Enneagram Sixes: Hearing the Father’s Voice

Posted on by under Enneagram, hearing God, spiritual formation

The Enneagram is a personality typing tool. I prefer it over others like Myers-Briggs, DiSC Profile, StrengthsFinders, etc. I appreciate those, but the Enneagram is more helpful in understanding not just what we do, but why we do, the motivation and wounds behind what we do.

I am particularly interested in using the Enneagram as a tool for spiritual formation and growth. This would be connecting it to the work of St. Evagrius Ponticus, Ramon Llull, and Ignatius of Loyola. They did not use the Enneagram as we do today. But there are aspects of their own work that relates very well to the Enneagram typing system.

As I teach on the Enneagram and how it can be a tool for our formation in Christ, I take time to address what each Enneatype needs to hear from the Father. Of course, what I offer is one small insight. There are other words we need to hear from the Father. But I believe these messages are essential.

So, without further ado…

What Sixes need to hear from the Father.

Continue reading →

Trauma-Induced Theology (Part 1)

Posted on by under deconstruction, theology, therapy, trauma

These days I spend a good bit of time thinking about what I might call “trauma-induced theology”. I use this term to speak of how our trauma – both past and current – has deeply informed our understanding of God, as well as the church.

Continue reading →

Enneagram Fives: Hearing the Father’s Voice

Posted on by under Enneagram, hearing God, spiritual formation

The Enneagram is a personality typing tool. I prefer it over others like Myers-Briggs, DiSC Profile, StrengthsFinders, etc. I appreciate those, but the Enneagram is more helpful in understanding not just what we do, but why we do, the motivation and wounds behind what we do.

I am particularly interested in using the Enneagram as a tool for spiritual formation and growth. This would be connecting it to the work of St. Evagrius Ponticus, Ramon Llull, and Ignatius of Loyola. They did not use the Enneagram as we do today. But there are aspects of their own work that relates very well to the Enneagram typing system.

As I teach on the Enneagram and how it can be a tool for our formation in Christ, I take time to address what each Enneatype needs to hear from the Father. Of course, what I offer is one small insight. There are other words we need to hear from the Father. But I believe these messages are essential.

So, without further ado…

What Fives need to hear from the Father.

Continue reading →

The Church Did Not Begin at Pentecost

Posted on by under church, Holy Spirit, Pentecost

Today marks the church’s celebration-remembrance of Pentecost. This isn’t a day privy to only certain portions of the church. It is one to be celebrated by all Christians.

There are a few different angles one could take in remembering the importance of Pentecost. The angle of the pouring out of God’s Spirit on all flesh – male/female, young/old, Jew/Gentile. There is the aspect of the empowering of God’s people for mission that the rule and grace of Christ be made known to all peoples. Then there’s the common notion that the church began on that great day of Pentecost.

But did the church begin on that remarkable day long ago?

Continue reading →

From the Dust Documentary

Posted on by under Adam and Eve, creation, faith and science, Genesis, science, videos

From the Dust is a feature-length documentary film from Highway Media and The BioLogos Foundation tackling some of the most important questions in the science-faith dialogue. This topic intrigues me greatly, not so much from the scientific standpoint (biological, geological, etc), but from a theological standpoint. I enjoy thinking through the theo-philosophical points that must be considered in light of a universe that is conceivably 13.82 billion year-old.

This film has just become available for both rental and purchase via iTunes. You can see the trailer at the end of this post. Here is a short summary of the 1-hour 7-minute film:

Continue reading →