Thursday, February 08, 2007

Identifying our Strengths and Weaknesses: Exercise 6

7 comments:

Carri said...

My wheel is definitly bumpy. I am strongest in Evangelical and Social Justice. My weakness would be Charismatic and Contemplative.

I am looking forward to finding out more about Incarnational.

Amy said...

My wheel is bumpy, too, Carri.

I was strongest in incarnational and charismatic with social justice and holiness being weaker.

I'm laughing at myself that I put incarnational as a strength with holiness as a weakness. They seem to cancel each other out. So, let me clarify. I don't do stuff right most of the time, but am very aware of the application of the sacred space of my life into the secular areas. I hope that makes sense.

Kate said...

My wheel isn't that bumpy, its just very very small :(

I have a long way to go.

Jemila Kwon said...

I'm with you on that one Kate! I'm probably better at talking about any/all of the six traditions than living them out fully. I have the most baggage with the evangelical tradition...probably incarnational/social justice resonates as making the most sense to me. I have a charismatic streak, (I love to dance in church, and I long to experience direct intimacy with God and to sense God actually moving among people beyond abstractions,) but I am so inadequate (or feel so) around people who are constantly getting "words" that running in charismatic circles often both inspires me and makes me feel like there's something wrong with me because I just don't have that frequency of that type of communication from God. I believe strongly in social justice, but still haven't sorted out what this means in terms of how to live -- where to sacrifice, where to find balance. So I guess I want to grow in all the traditions, but feel some inner conflict about all of them to varying degress and for various reasons.

Nancy said...

My "wheel" is more elliptical than circular. : )

I'm strong on the contemplative end. That fits, as I am more internally focused...to a fault, perhaps.

I think I am weakest in the "Holiness" tradition. Just hang with me for a while and listen to what comes out of my mouth. I'm not proud of it but I'm aware of it and trying to give God control over my lips.

Lori said...

Spiritual gifts? What? Oh, I think I remember something about that, maybe from camp during high school?

Ironically, I feel the weakest in the areas which were strongest during my growing up years. I grew up in a strong evangelical home & church (my parents were missionaries) and it was actually a very good, healthy place. I learned & grew, and had family & friends who modeled wholehearted commitment to God & his path. A great foundation, really.

Then the reality of life hit, and I disconnected from this past in pretty significant ways. I changed, fundamentally, at some pretty deep levels. Anyhow, for a variety of reasons, I woke up one day and didn't fit in the traditional evangelical church at all! Because we were still attending one, I felt stuck, and spent several years struggling--I couldn't connect at all with the people around me, but they were still so nice to me! Once we moved away, we made a clean break, and I've been celebrating the freedom ever since. I've grown deeply in contemplation, in social justice, and openness to the Spirit.

Unfortunately, that's relegated Bible study (and even reading) and related disciplines (including concern over my spiritual gifts) to a dark corner. Probably before I can really start working on that corner, I'll have to face up to what someone has referred to as "post-traumatic stress" with church experiences. Personally, I've been pretty happy to harbor sullenness. But I guess this might be the time to start cleaning it out.

When I decided to join this group, I wasn't exactly planning on being convicted about anything. (I know, I know, what was I expecting?!

Anonymous said...

We always hear opinions of regular people about sex but I wonder what's the opinion of religious people about it? a friend of mine who is catholic told me he uses Generic Viagra to struggle against his erectile dysfunction.