RB: Chapter 6b – Restraint of Speech

In this 2nd part I will be using Rule Book of St. Benedict in English 1980 Edition
In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise. – Proverbs 10:19
Benedict, having already discussed that a disciple ought to be silent and listen now turns his instruction to the manner [...]

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RB: Chapter 6 – Of Silence

Rule of St Benedict Chapter 6
“For it befitteth a master to speak and teach; and it beseemeth a disciple to hold his peace and listen.”
In today’s culture it would appear listening is a lost art. I have always been amazed at spiritual novices who seem eager to one up those who are of greater spiritual [...]

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The Living Church – Part 2

Every good book describing a healthy church covers at least Acts 2:42-47 and this one is no different.
Here in Chapter 1 John Stott covers what he calls the essential marks of a living church hence the title Essentials.
On the outset he describes a 3 – fold commitment.

We are committed to the church
We are committed to [...]

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The Living Church – Part 1

For my birthday I received a gift card to a local Christian Bookstore so I went and picked out a few books. The Living Church: Convictions of a Lifelong Pastor by John Stott (IVP, 2007) seemed like a good buy.
I respect John Stott as a doctrinally sound thinker enough to want to hear (read) what [...]

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RB: Chapter 5 – Of the Obedience of Disciples

Rule of St Benedict Chapter 5
The first degree of humility is obedience without delay.
Obedience. A word that makes one cringe ever so much. It grinds against the very pride of man to rule himself and his destiny. Benedict says to us here, “the first degree of humility” that is the first identifiable mark of [...]

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Which Jesus?

The truth of God’s Word is being lost in a labyrinth of new spirituality, pseudo spirituality and inter spirituality. I shouldn’t say lost God’s Word because it is still there, but the passion and relevancy it once held in the life of the church is becoming lost.
Matthew 24:4-5
And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take [...]

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Biblical Contemplation

There is a lot of confusion about Biblical Contemplation. Some are tossing the baby out with the bath water.
This teaching, of mine, is from taken from Psalm 119:9-16 and was given on a Sunday morning in early 2007 after I learned about a movement known as the Emergent Church and the concern we were heading [...]

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RB: Chapter 4 – Tools of Good Works

Rule of St Benedict Chapter 4
One of the challenges I find today is simply how do we live out our faith. It seems everybody and their brother has a take on what the church ought to be doing to be relevant, missional, incarnational, etc. Benedict calls on a variety of scriptures to help direct the [...]

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RB: Chapters 2-3 The Abbot Part 2

Rule of St Benedict: Chapter 2 and Chapter 3
Understanding the severity the undertaking of the Abbot we have to be cognizant of the simple fact that they are but men. This fact alone should be enough to cause a man to think carefully and prayerfully about the community to which he is the shepherd of. [...]

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The Church of Irresistable Influence – Part 2

Continuing in part one of the book, Lewis furthers his assessment that church leaders are often overwhelmed at the size of this chasm detailed in the previous post. Because of that some pastors and lay leaders will in a sense see the task as impossible and running back to what Lewis calls ‘fallback methodology” as [...]

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