In his wonderful book The Land Between, Jeff Manion talks about persevering during our time of transformational growth: “The knowledge and depth of character Joseph gained on his detour is rarely the outcome of reading an inspirational book. That kind of character has to be forged.” Only a time of significant trial produces produces maturity and completeness: […]
Are you content with your current status in your journey toward healing and ministry revision, or do you struggle with discontent? Do you focus on the particular ministry you lost or are you seeking ministry opportunities wherever God has placed you at the present moment? Albert Schweittzer (cited by Kurt Senske in The Calling) one […]
In my cable channel-surfing, I occasionally look in on one of the many poker shows on in the late evening. I’ve noticed that a frequent player move is to go “all in”, having reached the point of no return. It’s all or nothing. Has the Lord brought you to that point in your Christian walk? Medieval German theologian, philosopher, […]
In our pursuit of worldly goals and ambitions, God can easily be pushed aside. In Matthew 6:21, Jesus warns; “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” It may take a major life crisis for us to realize how much our priorities are skewed. Episcopal priest and author Barbara Cawthorne Crafton (cited by Kurt Senske […]
Cardinal Emmanuel Suhard, Archbishop of Paris from 1940-1949-which included the time of the Nazi occupation during World War II, had this comment about how one truly gives witness to his/her Christian faith: “To be a witness does not consist in engaging propaganda, not even in stirring people up, but in being a living mystery. It […]
French philosopher Simone Weil comments on the greatness of Christianity: “The extreme greatness of Christianity lies in the fact that it does not seek a supernatural remedy for suffering, but a supernatural use for it.”
In his spiritual classic My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers had this to say about times of darkness in our lives: “Are you in the dark just now in your circumstances, or in your life with God? Then remain quiet. If you open your mouth in the dark, you will talk in the wrong […]
God’s timing is everything. As impatient as we might get, trying to hurry God or take matters into our own hands will be counterproductive. Theologian Kosuke Koyama (quoted in Tony Lane, The Lion Concise Book of Christian Thought), described God’s walk in this way: “God walks ‘slowly’ because he is love. If he is not […]
In his book The Land Between, Jeff Manion offers this caveat regarding one’s time in the Land Between, an undesired place between more desirable places: “This book is not intended be a how-to manual on locating a swift exit ramp from the Land Between.” While it is human nature to want to avoid or remove uncomfortable […]
In his book Ordinary Saints: An Introduction to the Christian Life, Robert Benne compares the Christian life to the natural act of breathing. He writes, “The Christian life is like breathing in ( pulling our souls into the life-sustaining power of the Spirit) and breathing out (expending that life-giving power to others). The Christian life […]
In our fast-paced and wordy world, the bombardment of white noise often masks the voice of God calling to us. Kurt Senske adds; “But even hearing does not mean we are listening, which results in being obedient and having the courage to accept what God has in store for us.” Catholic theologian Henri Nouwen once […]
In his book The Calling: Living a Life of Significance, Kurt Senske says he believes people make with regard to their calling: (1) asking what I want to do with my life instead of what God wants me to do with my life; (2) focusing on obtaining some distant or future goal as opposed to […]