Making All Things New
An Invitation to the Spiritual Life
by Henri Nouwen
Summary
Nouwen argues that Christ came to lead us into true relationship and complete reliance on the Father. Jesus gives us the ability to follow Him into a ‘listening' life, in which we watch for and respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Learning this way of life is at the core of the spiritual journey.
Author’s Website
Making All Things New: An Invitation to the Spiritual Life - Henri Nouwen
If you like this content, check out A Good and Spacious Land, a discussion-based study of spiritual transformation based on life stories of people from both the Old and New Testament.
Favorite Quotes
“The tragedy is that we are indeed caught in a web of false expectations and contrived needs. Our occupations and preoccupations fill our external and internal lives to the brim. They prevent the Spirit of God from breathing freely in us and thus renewing our lives.”
“As long as we believe that our pains and struggles connect us with our fellow men and women and thus make us part of the common human struggle for a better future, we are quite willing to accept a demanding task. But when we think of ourselves as passive bystanders who have no contribution to make to the story of life, our pains are no longer growing pains and our struggles no longer offer new life, because we have a sense that our lives die out behind us and do not lead us anywhere.”
“[Jesus’s] obedience means a total, fearless listening to his loving Father. Between the Father and the Son there is only love.”
“In true community we are windows constantly offering each other new views on the mystery of God’s presence in our lives.”
