Presbyterians Today Blog N. Graham Standish, Author at Presbyterians Today Blog

August 9, 2017

Wisdom Journey

Posted 7:33am

Does belief lead to faith? The difference between belief and experience By N. Graham Standish A Thought: Our beliefs about God can shape our faith, but it’s the EXPERIENCE of God that gives us faith. When belief is devoid of experience, it becomes dogma. When experiences of God lead to deeper beliefs, they give… Read more »

July 10, 2017

Wisdom Journey

Posted 10:34am

A Declaration of God-Dependence How are rights and love different? By N. Graham Standish A Thought: We live in a nation of inalienable rights, but God calls us to live lives of inalienable love. Rights lead to rules, but love leads to life. Choose life! A Reflection: The Fourth of July fireworks are over,… Read more »

June 7, 2017

Wisdom Journey

Posted 6:32am

Living in the now Resurrecting our spirituality By N. Graham Standish Christians often crucify their faith by focusing so much on the cross that their faith becomes all about sin, judgment, and the past. True spirituality focuses on the resurrection, which immerses us in love, grace, and possibility. The cross was then. The resurrection… Read more »

May 10, 2017

Wisdom Journey

Posted 6:28am

Analyze this! The loss of transcendence By N. Graham Standish We are transcendent people trapped in an analytical world. We love to analyze, looking for what’s wrong, what’s broken, what needs to be fixed. Yet we are called to transcendence, looking for what’s right, what’s good, what’s filled with God’s presence and grace. When people struggle… Read more »

April 19, 2017

Wisdom Journey

Posted 6:58am

If God is good, then why…? Confirmands play stump the pastor By Graham Standish Too often we blame God for things we do to ourselves, for things others do to us, or for what others do to others. Then we credit ourselves for blessings that come from God, and others for the blessings that… Read more »

March 8, 2017

Wisdom journey

Posted 2:51pm

God’s grace Do we grab it or wait for it? By N. Graham Standish How God’s grace works is always a paradox. It’s a gift freely given that we have to go and get. And it’s a gift that we often have to sit and wait for. We have to passionately strive for it and… Read more »

February 9, 2017

Wisdom Journey

Posted 7:14am

Is today really that bad? Was yesterday really that good? By N. Graham Standish We tend to look at the past wistfully, the present critically, and the future fearfully. But as Christians we are called to look at life through a different lens. We are called to look at the past realistically, the present faithfully,… Read more »

January 12, 2017

Wisdom Journey

Posted 7:15am

Short speech. Short temper? Texts and tweets are better for expressing contempt, not compassion By N. Graham Standish Efficient conversation often elicits conflict. Compassionate conversation often compels companionship and cooperation. The question is whether we have the patience for compassion. We are increasingly communicating in efficient ways. That seems to be the thrust of… Read more »

December 14, 2016

Wisdom journey

Posted 8:25am

Rediscovering holy wholeness Material miracles and spiritual malignancy By N. Graham Standish Modern people are a compartmentalized people, which makes them efficient, expedient, and effective. But it also eviscerates their spirit by carving the world into secular and sacred compartments. Spiritual people are integrated people who consecrate the sacred in all of life, recognizing everything… Read more »

November 11, 2016

Wisdom journey

Posted 6:47am

Spinning out of control Is it life or is it me? By N. Graham Standish Our increasing access to excess spins us off of our axis, which makes it extremely difficult to have success in spiritual interests. Years ago I was struck by something the Quaker spiritual writer Thomas Kelly said in response to his… Read more »

Posts By: N. Graham Standish