?But blessed are those who trust in the LORD,?whose confidence is in him.??They will be like a tree planted by the water?that sends out its roots by the stream.?It does not fear when heat comes;?its leaves are always green.?It has no worries in a year of drought?and never fails to bear fruit.? (Jeremiah 17:7-8) I […]
An Upside to Monotony
We have enjoyed getting to know Dennis Okholm. He is the author of?Monk Habits for Everyday People. Dennis is a theology professor and often leads communion at our church. Here is a great excerpt from his book: ?[quoting Michael Casey] The purpose of the relentless sameness of the monastic round is to create a climate […]
Ministering from Solitude
?Solitude spiritualizes the whole [person], transforms [them], body and soul, from a carnal to a spiritual being. It can only do so in the Spirit of Christ Who elevates our whole being in God, and does not divide [a person?s] personality against itself like those false asceticisms which St. Paul knew to be enemies of […]
A Victory of Transforming Love
?We must not forget that, in the Roman Empire, Christ won, and won against tremendous odds. He won because the faith in Christ really changed the lives of countless weak men and made them bold as lions. He has taken poor creatures who could not even understand the language of moral philosophy and shaken the […]
God Loves Beauty
I recently browsed some quotations from Frank Laubach?s classic book, Letters by a Modern Mystic. I love how this one illustrates the connection between enjoying God and seeing the world around me through His eyes: ?One thing I have seen this week is that God loves beauty. Everything He makes is lovely. The clouds, the […]
Do Our Methods Matter?
A while back, I came across this on Twitter: ?The message is sacred but the method can be changed? (quoting Brian Houston, Pastor of Hillsong Church). If I were to paraphrase what I think he is saying, it might be something like, ?What God says by His Spirit in the scriptures is unchanging, while […]
Even Your Worst Can Be Transformed
You may be aware of the musical tradition of Taiz??simple contemplative songs sung in community. Brother Roger was the founder of this community in Taiz?, France.?Here is an?extended entry from his writings: In each person there is a portion of solitude which no human intimacy can ever fill. Yet you are never alone. Let yourself […]
