Relationships and Community on Attention

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The Church Losing its Place as the Center of Attention

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The Church was the one institution whose mission depended on galvanizing attention; and through its daily and weekly offices, as well as its sometimes-central role in education, that is exactly what i...

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Desperate for Attention

Author

Ashley Hales

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Scripture

Genesis 16:13, Exodus 33:14, Isaiah 49:15–16, Matthew 18:3–4, Luke 15:20–24, Psalm 139:1–3

We’re little children wandering the aisles of the internet because we’ve lost the presence of our loving parent. We are desperate for the attention of a good Father who sees us. We have no idea how to...

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Author

Thomas Watson

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Be not only attentive in hearing, but retentive after hearing.

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Author

(Weird) Al Yankovic

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I don't really look at myself as the kind of person who craves attention, but I've never been to therapy so there's probably a lot of stuff about myself that I don't know.

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When Scandals Become Blasé

Author

Jonathan K. Dodson

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Scripture

Hebrews 13:4, Matthew 18:6-10

In his thoughtful book, Our Good Crisis: Overcoming Moral Chaos with the Beatitudes , Jonathan K. Dodson describes what has become a reality of modern-day life-scandals happen every day, and no-one...

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Loving God, we reflect on the times

Author

Austin D. Hill

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Loving God**, we reflect on the times when we took too long to obey you. Give us courage next time.(silent reflection)** Merciful God**, we reflect on the instances where we failed to see your leadin...

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Author

David W. Augsburger

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Scripture

Galatians 6:2, John 4:1-26, Luke 10:38-42, Romans 12:15, Proverbs 1:5

Being heard is so close to being loved, that for the average person, they are almost indistinguishable.

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Speaking and Listening

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

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Scripture

Ecclesiastes 3:1 , 1 Kings 3:16-28 , Proverbs 25:11, James 1:19, Colossians 4:6, Psalm 19:14

In 1963, the politician, ambassador, and one-time presidential candidate Adlai E. Stevenson addressed the students of Princeton University with a touch of humor. “I understand I am here to speak, and ...

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Author

Andrew Arndt

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I love that line. “Surely the LORD is in this place,” Jacob muses, “and I was not aware of it.” Isn’t that, more or less, the story with most of us, most of the time?

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Author

Michelle V. Lee

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[Paying attention to those suffering most in a community] is a fundamental and paradoxical principle that goes to the heart of the gospel and the nature of eschatological existence.

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The Power of Invitations

Author

Adele Ahlberg Calhoun

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Scripture

Genesis 12:1-3, Exodus 3:10-12, Isaiah 55:1-3 , Luke 14:16-24, Matthew 11:28-30 , Psalm 23:5

Invitations are powerful. Like tides, they ebb and flow, shaping the contours of our existence. Some invitations we desperately want but never get—“Will you marry me?” or “Would you consider a promoti...

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Author

Andy Warhol

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Don’t pay any attention to what they write about you, just measure it in inches.

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Author

Robert Frost

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We need the interruption of the night To ease attention off when overtight, To break out logic in too long a flight, And ask us if our premises are right.

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Don’t Forget What Your Body Communicates

Author

Alexandra Kuykendall

Keywords

Communication

Scripture

Matthew 11:28-30, Isaiah 41:10, Proverbs 3:5-6, Psalm 46:1, Exodus 14:14, Genesis 1:27

Nonverbal communication can make a huge difference in how a question is received. Only 7 percent of what we say is conveyed through words, 38 percent through vocal element (tone), and the remainder th...

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We desire your presence with us, O God.

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We desire your presence with us, O God. Still our restless spirits, that with quiet minds and reverent hearts we may hear your voice and worthily worship you. Amen .

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How We Wait

Author

Jason Farman

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Scripture

Isaiah 40:31, Habakkuk 2:3, James 5:7-8, 2 Peter 3:8-9, Psalm 27:13-14

Part of our experience of waiting is cultural, and how time elapses while we wait can vary from person to person and context to context. We wait differently and we have different expectations that are...

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Obeying the President’s Wishes

Author

Charles Swindoll

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Imagine, if you will, that you work for a company whose president found it necessary to travel out of the country and spend an extended period of time abroad. So he says to you and the other trusted e...

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Author

Lane Ollinghouse

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Parenting

The quickest way for a parent to get a child’s attention is to sit down and look comfortable.

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Richard Herman

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There are there a few books that I come across now that I’m officially “retired” from the pastorate that I sincerely wish I had been able to read, digest and act on as a young pastor. David Brook’s la...

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Don't Take Conflict Personally

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

1 Peter 3:8-11

Called to Pastor, Inclined to Argue When I was graduating from college in the mid-2000s, I was encouraged to take a career test to determine where my personality type would fit in the working world. ...

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God of all mercies, Father Jesus and

Author

Richard Herman

Scripture

Acts 4:29-31, 2 Corinthians 4:7-12, Exodus 16:, Luke 10:25-37, Mark 1:29-32

God of all mercies, Father Jesus and our Father–You know us intimately ... and you still love us immensely. Therefore, we come confident of your welcoming embrace, your gracious attention and your lov...

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Adapted from Psalm 22

Author

Hughes Oliphant Old

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Scripture

Psalm 22:null

Have you really forsaken us? Why are you so far away from where we need you? Why do you not pay attention to what seems to us So alarming? Why are you so otherworldly? Day and night we have cried...

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Good and Gracious Lord, You hold us in

Author

Richard Herman

Scripture

Isaiah 41:10, Romans 8:28, Psalm 46:1-2, Micah 6:8, Psalm 34:18, Genesis 50:20, Mark 4:35-41

Good and Gracious Lord, You hold us in the palm of Your strong hand, working all things for our good and to Your glory. There’s no place we can go that escapes Your notice and is hidden from Your lovi...

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Gracious God, for the goodness and

Author

Mark D. Roberts

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Gracious God, for the goodness and beauty of creation we thank you. For the way your creation nurtures and inspires us, we are grateful. Yet, the more we pay attention to the world, the more we see i...

relationships and community on Attention

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