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Posts Tagged: n graham standish
December 20, 2018
Building on a Blessed Community Recognizing the Church’s True Center by Graham Standish Years ago I read a quote by the Quaker mystic, Thomas Kelly, that changed my ministry: “Yet ever within that Society, and ever within the Christian church, has existed the Holy Fellowship, the Blessed Community, an ekklesiola in ekklesia, a little church… Read more »
June 7, 2017
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
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
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
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
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
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 »
November 11, 2016
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 »
August 9, 2016
Striving for greatness It may not be what we think By N. Graham Standish While we may crave being considered great in the world’s eyes, it’s much more important to be considered great in God’s eyes. Yet what makes us great in God’s eyes may make us seem like nothing in the world’s eyes. What… Read more »
