David here. I hope you have been enjoying reading Donald Miller's Blue Like Jazz over the last couple of months. I don't think there has been one chapter that has not spoken to me or to a place that I have been in my spiritual life, and this chapter is no different. In Chapter 15, Miller confronts his introverted, self centered nature and moves in with a few fellow Christians who are members at his church. The struggles he faced as being an alone introvert moving into a house with five or six others were very difficult for him. He brought up many interesting topics during this chapter. Let's see what you think.
(1) Miller begins the chapter with this quote, "I thought the backbone of faith was time alone with God..." How do you view your faith - more of a public thing or a private thing? What seems to nurture your spiritual life better - being in a group, or being alone?
(2) Miller discusses how that when he initially moved into the house with 5 other guys, he was exhausted. Not from the move, but being in the presence of others all the time. A true introvert at heart. Are you an introvert or extravert? How does this factor into your faith walk?
(3) "Living in community made me realize one of my faults: I was addicted to myself. All I thought about was myself. The only thing I really cared about was myself." Have you ever been confronted with one of your own faults? How did it make you feel?
(4) On a trip to a homeless shelter, Miller got in a conversation with the gentleman who ran the shelter, Bill. Bill made this observation to Miller, "If we are not willing to wake up in the morning and die to ourselves, perhaps we should ask ourselves whether or not we are really following Jesus." What do you think about this powerful quote?
This chapter brings me back to the story from Acts 2 about the early church. May you use these words as a devotion for today, starting with verse 43:
"Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved."
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I feel like my faith is best fed when I am able to maintain a healthy balance of community and solitude with God. Communal worship is extremely important for my faith, I have discovered. This may sound weird to some folks, since I am a pastor and in church every Sunday, but I don't always feel connected to worship because my mind is focused sometimes on what I am going to preach on or making sure other details of the service are going as they should. When this happens too much, my faith suffers. At the same time, if I neglect personal devotion time, my faith suffers. I have found that my faith goes the deepest when I allow myself to be fully in the experience of worshipping with brothers and sisters in Christ as well as maintaining a time of developing my personal relationship with God.
I guess I am predominantly an extrovert. I get energized by large groups of people often. At the same time, I find that if I spend a lot of time in such settings, I get worn down and must retreat to recharge. Kind of repeating myself here, but I think that is why I am more likely to neglect quiet time with God, because such time doesn't naturally fit in with my personality. I must be much more intentional and focused on developing such opportunities.
I love the quote from the man running the homeless shelter. I love it because it is extremely hard and challenging. It makes me uncomfortable in its truth. I know that this is what I am called to do as a Christian, and it scares me half to death sometimes. However, more often than not, I find more fulfillment from this kind of mindset than when I get caught up in living for myself.
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