This is immense. Jesus praying to the Father. He addresses Him and says, ” Father, the hour has come …” and then, later on, this.
And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. -John 17:5
Executing the same tasks with machine-like precision over and over and over again, like one of Adam Smith’s nail-cutters, offered a special kind of enjoyment. There was no reflection, no question about what my job required of me, and I could indulge, for hours, in the straightforward immediacy of action.
(Dinner and Deception — NYT)
C.S. Lewis argues that it takes a community of people to get to know an individual person. Reflecting on his own friendships, he observed that some aspects of one of his friend’s personality were brought out only through interaction with a second friend. That meant if he lost the second friend, he lost the part of the first friend that was otherwise invisible.
“By myself I am not large enough to call the whole man into activity; I want other lights than my own to show all his facets.”
Prayer (by Keller)
This is from the appendix of the excellent Smartest Kids in the World. I thought it was tremendous.
I don’t even need to comment on this.
David Foster Wallace on worship: https://t.co/t3viVnfhch pic.twitter.com/gsVIZ8N5kz
— Justin Taylor (@between2worlds) July 27, 2015
"Christians are not so much in danger when they are persecuted as when they are admired." Spurgeon
— C.J. Mahaney (@CJMahaney) July 8, 2015
Man, this is tremendous.
“What draws people to be friends is that they see the same truth. They share it.” ~ #CSLewis
— C. S. Lewis (@CSLewisDaily) July 7, 2015
I could post something Seth Godin wrote every single day. This in particular stuck out to me today, though. On writing things people aren’t expecting:
The unexpected doesn’t work because it’s surprising. It works because it’s valuable. Valuable because it brings new truth, because it says something we didn’t already know.
But unexpected writing isn’t merely important, it’s a miracle. If we already knew what we needed to hear from you, we wouldn’t need you to say it.
This from Albert Mohler on reading good books (or the best books) is excellent:
Reading is an individual act that, at its best, overflows into our relationships, conversations, and generous sharing. Good books make us think as we read and reflect. The best books make us think deeply, without the overwhelming sense that thinking is what we are doing. Enjoy reading worthy books, summertime or anytime.
I wish I would have read this five years ago when I started blogging.
If I write snark, sarcasm or biting satire, I reveal I love ideas more than people. Lord, help me embrace the rare ministry of civil speech.
— Jen Wilkin (@jenniferwilkin) April 22, 2015