Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Spiritual Pathways

Whilst resting my nearly-shattered body after a grueling day at Winter Park, I began reading a book that my friend Nick kept in his truck about spiritual pathways - basically a guidebook for the different ways that followers of Christ engage in worship - be it through immersion in nature (Naturalist), engaging and striking out against injustice (Activist), or through intensity of emotion and kinesthetics (Sensate).

No two people are alike when defined through these pathways - so much so that I find myself attributed to four different pathways in various ways.

I am a "Care-giving-Enthusiastic-Intellectual-Sensate".

Try saying that five-times fast. "CAREGIVINGENTHUSIASTICINTELLECTUALSENSATE"... - whew - quite a mouthful.

Useful for trying to sound smart, though.

I intend to either steal that book from Nick or rent it from the library (I like the 'renting' idea - less jailtime) in order to expand for this blog.

I found it fascinating - and oddly enough, strangely comforting in ways that my heart had felt pierced. For example, I have always felt like a 'sub-Christian', or perhaps a 'broken' Christian because I have never been spiritually moved by church music. The sermons are absolutely riveting to me, but the songs never have been.

From this book, I realize that I heavily favor the 'Intellectual' pathway as opposed to the 'Traditionalist' standpoint of rituals and ceremonies. I feel God in me when I learn about Him much more so than if I am singing about Him. Complex? Yes. Comforting? Absolutely.

I aim to have the book rented soon, and I plan to update this blog so that the "Ohh Wow Neato!" influence of the book can spread.

Until next time. (Or until the library gives me the book, I guess.)

-Dan

No comments:

Post a Comment