This Sunday’s readings: Luke 2:14

Reflections

One of the dangers of living in a constant state of distraction is that we never go to the bottom of our pain, our sadness, our emptiness, which means we never find that rock-bottom place of the peace that passes understanding and rest ourselves there.
~ Ruth Haley Barton, 1960- , Author/Teacher

Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.
~ Luke 2:14

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When the angels show up and say, “Glory to God in the highest,” what is being declared is, There is a beauty on earth now that displaces all other beauties. It lessens other beauties because of how beautiful it is, and there is a magnificence now visible in Christ that lessens the magnificence of other magnificent things.
~ Matt Chandler, 1974- , Pastor/Author

No one can have the peace of God until they are at peace with God.
~ Jack Wellman, Pastor/Writer

We cannot enjoy peace in this world unless we are ready to yield to the will of God in respect of death. Our times are in His hand, at His sovereign disposal. We must accept that as best.
~ John Owen, 1616-1683, English Non-conformist Leader

We cannot merely pray to You, O God, to end war; For we know that You have made the world in a way that man must find his own path to peace within himself and with his neighbor.
~ Jack Reimer, Rabbi

If every man and woman in the world knew what it was to hunger and thirst after righteousness, there would be no danger of war.
~ Martyn Lloyd-Jones, 1899-1981, Welsh Minister and Medical Doctor

The deep truth is that our human suffering need not be an obstacle to the joy and peace we so desire, but can become, instead, the means to it.
~ Henri Nouwen, 1932-1996, Priest and writer

This Sunday’s readings: Matthew 2:13-23

Reflections

If you have a beautiful story, it has to have conflict. If you don’t have conflict, it can’t be a good story.
~ Donald Miller, 1971- , Author

No one who ever met Jesus Christ ever responded moderately to him. The only three things you see people doing when they meet the real Jesus are to run away from him in terror, assault him with fury, or prostrate themselves in utter surrender.
~ John Stott, 1921-2011, Priest/Theologian, Author: Basic Christianity

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If you have not chosen the Kingdom of God first, it will in the end make no difference what you have chosen instead.
~ William Law, 1686-1761, Church of England

If we live in a denial of the realities of our need and we persist in this, we run the risk of existing in this forever. We will move towards something that’s like an asylum. Those in hell are diminished by the fact that they have denied the reality of themselves and the grace of God as well.
~ Dr. Jerry Root, Professor Emeritus, Wheaton College

A revolution is not a bed of roses. A revolution is a struggle between the future and the past.
~ Fidel Castro

Jesus died for our sins not so that we could sort out abstract ideas, but so that we, having been put right, could become part of God’s plan to put his whole world right. That is how the revolution works.
~ N.T. Wright, The Day the Revolution Began

I protect myself by refusing to know myself.
~ Floriano Martins, 1957- , Essayist

I’m convinced that most men don’t know what they believe, rather, they only know what they wish to believe. How many people blame God for man’s atrocities, but wouldn’t dream of imprisoning a mother for her son’s crime?
~ Criss Jami, 1987- , Author: Killosophy