Bernardine W.

“Because we do not rest we lose our way.... Poisoned by the hypnotic belief that good things come only through unceasing determination and tireless effort, we can never truly rest. And for want of rest our lives are in danger.”
― Ruth Haley Barton, Invitation to Solitude and Silence: Experiencing God's Transforming Presence

“We are starved for quiet, to hear the sound of sheer silence that is the presence of God himself.”
― Ruth Haley Barton, Invitation to Solitude and Silence: Experiencing God's Transforming Presence

“being angry is not the same thing as being called.”
― Ruth Haley Barton, Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership: Seeking God in the Crucible of Ministry

“If the churches came to understand that the greatest threat to faith today is not hedonism but distraction, perhaps they might begin to appeal to a frazzled digital generation. Christian leaders seem to think that they need more distraction to counter the distraction. Their services have degenerated into emotional spasms, their spaces drowned with light and noise and locked shut throughout the day, when their darkness and silence might actually draw those whose minds and souls have grown web-weary.”
― Ruth Haley Barton, Invitation to Retreat: The Gift and Necessity of Time Away with God