Spiritual Formation

Worshiping God When You Don’t Feel Like It [Audio]

2019-09-13T17:37:02+00:00By Joel|Audio, discipleship, Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Formation, Worship, Worship Leading|

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name! David (shepherd boy turned king), Psalm 103:1 One thing that has been a part of my spiritual and character formation has been worship. Yes, worship is a response to what God has done, but what happens when worship (or rather, creating the environment for worship to happen) is your job? Through the week to week routine of it all, as well as in the times where you are walking through personal battles or frustrations of your own, there is temptation to slip into autopilot, in a way that does not engage the heart (personally). One thing I've found, however, is [...]

In The Storm: What Do You Say? [Audio]

2019-07-26T00:30:20+00:00By Joel|A Prelude To Tomorrow, Music, Prayers and Blessings, Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Formation|

"Going through a storm doesn't mean that we're just waiting for it to go away, but as followers of Jesus, it is looking for Jesus in the storm. And saying, 'I think I see Jesus [on the water], and if that's Jesus, I would rather be with Him, out there in this mess, than in this boat relying on my own ingenuity and resources.' Even though we might be afraid and fearful, He is inviting us into a deeper experience of trust in Him." - my sermon, "This is My Story: In the Storm" For most of my songs, I can recall the moments when I wrote, scribbled, labored, or arm wrestled the lyrics and melodies [...]

Learning to know yourself: the Enneagram

2019-06-07T20:28:05+00:00By Joel|Spiritual Formation|

I've hesitated to write anything about the Enneagram till now. I've benefited from it, as a Spiritual Director it comes up a lot, and now it seems to be a fixture in our culture. ...And that's the problem. In a land of in-depth behavior profiles the likes of Myers Briggs, Strengthsfinder, DiSC, and others - as well as stupid little personality quizzes found on social media, there is a narcissistic element to our society. Another thing is that these personality profiles are usually about 'measuring' behavior, which leads to behavior forecasting as well as copping out: i.e. "You're such an ENFP...Oh, I'm just an Eight...that's so Three of you...I'm a Connector, it's what I do," as [...]

The Practice of Secrecy: Experiencing Joyful Hiddenness

2019-05-17T04:14:41+00:00By Joel|Simplicity, Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Formation|

Author Corrie Ten Boom, who experienced fame for her testimony of faith after World War II (which can be read about in her book The Hiding Place), was once asked how she remained humble through all the attention and fame. Her answer was, “When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday on the back of a donkey, and everyone was waving palm branches and throwing garments onto the road, and singing praises, do you think that for one moment it ever entered the head of that donkey that any of that was for him?” She continued, “If I can be the donkey on which Jesus Christ rides in his glory, I give him all the praise [...]