Enlightenment is not about knowing as much as it is about unknowing; it is not s

o much learning as unlearning. It is about surrendering and letting go rather th

an achieving and possessing. ItÕs more about entering the mystery than arriving at
a mental certitude. -Ñ Richard Rohr, On the Threshold of Transformation (p. 38)
There is but one task that we must hold before us and must always perform in the
same mannerÑto call on Jesus Christ, our Lord, entreating Him with a burning hear
t that He would grant us to partake of and to taste the blessings of His Holy Na
me. For constancy is the mother of habit for both virtue and vice, and habit eve
ntually takes over as second nature. -- Saint Hesychius of Jerusalem
A taste of heaven is not yet habit. But such a taste creates the desire for virt
ue.Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive
out hate; only love can do that. -- Martin Luther King
Eucharist comes from the Greek word "to give thanks". Not only should this behav
iour be central to the life of every Christian, but it is that which distinguish
es man from every other created being ... only man has the capacity to offer tha
nks to God for life and every other blessing. Other animals can walk upright. So
me even seem to have the capacity for language. But o far as we know, man alone
has the capacity to realize that he comes into the world with nothing and leaves
with nothing (see Job 1.21). Everything in between is a gift - and worthy of of
fering thanks to the One who provides all things. -- Michael Hyatt
The sad duty of politics, is to establish justice in a sinful world. -- Reinhol
d Neibuhr
I have held many things in my hand and I have lost them all. But whatever I have
placed in GodÕs hands, that I still possess. -- Martin Luther
Self-discipline is the ability to make yourself do something you donÕt necessarily
want to do, to get a result you would really like to have. Ñ- Andy Andrews
... Jesus came to announce the end of religion (humanity's attempt to find God)
and the arrival of love (God's attempt to find us). And loves means reserving ju
dgment, walking in humility and being very long on compassion, which is in stark
contrast to what rule-making can do to us. In what ways do we put rule and ritu
al before basic love for ourselves and others? -- from http://therevchrisyaw.bl
ogspot.com/2009/08/merging.html
...we are not the center of the universe. God is not circling around Tom wright
us....We are in orbit around God and His purposes. -- Copernicus, quoted by Tom
Wright
I thank you Lord, for knowing me better than I know myself, and for letting me k
now myself better than others know me. Make me, I pray, better than they suppose
, and forgive me for what they do not know. -- Abu Bekr, father in law of the P
rophet, and first caliph of Islam
Your talent is God's gift to you; what you do with it is your gift to God. -- L
eo Buscaglia
Learning to say no is how we clear space for a few carefully planted yeses to gr
ow. Saying no to lesser gods is part of saying yes to God... -- Barbara Brown T
aylor
You can sing about the Light, or you can sing about what you see because of the
Light. I prefer the latter. -- T-Bone Burnett
Of all the manifestations of power, restraint impresses men the most. -- Colin P
owell, former US Secretary of State and Head of US Armed Forces
We will win by making our leaders ashamed of themselves as they interact with us
; when they lie, we will shame them with our silence ... we will shame them with
our courage ... we will shame them with our dignity. -- Chinese Christian stude
nt, following the Tianenmen Square massacre of student protestors, June 1989
Bring before God the events of the last 24 hours and the plans for the next. It
will involve the discipline of learning to bring different situations and dilemn
as to God in prayer in the course of a pastoral interview, or a meeting - someti
mes overtly but often in silent prayer for guidance. -- Steven Croft, Ministry i
n Three Dimension, p.80
It will mean time set aside more regularly to listen to and attend to God for th
e future of the whole Church and areas of it and to review the direction of one'
s own ministry. -- Steven Croft, Ministry in Three Dimension, p.80
The best pattern for me over a number of years as an incumbent was to take a day
out every 6 weeks or so to go away to a retreat house and reflect through the d
ay both upon the shape of my ministry and upon the direction and development of
the parish. -- Steven Croft, Ministry in Three Dimension, p.80
The habit of disciplined study of the word of God all too easily slips and is ne
glected in the midst of other competing and conflicting demands of ministry and
work. ... If biblical and other kinds of study survive at all, it can all too ea
sily become 'hand to mouth' reading directed simply towards the preaching of the
next sermon or leading of the next meeting and not the kind of life-giving, con
sistent and rich quarrying of the text envisaged either by the apostles or by th
e bishop's questions in the ordination service. -- Steven Croft, Ministry in Thr
ee Dimension, p.111
Many find John Stott's pattern of study helpful: one hour of study per day, one
day set aside each month and a week set aside each year. -- Steven Croft, Minist
ry in Three Dimension, p.111
All the world would be Christian, were not Christians so unlike their Christ. --
Mahatma Gandhi
The strongest argument for Christianity is Christians, when they are drawing lif
e from God. The strongest argument against Christianity? Also Christians, when t
hey've become exclusive, self-righteous and complacent. -- Sheldon Van Auken
Having thsoe with whom you work believe in you as a pseron of your word is seomt
hing that most of us want very much. To be viewed by others as a man or woman of
integrity is not only personally desirable, but of inegral importance in the wo
rkplace. And if, in your dealings with people, you ever lose your inegrity, you
will not only have lost what is a very precious character trait, but you will ha
ve lost an essential requisite of an effective leader. -- Tony Campolo, 'Everyth
ing you heard is wrong'