He Restores My Soul! (Bonus message!)

Picture from Small Rain illustrated by Elizabeth Orton Jones Psalm 23 King James Version (KJV) The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's …

All of you are children of the most High. Psalm 82:6

Picture from Small Rain illustrated by Elizabeth Orton Jones Jesus came to announce to us that an identity based on success, popularity, and power is a false identity—an illusion! Loudly and clearly he says: “You are not what the world makes you; but you are children of God.” Nouwen, Henri J. M.. Here and Now: …

“Love is one of the most profound emotions known to human beings.”

While in our intensely competitive society the hunger and thirst for friendship, intimacy, union, and communion are immense, it never has been so difficult to satisfy this hunger and quench this thirst. Nouwen, Henri J. M.. Here and Now: Living in the Spirit (p. 148). The Crossroad Publishing Company. Kindle Edition. “Spanning the globe to …

‘Family’ and ‘familiar’ both come from the Latin ‘familia’, meaning household servants.

Two of the most important ways of leaving father, mother, brother, and sister are forgiveness and gratitude. Can we forgive our family for not having loved us as well as we wanted to be loved? Nouwen, Henri J. M.. Here and Now: Living in the Spirit (p. 137). The Crossroad Publishing Company. Kindle Edition. Last …

Compassion—which means, literally, “to suffer with”…

How is it possible to make compassion the center of our lives? As insecure, anxious, vulnerable, and mortal beings—always involved, somehow and somewhere, in the struggle for survival—competition seems to offer us a great deal of satisfaction. Indeed, the main spiritual question is not, “What difference do you make?” but “What do you have in …

Our Father, who art in heaven…

Chapter 7 Prayer “Worry about the things of God: truth, life, and light!” Nouwen, Henri J. M.. Here and Now: Living in the Spirit (p. 104). The Crossroad Publishing Company. Kindle Edition. In today’s fast paced world, with everybody’s personal agendas, we don’t have to look far to see that some children and parents don’t …

In the midst…

Chapter VI THE SPIRITUAL LIFE “Come to me, you who labor and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your soul. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light” (Matthew 11:28–30). Can …

Keeping focused…

When my clear goal is the eternal life, that life must be reachable right now, where I am, because eternal life is life in and with God, and God is where I am here and now. Nouwen, Henri J. M.. Here and Now: Living in the Spirit (pp. 78-79). The Crossroad Publishing Company. Kindle Edition. …

con·ver·sion – the process of changing or causing something to change from one form to another.

Chapter 4 Conversion The Spirit of love says: “Don’t be afraid to let go of your need to control your own life. Let me fulfill the true desire of your heart.” Nouwen, Henri J. M.. Here and Now: Living in the Spirit (p. 59). The Crossroad Publishing Company. The idea of conversion is transformation, or …

SWEET & SOUR…

Chapter 3: Suffering Jesus shows, both in his teachings and in his life, that true joy often is hidden in the midst of our sorrow, and that the dance of life finds its beginnings in grief. Nouwen, Henri  Here and Now: Living in the Spirit (p. 42). The Crossroad Publishing Company. Kindle Edition. Sweet and …

Truth & Consequences…

Chapter 2: Joy! Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day. It is a choice based on the knowledge that we belong to God and have found in God our refuge and our safety and that nothing, not even death, can take God away from …

It begins…

Chapter 1: Living In The Present Imagine that we could walk through the new year always listening to a voice saying to us: “I have a gift for you and can’t wait for you to see it!” Imagine. Nouwen, Henri J. M.. Here and Now: Living in the Spirit (p. 16). The Crossroad Publishing Company. …

Introduction…

Welcome to our first EPC Book Discussion! We will be experiencing "Here and Now: Living in the Spirit" by Henri Nouwen, moderated by Roger Snyder. I trust that these connections will make you aware that we are traveling together toward the Light, always encouraging each other to keep our eyes fixed on the One who …

About Henri Nouwen…

Our first book study is Here and Now: Living in the Spirit! This introspective and transformation book was written by Henri Nouwen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=95&v=SsOb9p68pjY The internationally renowned priest and author, respected professor and beloved pastor Henri Nouwen wrote 39 books on the spiritual life. He corresponded regularly in English, Dutch, German, French and Spanish with hundreds …

Let us know…

Please let us know if you will be reading along or sharing in this study! To comment on any of the posts, just click on the subject title, in this case "Let us know... " and you will be moved to a page with this particular discussion. Then scroll down and there is a "Comments" …

Here and Now

Ok! It'll soon be a new year and that is always a good time for fresh starts. This insightful book, Here and Now: Living In The Spirit, by Henri Nouwen, will lead us on a path of discovery and growth. With God's grace, we'll begin this group study on January 20,2019! This should give everybody …

Our EPC Study Group

Greetings!We don't have to look very far to see that "church" is changing with the times! Our society places different scheduling demands on family members that can be very demanding. EPC is rising to the occasion by offering this "time flexible" Book/Bible Study. Prayerfully, participants can experience a chapter of our current study book or …

The Journey Begins

Thanks for joining me! Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton