This is such a helpful quotation from James K.A. Smith: “Christian worship, we should recognize, is essentially a counterformation to those rival liturgies we are often immersed in, cultural practices that covertly capture our loves and longings, miscalibrating them, orienting us to rival versions of the good life. This is why worship is the heart of discipleship” (pg25) Continue reading Worship a counter-formation
If I was only allowed to recommend one book to you that I’ve read in 2020, I would reach for James K.A. Smith’s ‘You are what you love‘! Much of the book explores Augustine’s great idea: “You have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you”. It really is a brilliant, brilliant book!I was going to drop in a … Continue reading Bookshelf: My best book from 2020
A simple question, yet one that has stretched the limits of philosophical thought, poetic brilliance and the wordsmithing of songwriters. Here are some answers from some children to this same question: “Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of their.” (Chrissy – age 6)“Love is what makes you smile when … Continue reading What is Love?
“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blamesless for the day of Christ …” Phil 1:9-10 Here is an excellent and challenging comment on these verses from Alec Motyer: “the hymn-writer caught the matter perfectly: … Continue reading How do we love what God loves?
The following are some of the most evocative words I’ve read in a long time. Read them slowly and allow your imagination the space to fill in the full colour and intensity: “In his book Mortal Lessons, by Richard Selzer, MD, writes: I stand by the bed where a young woman lies, her face postoperative, her mouth twisted in palsy, clownish. A tiny twig … Continue reading Twisted Lips: the love of God displayed
“Christ came chiefly for this reason: that we might learn how much God loves us, and might learn this to the end that we begin to glow with love of him by whom we were first loved, and so might love our neighbour at the bidding and after the example of him who made himself our neighbour by loving us.” St. Augustine Continue reading Christ came chiefly for …
Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment made, Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade; To write the love of God above Would drain the ocean dry; Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Though stretched from sky to sky. Continue reading The Love of God by Frederick M. Lehman (1917)
“We draw people to Christ not by loudly discrediting what they believe, by telling them how wrong they are and how right we are, but by showing them a light that is so lovely that they want with all their hearts to know the source of it.” Madeleine L’Engle Continue reading A Light that is so lovely…
“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But … Continue reading To love at all is to be …
“when I get honest, I admit I am a bundle of paradoxes. I believe and I doubt, I hope and get discouraged, I love and I hate, I feel bad about feeling good, I feel guilty about not feeling guilty. I am trusting and suspicious. I am honest and I still play games. Aristotle said I am a rational animal; I say I am an … Continue reading A bundle of paradoxes by Brennan Manning
