Thursday, May 31, 2012

God arguments

 
“Arguing whether or not a God exists is like
fleas arguing whether or not the dog exists.

Arguing over the correct name of God is like
fleas arguing over the name of the dog.

And arguing over whose notion of God is correct is like
fleas arguing over who owns the dog.”

 Robert Fulghum


Mark Godfrey cartoon from here

Thursday, May 24, 2012

both/and


“If we maintain the open-mindedness of children,
we challenge fixed ideas and established structures,
including our own.
We listen to people in other denominations and religions.
We don't find demons in those with whom we disagree.
We don't cozy up to people who mouth our jargon.
If we are open, we rarely resort to either-or:
either creation or evolution,
liberty or law,
sacred or secular,
Beethoven or Madonna.
We focus on both-and, fully aware that God's truth
cannot be imprisoned in a small definition. ”
Brennan Manning

L.E.J. Maroski diagrams are from here

Monday, May 14, 2012

the least we can do


“Beauty and grace are performed
whether or not we will or sense them.
The least we can do is try to be there.”

-Annie Dillard,
The Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
 
photo from Hawaiian Botanical Gardens

Thursday, May 3, 2012

discipline

“In the spiritual life, the word 'discipline' means 'the effort
to create some space in which God can act'.
Discipline means to prevent everything in your life
from being filled up.
Discipline means that somewhere you're not occupied,
and certainly not preoccupied…
to create that space in which something can happen
that you hadn't planned or counted on.”
-Henri Nouwen
so discipline doesn’t have to be some harsh attempt
at getting it right?  good news!

photo taken in Kona – I loved the rock walls- so sacred

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

listen

“It is not in differing from one another
that disunity arises-
it is in not listening to God
and each other.”
- Kenneth Sutton