Godward Toil

Follow-up from Christianity and/or Psychology talk: Resources for further study

The "Christianity and/or Psychology" talk at SUNY Brockport was this evening.  I would like to offer participants some resources for further pursuing some of the ideas we discussed.  Because of the probable overlap between blog readers interested in Christianity and productivity and those interested Christianity and psychology, I thought it could be helpful to post the resources here.   I am also posting selected resources for participants interested in exploring more about the Christian faith and Christianity and science more generally.   In both categories, I'm sure there are better and more comprehensive resources lists out there.  I offer these because I know them and, in one way or another, they have proved helpful to me personally and professionally.

Christianity and/or Psychology:

Christian Counseling and Education Foundation.  An excellent resource for biblical counseling books, conferences, training, and inspiration.    

Desiring God Ministries resources about Christianity and Psychology, and Biblical Counseling.  Resources here include free down-loadable audio files by some true giants of the faith (such as Erroll Hulse, Greg Livingston, and David Powlison) specifically about Christianity and Psychology from a 2001 conference on the topic hosted by John Piper and Bethlehem Baptist Church.  Note that there is also a short Q&A article in which John Piper comments on one of the key questions I addressed tonight and about which I have talked directly with Piper:  "Should Christians become secular psychologists?"

Foundations for Soul Care:  A Christian Psychology Proposal by Eric Johnson.   A monumental tome and a gift to the field.  I don't agree with Johnson on every point, but I do on most.  I haven't yet finished this massive book but I've read enough to know that this is the most thoughtful and scriptural attempt at integration I've read.

Instruments in the Redeemer's Hand:  People in need of change helping people in need of change by Paul David Tripp.   A wise and practical book for anyone with a heart to help others change.  This is explicitly not a book for professional counselors (though most of us can learn from it), but for ordinary Christians who do (and should do) most of the counseling in real life.

Psychology and Christianity: Four Views.   A much-cited book which should be read with caution.  This book needs to be on this list because it provides fertile ground for understanding the range of views on Christianity and Psychology.  But the book has problems, including the way it tends to marginalize and caricature the biblical counseling perspective.  Thoughtful Christians should be on alert for straw man arguments about biblical approaches.

Seeing With New Eyes: Counseling and the Human Condition Through the Lens of Scripture and Speaking Truth In Love both by David Powlison.  Seeing with New Eyes uses the book of Ephesians as an exemplary text for how to conceptualize the core problems human beings struggle with.   Speaking the Truth gives readers the methods and techniques of using God's word to speak into another's life.

Christian faith/Christianity and Science:

The Reason for God by Tim Keller.  I love Tim Keller because of the respect he shows people who doubt or oppose the Christian faith.  He respects them enough to both answer skeptics' questions and to challenge them to scrutinize their own assumptions and beliefs.  This is precisely the approach with which I was lead to the Lord, so I am so thankful to see it embodied here.  The Tim Keller resource page also has a number of outstanding messages that squarely address questions that thoughtful skeptics often ask such as "How an there be just one true religion?", "If God is good, why is there so much evil in the world?", and "Hasn't Christianity been an instrument for oppression?"

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis.  A classic.  Arguments and metaphors presented in the first several chapters, especially, are among the most potent I've read.  This book turned me from mocker to seeker almost overnight.

Science and theology: An introduction by John Polkinghorne.  Polkinghorne, a renowned particle physicist, was the first Christian scientist I ever heard speak;  he gave a talk titled "Why Scientists Should Pray" at the University of Virginia (sponsored by the Center for Christian Study) in 1996.   He has written a number of thoughtful books on the nexus of science and religion, including this one which is generally regarded as this best and most accessible summary.  I do not align with Polkinghorne on every theological point, but he is brilliant and the most intellectually honest voice I've heard in the world of science and faith.

"Christianity and/or Psychology" at Brockport Campus Ambassadors

Campus Ambassadors at SUNY Brockport have invited me to speak at their Common Ground meeting on  on Wednesday, September 16th, 7:30pm at the Seymour College Union.  I'll present a talk and discussion titled, "Christian and/or Psychology."

I'm looking forward to the event for several reasons.  First, I love open dialog about God in academic settings.   One of the most important early influences in my Christian life was the Center for Christian Study in Charlottesville Virginia.  The mission of the center is close to my mission in this talk: "to foster serious consideration in the university environment of a biblical worldview" and "to facilitate wise discussion of the Truth in light of the challenges of contemporary culture."   

Second, a delightful young woman who is a psychology major at the College will share her journey in making sense of Psychology in light of a recent conversion to Christianity.

Third, how I think about the topic mirrors in some ways how I think about my intersection as a Christian with the world of productivity, including GTD.   So I'm looking forward to dedicating some time to think through and formalize the principles involved a little bit more.

So if you are in relationship with the Living God of the Universe, please ask Him to give me his favor and wisdom on Wednesday night.

Godward Toil at Journey Christian Church

For any readers who are in the Rochester area, I'll be giving a three-part seminar on Godward Toil at our church.  The seminar is titled, "Godward Toil:  Peace, purpose and productivity when there's too much to do."  The first session will introduce the series, and lay a biblical foundation for focusing on productivity.  The next two will lead participants to consider various approaches to task management and organization.

Dates:   9-10am on May 18, June 1, June 8  (church service follows at 10:15)
Location, directions, and other info about Journey Christian Church available on the website. 

The seminar is being hosted by the "Indie Link," a group that connects 20-somethings to the church, the Lord, and each other.   Thanks to leaders Tom, Lara, Erica, and Paul for inviting me to share what the Lord has on my heart about productivity.

Eric Mack e-Productivity Conference Going Strong!

Eric Mack's eProductivity conference is going strong in Manila.  He cleverly live-posted text and and picture of his audience as part of one of the sessions to demonstrate the ease and power of setting up a website.

I had the privilege of offering some input on some of the the conference content, and I've been praying for Eric and his team, so it's exciting to see the conference in full swing.

Eric Mack posts from Philippines productivtity conference

Eric Mack blogged this week from a productivity conference in Manila, Philippines that was hosted by a massive  Evangelical church (Cathedral of Praise) there. Eric was the featured speaker.  For anyone interested in the intersection between productivity and Christianity, I recommend reading the posts about the Philippines Conference (and his blog in general).

For those who don't know about Eric Mack, he is a Christian who also is a well-known blogger and eProductivity expert. Eric has worked for many years in the consulting, productivity, and technology worlds. He has worked with David Allen Company for years.  Of interest, he also graduated in 2006 from the Master's College with a degree in business (a speech he gave at 2006 convocation is worth listening to).

Filing for fruitfulness

I got feedback from two of the participants in the pilot seminar that they have begun filing systems!  The first person thought it would take her 4 full weeks to organize all of her papers, but she did it in three concentrated hours!  She's using a simple alphabetical filing system.   Her husband told me, "I haven't seen her smile like that since our wedding day!"   There is such hopefulness in this kind of stewardship of the stuff God gives us.  One feels ready to take whatever next step God asks.  Another participant decided to gain control of her bills and file them in a way that she can track them better.

This was hopeful feedback for me.  I believe each of these people took these steps in faith and with the desire that God receive glory for their small efforts to honor Him.   Nothing feels better than to bring Him glory in how we conduct our busy lives--including how we manage the paper he has ordained to enter our homes.

Godward Toil Pilot Seminar

Last month, my wife and I hosted three couples at our home to participate in a pilot seminar, "Godward Toil:  Peace, purpose, and productivity when there's too much to do."   I worked on the seminar for many months, so it was a joy to finally share it.

The presentation was 2 hours long.  The first half of the seminar focused on theological foundations--what does it mean to "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men," (Col 3:23).   We examined scriptures about how God wants us to approach the full lives he has given us.  The second half revolved around methods for honoring God with all that he puts in our lives.   Much of the second part drew from principles of David Allen's Getting Things Done, and applied them in a God-centered way with a Godward focus.  The aim of the Christian Life is to glorify God in all that we do and feel.  That aim influences how one thinks about and implements GTD methodology or any other system.  In future posts, I hope to share of the mindmaps I presented (using MindManager by Mindjet).

It was a stimulating and enjoyable evening for me.  These were dear friends and sincere Christians--all ready and open to focus on what God wants from them "when there's too much to do."  It showed me how hungry God's people are to honor him more in how we handle the stuff of everyday life.

We had a lot to cover in a short time.  I started about 5 minutes late because of a clinical emergency I had to focus on from work.  Then it took me a few minutes to shift mindset and start.  That was both difficult for me, and a wonderful illustration of how God puts things in our lives that we don't expect or plan on.  At 6pm, he gave me a calling I didn't expect when I scheduled the seminar for 7pm!  That's what the seminar was all about.

Our friends had lots of questions, especially about the practical outworking of the principles.  They asked for examples.  I gave a few glimpses into my own system by showing portions of my task list.  I'm not sure if that was helpful or overwhelming.  I'll have to think about that for future discussions.

I requested feedback via Survey Monkey, and got feedback from 4 of the 7 participants.  It's hard to draw conclusions with that response rate, but at least the ones who responded were highly positive about the training.  I asked All would recommend it to a friend, and all wanted to participate in a follow-up.  Interestingly, when I asked people to rank what they most wanted in a follow-up seminar, extensive Q&A was at the top of the list.   I'll be sure to incorporate that feedback.

Overall, I am so thankful about how the evening went.  I felt like I honored God in how I talked about his work in our lives and how I handled the Scriptures.  I enjoyed doing it in that special, inexplicable way that one enjoys working in the Spirit, doing exactly what He wants at a particular moment.   And, I think my friends left with some concrete ways they could honor God more with their lives.