Growing up, God, Community & Stability

"In Thomas Merton's words...we have been 'destined from all eternity to bring one another closer to God by our love, our patience, our forbearance, and our efforts at mutual understanding.' We grow up into a life with God, built on a firm foundation, as we learn to dwell in a place with particular people.

"...Stability demands that we do the long, hard work of life with other people in the place where we are...[and yet]...Despite our longing for community, we often hide from a 'state of mutual visibility with others' because it is more difficult than cultivating a personal spirituality and sense of tranquility...Choosing a spirituality that 'works for me' is so much easier than dealing with the people who show up at the church in my neighborhood."

-Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, in his book, The Wisdom of Stability : Rooting Faith in a Mobile Culture

The Divine Root and Boundless Mystery of Your Humanity

“Our DNA is divine. The divine indwelling is never earned by any behavior whatsoever or any ritual, but only recognized and realized (Romans 11:6, Ephesians 2:8-10), and fallen in love with. When you are ready, you will be both underwhelmed and overwhelmed at the boundless mystery of your own humanity. You will know you are standing under the same waterfall of mercy as everybody else and receiving an undeserved, radical grace, which waters the ‘roots’ of everything.”

Fr. Richard Rohr, adapted from his book, The Naked Now, p. 22

The Mystery of Gray "Days"

The grayness of a day neither declares nor determines the value and ultimate beauty of its weather.  We know this because we have learned about the importance of all types of weather for healthy soil and animal life.  But during a gray, rainy, seemingly lifeless day, it's often difficult to recognize any ultimate value resulting from said weather. 

Often, this is the way we feel with regard to the seasons and realities of our own lives, isn't it?  Be it the wounding gray we've experienced at the hands of others, or the painful gray we ourselves have brought into the lives of those around us by our own struggles and mistakes.  It's so difficult to see any ultimate value in confusion, pain, or suffering, particularly when we are in the midst of it; we may not even want to.  We might even be angry that someone would dare to ascribe anything positive to the mess and suffering of life.  That's ok, and it makes sense...

We virtually never see the whole picture, regardless of whether our souls are experiencing a season of "Februaryish" gray milieu or one of refreshingly bright April mornings.  So how can we even begin to gain a more ultimate perspective or sense of real hope in the midst, especially, the darker seasons?  And where is God in the midst of it all?  Does he care?  Is he involved-positively or negatively?  Does he have any control at all?

These are some of the realities of life we explore at Starting Point.  We would love for you to join us as we wade into the questions honestly, without any presumptive or Pollyanna declarations.  We believe God respects humans too much and is far too honest for any of that.   

To Live by Grace...

"To live by grace means to acknowledge my whole life story, the light side and the dark.  In admitting my shadow side I learn who I am and what God's grace means." -Brennan Manning

A Poem by Wendell Berry on Mystery, Life, God, Eternity

It takes all time to show eternity,
The longest shine of every perishing spark,
And every word and cry of every tongue
Must form the Word that calls the darkest dark

Of this world to its lasting dawn.  Toward
That rising hour we bear our single hearts
Estranged as islands parted in the sea,
Our broken knowledge and our scattered arts.

As separate as fireflies or night windows,
We piece a foredream of the gathered light
Infinitely small and great to shelter all,
Silenced into song, blinded into sight.


"VIII Sabbaths 2004"
from Wendell Berry's collection titled Given Poems