“A truly humble man is sensible of his natural distance from God; of his dependence on Him; of the insufficiency of his own power and wisdom; and that it is by God’s power that he is upheld and provided for, and that he needs God’s wisdom to lead and guide him, and His might to enable him to do what …
A Prayer for Listening, by John Calvin, 16th Century
This prayer was offered at the end of Calvin’s exposition on Zechariah 7, where he reflects on the importance of listening to God’s word rather than merely performing religious rituals: “Grant, Almighty God, that as thou hast been pleased to draw us this day by thy word, and to speak to us with so much kindness, we may not be …
A Prayer for Seasoned Speech, by John Wesley, 18th Century
“Lord, let my words be seasoned with salt, that they may minister grace to the hearers.” –John Wesley, 18th Century Source: John Wesley, Journals and Diaries V (1765–75), ed. W. Reginald Ward and Richard P. Heitzenrater, vol. 22 of The Bicentennial Edition of the Works of John Wesley (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1993), 215.
Column entry, “From the Valley to the Summit,” by Chris Hamstra
Column Title: Leadership Life Stories: Communicating and Leading through Your Story Column Entry: “From the Valley to the Summit” By Chris Hamstra, PhD, Davenport University Description: There is a power when people come together to share stories. As people of faith, the practice and process of storytelling helps us understand ourselves, our communities, and our organizations. When combined with leadership, stories provide examples …
Column entry, “The Value of Human Labor, the Challenges of AI, and the Image of God,” by Elizabeth McLaughlin
Column Title: Communitas Column Entry: “The Value of Human Labor, the Challenges of AI, and the Image of God” Column Description: The term Communitas refers to an unstructured community of equal members often traveling from one place to another. Like the characters in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, we are fellow pilgrims on the road towards the Father’s house, following Jesus as …
Quote of the Week, Silence and Spiritual Discipline, St. Peter Damian
Below is a quote from St. Peter Damian (1007–1072), a prominent 11th-century reformer and theologian known for his ascetic writings and deep reflections on monastic life. In his treatise Letter 28: The Book of Gomorrah, he writes: “The talkative man’s tongue is a sword that kills his own soul; silence, on the other hand, is the guardian of innocence and …
A Prayer to Call to Silence the Noise, by St. Anselm of Canterbury, 11th Century
“Come on now, little man, get away from your worldly occupations for a while, escape from your tumultuous thoughts. Lay aside your burdensome cares and put off your laborious exertions. Give yourself over to God for a little while, and rest for a while in Him. Enter into the cell of your mind, shut out everything except God and whatever …
Quote of the Week, Speech as an Image of Mind, by St. Basil the Great
“Speech is really an image of mind: so I have learned to know you from your letters, just as the proverb tells us we may know the lion from his claws.” –St. Basil the Great (Basil of Caesarea) (4th Century) Question for reflection: In what ways does Basil’s metaphor suggest that language reveals our soul? Source: Letter 9 to Maximus …
Prayer, The Heart Behind Our Speech, John Chrysostom
“O Lord, grant me good thoughts. O Lord, grant me the thought of confessing my sins. O Lord, grant me humility, chastity and obedience. O Lord, grant me patience, courage and meekness. O Lord, plant in me the root of all blessings, the fear of You in my heart. O Lord, grant me to love You with all my mind …
A Prayer for the Possibilities of Communication, by St. Augustine of Hippo
“Grant me, Lord, to know and understand which comes first—to call upon you or to praise you, and whether knowing you precedes calling upon you. For who can call upon you without knowing you? For he who does not know you may call upon you as another than you are.” –Saint Augustine of Hippo, 5th Century From Confessions, Book 1, …
