Die Schreiben von Schreiber

1. What are the impulses or inspirations that have led me to consider embracing “monastic” values while continuing to live and work “in the world”? I don't think I can cite a single inspiration or a time that I began to feel a draw towards a life of prayer and closeness to God. Rather it has been with me for quite some time now. Maybe it was begun by my father saying a bedtime prayer with me as a young child, but I have long felt an impulse for a life of prayer and drawing near to God. It's only grown stronger with time. It is ironic, because I was raised Lutheran, and Luther had little use for monastics. He famously said in a sermon that the barmaid does more and greater good works, and he would trust her more when she unloads a cart of supplies for her tavern, than if all the Carthusian monks were to kill themselves with all their singing. Luther was not lukewarm on the subject, and so neither are the Lutherans in general. For my desire to lead a quiet, separa...

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." Therefore if someone or something is attempting to give you a spirit of fear, it is not of God, but the devil, and should be avoided and actively resisted by the people of God. I'm not talking about sudden fear that is a natural response to stimulus perceived as danger. If a Semi tractor-trailer starts to drift into your lane, there's going be fear! And that's a good thing! But it's a momentary thing arising from the accident of our circumstances. What I am talking about is the "steady state" of fear to which so many things around us actively and intentionally contribute. It's a means to control us. If we constantly fear this thing and those people, we're very suggestible, and if our fear leads us to hate or mistrust our fellow man, we are very controllable. Measles, the wall, immigrants, the flu, the "carava...