quotes

Buechner On Glory

“Glory is to God what style is to an artist.” With these words, Frederick Buechner cracks open a fascinating definition of ‘glory’ in Wishful Thinking: A Seeker’s ABC.  He goes on: A painting by Vermeer, a sonnet by Donne, a Mozart aria — each is so rich with the style of the one who made [...]

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Lesslie Newbigin: Power of a Believing Community

Lesslie Newbigin explains how the Jesus-message can make sense and have impact on our culture: How can this strange story of God made flesh, of a crucified Savior, of resurrection and new creation become credible for those whose entire mental training has conditioned them to believe that the real world is the world which can [...]

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Perfectionism Is the Voice of the Oppressor

In her book, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, Anne Lamott writes with piercing insight about the human tendency toward perfectionism: Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane you whole life … I think perfectionism is based on the obsessive [...]

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Becoming Accident-Prone

Phillip Yancey, in his book, Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?, writes: A rabbi taught that experiences of God can never be planned or achieved. “They are spontaneous moments of grace, almost accidental.” His student asked, “Rabbi, if God-realization is just accidental, why do we work so hard doing all these spiritual practices?” The rabbi [...]

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Buechner: Live the Mystery

Frederick Buechner, in his book, Wishful Thinking: A Seeker’s ABC, writes: There are mysteries which you can solve by taking thought. For instance, a murder mystery whose mysteriousness must be dispelled in order for the truth to be known. There are other mysteries which do not conceal a truth to think your way to but [...]

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Buechner: Thoughts on Principles

Frederick Buechner writes in his book, Wishful Thinking: A Seeker’s ABC: Principles are what people have instead of God. To be a Christian means among other things to be willing if necessary to sacrifice even your highest principles for God’s or your neighbor’s sake the way a Christian pacifist must be willing to pick up [...]

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