Brian Allain

From “Secrets in the Dark: A Life in Sermons” by Frederick Buechner Do not misunderstand me about moralists. The ecclesiastical body to which I am answerable as a minister would, I am sure, take a rather dim view of it if I were to say, “Down with moralists!” But as a matter of fact that […]

From “The Language of the Soul: Meeting God in the Longings of Our Hearts” by Jeff Crosby  Saudade – A vague and constant desire for something that does not and possibly cannot exist, for something other than the present, a turning toward the past or toward the future; not an active discontent or poignant sadness

From “Sacred Compass: The Way of Spiritual Discernment” by J. Brent Bill The novelist Vinita Hampton Wright talked to me about the seasons of her life and the leadings that accompanied them. During her twenties, she experienced a strong leading to do mission work outside the United States. “That desire was confirmed,” she said, “by

By Mark Schaefer Read the free article here

From “Innovation and Entrepreneurship” by Peter F. Drucker “Innovation,” then, is an economic or social rather than a technical term. It can be defined the way J. B. Say defined entrepreneurship, as changing the yield of resources. Or, as a modern economist would tend to do, it can be defined in demand terms rather than

From “On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity, and Getting Old” by Parker J. Palmer One day, Listened to a taped talk that Thomas Merton, the Trappist monk, had given to a roomful of would-be monks at the Abbey of Gethsemane, where Merton was novice master. Addressing the super-pious young seekers in his care, Merton

From “Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation” by Steven Johnson Lifestyles or interests that deviate from the mainstream need critical mass to survive; they atrophy in smaller communities not because those communities are more repressive, but rather because the odds of finding like-minded people are much lower with a smaller pool

From “Listening to Your Life: Daily Meditations with Frederick Buechner” by Frederick Buechner All the absurd little meetings, decisions, inner skirmishes that go to make up our days. It all adds up to very little, and yet it all adds up to very much.  Our days are full of nonsense, and yet not, because it

From “The Discipline of Inspiration: The Mysterious Encounter with God at the Heart of Creativity” by Carey Wallace A muse may strike us as a more comfortable figure than a god. We might shy away from the spiritual realm because we’re afraid of what we’ll discover there, because we’ve been abused by religious authority, or

From “Walk with Me: A Journey through the Landscape of Trauma” by Ellen Corcella During Christmas break, 1975, my first year in college, I walked with my father and sister up the stairs into the Fayette County Courthouse in downtown Lexington, Kentucky. My father asked me to testify at a hearing over custody of my