THE LIMITS OF A THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION

'In the seminary there had been no preparations for this, first, because none of the teachers were married, none knew first-hand of the numberless ways human relations could go wrong, or acknowledged that one plus one did not always equal two, and second, because once that book was openened, once you started a chapter What to do if, no one would ever get to ordination.'

Niall Williams, Time of the Child, p.234.

YOU ARE PART OF A HOUSEHOLD...

'You are part of a household if there is someone who knows where you are today and who has at least some sense of how it feels to be where you are. You are part of a household if there is someone who moves more quietly because they know you are asleep. You are part of a household if someone would check on you if you did not awaken.

You are part of a household if people know things about you that you do not know about yourself, including things that if you did know you would seek to hide. You are part of a household if others are close enough to see you and know you as well as, or better than, you know yourself.

You are part of a household if your experience the conflict that is the inevitable companion of closeness - if someone else makes such demands on you that you fantasize about driving them out of your life. You are part of a household if you sometimes dream of running away, perhaps to a far country, so that you will not be so terribly well known. 

You are part of a household if you return from a long journey prompts a spontaneous celebration. You are part of a household if, when you avoid a party because of your anger, pride, guilt, or shame, someone notices and comes outside to plead with you to come in.'

This is the one thing we need more than any other: a community of recognition.'

Andy Crouch, The Life We're Looking For, p.153.

WE NEED OTHERS

'...there is a special lack of self-sufficiency which seems to be part of the structure of the human mind. Because in a sense we are too close to ourselves, we have no difficulty in obtaining a perspective upon what we do and how we think. We need the interpretive attention of another to help us see ourselves in a more balanced way.' 

John Armstrong, Conditions of Love, p.58. 

CONVERSATIONS

'Think about it. Most of the conversations you had today were mundane and rather self-protective. We spend most of our time talking about things that are of little personal consequence - the weather, politics, sports and entertainment. There is nothing wrong with this except that it allows us to hide who we really are. A person may be terribly distraught about her marriage, yet when people ask how she is, she will quickly answer, "Fine, how are you?" The person asking doesn't really want to know and ther person asking doesn't really want to tell. They are co-conspirators in a casual relationship. Whether it is over the back of a pew, in passing at a school function, or over the phone, we are all skilled as newsy but personally protective conversations.'

Paul David Tripp, Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands: People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change, p.164.