1 Shadow

Dominant The dominant trait is the preferred way to process information and is figured in the following way: E ___ ___ P and I ___ ___ J have the second letter as the dominant trait. ENFP, ENTP, ESFP, ESTP, INFJ, INTJ, ISTJ, ISFJ E ___ ___ J and I ___ ___ P have the third letter as the dominant trait. ENFJ, ESFJ, ENTJ, ESTJ INFP, ISFP, INTP, ISTP

Auxiliary The auxiliary trait is the second “loudest” trait when processing information. This trait is figured in the following way: E ___ ___ P and I ___ ___ J have the third letter as the auxiliary trait. ENFP, ENTP, ESTP, ESTP, INFJ, INTJ, ISTJ, ISTJ E ___ ___ J and I ___ ___ P have the second letter as the auxiliary trait. ENFJ, ESFJ, ENTJ, ESTJ INFP, ISFP, INTP, ISTP

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Shadow Traits These traits are the opposite of our dominant and auxiliary traits and are often described as the inner darkness of our personalities. These aspects of ourselves have been relegated to a “room” in our inner lives that represents shoved experiences that we want to forget or impulses, thoughts, or problems that we don’t want to address. One author identifies these traits as the “long bag we drag behind us” and that although this bag is invisible, it exerts an extremely powerful influence on how we process information and behave.8 Repressed feelings, shameful thoughts, unwanted experiences, hand-me-down emotions, failures, fears, and anxieties make up much of this part of our inner selves. Occasionally, when our defenses are down, the bag might tear and the part of us that we choose not to acknowledge leaps out often causing considerable confusion and embarrassment. Sometimes we will act completely out of character while at other times only we will know our true thoughts and feelings. Projection can be a part of this shadow. We can place on others the qualities that we disdain in ourselves – thus, we experience a sensitivity to our own uncomfortable traits. In Myers-Briggs terms, the shadow is seen as being the opposite to the type description which you have for yourself. In my case, being an ENTP, my shadow is then ISFJ. Time and time again it is borne out that people find their “opposites” or shadows the most difficult people to relate to, because they represent all the preferences which have been rejected! Having said that, I must immediately say that that is an oversimplification, and it occasionally happens that people marry their opposite types, seeing in them all the qualities that they do not possess themselves.9 We usually try to experience our life in Christ using our preferred functions and this familiarity and sense of competence can actually cause spiritual problems for us – we will, by our own effort attempt a grace-filled relationship with God. One commentator wrote about this dilemma in this way: It is precisely in the realm of the inferior function, where the depth of one’s commitment to his relationship with God, in humble acceptance of himself and desire for transformation, meets the real test. The religious experience of conversion will always be accompanied in some manner by an eruption of the inferior function as it reveals the individual’s state of disintegration, rendering him helpless and in need of the healing of God’s love and acceptance in grace.10

The key to spiritual growth is to develop your shadow traits and become adept at using all your traits for the kingdom of God. If you do not, your biggest problems will come from an unhealthy expression of your shadow traits.

8

Malcom Goldsmith. Knowing Me Knowing God (Nashville: Abingdon, 1997), 86. Goldsmith, 89-90. 10 Goldsmith, 90. 9

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Applying the dominant, auxiliary traits: Personality Type – ENTJ Personal Energy

E Dominant

Auxiliary

T

ND

2

N

S

st

Shadow

F

1 Shadow

J Shown to others

The following is a function table that illustrates how each personality functions with its shadows (wikipedia on Myers-Briggs Type Indicator):

Type Dominant or first Auxiliary or second Tertiary or third Inferior or fourth

Type Dominant or first Auxiliary or second Tertiary or third Inferior or fourth

Type Dominant or first Auxiliary or second Tertiary or third Inferior or fourth

Type Dominant or first Auxiliary or second Tertiary or third Inferior or fourth

ISITEJ

ISIFEJ

INIFEJ

INITEJ

Introverted Sensing Extraverted Thinking Introverted Feeling Extraverted Intuition

Introverted Sensing Extraverted Feeling Introverted Thinking Extraverted Intuition

Introverted Intuition Extraverted Feeling Introverted Thinking Extraverted Sensing

Introverted Intuition Extraverted Thinking Introverted Feeling Extraverted Sensing

ISETIP

ISEFIP

INEFIP

INETIP

Introverted Thinking Extraverted Sensing Introverted Intuition Extraverted Feeling

Introverted Feeling Extraverted Sensing Introverted Intuition Extraverted Thinking

Introverted Feeling Extraverted Intuition Introverted Sensing Extraverted Thinking

Introverted Thinking Extraverted Intuition Introverted Sensing Extraverted Feeling

ESETIP

ESEFIP

ENEFIP

ENETIP

Extraverted Sensing Introverted Thinking Extraverted Feeling Introverted Intuition

Extraverted Sensing Introverted Feeling Extraverted Thinking Introverted Intuition

Extraverted Intuition Introverted Feeling Extraverted Thinking Introverted Sensing

Extraverted Intuition Introverted Thinking Extraverted Feeling Introverted Sensing

ESITEJ

ESIFEJ

ENIFEJ

ENITEJ

Extraverted Thinking Introverted Sensing Extraverted Intuition Introverted Feeling

Extraverted Feeling Introverted Sensing Extraverted Intuition Introverted Thinking

Extraverted Feeling Introverted Intuition Extraverted Sensing Introverted Thinking

Extraverted Thinking Introverted Intuition Extraverted Sensing Introverted Feeling

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The following is David Keirsey’s work in the same vein (Wikipedia, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator):

ISITEJ ISIFEJ INIFEJ INITEJ Inspector Protector Counselor Mastermind ISETIP ISEFIP INEFIP INETIP Crafter Composer Healer Architect ESETIP ESEFIP ENEFIP ENETIP Promoter Performer Champion Inventor ESITEJ ESIFEJ ENIFEJ ENITEJ Supervisor Provider Teacher Field Marshal

As you learn about these preferential areas, you will want to alter your “profile” a bit. It is much more likely that your own assessment of what your preferences are, in the light of the descriptions and discussion that follow is more reliable than the profile derived from the questionnaire.

MBTI Do You Prefer?11 Do you prefer extroversion or introversion? (Circle the letters that best describe you; paired questions are not necessarily opposites so feel free to circle all that apply) E – you tend to talk first, think later, and don’t know what you’ll say until you hear yourself say it; it’s not uncommon for you to berate yourself with something like, “Will I ever learn to keep my mouth shut?” I – you rehearse things before saying them and prefer that others would do the same; you often respond with, “I’ll have to think about that” or “Let me tell you later.” It’s not uncommon for you to leave a gathering and “wish you had said it.” E – you are approachable and easily engaged by friends and strangers alike, though perhaps somewhat dominating in a conversation. I – you are perceived as “a good listener” but feel that others take advantage of you. E – you know a lot of people, and count many of them among your “close friends”; you like to include as many people as possible in your activities. 11

Roy Oswald and Otto Kroger, Personality Type and Religious Leadership (Alban Institute, 1988),10-16

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I – you enjoy the peace and quiet of having time to yourself; you find your private time too easily invaded and tend to adapt by developing a high power of concentration that can shut out TV, noisy kids, and nearby conversation. E – you like going to parties and prefer to talk with many people instead of just a few; your conversations aren’t necessarily limited to those you already know, and you aren’t beyond revealing relatively personal things to veritable strangers. I – you like to share special occasions with just one person or perhaps a few close friends. E – you prefer generating ideas with a group than by yourself; you become drained if you spend too much time in reflective thinking without being able to bounce you thoughts off others. I – you need to “recharge” alone after you’ve spent time socializing with a group; the more intense the encounter, the greater the chance you’ll feel drained afterwards. E – you find telephone calls to be welcome interruptions; you don’t hesitate to pick up the phone whenever you have something to tell someone. I – you have been called “shy” from time to time; whether or not you agree, you may come across to others as somewhat reserved and reflective. E – you look with your mouth instead of your eyes – “I lost my glasses. Has anyone seen my glasses? Who knows where my glasses are?” – and when you lose your train of thought, you verbally “find” your way back – “Now, what was I saying? I think it had something to do with last night’s dinner. Oh yes, it was about what Harriet said.” I –you believe that “talk is cheap”; you get suspicious if people are too complimentary, or irritated if they say something that’s already been said by someone else. The phrase “reinventing the wheel” may occur to you as you hear others chattering away.

Do prefer Sensing or iNtuition (Circle the letters that best describe you.) S – you prefer specific answers to specific questions; when you ask someone the time, you prefer “three-fifty-two” and get irritated if the answer is “a little before four” or “almost time to go.” N – you tend to think about several things at once; you are often accused by friends and colleagues of being absent-minded. S – you find most satisfying those jobs that yield some tangible result; as much as you may hate doing housekeeping, you would rather clean your office than think about where your career is headed. N – you find the future and its possibilities more intriguing than frightening; you are usually more excited about where you’re going than where you are.

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S – you would rather work with facts and figures than ideas and theories; you like to hear things sequentially instead of in random order. N – you believe that “boring details” is a redundancy. S – you think that “fantasy” is a dirty word; you wonder about people who seem to spend too much time indulging their imagination. N – you would rather fantasize about spending your next paycheck than sit and balance your checkbook. S – you get frustrated when people don’t give you clear instructions, or when someone says, “Here’s the overall plan – we’ll take care of the details later”; or worse, when you’ve heard clear instructions and others treat them as vague guidelines. N – you tend to give general answers to most questions; you don’t understand why so many people can’t follow your directions, and get irritated when people push you for specifics. S – you are very literal in your use of words; you also take things literally and often find yourself asking, and being asked, “Are you serious or is that a joke?” N – you are prone to puns and word games (you may even do these things standing up). S – you find it easier to see the individual trees than the forest; at work, you are happy to focus on your own job, and aren’t as concerned about how it fits into the larger scheme of things. N – you find yourself seeking the connects and interrelatedness behind most things rather than accepting them at face value; you’re always asking, “What does that mean?”

Do you prefer Thinking or Feeling? (Circle the letters that best describe you.) T – you would rather settle a dispute based on what is fair and truthful than on what will make people happy. F – you consider a “good decision” one that takes others’ feelings into account. T – you pride yourself on your objectivity despite the fact that some people accuse you of being cold and uncaring (you know that couldn’t be further from the truth). F – you put yourself in other people’s moccasins; you are likely to be one in a meeting who asks, “How will this affect the people involved?” T – you don’t mind making difficult decisions and can’t understand why so many people get upset about things that aren’t relevant to the issue at hand.

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F – you like to decide things by taking into consideration personal feelings and human values, even if they are not logical. T – you think that it’s more important to be right than liked; you don’t believe it is necessary to like people in order to be able to work with them and do a good job. F – you prefer harmony over clarity; you are embarrassed by conflict in groups or family gatherings and will either try to avid it “Let’s change the subject”) or smother it with love (Let’s kiss and make up”). T – you are able to stay cool, calm, and objective in situations when everyone else is upset. F – you are often accused of taking things too personally. T – you are more firm-minded than gentle-hearted; if you disagree with people, you would rather tell them than say nothing and let them think they’re right. F – you won’t hesitate to take back something you’ve said that you perceive has offended someone. T – you enjoy proving a point for the sake of clarity; it’s not beyond you to argue both sides in a discussion simply to expand your intellectual horizons. F – you will overextend yourself meeting other people’s needs; you’ll do almost anything to accommodate others, even at the expense of your own comfort.

Do you prefer Judging or Perceiving? (Circle the letters that best describe you.) J – you are always waiting for others, who never seem to be on time. P- you have to depend on last-minute spurts of energy to meet deadlines; you usually make the deadline, although you may drive everyone else crazy in the process. J – you have a place for everything and aren’t satisfied until everything is in its place. P – you don’t believe that “neatness counts,” even though you would prefer to have things in order; what’s important is creativity, spontaneity, and responsiveness. J – you “know” that if everyone would simply do what they’re supposed to do (and when they’re supposed to do it), the world would be a better place. P – you don’t like to be pinned down about most things; you’d rather keep your options open. J – you don’t like surprises, and find yourself irritated when someone throws you a curve. P – you love to explore the unknown, even if it’s something as simply as a new route home from work.

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J – you wake up in the morning and know fairly well what your day is going to be like; you have a schedule and follow it and can become unraveled if things don’t go as planned. P – you don’t plan a task but wait and see what it demands; people accuse you of being disorganized, although you know better. J – you like to work things through to completion and get them out of the way, even if you know you’re going to have to do it over again later to get it right. P – you turn most work into play; if it can’t be made into fun, it probably isn’t worth doing. J – you thrive on order; you have a special system for keeping things in the refrigerator and dish drainer, hangers in your closets and pictures on your walls. P – you thrive on your ability to be adaptable and flexible; each situation and circumstance demands its own routine and order.

Spiritual Growth and Your Traits SP – Action-Oriented (ARTISANS [sensation-seeking]: Promoters [ESTP], Crafters [ISTP], Performers [ESFP], Composers [ISFP]) SPs need an active approach to spiritual growth. They grow while doing. We talk about being a human being rather than a human doing and SPs (especially extroverts) have trouble stopping, sitting, and contemplating. Spiritual growth on the go needs to be included in any spiritual discipline. Listening to music, CDs of sermons while driving, serving in groups, having an active small group rather than a contemplative small group are all more appealing methods for SPs rather than sitting still, praying, and studying methods. New experiences are also important for an SP. Don’t expect SPs to be routine in their spiritual lives. Moving from one method to another, one Bible study class to another, or one experience to another would be “routine” for SPs. The experience of the moment is also important to SPs – sensing God in life is vital and this sense of God in the here and now through action is a part of their spiritual make up. Developing a culture of active spiritual growth through conversation and experiences is important for an SP. SPs make good leaders and serving God through projects, mission trips, and benevolence are al good choices for them. SPs may not want to be intellectual and thinking to deeply about a subject may not interest them.

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NT – Intellectual, Competence-Seeking (RATIONALS [knowledge-seeking]: Field Marshals [ENTJ], Master Mind [INTJ], Inventors [ENTP], Architects [INTP]) NTs need to make progress in their spiritual lives through thinking and studying. They like to learn new concepts and put them into practice in order to demonstrate their competence. In-depth Bible studies, analytical conversations, and meaningful problem solving are all appealing to NTs. They often want to know how the spiritual life works and they tend to be drawn to theology that is theoretical and abstract. They are “big picture” people with regard to spiritual life and may have trouble being consistent at using a particular method. NTs need an active discovering spiritual formation approach. They want to be systematic and examine various viewpoints. Some people may conclude that NTs think too much. Anything that stimulates the mind is valuable to an NT. They will benefit from traditional Bible study approaches as long as these approaches are deep enough for them. Encouraging NTs to follow their spiritual interests is important and then involve then in concrete service, worship, and benevolence projects is important to keep them from being to disconnected from the here and now. Encouraging a specific application of their knowledge is important.

SJ – Conserving, Serving (GUARDIANS [security-seeking]: Supervisors [ESTJ], Inspectors [ISTJ], Providers [ESFJ], and Protectors [ISFJ]) SJs work well with a traditional approach to spiritual formation. They gravitate to structures and organization that is familiar to them. They will participate in the “official” educational program of the church and work hard to make it effective. However, they can become spiritually stale by routinely doing the same method of spiritual growth year in and year out (autopilot their growth). SJs want specific, practical biblical truth that can be applied in their lives. Challenging long held beliefs are difficult for SJs so change comes slowly. They need to do something with what they believe. SJs want to be involved in their community and need ideas about how to influence their culture with the Gospel as they become the backbone of many civic organizations. Challenging SJs to experience their relationship with Christ rather than “do” their relationship with Christ will be an important balancing point for them. Thus, serving with someone who will also converse with them about resting in the Lord and reflecting on His goodness will be important. NF – Authenticity-Seeking, Relationship-Oriented (IDEALISTS [identity-seeking]: Teachers [ENFJ], Counselors [INFJ], Champions [ENFP], Healers [INFP]) NFs want to go deeper into themselves to discover who they really are in Christ and what that means for them. They strive for a balance in their lives but balancing out human need, relationships, family, and ministry can be elusive to them.

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Because of their spiritual intensity and big ideas, NF’s need to be spiritually grounded in what can actually happen. Pairing an NF with a loving SJ would be amazing (but hard to see)! Experience, experience, experience are key words for an NF – they want to serve and want others to serve as they do. They evaluate human need and want to do something about it. Thus, a good Bible study that includes how the big ideas of Scripture can be put into one’s life would be helpful to them. Working in the community in such a way that the quality of life for people improves is an important part of an NFs spiritual growth. Grounding an NF with the Word – that is, bringing their faith to specific action steps that can be taken is valuable for them. Developing healthy interpersonal boundaries is a must for all NFs to keep from being emotionally exhausted. NFs must be encouraged to learn how to say yes and no to the right blend of requests.

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Prayer Life and Temperaments Prayer Life and Temperaments – Based on the Lectio Divina 1) NT – Thomistic (Thomas Aquinas) http://www.msgr.ca/msgr/WEBPrayerHANDBOOK_17_thomistic_prayer.htm

a) Read. . . MEDITATE… Pray… Contemplate. The emphasis in Thomistic prayers is on meditation and on books on prayer, this is often referred to as “discursive meditation.” b) Unless your discursive reflections during the prayer period result in a change of behavior, they would not be considered authentic Thomistic Prayer. “Metanoia” or conversation is an essential element of Thomistic Prayer. A logical step from the new insights into truth received during the meditation is to make the necessary changes in one’s life. This would be the practical fruit expected from each exercise of Thomistic Prayer and expressed through one or more resolutions adopted at the conclusion of the discursive meditation. c) You consider a virtue, a fault, a theological truth and “walk around it”, studying it from every possible angle. To enable you to get the full grasp on the topic chosen for Thomistic Prayer, it is recommended that you use the seven auxiliary questions: WHAT, WHY, HOW, WHO, WHERE, WHEN, WITH WHAT HELPS and apply each of them to the topic selected. d) By way of example, you might take the virtue of faith as the subject of your meditation. You would then ask the following questions: i) What do we mean by faith? ii) What is entailed in the practice of faith? iii) What are the reasons to justify the pursuit of faith? iv) Why should I have faith? v) What is the value of faith? vi) How might I practice faith? vii) What and where should faith be practiced? viii) Who are some of the people in the Scriptures and in history who are examples of the practice of faith? ix) Finally, what aids can I use to help me practice faith? x) The whole exercise should conclude with suitable resolutions of how you are going to practice the virtue of faith. e) Apply these examples to your Thomistic Prayer life as you begin. 2) NF – Augustinian (Augustine) http://www.msgr.ca/msgr/WEBPrayerHANDBOOK_9_ignatian_prayer.htm

a) Remember that Augustinian Spirituality makes use of your imagination by transposing the words of the Scriptures and applies them to your situation today. This provides you with a personal reflection on the presence of God in his Word. b) Luke’s Gospel is of particular interest to the iNtuitive-Feeling personality type. Jesus’ compassion for sinners. . . for women. . . and outcasts finds a responsive chord. c) Of all the temperaments, the iNtuitive-Feeling personality needs more time in prayer and quiet meditation than any of the others. For the iNtuitive-Feeling personality such time is not a luxury but a necessity as far as personal development and relationship with God is concerned. i) “What do these words of Scripture mean to me in my present situation?” ii) “What message is the Lord trying to convey to me in these ancient words of the Bible?”

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d) By using the iNtuition in this transposition, the iNtuitive-Feeling personality makes the Bible relevant to current personal and community problems and needs. In order to practice the Prayer of Transposition, which we call Augustinian Prayer, the iNtuitive-Feeling personality needs to open him/herself to one’s creative imaginiation. Usually good with words, both in speaking and writing, the iNtuitive-Feeling personality type finds journal keeping not a chore but a joy. e) To be fully effective, Augustinian Prayer should consist of a dialogue between God and oneself. The four steps of Lectio Divina can help here. . . i) First. . . READ (Listen attentively to what God is telling you in the words of Scripture by endeavouring to read between the lines to discern the deeper meaning contained therein.) ii) Second. . . MEDITIATE (Reflect prayerfully upon their meaning and try to apply this eternal wisdom to your situation today.) iii) Third. . . PRAY (Respond to God’s word by appropriate personal feelings and dialogue.) iv) Fourth. . . CONTEMPLATE (Remain quiet and still in order to be open to any new insights that your iNtuitive faculty brings forth.) f) Since the life of the iNtuitive-Feeling personality revolves around personal relationships, this will also be true in the iNtuitive-Feeling personality type’s prayer life. The NF should endeavour to create a good, loving relationship with each person of the Trinity: a parental relationship with the First Person; a brotherly, friendly relationship with Jesus; a spousal relationship of love with the Holy Spirit. Ikons, statues, and other representations of art which express beautifully and symbolically a good relationship with God will also help the iNtuitive-Feeling personality in prayer. 3) SJ – Ignatian (Ignatius) http://www.msgr.ca/msgr/WEBPrayerHANDBOOK_4_ignatian_prayer.htm

a) The Ignatian Method of prayer places oneself in the Biblical scene where you become a part of it by way of your imagination. Try to imagine what you might see… what you might hear… and what the persons in the scene might be doing. At each point in the contemplation, try to draw some practical fruit from the reflection for your own life today. What changes and challenges does your reflection on the event furnish? Using the Four Steps of Lectio Divina select one of the Prayer suggestions. b) Remember, the Ignatian Model projects you into different scenes and experiences of the life of Jesus. The spirituality presented with the liturgical calendar of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent and Easter is a good example of this type of prayer life! c) The patterns is especially appealing to the Sensing-Judging personality and can be found reflected in the Epistle of James where a sense of duty is strongly presented. He insisted that Christianity should keep faithful to the ancient traditions of the Jews. We can also see this in the Gospel of Matthew, where the evangelist emphasizes how Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament hope and the continuity we have with the past in the Hebrew Scripture. d) In your devotional reading of Scripture, you may find a passage in James’ Epistle particularly helpful. Write down the reference in your Prayer Journal and look it up. Read it several times through and reflect on it. There may be several such passages that come to mind for you in the Gospel of Matthew. Write down those references and look them up during your prayer time. When the passage lends itself to an imaginative reflection, listen and discover what God is saying to you…

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e) A deliberate, conscious effort has to be made to develop hope and trust and to look on the optimistic side of the Good News of the Gospel. Frequent meditation of reflection the Resurrection of Jesus rather than constant recall of the Passion and Death is recommended to the Sensing-Judging personality. 4) SP – Franciscan (St. Francis of Assisi) http://www.msgr.ca/msgr/WEBPrayerHANDBOOK_13_franciscan_prayer.htm

a) Franciscan Spirituality is characterized by its application. It is very popular among ordinary people, those men and women of action who want and need to do things for others. Acts of loving service can be a most effective form of prayer. Franciscan Spirituality is very optimistic and sees the beauty, goodness, and love of God everywhere. When you consider that a Sensing-Perceiving person like Francis of Assisi makes contact with God primarily through their sense impressions… what we see, smell, touch, hear, and taste…. Ti would follow that since the Incarnation is the visible, audible, tangible presence of God upon earth, the Sensing-Perceiving personality could relate quite well to Jesus’ life and teaching through the parables. b) What is your favourite parable? Make note of it now in your Prayer Journal. Come back to it later as you apply your insights to the Scripture as a Prayer Suggestion…. c) The Sensing-Perceiving personality type does not respond well to the symbolic but is primarily interested in the real and literal. Franciscan Prayer makes full use of the five senses and will be flexible and free flowing. It is what is sometimes referred to as “spirit-filled prayer”, totally open to the presence and voice of the Holy Spirit present in each one of us. Since Sensing-Perceiving persons can see God in the whole of creation, they are able to make a fruitful meditation on the beauty of a flower, a meadow, a lake, a waterfall, a mountain, the ocean, or any event in nature such as sunrises or sunsets, the changes of the seasons, spring, fall, a fresh snow in winter. d) Much of their prayer is called virtual prayer, or the prayer of good works. A prayerful Sensing-Perceiving person will find the thought of God predominates every waking moment. The famous Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner,” and other such prayers are readily used by SensingPerceiving persons and enable them to live constantly in the presence of God and see His hand in everything. e) The Sensing-Perceiving persons dislike formal prayer and prefers a free flowing informal communion this God. f) The Sensing-Perceiving person may of may not find it useful to follow the four steps of Lectio Divina. However, when other temperaments use these SensingPerceiving prayer suggestions, it is recommended that the four steps of the Lectio Divina be used.

PRAYER SUGGESTIONS Thomistic Prayer Suggestion 1: Read Mark 15:10 or Acts 13:48 http://www.msgr.ca/msgr/WEBPrayerHANDBOOK_18_thomistic_prayer_suggestion_1.htm

    

Consider the fault of envy Reflect on its meaning St. Thomas defines envy as the evil sadness one feels at the success of a rival or peer Have you ever felt envy? When?

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

          

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Why? What did you do about it? Have you ever suffered as a result of the envy of someone else? What did you do about it? How was envy the cause of the death of Jesus? Why do people experience envy? Why are envious people often unaware of their envy? How might you discover whether you still harbor secret envy towards others? What might you do to avoid being envious of others? How is love the opposite of envy? End the period of prayer with fervent petitions to God asking Him to help you discover your secret envy and to help you overcome it.

Thomistic Prayer suggestion 2 – Read Matthew 5:22-24 http://www.msgr.ca/msgr/WEBPrayerHANDBOOK_19_thomistic_prayer_suggestion_2.htm

        

“If you bring your gift to the altar and there recall that your brother/sister has anything against you, leave your gift at the altar, and go first to be reconciled with your brother/sister, then come and offer your gift.” Are you willing to take this command of Jesus literally? Do you believe that it is more important to be reconciled with your brothers and sisters than it is to go to holy Communion on Sunday? At present is there anyone in your life who is not reconciled with you? Have you tried to become reconciled with him/her? Have you tried as much as you should? As much as God would want you to do? Do you really love that person who is not reconciled to you? What more can you do to become reconciled with those that have something against you? Even if the “thing against you” is not real (i.e. imaginary), is there anything your should do to bring about an understanding between the two of you?

Augustinian Prayer Suggestion 1 http://www.msgr.ca/msgr/WEBPrayerHANDBOOK_10_augustinian_prayer_suggestion_1.htm

Take the prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21 and change the pronouns from the second person (you) to the first person (me). Write out the new prayer so that it is a prayer for yourself. Then read it aloud several times.  Recite it slowly; put as much meaning into the words as you can.  Try to savor every word and phrase.  What changes in your present attitudes does this prayer suggest to you? Augustinian Prayer Suggestion 2 http://www.msgr.ca/msgr/WEBPrayerHANDBOOK_11_augustinian_prayer_suggestion_2.htm

Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 – “Love is never rude or self-seeking. There is no limit to its forbearance, no limit to its trust, its hope, its endurance.” This is an ideal for which we must continually strive.  Talk to Jesus about your failures in charity and ask him what he wants you to do.  Put your own name in the passage each time the word “love” or “charity” is used.  How authentic would such words be in your regard?  What do you need to change to make them authentic?

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Ignatian Prayer Suggestion 1 – Read Luke 10:38-42 http://www.msgr.ca/msgr/WEBPrayerHANDBOOK_5_ignatian_prayer_suggestion_1.htm

Imagine yourself a friend and fellow-villager of either Mary, or Martha, or Lazarus. You happen to meet one of them in the village and you are told that Jesus of Nazareth is coming to visit in Bethany. You express an interest in meeting him, and you are invited to come the next evening to have dinner with them and Jesus. Close your eyes and try to relive in your imagination, with as many vivid details as you can, what you meeting and the ensuing conversation with Jesus would be like. Draw some practical fruit from it. Ignatian Prayer Suggestion 2 – Read Luke 19:9-14 http://www.msgr.ca/msgr/WEBPrayerHANDBOOK_6_ignatian_prayer_suggestion_2.htm

Put yourself in turn in the places of the Pharisee and the Publican.  Does your ordinary prayer resemble that of the Pharisee or the Publican?  What changes are needed to make your prayer more in accord with the teaching of Jesus and the example of the Publican?  Imagine yourself as the Pharisee standing in the front of the church on a Sunday morning praying and thanking God that you are not like the rest of the people or life some poor wretches you know.  Does this resemble any experiences in your own life?  Does your prayer ever fall into the category of the prayer of the Pharisee?  How can you become more like the Publican? Ignatian Prayer Suggestion 3 – Read Luke 24:13-35 http://www.msgr.ca/msgr/WEBPrayerHANDBOOK_7_ignatian_prayer_suggestion_3.htm

You are one of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus on Easter afternoon.  Close your eyes after reading the Scripture passage and try to relive the whole scene from beginning to end.  Draw some spiritual fruit from the experience.  For example, invite Jesus to stay with you: “The day is nearly over. The night is at hand. Stay with us!” Franciscan Prayer Suggestion 1 – http://www.msgr.ca/msgr/WEBPrayerHANDBOOK_14_franciscan_prayer_suggestion_1.htm

Think of the person in the world that you love the most. Ask yourself the following question:  How can I see the presence of God in that person? o Spend some time praising and thanking God for giving so much goodness, beauty, grace, etc. to that person. o Spend some time thanking God for the gift of love whereby you are able to love that person and that person is able to love you. Franciscan Prayer Suggestion 2 – http://www.msgr.ca/msgr/WEBPrayerHANDBOOK_15_franciscan_prayer_suggestion_2.htm

Praise and thank God for all the good qualities that you find in yourself. How can you more fully develop these good qualities?

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Appendix

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Paragon Learning Style Inventory PSLI Version 48a http://www.oswego.edu/Acad_Dept/s_of_educ/curr/plsi/plsi48a.htm Please answer the questions as carefully, honestly and quickly as possible, and remember there are no right answers, only your best answers. Place your answers on the score sheet. 1. When you come to a new situation you usually a. Try it right away, and learn from doing b. Like to watch first and try it later 2. Do you think people should be more a. Sensible and practical b. Imaginative and inspired 3. When you come to an uncertain situation a. You usually trust your feelings more b. You usually trust your thinking more 4. Would you say you are a. A little more serious b. A little more easy-going 5. Do you spend most of your time a. Often in bigger groups and seldom alone b. In smaller groups or alone 6. It is better to a. Be able to accept things b. Want to change things 7. It is worse to a. Do mean things b. Do unfair things 8. Do you prefer when things are a. Planned and structured b. Spontaneous and unplanned 9. After a day spent with a lot of people do you a. Feel energized and stimulated b. Feel drained and like being alone 10. When you need to get something important done, you prefer to a. Do it the way that has worked before b. Do it a new way that you just thought of 11. /which is a bigger compliment? a. “He/she is really nice” b. “He/she is really smart”

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

12. When it comes to time, are you more likely to a. Usually be on time b. Be pretty flexible 13. When you are in a group do you usually a. Do a lot of the talking b. Mostly listen and talk a little 14. Are you more interested in a. What really is b. What can be 15. When you look at two things, you mostly notice a. How they are the same b. How they are different 16. Do you tend to get along better with a. People who are a lot like you b. Lots of different types of people 17. Most other people seem to see you as a. Kind of out-going b. Kind of shy and reserved 18. When it comes to work that is very exact and detailed a. It comes pretty easily to you b. You tend to lose interest in it quickly 19. When your friends disagree, it is more important to you a. To help them agree and come together b. To help them come to the right answer 20. When you get up in the morning a. You know pretty much how your day will go b. It seems every day is pretty different 21. When it comes to using the phone a. You use it a lot and make most of the calls b. You use it most when others call you 22. When you work on group projects, do you prefer a. Helping make sure the project gets done and works b. Helping come up with the ideas and plans 23. Others often describe you as a a. Warm-hearted person b. Cool-headed person 24. Which is more your way a. To “do the right thing” b. To “just do it”

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25. When you talk to strangers you’ve just met you a. Talk pretty easily and at length b. Run out of things to say pretty quickly 26. When it comes to work you a. Prefer steady effort and a regular routine b. Work in spurts, really “on” then really “off” 27. It is worse to be a. Too critical b. Too emotional 28. Would you rather have things a. Finished and decided b. Open to change 29. When it comes to news at school, you seem a. To find it out quickly b. To be one of the last to know 30. Are you more likely to trust a. Your experience b. Your hunches 31. I prefer teachers who are more a. Caring and supportive b. Knowledgeable and expect a lot 32. Is it more your way to a. Finish one project before you start a new one b. Have lots of projects going at once 33. Which is more true of you? Do you a. Too often act and talk without thinking much first b. Spend too much time thinking and not enough doing 34. Games would be more fair if kids a. Would just follow the rules b. Would just use “good sportsmanship” 35. It is usually easier for you to tell a. How someone else is feeling b. What someone else is thinking 36. Which is the more useful ability a. To be able to organize and plan b. To be able to adapt and make do

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37. At a party or gathering a. You do more of the introducing of others b. Others introduce you more 38. Do you think more about a. What is going on right now b. What will happen in the future 39. It is more your way to a. Usually show what you are feeling b. Usually not show your feeling 40. You are the kind of person who a. Needs to have things a certain way b. Does it any old way 41. When you get done with an assignment a. You feel like showing it to someone b. You like to keep it to yourself 42. Things would be better if people were a. More realistic b. More imaginative 43. Would you say you are more concerned with a. Being appreciated by others b. Achieving something important 44. It is better that people a. `Know what they want b. Keep an open mind 45. Friday night after a long week you usually a. Feel like going to a party or going out b. Feel like renting a movie or relaxing 46. When you do a job, it’s usually your approach to a. Start from the beginning, and go step-by-step b. Start anywhere, and figure it out as you go 47. When you tell a story, you mostly talk about a. How the people involved were effected [sic] b. What went on in general 48. You feel most comfortable when things are more a. Planned and you know what to expect b. Unplanned and flexible

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Paragon Learning Style Indicator Score Sheet Steps to score your Inventory: 1) Each of the 48 questions will have either a or b as an answer. Put a mark in the “a” or “b” square for each question that corresponds to your answer for that question. 2) Total each “a” and “b” column (there are 8 columns) placing the number of “a’s” and “b’s” in each column in the Total square at the bottom of each column. 3) Write the number of each “Total” square in the corresponding Totals lines below the raw score grid. (1 to 1, 2 to 2, etc.) 4) Put the letter representing the highest number between 1 and 2 (E or I), 3 and 4 (S or N), 5 and 6 (T or F), and 7 and 8 (J or P) on the Trait section of this key.

No. a b No. a b No. a b No. a b 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48

Step 1 Transfer your score to this raw score grid

Step 2 Total the Columns (Add from top to bottom)

Total

Total 1

2

Total 3

4

Total 5

6

7

8

Column Totals Step 3 Transfer your column totals

1 _____ a’s

3 _____ a’s

5 _____ a’s

7 _____ a’s

Extrovert (E)

Sensing (S)

Feeling (F)

Judging (J)

6 _____ b’s

8 _____ b’s

Thinker (T)

Perceiving

2 _____ b’s Introvert (I)

4 _____ b’s iNtuitive (N)

Place the LETTER indicating the highest score of the paired traits on the lines below: Step 4 Put the letter corresponding to your highest column totals

______ Extrovert / Introvert (E or I) ______ Sensing / iNtuitive (S or N) ______ Thinking / Feeling (T or F) ______ Judging / Perceiving (J or P)

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Spiritual Formation MBTI The following questionnaire was developed by Malcolm Goldsmith in an attempt to identify the spiritual application of the Myers-Briggs. Mr. Goldsmith readily admits that this questionnaire may not provide an exact match for some people with respect to their personality type. He states that the questionnaire is still being tested and has not yet been analyzed to the extent of the actual MBTI. I have adapted the questions to a Christian Church setting rather than a mainline denomination which was the original emphasis of the questionnaire. Myers-Briggs Questionnaire12 Adapted by Peter Buckland 1)

Do you prefer Christian faith to a) expand your love for the whole of creation or b) challenge your inner being?

2)

When listening to sermons, do you prefer them to a) explain and expound the meaning of particular biblical passages or b) use the Bible as a starting-point for an exploration of contemporary issues?

3)

When listening to a sermon, do you prefer a) your heart be warmed (to feel good) or b) your head be challenged (to think/act differently)?

4)

Which of these sentences describes you best? a) I like services to start on time and finish when I expect them to or b) I don’t mind services starting late, and they finish when they finish!

5)

When there are periods of silence in services, do you find that a) they last too long and you are never sure when they are going to finish or b) they are invariably too short?

6)

When thinking about your local church (project yourself here into a church building like the one described) a) could you describe in detail its inside – what the windows show, the memorial stones, significant dates in its history, and the name of the hymnbook you use or b) do you tend not to notice details like this; rather, you are aware of an overall effect but would find it difficult to describe particulars?

12

Malcom Goldsmith, Knowing Me Knowing God (Nashville: Abingdon,1997), 44-54

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7)

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When speaking to a preacher after a service, are you more likely to a) say “Thank you” or b) raise questions about something that was said?

8) a) Do you think that the death and resurrection of Jesus have a clear and unambiguous meaning or b) do you think that there are a variety of meanings and interpretations which may be valid? 9)

Do you find it a) reasonably easy and natural to talk to strangers who may be visiting your church or b) quite difficult to know what to say to visitors?

10) Do you prefer sermons a) to work systematically through a series of biblical themes or b) talk about novels, films, plays, and controversial subjects and how they relate to the gospel? 11) What is more important for a church congregation – a) to be a fellowship, accepting one another without questions or b) to be honest searchers after truth, even though this may be quite painful for some people? 12) Do you think that a) the church should proclaim the historic faith which has been handed down to it or that b) every age and situation may require a different response from the church? 13) Do you find it a) relatively easy to spend time alone in prayer or b) quite difficult maintaining a personal prayer life? 14) When thinking about your church (the building and congregation), do you a) tend to look for minor modifications (but you are basically happy with the way that things are) or b) dream about totally reordering the inside and making radical alterations to the way that things are?

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15) Which do you find more acceptable when leading worship a) a minister who is a nice person but a terrible preacher or b) a minister who is a good preacher but whom you don’t particularly warm to as a person? 16) Do you prefer sermons which a) give you specific details and proclaim “the truth” or b) open up a whole range of possibilities for you to think about? 17) Which of these phrases speaks most immediately to you of God – a) “God was in Christ reconciling he world to himself” or b) “Be still and know that I am God”? 18) Do you prefer a) facts and figures and things that make sense or b) Ideas, concepts, and imagining possibilities 19) Which appeals to you most – a) warmth or b) clarity? 20) When thinking about services, do you a) like to know what you can expect, preferring a more traditional approach or b) like change and variety? 21) When you walk into a strange church, say on vacation, do you prefer to find a) evidence of a gospel arrangement with the issues of the world or b) a sense of quietness and retreat from the pressures of the world? 22) What do you prefer to get from worship – a) a variety of colors, shapes, smells, or experiences or b) a variety of ideas? 23) Following an interesting sermon, would you rather a) talk about it with a small group of friends or b) talk to the preacher seeking clarification on points you may have misunderstood?

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24) Do you think a) that there are basic, nonnegotiable truths which people have to hold on to or b) that the truth always have to be discovered afresh by each generation in its own way? 25) a) Do you know lots of people in your local church, and do they really know you and your story or b) do you tend not to know all that many people very well, and feel that your story is a very personal thing? 26) What do you look for in a minister? a) practicality and being “down to earth” or b) vision and idealism 27) When you think about your congregation a) are you aware of many of the problems that people carry with them concerning themselves and their families or b) are you not particularly aware of the problems most of them have? 28) In the conduct of worship do you a) think that people should be “duly authorized” before they take a leading role in services or b) do you think that anyone (and everyone) should be encouraged to share in leading services? 29) Which of these statements most closely describes your reaction if asked to go on a silent retreat for three of four days? a) I would be very apprehensive and perhaps reluctant or b) The idea is very appealing 30) Which of these qualities do you most admire? a) perseverance or b) idealism 31) When you think of your church leaders, are you more aware of their a) strengths or b) weaknesses? 32) What do you value most in your spiritual life a) order or b) spontaneity?

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33) Which word best describes the religious life? a) fellowship or b) solitude 34) When confronted by new ideas in theology, mission, or church life, do you tend to a) be cautious of them until you find out whether they are true or b) welcome them until you discover that they are false? 35) If you could only use one word, which of these words would you want to use? a) peace or b) justice 36) Do you think that, in general terms a) church rules and tradition should guide our pastoral work or b) pastoral opportunities should take precedence over church order and tradition? 37) Which of these statements best summarizes your preferences? a) I need many things to awaken my sense of God’s presence or b) I need a still focal point to help me be aware of God’s presence 38) Do you think that giving to projects overseas should a) come after the needs of the local church – its mission, outreach, buildings, etc. – have been attended to or b) take priority over spending on your own church? 39) When conflict arises in your congregation, do you tend to feel that a) this is a failure of Christian love, and is greatly to be regretted or b) this is an inevitable part of being human, and may be creative? 40) When thinking about the church’s mission and doing evangelism, which of these phrases gives people the most problems – a) “No man comes to the Father but through me” or b) “In my Father’s house are many rooms”? 41) Which do you prefer – a) a well-attended service, with songs and many people participating or b) a very quiet service, perhaps with fewer people attending, where you are “left alone” with your thoughts?

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42) When you hear people say that we now live in a multi-faith society, do you first of all think that this a) seriously challenges the churches, who must be vigilant not to compromise their faith or b) offers all sorts of new opportunities to the churches for working together with people of other faiths? 43) When babies or children cry during a service, do you a) feel that it is good to have the whole family worshipping together, even though it may be a little disruptive or b) think the arrangements ought to be made to care for the children in ways that won’t intrude on or disrupt the service? 44) If your church was burned down, and you were building a new one (ignoring issues about insurance), would you a) hope to incorporate as much of the old building and artifacts as possible or b) try to create something completely different, abandoning anything from the old building which was still available? 45) Do you think Christian faith is primarily concerned with a) transforming the world or b) transforming my soul? 46) Which of these options most clearly describes you? a) You notice little things like whether the candles are lit, whether the church has been cleaned properly, and whether the stage is in order or b) These things tend to pass you by until your attention is drawn to them 47) Are you primarily a) appreciative of the local church and its ministry or b) critical of the local church and its ministry? 48) Which of these pairs do you think is the more important when thinking about the church a) structure and predictability or b) flexibility and spontaneity 49) A good approach to spirituality is one which addresses the subject in a) considerable breadth or b) considerable depth?

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50) Do you tend to appreciate a sermon primarily a) for the way in which it is crafted, for the way in which it hangs together and the theme develops or b) for its inspirational qualities and for the vividness of its imagery? 51) Which image of the church do you prefer – that it is a a) pastoral community (taking care of each other) or b) prophetic community (telling the truth) 52) When doing various pieces of work, do you tend to a) be well-organized and prepared or b) leave things very much to the last minute? 53) Which of these statements describes best how your faith is developed – a) having the opportunity to talk it through with others or b) having the time and space to think by yourself? 54) Which describes you best? a) You learn by taking things one step at a time and gradually building up a big picture or b) You learn be grasping the big picture and then begin to work at the details 55) All these things are important in the life of the church, but would you prefer to be involved in a) visiting the sick or bereaved or b) working on the finance, fabric, and long-term planning issues? 56) Which of these statements is closest to what you think? a) When people have questions about life and their experiences the church should be able to give the right answers to them or b) When people have these sorts of questions, the church needs to be able to understand why they are asking them, and “stand along-side” the questioner in their search for answers 57) Do you think it is more likely that a) people begin to think about spiritual things and then seek out a church or b) people become associated with a church for many reasons and may then begin to think about spiritual matters

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58) When thinking about your church are you primarily concerned about a) things as they are, and how they have reached this stage – that is, the present as a continuation of the past or b) things as they might be, with little reference to the past? 59) Which of these phrases most closely fits your viewpoint a) Jesus is my Savior, and therefore, by extension, the Savior of the whole world or b) Jesus is the Savior of the whole world, and therefore he must also be my Savior? 60) Do you think that the Christian faith offers you, in essence, a) assurance, security, and structure or b) adventure, unpredictability, and insecurity?

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Spiritual Formation Score Sheet Place a check mark in either box a or box b. NOT IN BOTH!

No. a 1 5 9 13 17 21 25 29 33 37 41 45 49 53 57

b No. a 2 6 10 14 18 22 26 30 34 38 42 46 50 54 58

Total

b No. A b No. a 3 4 7 8 11 12 15 16 19 20 23 24 27 28 31 32 35 36 39 40 43 44 47 48 51 52 55 56 59 60

Total 1

2

Total 3

4

b

Total 5

6

7

8

When all the questions have been answered and the numbers placed in the “total boxes” and not before, transfer the numbers to the chart on the next page.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

Transfer the figures from the grid on the previous page onto the chart below

Total in column 1 _________ - Extrovert Total in column 2 _________ - Introvert Therefore preference* is Extrovert/Introvert

Total in column 3 _________ - Sensing Total in column 4 _________ - INtuitive Therefore preference* is Sensing/INtuitive

Total in column 5 _________ - Feeling Total in column 6 _________ - Thinking Therefore preference* is Feeling/Thinking

Total in column 7 _________ - Judging Total in column 8 _________ - Perceiving Therefore preference* is Judging/Perceiving *Whichever score is higher You know have four figures which can be said to describe your personality and spiritual preferences – but only in the most general of ways.

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Ignatian Awareness Examen History: Modern (16-18th Centuries)  Catholic Model  Ignatius (a Jesuit) was injured in battle  He developed spiritual exercises (Manual of Spiritual Formation) that was approved by the Pope in 1548 Description:  Focus on Scripture  Honor your imagination by reading and praying creatively  Be flexible (God is not presented in a rigid form) Purpose:  The spiritual exercise s help you to discern your “election” through a decision-making process: o 1st step: Do you feel a sense of “inner necessity” about something? o 2nd step: If not, pray and see if you feel consolation or desolation. o 3rd step: If you are unclear after step 2, use your rational though but always return to your emotions in prayer – imagine you giving advice to someone in your shoes. 4 Stage Method of Spiritual Exercise: (The first principle of this method is to order the attachments of your entire life under the Lordship of Christ). Follow the four steps outlined below:  1st week: Focus on the gift of forgiveness – “I am sinful yet loved. What I am is enough, what I have is enough.”  2nd week: Focus on the incarnation and life of Jesus – “I am sinful yet called.” Learn from the incarnation: God is not satisfied with loving you from afar. He wants to love you up close and personal.  3rd week: Focus on the death and suffering of Jesus – “I am called to imitate the death and suffering of Jesus.”  4th week: Focus on the resurrection of Christ. End with the “Ignatian Awareness Examen” on the following page.

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Ignatian Awareness Examen Thanksgiving: Good and gracious God, I rejoice in Your love for me. You thought of me and so loved the idea of me that You caused me to be. Each moment You are at work loving me into existence. Thank You for loving me and accepting me as I am. Thank You for all the ways You have blessed me: for my family and friends who have supported and loved me, for my life this day, for my body, for the ability to see, to hear, to walk, to speak, for all of my talents, my ability to learn, my freedom to make choices, and to love. I thank You for Jesus who died that I might live, and live abundantly. Thank You for the gift of Your Spirit who seeks to guide me in my journey to You. Thank You for the ways I am coming to know and love You more.

Petition for Guidance: Provident God, thank You for all of the ways You have blessed me this day. You know me better than I know myself. Please help me to become more aware of how You have been working in me and around me during the past hours. I wish to respond to Your call with love and faithfulness. I can do this only to the degree I recognize Your guidance. Help me then to become more sensitive to Your Spirit’s direction and more conscious of the ways I fail to respond. I place this time of prayer into Your hands.

Reflection of the Day: What has been happening to me today? How has God been working in me? What has God been asking of me? (Let your mind quietly go over the different phases of your day.) What feelings did you experience? What thoughts and reflections have moved you (positively or negatively)? Do these movements tell you anything about how God has been working in you and what God has been asking of you? How have you responded? Is there any specific area of your life that you know should be focused on (a “particular examen”)? Reflect on the day from that perspective and discuss it with God.

Contrition: Merciful and compassionate God, thank You for Your care and guidance during these past hours. Thank You for all the ways I was aware of and did respond to Your Spirit’s call. I am sorry for the ways I was not sensitive and for the ways I failed to respond faithfully. You have bee so good to me. I want to respond with acts of love. I am sorry for the ways I didn’t do that today. You know me. You know the ways I need healing and forgiveness. I place myself before You and ask You through Christ to strengthen me. Thank You. I trust in Your power and love.

Looking to the Future: Faithful God, with hope I look to the future. You accept me the way I am and call me to grow. You give me time and opportunity and grace. I place this time between now and my next examen in your hands. I ask You to help me be more sensitive to the Spirit’s presence and guidance (Here you might want to reflect on the coming hours and reflect on what God might be unfolding). I ask Your special help in the area of my particular examen. God, with the Spirit within my heart, I go forward with joy and trust. Amen. Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatious: http://www.nwjesuits.org/JesuitSpirituality/SpiritualExercises.html

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48 PART ONE

Against the Devil: Resist

MORNING AFFIRMATIONS

•As I submit myself to God and resist the devil, he will flee from me. (James 4:7) •I will be of sober spirit and on the alert. My adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But I will resist him, firm in my faith. (1 Peter 5:8–9) •I will take up the full armor of God, that I may be able to resist and stand firm. I put on the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness; I put on my feet the preparation of the gospel of peace; and I take up the shield of faith with which I will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. I take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition I will pray at all times in the Spirit and be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:13–18) 10.

THE COMING OF CHRIST AND MY FUTURE WITH HIM

•Your kingdom come, Your will be done. (Matthew 6:10)

1.

•Because of all You have done for me, I present my body to You as a living sacrifice for this day. I want to be transformed by the renewing of my mind, affirming that Your will for me is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1–2) 2.

ADORATION AND THANKSGIVING

•Offer a brief word of praise to God for one or more of His attributes (e.g., love and compassion, grace, mercy, holiness, goodness, omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience, truthfulness, unchanging character, eternality) and/or works (e.g., creation, care, redemption, loving purposes, second coming). •Thank Him for the good things in your life. 3.

•You have said, “I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20) •I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to me. (Romans 8:18) •I will not lose heart, but though my outer man is decaying, yet my inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for me an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while I look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16–18) •My citizenship is in heaven, from which also I eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Philippians 3:20)•(Also consider 2 Timothy 4:8; Hebrews 13 11:1, 6; 2 Peter 3:11–12; 1 John 2:28; 3:2–3.)

13

Boa, K. 1997, c1993. Handbook to prayer : Praying scripture back to God. Trinity House: Atlanta

SUBMITTING TO GOD

EXAMINATION

•Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness. (Psalm 139:23–24) 4.

MY IDENTITY IN CHRIST

•“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.” (Galatians 2:20) *I have forgiveness from the penalty of sin because Christ died for me. (Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:3) *I have freedom from the power of sin because I died with Christ. (Colossians 2:11; 1 Peter 2:24) *By faith, I will allow Christ to manifest His life through me. (2 Corinthians 2:14)

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5.

49 FILLING OF THE SPIRIT

•Ask the Spirit to control and fill you for this day. •I want to be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18) When I walk by the Spirit, I will not carry out the desire of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16) If I live by the Spirit, I will also walk by the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25) 6.

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

•Pray on the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Galatians 5:22–23) •“Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:4–7) 7.

PURPOSE OF MY LIFE

•I want to love the Lord my God with all my heart, and with all my soul, and with all my mind, and I want to love my neighbor as myself. (Matthew 22:37, 39) My purpose is to love God completely, love self correctly, and love others compassionately. •I will seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness. (Matthew 6:33) •I have been called to follow Christ and to be a fisher of men. (Matthew 4:19) •I will be a witness to those who do not know Him and participate in the Great Commission to go and make disciples. (Matthew 28:19–20; Acts 1:8) •I want to glorify the Father by bearing much fruit, and so prove to be Christ’s disciple. (John 15:8)

*I have fulfillment for this day because Christ lives in me. (Philippians 1:20– 21)

8.

CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DAY

•I will trust in the Lord with all my heart, and not lean on my own understanding. In all my ways I will acknowledge Him, and He will make my paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5–6) •“God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28; also see 8:29) I acknowledge that You are in control of all things in my life, and that You have my best interests at heart. Because of this I will trust and obey You today. •Review and commit the events of this day into the hands of God. 9.

PROTECTION IN THE WARFARE

Against the World: Renew •I will set my mind on the things of the Spirit. (Romans 8:5) •Since I have been raised up with Christ, I will keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. I will set my mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. (Colossians 3:1–2; also see 3:3–4 and Hebrews 12:1–2) •I will be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving I will let my requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus. Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, I will let my mind dwell on these things. (Philippians 4:6–8; also see 4:9) Against the Flesh: Reckon •I know that my old self was crucified with Christ, so that I am no longer a slave to sin, for he who has died is freed from sin. I will reckon myself as dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. I will not present the members of my body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but I will present myself to God as one alive from the dead, and my members as instruments of righteousness to God. (Romans 6:6–7, 11, 13)

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Odds and Ends – Observations on the Myers-Briggs What strains the personality types when they are in leadership: NT - lack of competence and low performance SJ - lack of organization and suspicious of a person's values NF - feeling misunderstood and criticized (particularly youth ministers and worship ministers) SP - being hemmed in by routine and frustrated by too much dreaming by others Spiritual growth issues for each personality type: NT - faith (easy to be self-reliant) SJ - grace (easy to be judgmental toward others) NF - truth (easy to have emotional swings) SP - discipline (easy to be spontaneous - good beginnings but poor finishers) As leaders, how can others communicate with you? NT - interested in others doing their job-ministry with excellence. An NT can become cranky and critical and may need to back down in a situation. SJ - needs to see the details and orderliness of the plan. Can be critical sounding when checking the feasibility of a plan. NF - Needs words of affirmation and someone to share ideas with without having to provide the details. SP - need to know that people's needs are being met and requires details that are accomplished in creative ways that meet needs. Think of leadership as a diamond with 16 brilliant cuts. All 16 Myers-Briggs Personality Types when combined, merge to reflect the image of God. Leaders can discern an issue more clearly when all of these perspectives are used.

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Bibliography Berens, Linda and Nardi, Dario. The 16 Personality types, Descriptions for SelfDiscovery. Huntington Beach, CA: Telos Pub., 1999. Baron, Renee. What Type am I? discover Who You Really Are. London: Penguin, 1998. Briggs-Myers, Isabel. Gifts Differing: Understanding Personality Type. San Francisco: Davies-Black Pub., 1995 Goldsmith, Malcolm. Knowing God Knowing You. Nashville, Abingdon, 1997. Harper, Steve (ed.) The Pastor’s Guide to Personal Spiritual Formation. Kansas City: Bacon Hill Press, 2005. Keirsey, Davie and Bates, Marilyn. Please Understand Me II: Character and Temperament Types. Del Mar, CA: Prometheus Nemesis Book Co, 1998 Oswald, Roy, M. and Kroeger, Otto. Personality Type and Religious Leadership. Alban Institute, 1988. Quenk, Naomi. Essentials of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Assessment. NY: JosseyBass, 2000. Tieger, Paul, D and Barron-Tieger, Barbara. Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets of Personality Type. Boston: Little, Brown, & Co, 2001.

Free online Myers-Briggs: Here is a link to a free online test Myers-Briggs that has additional information that you might find useful. http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes1.htm You can take the actual Myers-Briggs online at http://www.discoveryourpersonality.com/MBTI.html?source=Google ($60 for a single report).

You can also research out your temperament: Careers: http://www.geocities.com/lifexplore/mbcareer.htm , http://www.personalitypage.com/careers.html You can order the book: Do What you Are by Paul Tieger and Barbara Barron that lists and explores career options for people with the various Myers-Briggs Types. This is a great book. Unfortunately, the OCC library doesn't have it. Here is a different test (cost $65) that measures more in your personality than does the MBTI: http://www.discoveryourpersonality.com/16pf.html You can also take a free temperament test that measures one of the four classic temperaments: choleric, melancholic, sanguine, or phlegmatic at http://www.oneishy.com/personality/personality_test.php . this site also gives a brief description of each type that you can further research.

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7 Foundational Stones for Effective Long-Term Ministry Wilson, Michael Todd and Hoffmann, Brad. Preventing Ministry Failure. Downers Grove: IVP Books, 2007. Of ministers in the United States 25 percent have been forced out of or fired from their ministry at least once. 90 percent feel inadequately trained to cope with ministry demands. 80 percent believe that pastoral ministry affects their families negatively. 45 percent say they’ve experienced depression or burnout to the extent that they needed to take a leave of absence. 40 percent have serious conflict with a church member at least once a month. 20 percent admit to having an affair while in the ministry. 37 percent admit that Internet pornography is a current struggle. 70 percent do not have someone they consider a close friend. (p. 31)

Intimacy

Boundaries

Re-creation

Calling

What You Value

Stress Management

Leadership Skills

Who You Are

People People Skills Skills

How You Relate

The following diagram is from page 26:

1. Who You Are a. Intimacy – 3 avenues to generate genuine biblical intimacy: with God, with others, and with a spouse. b. Calling – a special calling to ministry; thus, NOT being called to other things. 2. What You Value a. Stress management – stress motivates toward achievement. The inability to manage stress can cause us to quit the ministry. b. Boundaries: Being called to some things means not being called to others. Boundaries are the tools that help differentiate the two. Clear

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boundaries help ensure that the lesser of the two callings gets neglected and not the important calling. c. Re-creation – re-creation must be purposeful and be designed to restore and regenerate us so that we can better pursue our calling and intimate relationships. 3. How You Relate a. People Skills – classify people to better understand them. Truly listen and when needed, respond in an assertive way. b. Leadership Skills – some skills are natural to us while others must be purposefully cultivated. What is needed is transformative leadership. Intimacy – Connecting to the heart of successful pastoring “Intimate relationships are those in which others truly understand us, even if they don’t agree with us. Their warmth and closeness demonstrate that they care about us as a person. We matter to them. They are familiar with our strengths, weaknesses and idiosyncrasies, and they still desire our relationship. They know the more private details about our life, the things we are passionate about and what makes us fearful – things that most aren’t aware about us. They know the real us that exists below the masks we wear when we’re “on-stage” in ministry. They know our hurts, our struggles, our private victories and the things at the top of our prayer list” (p. 34) “Same-gender friendships are also vital for accountability, especially when it’s related to sexual integrity. Some might ask, “Why can’t my spouse serve as my accountability partner? They know everything about me anyway.” There are a few reasons this is generally a bad idea. First of all, a spouse can’t necessarily fully understand the unique challenges inherent to your gender, including how to be the husband or wife you need to be for them. Healthy, intimate same-gender friendships are a unique source of feedback and support as we tray to be godly men or women. Second, our spouse is almost guaranteed to not be objective when it comes to helping us maintain our sexual integrity. As our sexual partner they will tend to take our sexual struggles personally. There’s thus a tendency to not be gut-level honest with a spouse about sexual integrity due to a perceived risk of misunderstanding or abandonment. If we can’t be honest, what’s the point of accountability? One of the fastest roads to moral failure in ministry is lack of accountability. Same-gender friendships help keep us on the right path morally and spiritually. Our spouse may not fully understand our unique gender struggles, but our same-gender friends likely struggle in similar ways. Most spouses don’t want to hear about their partner’s sexual struggles anyway; it’s often uncomfortable for them. They frequently feel more secure knowing their spouses are accountable to a same-gender friend or group who takes their accountability seriously. We highly discourage accountability on sexual matters with members of the opposite sex, not only due to the strong possibility of sexual temptation but also because of the perception it may create for the spouse (and others). Of course, outright physical infidelity needs to be disclosed and worked through with our spouse as quickly as possible. In such cases, there can be great benefit in seeking assistance from a mentor, pastor or Christian marriage counselor skilled at facilitating healing and reconciliation.” Page 45

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Calling – The power for effectiveness in ministry A call to vocational ministry isn’t possible unless two more basic callings already exist. The role and function of each is distinct, building on the foundation of the one before it. For some, the callings occur in stages; for others, they happen at a single moment in time. The Call to Faith Each of us, assuming we’ve responded to Jesus’ invitation for relationship, has experienced a call to faith. Our call to faith was God-initiated and wasn’t based on our great human insight or wisdom (1 Cor. 1:26). God revealed our sin and our need for repentance. That was the beginning of our adventure with God. The Call to Minister All Christians are given a call to minister to others (2 Cor. 5:20). We also receive one or more spiritual gifts to build up the body of Christ (Hebrews 2:3-4). The gifts of the Spirit leave no place for pride, as such ability to minister comes only by the equipping and empowering of the Holy Spirit. The duty of all believers is to minister through a local fellowship, putting to use or unique spiritual giftedness. Every local church is uniquely gifted for ministry through the people God brings to it (1 Cor. 12:18). The Call into the Ministry Beyond the call to minister is the call to ministry. God appoints certain individuals to serve him in specific vocations of service. A call to ministry is God’s invitation to be set apart by God for surrendered vocational service (See Paul’s self description in Romans 1:1). God’s call to ministry is by his choosing, as is his equipping for such ministry. God will not call us unless he also equips us for such a calling. He will also provide for his chosen minister financially – some through those to whom they minister (like Michael Todd in his counseling practice), some through the support of others (like Brad through his church members of Michael Todd’s father-in-law through supporters of his parachurch ministry) or through part-time/full-time employment outside of ministry (such as bivocational minister). We must be in intimate relationship with God and free from the pressure to conform to traditional models to rightly discern the specifics of our call. The fact that this megachurch or that global ministry is following a particular model may have nothing to do with what God is calling us to do. We serve an incredibly creative God who enjoys capturing the hearts and imaginations of his beloved. God will use the unique talents and passions he has placed in us for that very purpose. And if we are certain of our calling, we won’t be distracted by others who say “It can’t be done that way.” Tomorrows ministries need not be defined by yesterday’s church culture. (pp. 69-70) Stress – the energy to accomplish our calling. The right amount of stress combined with our ability to handle that stress gives us energy and motivation to complete tasks. Too little stress and too much stress are both equally debilitating (too little saps our motivation and too much overwhelms us) Lots of things in our lives contribute to increased stress: phone calls, e-mail, voicemails, environmental noise, children’s schedules and a seemingly endless array of choices in our daily routine. Add to this the unique stress ministers face: meeting with disgruntled people, emotional hospital visits or counseling sessions, weddings and

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funerals, staying under budget, managing staff (and volunteers!), casting vision and maintaining focus on our personal walk with God. These variables and many others are stressful for ministers. When our amount of stress exceeds our perceived skills to manage that stress, we experience distress – the emotional state of feeling unable to handle the load. . . Our perception has a significant impact on our overall ability to handle stress. Not only do we need the skill to handle stress, we also must perceive our own ability to handle it. Lack of confidence in handling stress is just as problematic as not having the actual skills to manage it. (pp 101-102) Boundaries – Protecting what matters most A boundary places a limit on something for a particular purpose. We can easily see boundaries everywhere in the physical world. . . Boundaries define where one thing ends and another begins; differentiate what belongs to us from what belongs to someone else; distinguish our responsibility from someone else’s responsibility; and filter bad things out while either permitting or keeping good things in. In short, boundaries help us prioritize and protect what matters to us. To define boundaries properly, it’s necessary to make value judgments. That is, boundaries are only important when they support our values. . . . In fact, our values inform the kind of boundaries we establish. . . . Boundaries have meaning only when they are established against the backdrop of the things we value most. (pp. 139-140) Re-creation – the fuel to re-energize ministry To be at our best physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, we must engage in re-creation – a necessary and God-intended part of the human experience that “re-creates” the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual resources we’ve expended in the pursuit of our calling. Without replenishing internal resources, we can’t hope to carry out God’s purpose in our lives long-term. Instead, we will prematurely flame out. A Sabbath recreation as sacred (set aside for a special purpose), as rhythm (regular beginning and ending), as obedience (follows the overall plan of God for our wellbeing), and as refreshment (dedicated time with God to let Him take care of us). (pp. 170, 172-173) People Skills – managing our most valuable resource This chapter uses an adaptation of the Myers-Briggs Personality Inventory (people as tools and combinations of tools) and then proceeds to discuss necessary people skills Leadership Skills – setting ministers apart from the rest of the sheep. Being an effective leader requires us to be transformative – willing to continuously be remade from the inside out by the power and direction of the Holy Spirit. This means we will need to be humbly open to God’s constant reshaping. It also means transforming out practice when necessary to provide the most effective influence. Transformative leaders in ministry are able to change their style of influence given the life moment of the ministry organization. Transformative leadership is a necessary component of what it takes to succeed in tenured ministry. Organizations sometimes outgrow leaders because the leaders fail to transform, unable to work out of more than one style of leadership.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator – 7 Foundational Stones for Effective Long-Term Ministry

Keep track of your leadership quotient: the interaction of your personality, your daily practice of integrity (see Cloud, Integrity), and the place of your ministry. Interaction of the 7 Foundational Stones with the Myers-Briggs Temperaments

(+Motivate) NF (+Direct) NT (+Flexible) SP (+Manage) SJ

Stress Management

Boundaries

- NF +NT

- NF +NT

-SP +SJ

Intimacy +NF - NT

+SP -SJ

-SP +SJ

Re-creation

+NF - NT

Calling +/- NF +/- SP + NT +SJ

+/-SP - SJ

What You Value

+/- SP +/- SJ

Who You Are

+NF +/- NT

How You Relate

Leadership Skills

People Skills

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Developing Your Spiritual Growth Plan Myers-Briggs Temperament ______________________ Your Strengths

Your Challenges

Spiritual growth must be purposeful and aimed at the inner person (your heart). You will be able to experience a change in your heart as you focus on what you need to do and what you need the Holy Spirit to accomplish in your life (Romans 8, especially vs. 1213). You must also focus on thinking and acting in ways that reflect your identity in Christ (setting your mind - Col. 3:1-4). This focus allows you to access your reticular activating system (RAS) and so make obedience and a changed life easier to achieve. What do you want to achieve in your spiritual life in the next 3 months?

What do you need to do to accomplish this goal?

What do you need to stop doing to accomplish this goal?

How will you know when you have accomplished this goal? What will your attitude and behavior look like every day? These questions will serve as your model on which you focus your mind. Without a model, you won’t know if you are making progress or not.

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What do you plan to do to accomplish this goal? 1. Morning or evening devotions 2. Journaling about the kind of person you want to be 3. Identifying steps to change a. The Holy Spirit empowers us b. The Holy Spirit purifies us c. The Holy Spirit equips us d. “It is best to see the Holy Spirit as an active, personal presence in our lives. The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus Christ by mediating Christ’s presence to us. The Spirit assures us of the Father’s love and care, brings us into personal fellowship with Jesus, and transforms our character so that we become more like him.”14 4. Your relationship with the Holy Spirit includes 12 ministries of the Spirit:15 a. Convicting. The Spirit convicts unbelievers of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8-11). Apart from this ministry, people would never realize their sinful condition and desperate need for the saving grace of God. b. Regenerating. The Spirit imparts eternal life through the new birth, and this in turn implants the divine nature in the child of God (Titus 3:5; 2 Pt. 1:4). We who were formerly dead (Eph. 2:1-3) have become new creatures who are alive to God (2 ~Cor. 5:17; Ro. 6:3-11; Eph. 2:4-6). c. Baptizing. By the Spirit, all believers in Christ have been “baptized into one body” (1 Cor. 12:13), and in this way we have been adopted by the Holy Spirit into the family of God (Ro. 8:9, 15; Eph. 1:5). . . d. Sealing. The Holy Spirit of promise is a pledge of our inheritance, and he seals all who trust in Christ for the day of redemption (Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30; 2 Cor. 1:22). The Father gives us the Spirit as a pledge or a down payment that guarantees the fulfillment of his promises. e. Indwelling. The Spirit of God permanently indwells all believers in Christ (John 14:16-17; Ro. 8:9), so that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit who is in us (1 Cor. 6:19). f. Filling. When we are filed by the Holy Spirit, we are under his control (Eph. 5:18). The filling of the Spirit produces the fruit of Christian character and maturity (Acts 6:3, 5; Gal. 5:22-23). g. Empowering. This is another aspect of the filling of the Spirit, and it relates to his sovereign and surprising power for ministry in word and deed (Acts 4:8, 31; 13:9-10). h. Assuring. The Spirit testifies to the truth of our life in Christ and bears witness with our spirits that we are children of God (Ro. 8:16; 1 John 3:24; 5:7-8). i. Illuminating. The Spirit of God who inspired the Scriptures (2 Peter 1:21) also illuminates the Scriptures “so that we may know the things freely given to us by God” (1Cor. 2:10-16). Because the things of the Spirit are spiritually discerned, the Spirit gives believers insight into the meaning and application of God’s Word. j. Teaching. Jesus promised his disciples that the Spirit of truth would “guide you into all the truth” and “disclose to you what is to come” 14

Kenneth Boa. Conformed to His Image: Biblical and Practical Approaches to Spiritual Formation (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001), 292. 15 Ibid, 293.

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(John6:13). The divine anointing teaches us (1 John 2:27), and the Spirit glorifies the Son by making Jesus’ words known to us (John 16:14). k. Praying. Because we do not know how to pray as we should, “the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words” (Ro. 8:26). The Holy Spirit searches our hearts and speaks to the Father through us (Ro. 8:27). . . l. Gifting. As we will see, the manifold gifts of the Holy Spirit are given to the community of faith for the mutual edification of all the members of the body. These gifts are energized and directed by the Spirit as they are exercised in others-centered love (1 Cor. 13). Sanders, J. Oswald. Spiritual Leadership: Principles of Excellence for Every Believer. Chicago: Moody, 1994. Life Recovery Bible. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale.1998. Soul Care Bible. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2001.

Change Process William Law, a Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life (1686-1761) states that the reason we don’t change is that we never seriously intended to in the first place. We have a structure to our lives that either works for us or against us. Changing this structure takes a great deal of time and effort: 1) Learning something is much easier and efficient than unlearning something. 2) Our brain develops internal neuron structures that support our thinking and behaving. The more we think and behave in certain ways, the stronger the connections and the more automatic our responses. 3) A decision to change reflects only a decision to change but does not indicate that any change will actually occur. Change in thinking, motivation, and behavior actually occur as part of the change process. A decision to change actually activates the will of a person to choose to begin the change process. 4) The change process is a combination of a) Assessing what you actually believe/assume and determine what is true from false, healthy from unhealthy, and productive from unproductive. b) Deciding what new beliefs/assumptions to hold c) Go through an internal struggle of changing beliefs and assumptions and their corresponding thoughts and behaviors. d) Repeat an internal dialogue and interaction with the Spirit that empowers you to live the changed life e) Review progress periodically f) Enjoy a new second nature from the positive change. 5) The change process is empowered by the Holy Spirit. He is our counselor through the Word. He has an “outside” view of us that is objective. He can see what needs to stay the same and what needs to change and is moving us toward thinking and behaving like a kingdom-minded person should. 6) Practical steps:

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a) Keep a ratio of spiritual disciplines in mind. i) 50% of your efforts at spiritual growth should consistently reinforce individual structure and strategies (personal prayer, study, journaling, reflection, and meditation). This is a strength area that you use to launch into your shadow traits. ii) 40% of your efforts at spiritual growth should consistently be directed toward community interaction. However, if you are an introverted person, this amount of energy may be less but must be present to avoid feelings of isolation. Be honest in your community about your shadow trait areas, struggles, and temptations. Talking about these uncomfortable areas of your life takes away much of their power to control you. Negative thoughts, sin, and self-loathing diminish when addressed in the light of open dialogue. iii) 10% of your efforts at spiritual growth should consistently be directed toward new or out-of-your-box experiences. For you routine people, this can be difficult but will keep you from feeling stale in your spiritual life. For you spontaneous people, you have to keep this area to roughly 10% or you will always lack consistency. b) Spiritual growth occurs in our weak areas, not our strong areas. Make sure to target weak or uncomfortable areas of your personal life. Ignoring problems and weaknesses only allows them to flourish. c) Be accountable with a person other than your dating partner, fiancé, or spouse. d) Meet regularly with this non-spousal person who will journey through life with you. Weekly communication, typically in person, provides the most dramatic positive results. e) Be a continual learner. When you feel stale in your walk with the Lord, look for a new way to grow. Men tend to stop learning in their 50s and 60s. Women tend to be lifelong learners. f) Regularly practice Sabbath. See the book The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel for a great overview of this practice. For us as Christians, your Sabbath should be an experience opposite of what you typically do in your life. Sabbath is designating a specific time along with specific activities to connect with the Lord. One person’s Sabbath might look different from another’s. Sabbath is practiced in community and is a celebration of your relationship with the Lord. g) Keep track of your spiritual growth, spiritual experiences, and meaningful interactions with the Lord. The time will come when you will need to review these experiences in order to successfully face current challenges. Plan now wht you can do to prepare for spiritually difficult times ahead. h) Develop daily routines that are meaningful to you. For example: i) Read your Bible first thing in the morning and the last thing before going to bed. ii) Bless the Lord for the new day before your feet hit the floor in the morning. iii) Send a voice message prayer to your most meaningful relationships during the week.

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iv) Have a designated time each day for your most important relationships or spontaneously include your most important relationship in quality time each day. v) Read from a book vi) Listen to a sermon vii) Plan a spiritual conversation with someone and pray for the Holy Spirit to use it for His glory. viii) Daily prayer: (1) Sunday – individuals not prayed for yet, random things, and catch up (2) Monday – discipleship and mentoring relationships (3) Tuesday –students in classes by name (4) Wednesday – extended family (5) Thursday – missionaries (6) Friday – friends and specific situations (7) Saturday – CCO ministers and staff (8) Daily – wife, children, elders, OCC leaders, highly invested ministries i) Develop weekly routines that are meaningful to you. For example: i) Volunteer each week with kingdom-minded people at a literacy center, tutoring program, Sunday school class, youth group, etc. ii) Meet with your accountability partner iii) Interact with your Christian family or your adopted family while you are at OCC. iv) Sabbath could be each week j) Develop monthly routines that are meaningful to you. For example: i) ½ day for assessment, planning, study for your ministry and personal life. ii) Sabbath could start monthly with one day set aside k) Develop routines every three months to take stock in God’s goodness, your life plans, and the overall direction of your life. l) Develop a yearly routine to celebrate your relationship with the Lord, family, and friends and to set your sights on the upcoming year.