Category Archives: Spiritual classics
Mystery not mastery
I would love to close this book with something more substantial than empty faith, unattached love, and hopeless hope. I would love to be able to make practical suggestions about how to identify and claim the transformative qualities of the … Continue reading
Posted in Spiritual classics, Spiritual life, religion
Tagged dark night of the soul, Gerald May
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Active and passive moves in prayer
If you find these reflections useful to you, that’s my goal. I’d love to hear from you. Thank you for stopping by. Loss of pastoral care and counseling centers and training programs I first encountered Gerald May through his book Will … Continue reading
Posted in Spiritual classics, Spiritual life, prayer, reading, religion
Tagged dark night of he soul, G. May, joy, prayer
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What does it mean to “be in Christ”?
Left: Bonhoeffer As I read A Testament to Freedom, Essential Writings of Bonhoeffer, I think I’ll wrestle with what I read here. I’ve completed the introductory life, and am struck again as I was when reading Bethge’s biography of the … Continue reading
Posted in Spiritual classics, reading, religion, social issues
Tagged Bonhoeffer, church, in Christ, solidarity
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Les Mis finished!
Left: Victor Hugo I just finished Les Miserables, 1260 pages in the Modern Library translation by Charles Wilbour. If anyone has read the new translation published by the Vintage Classics, please comment. I’d like to compare translations, because I’ve read … Continue reading
Posted in Spiritual classics, literature classics, reading, social issues
Tagged Les Miserables, reading, self image
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The Moth and the Flame, a parable
The following is from Les Miserables (Project Gutenburg) St. Denis, Bk 7, “Slang.” Hugo defends recording slang, which he calls the language of misery. Then, as is typical, after several pages I forced myself to read, I found this: Thoughtful … Continue reading
Posted in Spiritual classics, literature classics, reading, social issues
Tagged Les Miserables, reading
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Stations of the Cross
Growing up Southern Baptist in El Paso, Texas, in the 1950s and -60s, my father converted from Catholicism, I was imbrued with dislike, suspicion, even hatred of all things Catholic. In seminary taking a class on the classics of Christian … Continue reading
Posted in Spiritual classics, Spiritual life, religion
Tagged prayer, religion, Stations of the Cross
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Deenabandhu, Friend of the Poor
It’s freaky (at least some people will think so) to make friends with the dead. You could say that’s what I’ve been doing over the past few months, reading up on Charlie Andrews (1871-1940), friend of Gandhi, British missionary and … Continue reading
To George with much love from Charlie July 9, 1933
The used book bug’s bit me. It’s such fun to find classic books, and get them at a bargain. Sandy, who opened the package containing the book Christ in the Silence, called out, “Hon, this book is signed.” I checked … Continue reading
CFA Christ’s Faithful Apostle
I noticed C.F. Andrews, the Anglican missionary, friend of Gandhi, in the film about the great Indian leader. What struck me was his ability to get past the racism of his day and recognize in Gandhi the extraordinary leader he … Continue reading
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Jesus in I and Thou
I’ve found four references to Jesus of Nazareth in I and Thou: Jesus and love (not a feeling): his response to a demon-possessed man, to the beloved disciple; his bold risk “nailed his life long to the cross of the … Continue reading
