Status Updates From Active Spirituality: Grace ...

“He heard the roar, but they did him no harm.”

I gotta read Calvin on the Supper here soon

Piper quote from future grace on the difficulty of rest is money.

Good framework for discipling.

The inevitable faith-feelings chapter. Strong on the ways feelings (esp positive ones) become the object of our faith. Thoughtful practical commentary on Jeremiah 17

Good as it gets for a short treatment of assurance. Especially the description of the witness of the Holy Spirit.

“He who loves his dream of a community more than the Christian community itself becomes a destroyer of the latter, even though his personal intentions may be ever so honest and earnest and sacrificial.”—Dietrich Bonhoeffer

The pastoral sensitivity in this letter was exemplary.

“Spiritual truths are first neglected, then despised, and at last, on easy terms, parted withal.”—John Owen

I founf myself wondering if it’s natural for someone to reference books as much as Hedges does in these fictional letters. . . then it occured to me that I do😏

I hope there’s follow up discussion on the enjoyment of things here

Letter 16 on the fight put some wind in my sails! I see the enemies and am more eager to got to battle.

“Discouragement is often just the flipside of self-confidence.”
Best chapter thus far (“Lifting Up for the Downcast”)

Jeremiah 3-4 would make an interesting intro or conclusion text for a study on church discipline

I’m going to have to get off my high horse and start reading Lewis, arent I?

Defines “conditionality” in salvation well and concisely. The letter format is beneficial here because Hedges has to be judicious, but prat of me wishes he would meander more. Currently, these feel like a series of (very good!) blog posts.

The Price of Neglect is the best letter so far. Puts a finger on the true nature and cause of acedia, which fres us to fight it.

Acedia (listlessness) is a new category for me and will be helpful in distinguishing between types of “depression.”

So far, Hedges is not making good use of the letter format. Feels scattered, albeit occasionally insightful.

“One of the favorite tricks of [sloth] is to dissemble itself under cover of a wiffling activity of body.”

“The Christian life is not passive or static. Ours is an active spirituality. . . The most fatal thing is to stop walking.”