Tag: Richard Rohr

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Spiritual Growth Resources from 2019

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Spiritual Growth Resources from 2019

Posted on by Jaymie

If you had asked me a month ago what spiritual growth resources I have used this year, I would have been hard-pressed to come up with more than three titles. But when I went back to review the year, I found many more. While I enjoyed many of these in the moment, looking back, only a few made a lasting impact. You can go here to see my list from 2017 and here to see the 2018 list. And here are the resources I used in 2019:

Enneagram

Studying the Enneagram has been a big part of my spiritual journey over the last couple years. You can read my full posts about Ennegram resources here for 2018 and here for 2019 where I talk about all four of these books. Even though I have talked about all of these before, the Spiritual Rhythms of the Enneagram is one of my favorite resources from this year, and one of the most impactful.

 

Bible Study

I think one of the reasons I didn’t feel like I had worked through many spiritual resources this year is because I didn’t do a lot of Bible studies. I am still riding the high of the Isaiah study I did last year. My small group at church worked through Fervent this fall, and because of that, I have spent a lot of time with my Bible, which has been great. This is the second time I have worked through the book, and it is always a solid resource.

I haven’t finished Four Portraits, One Jesus, yet. I’ve had the book for awhile because I love studying the synoptic gospels and looking at how Matthew, Mark and Luke shared the same stories, differently. Last year I got a workbook to go with the text book, but the workbook actually seems to slow me down. I might just finish reading the book in 2020 instead of trying to press through the rest of the workbook. I have LOVED digging into the history of Bible times as well as the days when the gospels were written.

 

Fiction and Nonfiction

I read every single book in this list – and I enjoyed many of them! But few left a lasting impression. In fact, while I might revisit a couple of these because I enjoyed them, only one book in this list earned 5 stars from me – and that’s the fiction one published by a secular company.

Andrew was a perfect fit for me this year because in the book, he’s introduced to a young Amish woman who left the faith and then returned – pregnant. And he wrestles with how to relate to her in light of her “sin.” I was wrestling right along with him. For weeks after I finished the book, I kept thinking about it. To me, that is the mark of a great spiritual growth resource – something that sticks with you and continues to ask you questions and asks you to consider things from a different point of view. (Andrew is book one in the Petersheim Brothers series by Jennifer Beckstrand.)

You can see my reviews and ratings of some of these other good resources here:
Inspired – ♥♥♥♥½
It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way – ♥♥♥♥½
The Jesus Who Surprises – ♥♥♥♥
The Middle Matters – ♥♥♥♥
Shameless – ♥♥♥♥
Taste and See – ♥♥♥♥
The Universal Christ – ♥♥♥♥

2020 Reading

I have high hopes for 2020. I chose 12 resources from my TBR shelves and I have already started one for this month. I also found a few friends who wanted to join me on a more intentional reading journey, so we are keeping each other accountable in the coming year.

REVIEW: The Universal Christ by Richard Rohr

REVIEW: The Universal Christ by Richard Rohr

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Crown Publishing/Convergent Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review

The full title of this book is The Universal Christ: How a Forgotten Reality Can Change Everything We See, Hope For and Believe. The title was changed after the review copy was produced, so I am not sure if that changed any of the internal content in a significant way.

Father Richard Rohr asks readers to broaden their ideas of “Christ” beyond the physical person of Jesus. As he states in one of the early chapters, “Christ” is not Jesus’ last name. Rohr’s central assertion seems to be that we recognize Christ in the Bible – and in the world – as both part of the person of Jesus but also as someone/something that pre-dates Jesus and is larger than the person of Jesus. This recognition then changes how we see not only issues of faith but also one another and all examples of creation.

The writing in this is dense and more intricate than my usual genre fiction reading. This is closer to a college text than mass-appeal genre writing. Sometimes Rohr goes over my head, or posits something that clangs against my belief systems or understanding of scripture. I didn’t agree with all of his conclusions. But there are plenty of nuggets of truth and thought-provoking ideas to chew on.

This is a deep and intricate philosophical look at theology, scripture, history, semantics/language and comparative religion. This is the sort of book that I think works best if you have a physical copy you can write in. For me this is best read in small chunks. And I’d get more out of it by writing about what I read, looking up the scriptures he uses in their context, and spending time thinking over his assertions.  This has a more scholarly feel than other books I usually read for spiritual growth. There is a place for both sorts of material depending on the needs of the reader.

If you are looking for a resource that might challenge you to think outside your faith assumptions and current beliefs, or if you are a Rohr fan, I recommend you check this book out. You might not agree with all of Father Rohr’s conclusions, but this book will definitely get you thinking!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: The Enneagram

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: The Enneagram

Posted on by Jaymie

One of my goals for 2018 is to learn about the Enneagram. I started reading books about this personality system last year, but this year I really wanted to dig into and understand it. I have read a TON of great books on the subject and found some other terrific resources and wanted to share them here for anyone else who is diving into this system of personal discovery and growth.

Books

The Road Back to You – This was one of the first resources I read and what I would recommend folks start with if you are just getting started. This is written in a conversational, comfortable way that I really enjoyed. You can read my full review here.  ♥♥♥♥♥

 

 

 

The Path Between Us – Suzanne Stabile has become my favorite Enneagram expert . She was a co-author on The Road Back to You, but this book is completely on her own and focuses on the Enneagram as a tool in relationships. If someone new to Enneagram asked me where to start, these first two books would be my recommendation. ♥♥♥♥♥

 

 

Self to Lose Self to Find – This was a good resource. This gave me my first introduction into some methods for using your self-knowledge through the Enneagram to start changing your thinking and behavior and moving toward health. ♥♥♥♥

 

 

 

The Essential Enneagram – A small quick-to-read resource if you want an overview. Outlines for each type follow a pattern so it is easy to flip from type to type and compare.  There’s a quick assessment in this as well. My favorite feature is a set of practices recommended for each type.  ♥♥♥♥½

 

 

The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective – Before I started digging into the Enneagram, the only thing I knew about it was that Richard Rohr was really into it. So I had to read his book on the subject. This is a longer, more detailed exploration. I enjoyed reading about all 9 types in this one, not just the ones I thought might be my own. ♥♥♥♥♥

 

 

Personality Types – This may be my least favorite of the resources I have read through so far. While it is still good, it is extremely detailed. At times that level of detail was too much for me. ♥♥♥♥

 

 

 

The Sacred Enneagram*** – I really enjoyed this, but I am glad I didn’t start my research here. To me this is a good 3rd or 4th resource as it moves beyond “What is my number?” to “What do I do to pursue health and wholeness now that I know my number?” ♥♥♥♥

 

 

 

Understanding the Enneagram – This was an excellent resource for me for a “next level” book with information on the Centers and psychological categories with the Enneagram. ♥♥♥♥♥

 

 

 

The Wisdom of the Enneagram – I am working through this resource right now. It is HUGE and detailed. I can’t say yet how it stands up to the others. It does include a set of questions to rate on a 5 point scale for each number to help you narrow down what your type might be. If you are looking for that sort of information, this book might help (although experts often say that tests aren’t the best indicator of type – but it might help you narrow down the search a little).

 

 

Non-book resources

I am not much of a podcast person, but these two are changing that for me – The Enneagram Journey and Typology. Frankly, I would rather read than try to listen to a podcast, but Ian and Suzanne have such a lovely style in their interactions with folks, they hooked me right away. I adored Suzanne’s two part podcast with three ladies who work in eating disorders treatment. I was inspired to hear how the Enneagram helped them not only in their work relationships with one another but also their work with clients and families. [I recently bought her MP3 teaching called Know Your Number. I am hoping to listen through those (6+ hours of material) yet this summer. ]  If you are more of an auditory processor, consider checking out these two podcasts to learn more about the various Enneagram types.

 

Suzanne Stabile is quickly becoming my favorite Enneagram teacher. I recently bought her Know Your Number teaching on MP3 (You can get the whole set or just certain numbers). I am just starting to work through this, but I adore it already. The first session is an introduction to the Enneagram as a whole and a discussion of 8s. The session was outstanding! Now I am saving my pennies because I would love to get more of her teachings and eventually have their DVD curriculum that could be used with groups of folks. I think that would be a lot of fun! You can take a look at her website here.

 

 

***[EDIT – June 2020: Sadly, some new about the author came out after this post. Readers can decide for themselves how this will impact them. You can read the article here. ]