Jared Nudd

“In order to pray I have to be paying more attention to God than to what people are saying to me; to God than to my clamoring ego.”
― Eugene H. Peterson, The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction

“Those who don't read good books have no advantage over those who can't.”
― Mark Twain

“I have no interest in "delivering sermons," challenging people to face the needs of the day or giving bright, inspirational messages. With the help provided by scholars and editors, I can prepare a fairly respectable sermon of either sort in a few hours each week, a sermon that will pass muster with most congregations. They might not think it the greatest sermon, but they would accept it.
But what I want to do can't be done that way. I need a drenching in Scripture; I require an immersion in biblical studies. I need reflective hours over the pages of Scripture as well as personal struggles with the meaning of Scripture. That takes far more time than it takes to prepare a sermon.”
― Eugene H. Peterson, The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction

“How can I lead people into the quiet place beside the still waters if I am in perpetual motion? How can I persuade a person to live by faith and not by works if I have to juggle my schedule constantly to make everything fit into place?”
― Eugene H. Peterson, The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction