It is Stoicism that demands a closed universe, not the Bible.

The Spiritual Disciplines are things that we do. We must never lose sight of this fact. It is one thing to talk piously about 'the solitude of the heart,' but if that does not somehow work its way into our experience, then we have missed the point of the Disciplines. We are dealing with actions, not merely states of mind.

In worship an increased power steals its way into the heart sanctuary, an increased compassion grows in the soul. To worship is to change.

I think of Pope Gregory the Great. He wanted the cloister. He wanted to pray and study, and yet he was thrust into this administrative job, and he submitted to that. And in that submission, he became a great leader. You could say that the only person who is safe to lead is the person who is free to submit.

Simplicity is freedom.

Thinking is the hardest work we can do, and among the most important

The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people.