Devotion
As the Ruin Falls (C S Lewis)
All this is flashy rhetoric about loving you. I never had a selfless thought since I was born. I am mercenary and self-seeking through and through: I want God, you, all friends, merely to serve my turn. Peace, re-assurance, pleasure, are the goals I seek, I cannot crawl one inch outside my proper skin: I […]
Gratefulness: the Key to Happiness (David Steindl-Rast)
Today (31/12/2013) I watched a recently-recorded TED talk by David Steindl-Rast. Some have said the mantle of Thomas Merton has fallen on this gentle Benedictine monk. I remember when he came to Melbourne in the 1980s and a small group of us were privileged to spend a day with him, sitting in a circle in […]
New Year Prayer (Karl Barth)
KARL BARTH’S PRAYER FOR THE NEW YEAR O Lord, our Father! We have gathered here at the turn of the year because we do not want to be alone but want to be with each other, and together be united with you. Our hearts are filled with somber thoughts as we reflect on our misdeeds […]
Q&R Foreword, Introduction, Contents, Chapter One: Good & Evil
QUESTIONS AND RESPONSES FOREWORD When someone makes an appointment to see me, a ¢â‚¬Ëœgeneralist ¢â‚¬â„¢ pastoral counselor, what do we talk about? Short answer: anything at all that ¢â‚¬â„¢s important for them. Within the first five minutes I invite my parishioner/client to ¢â‚¬Ëœgive me a headline or two ¢â‚¬â„¢. And, then, mostly, we jump into the deep end. […]
TWO WOLVES
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, “My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all. “One is Evil – It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, […]
THE WORLD IS MINE
Today, upon a bus, I saw a very beautiful woman and wished I were as beautiful. When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobble down the aisle. She had one leg and used a crutch. But as she passed, she passed a smile. Oh, God, forgive me when I whine. I have […]
A Blessing for Carers
A friend sent this: quite encouraging for someone like myself at the moment, who’s caring for a wife battling cancer with the help of chemo/radiotherapy: See here: Cancer: What Works and What’s Crazy, for more… ~~ Poem or blessing from John O’Donohue, in your role as carer for Jan. In this fragile frontier place, your […]
The Wisdom of Socrates
Ancient Greece, 469-399 BC. Socrates: lauded for his wisdom. The philosopher meets an acquaintance who excitedly exclaims, “Socrates, do you know what I just heard about one of your students?” “Just a moment,” Socrates replies. “Before you tell me I’d like you to take the Test of Three.” “Test of Three? Alright…” “Okay,” Socrates continues. […]
A Christian Confederate Soldier’s Prayer
A Christian Confederate Soldier’s Prayer (Anon – alleged to have been found on a CSA casualty at the Devil’s Den, Gettysburg) I asked God for strength, that I might achieve. I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey. I asked for health, that I might do greater things. I was given infirmity, […]
Coming alive and staying alive: your ‘gifts’ and God’s ‘calling’
by Nils von Kalm http://soulthoughts.com There has been a lot written recently about finding God’s calling on your life. It generally centres around finding out what makes you come alive and then going out and doing it. The common line is that where your gifts and the world’s needs collide, there lies your calling. Now […]
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