arrogance versus ignorance

Never attribute to arrogance what can adequately be explained by ignorance.

absence

“The great temptation of the ministry is to celebrate only the presence of Jesus while forgetting his absence. Often the minister is most concerned to make people glad and to create an atmosphere of ‘I’m okay, you’re okay.’ But in this way everything gets filled up and there is no empty space left for the affirmation of our basic lack of fulfillment. In this way the presence of Jesus is enforced without connection with his absence. Almost inevitably this leads to artificial joy and superficial happiness. […] If we deny the pain of his absence we will not be able to taste his sustaining presence either.”

Henri Nouwen
From The Living Reminder

James [Mr. Buzzkill] part one

The first paragraph of the Letter from James (New Testament) includes the phrase, “of mature character with the right sort of independence.” [J.B. Phillips Translation]

I want that. I really, really want that. The trouble is that James says it comes as a gift of trials and temptations. (Deng-it!)

James says to trust the process: “...let the process go on until that endurance is fully developed.” If I’m extrapolating correctly, what’s being suggested here is that independence (the right sort, at any rate) depends on patience.

Hmm... Yet another paradox of the faith-venture of following Jesus.

the p-word

Is patience a tiresome drudgery to which we subject ourselves only to secure a privilege or payday of some sort?

Is it more or less a chore -- on par with bill-paying, clock-punching, gutter-cleaning, dog-bathing, etc.?

Or is patience, in and of itself, a sweet thing?
Is it a component of personal formation?
Is it a change agent?

[Do you find yourself exercising an inordinate amount of patience just reading through this blog entry?]

Patience seems to be a critical attribute of presence -- the art of being where I am... of feeling the feelings of my life... of becoming present. To me, this is one of the most remarkable things about Jesus. It's a characteristic of his that I long to emulate.