tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8416825.post111691649592529986..comments2023-09-06T02:38:55.328-07:00Comments on Graceful Presence: Love, Truth, & AuthorityMeredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09432640322896933989noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8416825.post-1117651226398945972005-06-01T11:40:00.000-07:002005-06-01T11:40:00.000-07:00As I was saying....re: dead words and authority:So...As I was saying....<BR/>re: dead words and authority:<BR/><BR/>So true about 'dead words'. All of the great, true and beautiful words have been degraded, debased, misused and abused by the <I>world</I>, tending to pass on into oblivion. BUT as Wink pointed out, our task is to redeem them. <BR/><BR/>I insist on love, no matter how poorly it's been used. It's the whole gospel. It's all that matters: love and you will be very, very happy because you will know you're doing God's will.<BR/><BR/>Re authority: That has been my big quandary all of my spiritual life. As a child my minister father was the authority, but unfortunately I came to know too well his shadow side. And so it went with all of the others. The Bible? oh no; too many thousand different interpretations. <BR/><BR/>The word? Yes, the word, spoken by Jesus, Paul, you, me, and everyone.<BR/><BR/>For Quakers? the silence; ah! the silence. Gathered together, enfolded in the love of Friends, present physically and/or spiritually present. In the silence we hear the word from the spirit.<BR/><BR/>After many, many years seeking a credible spiritual authority, in 1983 I found the blessed Quaker silence. Thanks again, friends for your wonderful thoughts.Larry Claytonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11571190213288384302noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8416825.post-1117602471391632702005-05-31T22:07:00.000-07:002005-05-31T22:07:00.000-07:00Thank you, Larry. When you have time, I'd love to ...Thank you, Larry. When you have time, I'd love to see you stretch this into a colloquy.Meredithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09432640322896933989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8416825.post-1117584033081835602005-05-31T17:00:00.000-07:002005-05-31T17:00:00.000-07:00This is great, Meredith. I wish I had time to str...This is great, Meredith. I wish I had time to stretch this wonderful dialogue into a colloquy. For now I can only say that you(all) have stretched our mind as well as our spirit.Larry Claytonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11571190213288384302noreply@blogger.com