Types, Numbers, Spirals, & Other Interesting Tools

I've never met a self-assessment test I didn't like. Actually that's not true. Some of them are much better than others, but I am nearly always up for trying a new one. I want to describe in some detail three types of assessment that have caught my interest for the last few months.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

For years now, I have asserted that the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) are one of the most useful tools I've encountered for understanding people. In case you're wondering, I am an INTJ.

The Myers-Briggs applies a label to people based on:

1. Where you focus your attention
   I - on your inner world of thoughts or
   E - on the external world of things and people
2. How you take in information
   S - through your five senses, often in the present moment or
   N - through intuition focused on the large picture, patterns, and possibilities
3. How you make decisions
   T - with objective thinking and cause-and-effect analysis or
   F - with guiding values and subjective, person-centered concerns
4. How you deal with the outside world
   J - judging; preferring a planned and organized approach to life or
   P - perceiving; preferring a spontaneous approach to life with open options

The MBTI, in my opinion, has been highly useful in describing people's general tendencies and way of being. When I first discovered the test and read my profile, I immediately said, "Wow, it's like they've been watching my every move!" 

It is helpful, in my opinion, for an employer to have people post their MBTI letters on the entrance to their office so that when you want to maximize your effectiveness in working with another person, you will know what kinds of information they would want, and how they would want to receive it. 

I, for example, have zero need for small talk, and feel a person "gets" me when they visit me and jump right into what they want to talk about. Others feel that all "business" with little small talk is cold and impersonal. Neither of us is right or wrong; it's a matter of our personal preferences. Knowing how a person focuses their attention, how they receive information, how they decide things, and how they like to approach the world can give you great insights into working with them.

The down side of the MBTI is that it is descriptive but not prescriptive. I find it less useful for personal growth. I was an INTJ in my 20s and I'll likely still be one in my 40s. It's simply how I am. While this information can help another person to interact with me, it provides me with few insights on how I can grow. 

The Enneagram

Recently, I have continued exploring other well-established tools for assessing individuals and groups. I would readily tip my hat to the Grip-Birkman Assessment. It provides insights into what motivates you, the ways in which you generally function, and also helpful warnings about your stress behaviors that creep in when you are not keeping yourself healthy in terms of what you deeply need. I was part of a group that received this assessment, and got to do some exercises with each other in imagining ideal ways of working together. It was good. 

I found the Grip-Birkman interesting, but I have found deeper insights in the Enneagram for how I can grow as a person. I have been hearing some of my peers talk obsessively about the Enneagram for a few years. Other than taking a couple of free online assessments to see what my number is (1-9) My first real venture into the method was in the Cron & Stabile book The Road Back To You. What the Enneagram does better than a Myers-Briggs assessment is that in addition to describing how you are and what motivates you, it provides a path for personal growth. 

Let me try to describe briefly how the Enneagram functions. There are nine numbers. Much of the analysis of the Enneagram comes from exploring how some numbers connect to other numbers. For example, each Enneagram number has two "wings"; a number on each side of it. You could be a 1 with some notable 2 leanings, for example. There are also a variety of other triads and groupings people use to show connections between the numbers, such as the head (5, 6, 7), heart (2, 3, 4), and gut (1, 8, 9) triads.

I find the Enneagram appealing in part because there are a lot of historical connections made between Enneagram numbers and spirituality. There is for each type a particular kind of sin or negative tendency that can often be a struggle. Here are the 9 number identities and associated negative tendencies.

• Number - Identity - Sin
• One - The Perfectionist/Reformer - Anger
• Two - The Helper - Pride
• Three - The Performer/Achiever - Deceit
• Four - The Romantic/Individualist - Envy
• Five - The Investigator - Avarice / Mindset of Scarcity
• Six - The Loyalist - Fear
• Seven - The Enthusiast - Gluttony / Avoiding Any and All Pain
• Eight - The Challenger - Lust (For Intensity)
• Nine - The Peacemaker - Sloth

There are arrows used in some models of the Enneagram. The arrow pointing away from your number shows how under stress, you may take on negative characteristics of another number. The arrow pointing toward your type shows how when you are healthy, you may take on positive characteristics of another number.

To use myself as an example:
I am a Five. I absolutely love learning and information and I never stop being hungry for more. In general, this can make me resourceful person to those who want to learn from me. The things I know, I generally know well. As my emotions are generally in check, I can make a good counselor/helper for someone who needs an objective ear to listen. When I am in a mode of high stress, I can take on the negative tendencies of a Seven, which would be that I shut down and start avoiding anything that's uncomfortable for me. Interestingly, when I'm healthy, I can take on the positive characteristics of an Eight, who are typically blunt and boisterous--quite a jump! It is not uncommon for Fives like me to be perceived as very quiet or serious until we get comfortable enough to joke and laugh with people. I have had many people in my life experience this transition for me and say, "Where did you come from? I didn't know you had this side!"

Something profoundly helpful to me that I learned from Cron and Stabile's book is that my never-ending quest for knowledge, if I'm not careful, is actually driven by fear. I don't want the world to be able to hurt me, and the way I attempt to protect myself is to accumulate knowledge and skills obsessively. It is common for Fives to be high achievers in education (Dr. Adams here, guilty as charged). A danger for me is that I could be so busy trying to shield myself against what the world might hand me that I fail to engage the actual world at all. Fives like me need fun, spontaneous people to help us learn to take a break and have more fun. I knew how much I loved learning and fine-tuning skill sets, but it was a real "Ah-ha!" moment for me to confront myself that part of why I do this is out of a mindset of scarcity ("I must protect myself") rather than faith ("God will take care of me").

Spiral Dynamics

Another mode of assessment I am just beginning to learn about is called Spiral Dynamics, based on the foundational work of Clare Graves, whose untimely death likely prevented his work from gaining as much prominence as it would have otherwise. Spiral Dynamics are more effective for analyzing groups of people than some other assessments. Whereas the MBTI leans toward describing people as they are with great specificity, Spiral Dynamics place little emphasis on individual personalities, but are entirely focussed on levels of growth and function. The first reading I've done related to this theory was in a book called Tribal Leadership, which is applied methods approach that only loosely references Spiral Dynamics. 

Generally, people start off as low-functioning survivalists. The idea is that as we grow, we move from survivalism, to individualist achievement-seeking, to group appreciation, to a higher value system that moves towards what is good without a need to feel competitive or antagonistically tribal. Spiral Dynamics uses colors to describe the differing levels of human functioning. 

Interestingly, there is a back-and-forth movement in how people develop between times of self-examination and learning and times of group valuing. Some of the higher levels exist only in imaginative conception, and seldom if ever in reality. Of all the assessments, Spiral Dynamics is the one of which I presently have the smallest amount of understanding. 

Moving Forward From Here

As a minister, I have found myself increasingly interested both in how to grow as a person and in how to help others to do the same. This necessarily involves some accurate assessment of how people are and imaginative descriptions of what people can become. I have tried to chart out here what I see as general leanings of these three tools for assessment that have caught my interest.

I intend to do quite a bit more reading on the Enneagram especially for now, hoping that it might be a tool I could use in a class or group setting to help people learn more about themselves and set goals for growth. I have done a fair amount of research into the process of receiving certification in these tools, and may seek this out in the future as well, depending on my perception of their usefulness for helping others.

Two other topics that have been fruitful for me in similar areas:

1. Positive Psychology - How do we go beyond fixing problems to promoting genuine human flourishing?

2. Appreciative Inquiry - How do we discover what's best about us in order to move forward into the future in ways that are innovative while being true to our group's personality? (I have led two congregations to significant periods of renewal using this method.)

Do you have experience with any of these? 

What other assessments have been helpful to you? 

Something Old for Something New

Any time something comes to be so universally accepted that we take it as given, it might be time to take a step back and reconsider. I suggest that one such mindset we ought to challenge is that new is always improved. The "new" must be better some of the time or we would never adopt it, but ought we welcome with enthusiasm every thing available, simply because it's new?

In their book, Mindhacker, Evans and Evans point out:

We've heard it observed that as Western societies grow richer, with a higher level of technology and more leisure time, they tend to adopt hobbies that used to be considered tedious jobs, such as candlemaking. 

The Ghostbusters, re-imagined as Steampunk.

The more people are stuck with inevasible technology and suffocating connectability, the more they seem to crave a simpler time. Along this line of thought, the Steampunk movement is likely one of the largest world phenomena that you may not have heard of. It is driven by an obsession with Victorian-era technology to produce modern solutions, and is in some way a colorful protest against the seemingly inexorable advance of modern technology. When you see a reignited love for old materials like brass, copper wood, glass, and ornate engravings, you are seeing an impact of this mindset. Even the great thinkers who launched what would become the Renaissance were obsessed with classical Greek poets and philosophers. "Ad fontes!" they would say. "Back to the original sources!"

On a personal note, I have become a devoted practitioner of bullet journaling as a way to organize myself, and have made a deliberate effort to reduce my own dependence on technology for productivity where possible. If you want to have your mind messed with a bit, click around on this collection of links about why paper is still a superior medium to any other option.

This sort of inclination can also inform our faith. Because publishers need to sell books and because authors desire to speak and be heard, there will always be people trying to say something new about God. Some of these things will be useful. But rather than chasing after whatever the newest thoughts are and accepting them uncritically, we will often be better served to chase after what is true, good, and beautiful, because these things will be valuable, regardless of their age. Some wise people have told me, "Always spend more time reading the Bible than reading about the Bible."

The prophet Jeremiah says in 6:16:

Thus says the Lord: "Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.

The true, good, and beautiful will sometimes be new, but even when they are old, they have a newness about them when experienced. The end result of chasing incessantly after any trend will be exhaustion. As you think about how you plan to live differently next year than you did this year, I want to encourage you to think about what it is that you are chasing. What is it that is making you exhausted? Must you really do all the things that you are doing and in the way that you are doing them?

If you're trying to grow spiritually, the truth is, the tools through which God shapes us are pretty much the same as they've been for thousands of years: steady practices of reading from Scripture, calming ourselves in God's presence and praying, practicing self-control, choosing to spend our energy on acts of kindness and mercy, etc. Before you try to find a new way to Google yourself into a better way of living, why not first consider the ancient paths, as Jeremiah calls them. They are less flashy than some other options and are generally more difficult than the other roads, but they've been found reliable paths by many generations before us, and they lead us to a place where we find rest for our souls.

Review of From Cloisters to Cubicles: Spiritual Disciplines for the Not-So-Monastic Life by David Srygley

My friend David Srygley has a new book out on spiritual disciplines. As one committed to the importance of these practices, I was excited to read it, and I'd like to review it here.

Srygley, David. From Cloisters to Cubicles: Spiritual Disciplines for the No-So-Monastic Life. Bloomington, Indiana: Westbow Press, 2014. 161 pages.



Dr. David Srygley is the pulpit minister for the Arlington Heights Church of Christ in Corpus Christi, Texas. His book, From Cloisters to Cubicles (hereafter CtoC) developed as a result of his doctoral research for his Doctor of Educational Ministry at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Some doctoral dissertations, when developed into books, can be too technical for an average reader to be able to read with much benefit. I was pleased that Srygley avoided this pitfall. He has included two appendices at the end of the book that contain more of the theological and pedagogical paradigms he is trying to underscore in his project. So for leaders and thinkers, the brainier stuff is still there, but he made a good decision by putting these resources in the back, rather than making them the introduction.

CtoC contains a helpful introduction to the study, and is followed by thirteen chapters that describe different spiritual disciplines. With each chapter, his goal is to bring a practice from merely an activity in isolation--as if within a monastic cloister--to the regular, daily activities of the person implementing the practice--more like a workplace cubicle. The disciplines he covers are: prayer, study, meditation, fasting, simplicity, solitude and silence, submission, service, confession, worship, guidance, and celebration.

What makes Srygley's approach unique is that he takes a decidedly missional slant on the role and purpose of the spiritual disciplines. He states in his first chapter, "Spiritual disciplines are not for escaping the world; they are for engaging it!" (emphasis his.) I was pleased that Srygley never steps outside of this framework from chapter to chapter, consistently urging the practice of the disciplines in ways that can be integrated into one's daily routines, balancing internal and external focuses.

Srygley's material draws from a series of classes he presented at Arlington Heights as part of his research, and is written in a way that is intended to be used by the average church member. All chapters end with both discussion questions and journaling suggestions, which is an interesting way to integrate the ideas. Srygley acknowledges his indebtedness to Foster and Willard in particular for the "toolbox" and "textbook" on spiritual disciplines from which he draws. He engages their ideas, but CtoC is not merely a regurgitation of what Foster, Willard, and others have already done. Srygley makes a valuable contribution by encouraging a holistic use of the disciplines that, while interested in helping Christians connect with the divine, does not lose sight of our engagement with the world around us.

The book has few shortcomings, but there are a couple of areas I would humbly suggest. The chapters are all well-written, but fairly brief, and some leave the reader wishing for a bit more. Having said that, because his goal is to engage people who are new to the disciplines, it was important to keep things simple and digestible, even if a bit too brief at points. The book will make a fine starting point, but someone wanting to go further will need to continue seeking more resources. Also, one small point on style: Srygley is an enthusiastic public presenter. Sometimes for energetic speakers, in their effort to write enthusiastically they overuse exclamation points, which I felt occurred a few times. (My own tendency to do this makes me aware of it.) Happily, neither of these things is significant enough to diminish the book's usefulness.

In the future, I would like to see Srygley share more about his experiences in trying to help his congregation implement these practices. He has a passion for the importance of living an intentionally Christ-centered life, with a heart both for bringing the lost into the fold, and helping Christians to mature. I'm excited about what he's already done, and I believe he will continue contributing to this valuable conversation.

In summary, From Cloisters to Cubicles is a great first step for someone who (1) is completely new to spiritual disciplines and wants to have them explained in simple terms, (2) has some working knowledge of the disciplines and is looking for ways to integrate spiritual disciplines into daily routines, or (3) is looking for material to use about spiritual disciplines in a church class setting. I'm grateful to David both for his friendship, and for the good resource he has created in writing this book.

The Contemplative Preacher: Forming a Rule of Life

Following up on my previous post about taking a personal inventory, the Rule of Life is a great tool for implementing healthy change in your life.

All important parts of life require planning. A lack of planning almost guarantees a lack of good development. This is true of sports, child development, education, and retirement. It is also true of our growth in Christ. Paul said as much in I Corinthians 9:27:

“But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”

Rules of Life

The word rule derives from the Latin word regula, from which we get words like “regular” and “regulate.” Having a Rule of Life is a way to organize your life to ensure that you are doing what is necessary to keep your faith growing and your character strengthening. 

A Rule of Life really centers around two questions, which it combines into a third question:

1. Who do I want to be? 

2. How do I want to live? 

3. Put these together and you get: "How do I want to live so I can be who I want to be?"

Developing your own Rule of Life

Every person’s Rule of Life will be a bit different, as each of us have our own life situations, schedules, strengths, and weaknesses; all of which should be considered as we lay out a play for how we want to live. A good Rule of Life is thoughtful about life rhythms daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly. Here are some questions you should ponder in thinking about what elements you want to include and how often. 

1. When I want to be closer to God, what do I typically find most helpful?

I addressed this in my previous post. Every person has some ways that naturally help them feel closer to God. 

When you put a plant near a window, you have to rotate it fairly regularly to keep the plant from becoming lopsided. Why? Because plants grow towards what give them life. We are no different. 

Begin by thinking about what for you is life-giving. 

A typical list of personal spiritual disciplines would include: 

Solitude, silence, prayer, reading Scripture, examining your conscience, confession, honoring your physical body (health & exercise), sabbath, fasting, journaling, fellowship, and worship.  

2. What are problem areas in my life, and how can I change them or redeem them?

What is taking life from you? What is making you feel empty and discouraged? These things don't come from God. 

All of us struggle with sin, and with tendencies that make us weaker in our faith. Most of us are painfully aware of what sins we struggle with. In addition to allowing time to pray about and repent of our shortcomings, it can be helpful to search for disciplines that move us to do the opposite of what weakens us.

For example, if you struggle deeply with gossip, it would be worth having deliberate time set aside to be silent in God’s presence, practicing the virtue of holding your tongue. If you spend a great deal of time fretting over relationships and how other people bother you, it would be good to have time set aside for regular self-examination where you focus more on what needs to be kept in order within your own life, and how you might affect others.

Another approach is to think about how we can learn to harness what is affecting us negatively in a way that helps us to grow. For example, a young parent might have very little opportunity for solitude or silence. The constant activity of young children could be a hindrance to spiritual growth, if the parent is seeking to grow primarily through silence and solitude. But if instead, the parent re-imagines time spent with children, it can be a source of growth. “Children are close to the heart of God, and when I spend time paying attention to how my children’s hearts work, it helps me to understand God’s heart better.”

3. What activities will stretch me as a Christian?

This relates to question one. Most of us have areas toward which we naturally gravitate. Introverted people find the disciplines of silence, solitude, and reflection very appealing. Extroverted people find fellowship, worship, and acts of service more appealing.

In addition to making time for what you naturally like to do, it is helpful to think about what areas of spiritual growth come less naturally to you, and commit to regularly experimenting with one or two of them regularly, as a challenge to yourself. 

The introvert may need to have a time each month where he or she experiences deeper fellowship with other Christians, or is involved in acts of service that require being out and about. The extrovert may need to learn how to be alone with God, with times of deeper reflection on Scripture.

I was called out on this in a class a few years ago. Each of us had to develop a rule of life, then share it with two classmates who would give us feedback. I thought I had put together a perfect plan, but my classmate kindly pointed out to me that 100% of my plan I could accomplish by myself. As an introvert, I realized I needed to grow in the area of fellowship and service. This will likely never be the primary way I relate to God, but I know my commitment to participating in disciplines that are less natural to me will help me to be a more empathetic and well-rounded Christian. 

4. When in my life can I realistically make more space for God?

Think about what times of the day you can start living differently. Do you greet God when you wake up each morning, or do you head straight for Facebook? How about meal times? Bed time? 

What days of the week could be reclaimed as opportunities for growth? Are there other scheduled events in the year around which you should plan to spend more time?

5. Who will hold me accountable for growing in Christ?

As you develop a plan for how you want to live, it is important to have a person or two to whom you will be accountable for living by this plan. In addition to planning times of prayer, journaling, reading, and personal retreats, I line up people who will be spiritual companions for me in the next year. I try to always find one person I want to mentor me, and another whom I desire to encourage. I arrange to meet with each of them on a monthly basis for the next year. Often, we agree to read a book or two together over the year to give us something to share about. It has produced some really meaningful friendships for me over the last few years, and deeply blessed my Christian walk. 

This is not to be a rigid, legalistic endeavor, but a flexible one, where you do the best you can, knowing that even if you miss some of your plan some of the time, you are still moving in a better direction because you have done so deliberately. Is there a person you could get with regularly for mutual friendship/sharing/mentoring as you both strive to be better Christians?

Forming a Personal Plan

The goal in this exercise is not to overburden yourself. The goal is to help you take some deliberate baby steps in implementing rhythms into your spiritual life that will help you grow towards your goal of being like Jesus.

The best Rule of Life is one that you will actually practice. Don't try to come up with a plan that Jesus himself couldn't live up to. Plan something that you really can do, and are willing to commit to. This Rule of Life practice is not for the purpose of creating a new Levitical code to provide you with a source of personal guilt. Sometimes you'll fail, and that's ok. Give yourself the grace of a new start and try again, and if you need to, revise the rule of life to work better for you.

“A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.” - Luke 6:40

Think about how your better life will look on a normal basis. Your personal Rule of Life should finally end up in a form like this (filled in, of course):

DAILY I will:

WEEKLY I will:

MONTHLY I will:

QUARTERLY I will:
YEARLY I will:

For me, I learned that the only way to make sure I'll follow my plan is to schedule it on a Google Calendar; the same way I schedule all other important life events. 

If we are going to live better, it won't happen on accident. Be responsible for your life, and commit your plans to the Lord.

Happy New Year!

Mark