Even doing Contemplative Things leads to Burnout!

They are telling pastors today that if they are burned out, they really need to go to a restful retreat and learn to be silent(1). You know, read a book by a contemplative priest, and find your true self by practicing Lectio Divina, centering praying and the exercises of Jesuit priest Ignatius of Loyola. Well, here is an interesting thing. A pastor who works closely with the increasingly popular Trappist wannabe Peter Scazzero says that...

Even The Contemplative Struggle With Burnout
pastorforlife.org

The article mentions a prominent Jesuit priest who recently quit due to burn out (see Prominent Jesuit quits). I guess in Scazzero jargon that means his emotional and spiritual health were out of whack.

So now even RW himself is offering you Scazzero's form of spiritual health, which entails chanting with the trappist monks at 3am and performing fixed hours of prayer and meditation exercises (see here at 4:20). They, and others, may tell you that these things will help you avoid burnout, and it might seem like a cool thing to do for a while, and it will certainly make one feel religious and supposedly emotionally and spiritually mature. Sure, you can do the Ignatius thing all you want, but the truth is that EVERYTHING YOU DO will lead to burnout! The only way you are going to be emotionally and spiritually healthy, balanced, and effective is to be filled up to overflowing with the power of the Holy Spirit through abiding in the Vine. That means reading His Word, obeying it, being broken before Him, and resting and renewing our minds in Him daily - not DOING daily traditions, ancient rituals, breathing exercises and eastern religious practices like chanting and repeating prayers.

After just telling someone last night that we must tell the truth with gentleness, I have went and gone and done it again...I have ranted. Well, maybe if I rant long enough, some of the hypnotized sheep being silently led down the path to the Mother ship (aka church of Rome) will wake up and run back to the Good Shepherd.

Related:

EHS Part 1
foolsonly.blogspot.com

RICK WARREN AND PETER SCAZZERO UP TO MONK-EE BUSINESS
apprising.org

10 Scriptural Reasons Not to Be Involved with Rick Warren’s “Broad Way” Christianity
by Warren Smith

Endnote:

(1) For example: In an article called The pastor’s need to rest and retreat (www.focusonthefamily.ca), Focus on the Family recommends that pastors go to the very contemplative Kerith Creek. [More about that here.]

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*Update:
If you think you have spiritual burnout, religion and spiritual disciplines are not the answer. So how do you find life in Christ when you are spiritually burnt out? Here is some very good advice:
Spiritual Burn Out Or Abundant Life
by Malcom Smith
www.lastdaysministries.org
[Last Days Ministries is the ministry started by the late Keith Green.]