ex libris

"Grace is not a shortcut around our effort; it is the divine blessing on efforts that are undertaken in dependence and trust on God.

"Indeed, the disciplines that undergird any effort at culture making are an essential path to grace. Disciplines are private and invisible, preparing our hearts to handle the pressures of our work becoming public and visible. Disciplines are small and by themselves inconsequential (like the scales that professional musicians play every day), attracting no notice and deserving no prize, humbling us in advance of the occasions when our work will be recognized and applauded. Disciplines are difficult, revealing all too clearly our laziness and foolishness, preparing us for times when fruit seems to burst from our smallest efforts. No matter how accomplished we become, disciplines always bring us up against the limits of our ability, offering us an opportunity to reclaim our dependence on Another to complete our inadequate work.

"There may be no greater value to the disciplines than to regularly bring us to these moments of disillusionment with ourselves. Grace is for the poor in spirit, and the disciplines bring us, no matter our ascribed power or actual wealth, to keen awareness of our fundamental poverty.

"Grace is not an exemption from failure. It is, however, what makes it possible to sustain hope in the midst of failure" - Andy Crouch, Culture Making, 257, 258.

This book has been on my "To Read" list ever since it was published in 2008. I finally got around to it and I regret that it has taken me this long. Culture Making is probably one of the best and most challenging books I've read in several years. I'm tempted to just start it over again to fully digest the thoughts, questions, and calls for action presented in this work.