Sunday September 18, 2022 — Fall Series — Knowing God: The Only One

Reflections

One who sees his life as a voyage of discovery and runs the risk of failure has a better feel for faithfulness than the timid man who hides behind the law and never finds out who he is at all.
~ Brennan Manning: The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out

The worst part of success is trying to find someone who is happy for you.
~ Bette Midler

“All husbands are unfaithful in one way or another.” Lillian and Daisy glanced at each other with raised brows. “Father isn’t,” Lillian replied smartly.
Mercedes responded with a laugh that sounded like crackling leaves being crushed underfoot. “Isn’t he, dear? Perhaps he has stayed true to me physically—one can never be certain about these things. But his work has proved a more jealous and demanding mistress than a flesh-and-blood woman could ever be. All his dreams are invested in that collection of buildings and employees and legalities that absorb him to the exclusion of all else. If my competition had been a mortal woman, I could have borne it easily, knowing that passion fades and beauty lasts but an instant. But his company will never fade or sicken—it will outlast us all. If you have a year of your husband’s interest and affection, it will be more than I have ever had.
~ Lisa Kleypas, It Happened One Autumn

What is kinder—to believe the best of people and burden them with a nobility beyond their endurance—or to see them as they are, and accept it because it makes them comfortable?
~ Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead

Action expresses priorities.
~ Mahatma Gandhi

This Sunday’s readings: Exodus 20:1-6

Sunday September 11, 2022 — Fall Series: Knowing God — How Shall We Know Him?

Reflections

God cannot be Word-less, for the Word is God…. Since God cannot be without this Word, he simply could not ever be reclusive.
~Michael Reeves, president of Union School of Theology (Oxford)

Be sure to taste your words before you spit them out.
~Anonymous

The greatest sorrow and burden you can lay on the Father, the greatest unkindness you can do to him is not to believe that he loves you.
~ John Owen, 1616-1683

It were a good [contest] amongst Christians, one to labor to give no offence, and the other to labor to take none. The best men are severe to themselves, tender over others.
~ Richard Sibbes 1577-1635, English theologian

The strength of a person’s character would then be measured by how much ‘truth’ he could tolerate, or more precisely, to what extent he needs to have it diluted, disguised, sweetened, muted, falsified.
~ Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil

Listen with curiosity. Speak with honesty. Act with integrity. The greatest problem with communication is we don’t listen to understand. We listen to reply. When we listen with curiosity, we don’t listen with the intent to reply. We listen for what’s behind the words.
~ Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

This Sunday’s readings: Jeremiah 31:31-34