From “The Discipline of Inspiration: The Mysterious Encounter with God at the Heart of Creativity” by Carey Wallace To explain inspiration as a product of the unconscious holds some obvious attractions for an artist. First, it’s wonderfully flattering. Under this theory, an artist is no longer the victim or devotee of a mysterious external force. […]
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From “Wired to Lead: Being the Leader the Church Didn’t Think You Could Be” by Suzanne Nadell If you feel as if you are on the fringes, or if you are frightened by the idea of opening up opportunities to everyone, maybe you are too far from the margins. Maybe you are living inside your
I felt that call at work, not church Read More »
From “The Language of the Soul: Meeting God in the Longings of Our Hearts” by Jeff Crosby A person who has wrestled as much as and as deeply as anyone I know with questions of vocation and occupation is Steven Garber. He founded a not-for-profit called the Washington Institute for Faith, Vocation and Culture, designed
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From “Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life” by Richard Rohr This pattern of resistance is so clear and even so defeating for Jesus that he makes what sounds like one of his most unkind statements: ”Do not give to dogs what is holy, or throw your pearls before swine. They will
almost always “torn to pieces” Read More »
From “Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation” by Parker J. Palmer A third shadow common among leaders is “functional atheism,” the belief that ultimate responsibility for everything rests with us. This is the unconscious, unexamined conviction that if anything decent is going to happen here, we are the ones who must
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From “Trust the Whisper: How Answering Quiet Callings Inspires Extraordinary Stories of Ordinary Grace“ by Kathy Izard From Denver Moore to Livvi and all the God Dots in between, each story I’ve shared in this book is evidence to me of a greater weave in the world. As I’ve tried to understand how all the
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From “What Makes You Come Alive: A Spiritual Walk with Howard Thurman” by Lerita Coleman Brown Vital to the exercise of Inner Authority is the practice of discernment. Discernment is the spiritual practice of decision-making by which we bring decisions into prayer. Spiritual leader Rose Mary Dougherty notes, “The eye of the heart grows accustomed
Discernment As The Missing Link Read More »
From “Healing the Heart of Democracy: The Courage to Create a Politics Worthy of the Human Spirit” by Parker J. Palmer As I listen in on private and public conversations about the problems of American democracy, I’m struck time and again by how often our political talk is about people who aren’t in the room.
My focus is on “We the People” Read More »
From “Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life” by Henri Nouwen with Michael J. Christensen and Rebecca J. Laird “What does God want from me?” is a question we all ask, not once and for all but throughout our lives. Should I get a job or go back to school, get ordained or do lay
You will know what you are called to do when you have to know it Read More »