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Tag Archives: C.S. Lewis

What Will be Your Legacy in 50 years?

The following questions were a challenge given to me recently by Bobb Biehl, my executive mentor: “Today marks 50 years since the death of John F. Kennedy.  Today marks 50 years since the death of C. S. Lewis. Question 1: How would you personally compare their legacies 50 years later? Question 2: What would you like your legacy to be 50 years from today? Question 3: What would be the 3 most strategic things you could change in your life today to move in that direction?

What Will be Your Legacy in 50 years?

The following questions were a challenge given to me recently by Bobb Biehl, my executive mentor: “Today marks 50 years since the death of John F. Kennedy.  Today marks 50 years since the death of C. S. Lewis. Question 1: How would you personally compare their legacies 50 years later? Question 2: What would you like your legacy to be 50 years from today? Question 3: What would be the 3 most strategic things you could change in your life today to move in that direction?”

Sacramental Living

“To materialists this world is opaque like a curtain; nothing can be seen through it. A mountain is just a mountain, a sunset just a sunset; but to poets, artists, and saints, the world is transparent like a window pane––it tells of something beyond…a mountain tells of the Power of God, the sunset of His Beauty, and the snowflake of His Purity.” Bishop Sheen. My journey towards “sacramental living” has been slow yet, in some respects, I feel that I am finally getting it. Sacramental living understands that all matter is meant to lead us into God’s heavenly presence, to bring about communion with Him and a participation in His life. In fact, the entire universe is meant to serve as a “sacrament” — i.e., a material gift from God in and through which we enter into the joy of His heavenly presence. I have been helped by the great poet, Gerald Manley Hopkins,. Read more.

Prayer: Let Your Words Be Few

I have spoken way too many words in my prayers to God over the years. Fortunately, as C.S.Lewis reminds us, God retains the power and to refuse our prayers, knowing now easily we could destroy ourselves (God in the Dock, pp.106-107). Do not be quick with your mouth…God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few (Eccl.5:2). And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like the pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words (Matt. 6:7). I will stand at my watch and station myself at the ramparts; I will look to see what He will say to me (Habbakuk 2:1). Proverbs reminds us that even a fool is thought wise if he is silent. I am beginning to realize this applies to talking with Him as well.

Listening to God through Fallen Vessels

I receive e mails regularly from people who are troubled that I am quoting and learning from people who do not have a solid evangelical theology, who might be universalists, or tend towards a works-righteousness, or pray to saints. The following are a few points to consider to help us remain humble and teachable as we seek to listen to God. Firstly, many of our great evangelical heroes also appeared to have some large holes in their theological armor. Consider Jonathan Edwards who owned slaves like his father before him and even defended the practice, arguing the colonies were dependent on it. (However, he also was the first pastor in Northampton to baptize “negroes” and admit them into full membership.) John Calvin endorsed the drowning of an Anabaptist, that is a fellow-believer who believed in baptism by immersion for believers alone! Martin Luther was an anti-Semite. Hitler quoted those portions of his writings. CT. Read more.