Comments for table for two

Comment on Nouwen & Ecclesiology pt.1 by john Kuypers

john Kuypers — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:16:18 +0000

Love of neighbour is everything and Jesus told us in Mt 22:38 that as the second greatest command, it is “like the first.” Therefore it is equal to loving God. I believe loving God and feeling God’s presence is not possible without fulfilling the second commandment.
Your point of tradition is difficult because life is a dilemma. If you are firm in your moral standards, you are not being “purchase-based” but you can then be criticized for being too traditional. Ultimately, whenever you “institutionalize” a good thing, it generally loses its heart. So we must seek our hearts. Nouwen found his heart by exposing himself to the margins of society where he could no longer delude himself that he had it all figured out. Humility arose and love abounded. That’s why it’s so hard for a rich man to get into heaven. It’s not an intellectual journey but an experiential one, as Jesus advised the rich man to give away his wealth if he really wanted to enter the kingdom of God. Read about Tolstoy’s life and you’ll see a man who attempted to do this at great pain and cost to his family and himself. It takes guts and few of us have the courage.

Comment on Nouwen & Ecclesiology pt.1 by Ian

Ian — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:57:49 +0000

Thanks for the comment, Uncle John!

Just a few quick thoughts.

I suppose it’s natural that there would be some RC tendencies in Nouwen’s writing, as he himself was Catholic. While the RC church (and many in Evangelical circles as well) has indeed been a model of attempting to maintaining moral consistency, it seems as though the call to love can be and has often been overlooked in the process. The image of being a rock is somewhat fitting in that it can be difficult to move. I think Nouwen might lean more to relying on the present and active Word of God as opposed to the tyranny of tradition – being irrelevant is not a matter of rigidly sticking to the same ideas and ways if doing things, but rather a conscious decision to dwell on the margins of society. Love of neighbour is essential, and that has to be expressed in creative and often boundary breaking ways.

Comment on meet sophie by Ian

Ian — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:21:49 +0000

Melissa – I’m sure they would get along, although it’s most likely that Sophie would run under our bed when Fibi or anyone new comes down the stairs!

Comment on meet sophie by Kara

Kara — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:55:05 +0000

She is terribly cute.

Comment on meet sophie by Melissa

Melissa — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:29:41 +0000

She is adorable!!!
Do you think Fibi will like her???

Comment on The Sacred Meal by Nora Gallagher by annewhitaker

annewhitaker — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:27:48 +0000

Thanks for this review, Lauren. I will now obtain the book, thereby adding to my Nora Gallagher collection! I love the freshness and honesty of her writing – and the fact that she cuts through the clutter of doctrine and dogma to get to the heart of the matter – a person’s relation to God.

I have just posted on my WEBLOG an appreciation of her memoir starting in Advent which some of your visitors might like to read – “Things seen and Unseen A year lived in faith”.

Your site popped up as a related post to mine!

Good wishes from Scotland

Anne W

Comment on Nouwen & Ecclesiology pt.1 by John Kuypers

John Kuypers — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:47:10 +0000

Ian, you’ve described, in my view, an idealistic version of the Catholic church. The RC organization model gives members very little power. They can’t vote out or fire the priest. The mass is not dependent on who’s leading it. It has done a pretty good job of not cowtowing to try to be relevant in order to be popular and it gets roundly criticized for that. Many people value it for that reason – a 2000 yr old rock amid an ocean of institutions that keep shifting. I think this is vital as I’ve met pastors with their inner spirits literally worn out of them by trying to please their fickle and judgmental congregations. Having said all this, I also believe the RC church must do a better job of making the relationship with Jesus personal. It took me years to realize that the flaw in the RC church is that it ASSUMES you are a committed believer and goes from there, whereas many are not, of course. Huge topic this is, but here is a snippet for you to ponder. Blessings to you!

Comment on it’s not about the apple by Nouwen and Ecclesiology pt.2 « table for two

Nouwen and Ecclesiology pt.2 « table for two — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:12:28 +0000

[...] that of contemplative prayer. If the great temptation in the garden was to hear and trust in another word, then it is through contemplative prayer that we re-orient ourselves so that we might hear once [...]

Comment on Nouwen and Ecclesiology by Ian

Ian — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:12:10 +0000

Thanks, Jon!

Hey, I saw your post on getting a free vehicle! Amazing. I hope you and your family have settled nicely into life in Aberdeen.

Comment on Nouwen and Ecclesiology by Jon Coutts

Jon Coutts — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 20:55:43 +0000

This book is an annual read for me, and it breaks me every time. Over the years it has formed my ecclesiology significantly. Its awesome to see you feel the same. I look forward to reading these posts.