Drury Article "In Defense of Mediocrity"

[Pete Vecchi]

Here's a link to the article:

http://www.drurywriting.com/keith/mediocrity.htm

As usual, Keith Drury makes a lot of sense.

[Billy Cox]

Where would the message of holiness be without an inflated sense of spiritual devotion?

[Barbara Moulton]

I really liked this article.

I am spiritually, emotionally and personally content right now...yet for someone looking at my life they might think it all pretty mediocre.

But contentment is pretty "great" as far as I am concerned.

[Pete Vecchi]

Where would the message of holiness be without an inflated sense of spiritual devotion?


Do I sense just a bit of sarcasm?;)

[Billy Cox]

Yes, it was a good article.

I think alot of people deal with disappointment in adult life because of an inflated sense of importance.

[Barbara Moulton]

Yes, it was a good article.

I think alot of people deal with disappointment in adult life because of an inflated sense of importance.

Because they are told when they are young, "If you can dream it you can do it." and "Believe in yourself" and "You can do anything."

Well...no...they can't.

[Garth Lahana]

I personally think that this is an outstanding article. The strive to be spiritually high all the time may just be the thing that will break us down eventually. I for one do suffer from that sort of thing, and often battle wanting to be on a spiritual high, when I know this is not at all realistic. I doubt if the apostle Paul had those highs all the time, but continued no matter what his situation, or spiritual problems. This is something I'm slowly learning as I continue in my walk with Christ. I'll keep on plodding :)

Garth

[G R 'Scott' Cundiff]

I'm sure others have thought of this, but I am reminded of 1 Timothy 6:6: But godliness with contentment is great gain.

Then again, on the less thoughtful side, a couple of teens at the church and I have this running joke that one says to the other, "how are you?" the answer is, "Well, I'm blest."

"Oh yeah? Well, I'm more blest than you."

Which then becomes a competition of proving who is the most blest (and therefore, the most spiritual).

Trust me, it's a funny exchange.

[Hans Deventer]

I personally think that this is an outstanding article.

I agree wholeheartedly!

[Russell Metcalfe]

Good article; recognizing that there is great value in a lot of overlooked places.
It seems to this retired minister that current culture values 'excitement' for its own sake; carried into our worship, public and private this translates to 'feelings'. or 'feeling good.' All the time. Life isn't like that. Pain does not mean God's disapproval. So maybe the goal of our lives is to walk with God, every day, doing more listening than talking. We are all called to nobility of spirit, and that isn't a competition so much as communion with the right Person and His people.
Happy New Year
Russel

[David Cash]

Great article. Thanks for posting the link.

David Cash

[Barry Clarke]

This article reminded me of something I read a while ago by Kent Carlson

"I am convinced that personal pastoral ambition, and a pastoral ethic centred around productivity and success is brutal to our souls and destructive to the souls of the people we lead. I believe there is a better way. But it requires us to walk right into the messiness of our own ambitious hearts, ready to die to those ambitions. We must become skilled at detecting the odour of personal ambition, then flee from it as if the church's future depends on it. For I believe it does."

-Kent Carlson