This Sunday’s readings: Psalm 14

Reflections

No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main… Any man’s death diminishes me, for I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
~John Donne 1572-1631, English poet, scholar and cleric

Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him. Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.
~ Proverbs 26:4-5

Before a man speaks it is always safe to assume that he is a fool. After he speaks, it is seldom necessary to assume it.
~ H.L. Mencken, 1880—1956, Essayist/Satirist

Confront the dark parts of yourself, and work to banish them with illumination and forgiveness. Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your ‘angels’ to sing.
~ August Wilson, 1945-2005, American Playwright

The most fundamental aggression to ourselves, the most fundamental harm we can do to ourselves, is to remain ignorant by not having the courage and the respect to look at ourselves honestly and gently.
~ Pema Chödrön, 1936- , When Things Fall Apart, American Tibetan-Buddhist

If you do not know where you come from, then you don’t know where you are, and if you don’t know where you are, then you don’t know where you’re going. And if you don’t know where you’re going, you’re probably going wrong.
~ Terry Pratchett, I Shall Wear Midnight

If every reference to faith in God were removed from the scripture, would it make any difference to how you live as a Christian?
~ Francis Schaeffer, Pastor, Founder of La Bri

This Sunday’s readings: Psalm 11

Reflections

Escape to God alone if you want to escape from Him. Escape by confessing and not by hiding. Tell Him ‘You are my shelter’ and so let the only love, which grants life, to grow inside you.
~ St. Augustine of Hippo

Fear is strange. It will convince us to guard ourselves from the people that only want to love us. We think we’re keeping ourselves safe by keeping ourselves from love. God didn’t make our hearts to be impenetrable nor has He commanded us to make fear our refuge.
~Jack Hill Perry, contemporary writer and hip-hop artist

We do not render to him the honor which is his due unless we are fully persuaded that his judgment seat is a sacred sanctuary for all who are in affliction and unrighteously oppressed.
~ John Calvin, 1509-1564, reformation leader on Psalm 11

To walk before God means so to walk as to have the thought of God’s presence and supervision constantly in mind, and to shape one’s conduct accordingly.
~ Geerhardus Vos, 1862-1949, Dutch-American Theologian

Certainly our cultural fallback position seems to be that our technologies will get us out of everything they have got us into. That looks like a magical thinking to me, but we don’t really have a better idea.
~ Paul Kingsnorth, 1972- , English Writer

God’s commands are designed to guide you to life’s very best. You will not obey Him, if you do not believe Him and trust Him. You cannot believe Him if you do not love Him. You cannot love Him unless you know Him.
~ Henry Blackaby, 1935- , founder of Blackaby Ministries

“Let Philip cease to rule the world.”
~ Martin Luther to his friend, Philip Melanchthon