Appreciated getting to hear these thoughts! I loved what you said about preaching in particular. Very patristic. And, not coincidentally, very Reformed. :-) Back in the day, I tried to do a project on Gregory of Nazianzus's view of the ministry of the Word as medicine for the soul. I think few view it that way nowadays.
Apologies if this was discussed in the other thread, but have you read *A Quiet Mind to Suffer With*? I'd be curious to hear your thoughts.
It's always helpful to me when you talk about having excessively high expectations for joy in this life. Throughout my Christian life I've occasionally thought there was something defective about my faith because I've only been able to *feel* flashes of joy here and there, for the most part. But I trust that joy is objectively real, regardless of my capacity to grasp it, and that we'll get to experience its fullness in God's presence.
Appreciated getting to hear these thoughts! I loved what you said about preaching in particular. Very patristic. And, not coincidentally, very Reformed. :-) Back in the day, I tried to do a project on Gregory of Nazianzus's view of the ministry of the Word as medicine for the soul. I think few view it that way nowadays.
Apologies if this was discussed in the other thread, but have you read *A Quiet Mind to Suffer With*? I'd be curious to hear your thoughts.
It's always helpful to me when you talk about having excessively high expectations for joy in this life. Throughout my Christian life I've occasionally thought there was something defective about my faith because I've only been able to *feel* flashes of joy here and there, for the most part. But I trust that joy is objectively real, regardless of my capacity to grasp it, and that we'll get to experience its fullness in God's presence.