Summary of Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero - Book Report/Review Example

Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Key Points of the Book The book ‘Emotionally Healthy Spirituality’ by Peter Scazzero highlights the importance of being emotionally mature whilst gaining or aiming for spiritual maturity. It is based on self-reflection, as well as critique of overall humane probabilities that are often viewed as beneficial, but culminate in hindering one’s spiritual progression. Scazzero, a pastor of a church that was growing began facing problems in his personal life as his wife Geri, decided to quit church and doubted his attention and love for his family. This made Scazzero question the transgressions that resulted in his emotional insufficiency towards his family and personal needs. Scazzero expertly defines the ten things that kept him from being spiritually unhealthy, pointing out the universal truth that most of the disciples are likely to follow. Throughout the course of the book however, he provides solution to each one of the unhealthy habits concerning spirituality, and explores in greater detail the effects that are brought about by correcting one’s emotional and spiritual health. Scazzero, being a pastor of the New Life Fellowship Church in a city like New York, often encountered people from a wide array of cultures. Thus, he defined the lack of spiritual health with ten symptoms that included: following God only in order to satisfy one’s own whims and wishes and not being concerned about following God when difficulties present themselves, being dishonest with one’s own self as well as others about the sufferings that are undergone on a daily basis and failure to admit them, denying simple pleasures of life that are granted by God, denying the relationship of past life with the present, shying away from obtaining inner peace, doing everything at once, and finding faults in others. These essential problems are to be recognized before attempting to follow the path of self-renewal. In order to treat the aforementioned symptoms of spiritual unhealthiness, Scazzero points out how effectively to boost emotional health and contemplative spirituality so as to promote a healthy discipleship as well as to enjoy personal life alongside. Emotional health concerns include naming and understanding opinions and interpersonal connections, learning how to self-evaluate strengths and weaknesses, breaking free of the control that the past has over the present, expressing needs and developing tolerance others. Contemplative spirituality focuses instead on communicating with God, surrendering to rest, practice and love others out of sheer love for God, adopting old practices that comply with recent ways of prayer for God, and living in a community that loves and follows the teachings of Jesus. Employing these practices to all aspects of life would then render greater peace and stability, rendering a firm hold of God’s love in one’s life. They would also assist the formation of an emotionally, and spiritually mature worshipper. In all, Scazzero broadly covers all the paradigms of a devout, modern Christian’s life. The fact that a disciple may end up disregarding either emotional health or contemplative spirituality in the process of prayer and practice is explored and aimed to be corrected in the light of the Scripture, and by being compared to practices in the past. It aims to scatter the hypocrisy that is prevalent in most of the churches, and often accompanies the evangelical practitioners. Apart from merely offering self-reflections, this book offers the solution to becoming a better Christian and above all, a better human. Quotes from the Book "Christian spirituality, without an integration of emotional health, can be deadly—to yourself, your relationship with God, and the people around you." (7) "It is not possible to be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature." (17) "The sad reality is that most of us will not go forward until the pain of staying where we are is unbearable." (21) "The world is filled with illusions and pretense. We convince ourselves that we cannot live without certain earthly pleasures, accomplishments, and relationships. We become "attached" (or "addicted," to use a contemporary word). We attach our wills to the belief that something less than God will satisfy us." (57) "One of our greatest obstacles in knowing God is our own lack of self-knowledge. So we end up wearing a mask—before God, ourselves, and other people. And we can't become self-aware if we cut of our humanity out of fear our feelings."(73) "Silence and solitude are so foundational to emotionally healthy spirituality that they are a theme repeated throughout this book." (86) "The great news of Christianity is that your biological family of origin does not determine your future." (103) "When we do not process before God the very feelings that make us human, such as fear or sadness or anger, we leak. Our churches are filled with ‘leaking’ Christians who have not treated their emotions as a discipleship issue. Grieving is not possible without paying attention to our anger and sadness. Most people who fill churches are ‘nice’ and ‘respectable.’ Few explode in anger—at least in public. The majority, like me, stuff these ‘difficult feelings,’ trusting that God will honor our noble efforts. The result is that we leak through in soft ways such as passive-aggressive behavior (e.g., showing up late), sarcastic remarks, a nasty tone of voice, and the giving of the ‘silent treatment.’" (143-144) "The Daily Office and Sabbath are ropes that lead us back to God in the blizzards of life. They are anchors for living in the hurricane of demands. When done as a "want to" rather than a "have to," they offer us a rhythm for our lives that binds us to the living God." (155) Critique and Personal Application The book begins in a self-reflective tone. Scazzero describes his wife’s reaction as the going started to get tough. For a disciple who is at the prime of his position in working towards pleasing God and is experiencing discrepancies in managing his own life along with working towards the betterment of his church, this book is exemplary. The book is time-consuming, if it is read, focused upon and reflected. One needs to savor the elements of the book rather than sift through them, in order to understand the essence of it. Reading it more than once, may enhance its effect on a believer, and help realize the finer aspects of spiritual and emotional health that are necessary for propagation of devotion towards God. The book appears to provide medicine for the battered souls. This is because it starts of as a sort of reminder of the signs and symptoms of believers who are ailed by differences in their worldly practices – where a devotee fervently calls out to God and motivates other people to do the same and the actual emotions and behavior that trouble his mind and effect his personal life – such as anger, dissatisfaction and the general lack of peace in his life. Scazzero interestingly, does not immediately offer the solution, rather takes time to recognize the damage that this poses to a believer’s lifestyle as well as the injury that his relations and own self suffers in the long run. This holistic view of the world and a true disciple’s relationship with it are appreciated as they amalgamate theoretical psychological concepts with dimensions of a devout Christian’s spirituality. Then, as a doctor would, Scazzero explores the various ways in which the richness of spirituality and the stable and healthy emotional encounters can be enjoyed by a worshipper. The key element of such a treatment rests in Genesis 1:27 that is the proclamation that God created man as an image of himself. Scazzero dissects it to a great length and proposes that foregoing spiritual contemplation and emotional health whilst practicing religion devotedly is to forego the chief aspects of being human in the light of the Scripture. In this context, he defines the importance of prayer and the sabbatical, relating it often to taking a sort of emotional vacation from the daily hues of emotion that one tends to suppress in order to do good by all. He also highlights these aspects when recognizing the anger, grief and weaknesses and strengths are mentioned. The idea of reflecting upon them and successfully communicate these to others is promoted, resulting in an open channel of communication that leads to honest conversations and their prompt treatment. This book has been claimed to be life-changing, and indeed has changed many an aspects of the life I have lived. What appeared to be the most interesting aspect of this book is the fact that I have started viewing everything with a positive, rather than a negative outlook. The Church and its disciples often struck me as extraordinary people of resilience and firm adherence to the code of law that the Scripture calls them to be. Many a times I have also wondered whether they are truly Christian in their modern dealings – as social media and television often serve as reminders that not every Christian, or clergyman is worth following or appreciating, as they may be hypocritical and not follow the practices that they preach. The psychological evaluation of how the world responds to changes in one’s persons and its relation to theology has also made the book seem more practical than other self-help books for devotees. This book offers a way to make peace with everyone; regardless of their principles or practices. It has helped me recognize many an areas of hypocrisy that I had never even thought about in my dealings with being a true Christian as well as my personal life. It has helped me realize things that instigate my anger, grief and happiness and has taught me to face them, to confront others about them and vocalize my concern, thus promoting a healthy dialogue instead of passive-aggressive behavior that would have resulted ordinarily. I am grateful to this book and owe the major changes in my attitude towards worship and devotion to it. The most appreciable aspect of this book is its tone. It speaks both to the masses as well as appears to be communicating only to the person who is reading it. It recounts the various times of distress that a person may have faced and how God’s infinite mercy has helped them to pass all the difficult times and enter the safe haven of His worship. The book is not limited to the niceties that seem phony, rather address the heart of the matter and deal with the faults in religious dealings directly. However, this objective tone of the book may not be beneficial of those who are going through a tough time in making various important decisions regarding following the Scripture or those who are depressed and cannot see clearly the dimensions of God’s love and mercy on his disciples. It is definitely a great source for those who wish to pursue God’s happiness and have reached the level of devotion that is little short of becoming perfect. Reference Scazzero, P. (2014). Emotionally healthy spirituality: Unleash a revolution in your life in Christ. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. Read More