Cappadocia & Spiritual Formation

Okay, so I've been doing some reading about Gregory Nazianzen. Not exactly your household name, Gregory was a bishop in the 4th century in what is modern-day Turkey. He came from a wealthy family and was used to the comfortable life, even though he was at times embarrassed by it. He would often flee his clerical duties for periods of retreat among monastic communities that had recently started to develop and grow.

He struggled to find a balance between a "life of action" and a "life of contemplation." He knew that if you withdraw from people, you may have personal tranquility but you are typically harsh and unable to deal with people. And if you are someone who is constantly working, you may do tremendous good but personally tend to be filled with anxiety. So he advocated a balance between the two, especially for those in ministry. (Though his form of "doing" was pretty much limited to showing up at the church building to preach. He wasn't too skilled with people, I think.)

At any rate, this got me thinking in two directions. First, I would love to take my family to visit Turkey. I mapped out a possible itinerary even though I know that no such trip is in our upcoming future. The history of that country is amazing. That area was basically Christian at one time, and you can still trace the imprint of churches throughout the various regions of Turkey. One of the major mosques in Istanbul, for example, has been converted from a cathedral (Hagia Sophia) that rivalled St. Peter's cathedral in Rome.

I visited Turkey when I was young, naive and single. Spent 10 days there with a guy named Keith. We weren't actually planning to spend 10 days in Turkey, but that's another long story in and of itself. We did manage to enjoy ourselves. I remember the long bus rides between cities on these luxury Mercedes coaches. Good way to travel. The most vivid memories that I am willing to currently mention are of the Museum of Hittite Culture in Ankara and the ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus. Amazing.

Second, I am thinking about my own balance in ministry. I am an active person who likes to work. But I also know how valuable it is to sometimes sit, listen and contemplate. I know ministers who favor one side over the other. Some "one-sided" folks aren't effective, but some are in spite of this imbalance. It has me wondering if balance really is the key or if the Lord can somehow work with our imbalance if we let him. I DO want to be balanced. But more importantly, I want God to be glorified. Do I have to be completely balanced for that to happen? I'm not so sure.

Maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree here. Like I said, I'm thinking about this and don't claim to have the answers. At least not yet...