The last week I've had several interactions & meetings that drove me to dig out my copy of Emotionally Healthy Spirituality for a refresher.
The Scazzero book mentioned above, summed up, posits the idea that spiritual maturity & a true Christian experience can't be separated from emotional health & maturity. E.g. emotionally immature people can't/don't grow to real spiritual maturity, even though they may have many, many years logged as Christians. Scazzero states, from his own experience, that only by becoming emotionally healthy can any of us truly grow to maturity.
In my un edgy-cated opinion, based solely upon my interactions with a large cross-section of humanity, (with a varied Christian experience & length of tenure as Christians,) tends to bear out Scazzero's hypothesis. One of the things that I've also noticed is that the "ministry" seems to attract, nurture, & reward emotionally unhealthy people - in that it, the ministry, becomes a valid place for a person to 'get their strokes,' though its often at the expense of others. And in the name of God. Why is this?
I'm re-reading the book. And pondering these thoughts. And doing a lot of introspecting.
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Oh, snap...
8 launchings into the blogosphere....:
I don't know if it is late, or if I am losing my comprehension skills as I progress through school :/ but I don't fully understand this post LOL. sigh... Plus I am a little destracted watching Bear the wild man, survive the Swiss Alps. He is literally teary over this fish he caught. OMGoodness, he is eating a still living fish. ::shudder::
Anyway, I just think the phrase "get their strokes" is intended to be dirty. Not by you, perhaps, but to most others.
Maybe I need a counter argument to say whether or not I agree with your statement.
I see your point and have been the one seeking my strokes (in the past). Many of us (those emotionally hurt-- which is 99% of the population), of course in varying degrees, look to authority figures/church for accomplishment, affirmation, purpose, and by gosh: significance/attention. In my opinion, if those emotionally hurt are too "dangerous" for ministry, then we will be left with 1% of the almost completely healthy bunch to do all the work. I think the challenge and the appropriate transition is to speak more about emotional healing and to offer it in some fashion.
My thought process goes like this:
--hope that church leaders are willing to be emotionally/spiritually healed
--church leaders and others that continually seek healing-- share it with others that are willing to go there.
Just some precursory thoughts.
jason- you are such a smartie fartie show off with your comprehension skills. siigh
he just wrote that comment to "get his strokes". way to affirm his commitment to commenting, shontell.
I can feel the love. I guess you guys want to enter the octagon with me, huh?
I love my UFC.
Sh- sorry for the incomprehensibility.
JB- it seems that one of the biggest issues is pastors/leaders believing that "having Jesus" is a cure-all for any & all issues, which then leaves them blind-sided (by pride?) to the motivations, actions, thoughts, etc that they give themselves to. Esp. when the damage & abuse (spiritual, emotional, & other) that happens actually sets people waaaay back in their relationship with God & others.
SH, BRiG, & JB - thanks for reading & commenting. Are you UFC, Pride, or IFL'ers?
Lou- Very true on what you said. Pride is a nasty thing.
I watch UFC, Pride, and IFL. I like UFC the most, but Pride is creeping up.
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