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The Anglican Church in Tasmania Search |
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a healthy church...transformingLIFE |
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June 2005 |
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Spiritual health checkup'Yes, if you're like me, you are very suspicious of those 'Women's Weekly'-type questionnaires.' Paul Cavanough shares some thoughts. You know the ones that rate you as perhaps a parent, lover or friend. I have to confess though, that I can't help having a go at them if I find myself in a waiting room or holiday shack with a pile of old magazines. Believe it or not, the Tasmanian Anglican asked me to design a Personal Spiritual Health Inventory for this edition. I could just imagine you all sitting at home, ticking the boxes adding up your scores and thinking nasty thoughts about me. Sorry to spoil the fun, but there's no scoring checklist coming your way from me. However, the request did start me thinking about just how I'd rate my own spiritual health. How would I identify strengths and weaknesses in my own spiritual development? How would I pinpoint areas of spiritual maturity that need special attention? What aspects of my Christian life would I want to examine? The Barna Network, a Christian research institution, defines seven core aspects of the Christian life: worship, evangelism, stewardship, beliefs, service, faith application, and relationships. It's a very helpful list. Am I really open to questioning myself in these areas? Just how healthy is my worship life? Come on, be honest with yourself, Paul. What is healthy worship anyway? I'm sure that you can imagine all of the questions that are possible. When I go to church, what am I really thinking about God? When I say the creed on Sunday, do I really believe it? Does God mean anything to me after I leave church on Sunday? Am I really happy to be known as a Christian? Am I giving with an open heart? Do I really trust God when the going gets tough? Do I know much about God at all? How serious am I about my Bible? What do I think God thinks about me? What is my personal response to Jesus Christ? Am I growing in faith? What a challenge. I need to take an hour or two in a quiet space to think through these things prayerfully and with God's help. I reckon I'll need a friend to talk with as well. If you're like me and can't help but have a go, why not set aside an hour or two in the weeks ahead to think through the state of your spiritual health? There are some great resources out there. If you can go on the web, look for the Barna Group
Paul Cavanough is the Diocesan Mission Enabler and will contribute regularly to a resources page in the Tasmanian Anglican. |
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