“Seek God, not happiness — this is the fundamental rule of all meditation. If you seek God alone, you gain happiness that is its promise.”- Dietrich Bonhoeffer “Christ is not valued at all unless He is valued above all.”- Augustine In Chapter 12 (“Clematis”) of WayMaker, Ann Voskamp observes that place that stretch your limits […]
“Christianity is a faith based on belief in historical realities and truths, but it is also a spiritual union with Christ through the resurrection. So holding to sound doctrine is absolutely essential and yet insuffient at the same time. We are to examine ourselves whether the truth is shaping the habitual affections of our hearts […]
“Though taking ten or twenty minutes to meditate may seem like a self-indulgent luxury, without it we will only have our distracted, depleted selves to offer. A practice that centers us, refreshes us, and enables us to offer more of ourselves to God and others is wise stewardship of the only gift — the gift […]
Can You Still Trust God?. . . Choose to Believe (Thomas Nelson, 2021) The full title of Dr. Charles F. Stanley’s latest book is Can You Still Trust God? What Happens When You Choose to Believe. Dr. Stanley founded In Touch Ministries and also serves as Pastor Emeritus of First Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA. He […]
“It is in the midst of such constant turmoil that the believer stands in great need of the quieting effects of meditation, so that he may distill God’s voice from the noise of everyday living. God gave the practice of meditation . . . to all HIs children so that we might better relate to […]
My favorite meditative walk involves hiking a 1.7 mile trail around Mallard Lake at the Wehr Nature Center in Hales Corners, WI. On September 17, 2020, I spotted a great blue heron perched on a fallen tree that crossed a small river. That heron went about its hunting, unperturbed by my presence. Blue herons range […]
“Suffering of whatever kind, with whatever it may bring your way, creates a focused awareness that is part of the burden that every sufferer bears. . . . This new awareness becomes fertile soil for a new set of fears that have the power to shape the way you interpret and live your life.”- Paul […]
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”- Psalm 119:105 “You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”- Psalm 16:11 In Chapter 4 of Waiting on God, Charles Stanley presents four ways […]
Today John Ortberg continues Chapter 11 of Soul Keeping with the second movement in the Cycle of Grace, Sustenance– or sustaining grace. 2. Sustenance. Pastor Ortberg states that Jesus engaged in specific practices that enabled Him to keep replenishing His spirit: prayer, maintaining a circle of close friends (the twelve disciples), regular corporate worship at […]
Prayer (Dutton, 2014) Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God is the latest book by Timothy Keller, founder and pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City. Pastor Keller introduces the book by emphasizing that any book on the essentials of prayer must treat all three aspects: theological, experiential (devotional), and methodological. Prayer is […]
Today’s blog incorporates the final three elements of Timothy Keller’s suggested frame work for prayer- Word prayer, free prayer, and contemplation. 3. Word prayer. Pastor Keller states that Martin Luther gives us an important and often overlooked step in daily prayer. Before he moved on to free-form prayer, Luther took time to “pray the text” […]
In Chapter 15 (“Practice: Daily Prayer”) of Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God, Timothy Keller outlines his suggested framework for daily prayer, emphasizing that neither the details nor the order is written in stone. The framework consists of evocation, meditation, Word prayer, free prayer, and contemplation. Evocation and meditation are discussed today. 1. Evocation. […]