Archives by: Gary Hoag

“Frugality is good if liberality be join’d with it. The first is leaving off superfluous expenses; the last is bestowing them to the benefit of others that need.”

William Penn (1644-1718) as quoted in Less is More, ed. Goldian VanderBroeck (New York: Harper & Row, 1978) 223.

“Pray for me that I not loosen my grip on the hands of Jesus even under the guise of ministering to the poor.”

Mother Teresa (1910-1997), in a letter written to U.S. Senator Mark Hatfield as a response to his congratulatory letter to her upon her receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize. Published in Major Addresses Delivered at the Conference on Faith and Learning (North Newton, KS: Bethel College, 1980) 85-86.

I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of equality your abundance at the present time should supply their want, so that their abundance may supply your want, that there may be equality. 2 Corinthians 8:13-14

“What an astonishing principle for modern ears. In essence, Paul is suggesting a certain economic balance among the Christian community. It is, as he put it, “a matter of equality.” Now Paul is not seeking some kind of precise financial leveling. Gospel liberty was too deeply embedded within him for such pharisaical gymnastics. But he is pointing to a generosity of life that cannot rest in abundance while others suffer in need. Extremes of wealth and poverty are a scandal to Christian brotherhood. They must not be allowed.”

Richard Foster in Freedom of Simplicity (New York: HarperCollins, 1981) 200.

Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:42-45

“[Jesus] transformed the situation by giving a new definition of greatness. And you know how he said it? He said, “Now brethren, I can’t give you greatness. And really, I can’t make you first.” This is what Jesus said to James and John. “You must earn it. True greatness comes not by favoritism, but by fitness. And the right hand and the left are not mine to give, they belong to those who are prepared.” (Amen)

And so Jesus gave us a new norm of greatness. If you want to be important—wonderful. If you want to be recognized—wonderful. If you want to be great—wonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. (Amen) That’s a new definition of greatness.

And this morning, the thing that I like about it: by giving that definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great, (Everybody) because everybody can serve. (Amen) You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. (All right) You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don’t have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don’t have to know Einstein’s theory of relativity to serve. You don’t have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. (Amen) You only need a heart full of grace, (Yes, sir, Amen) a soul generated by love. (Yes) And you can be that servant.”

Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968) excerpt from “The Drum Major Instinct” sermon on Mark 10:35-45 delivered on 4 February 1968. To read the sermon visit: http://mlkkpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/encyclopedia/documentsentry/doc_the_drum_major_instinct/

Girolamo Savonarola’s The Simplicity of the Christian Life is actually a discussion of the nature of the good life. He is seeking to answer the question, “What makes people happy?”

Of all created things, writes Savonarola, only humans have to struggle to discover their proper role in the whole scheme of things. We are the only ones who seek for meaning, purpose, happiness.

The blessed life, says Savonarola, is not found in primarily sensual pursuits, nor in intellectual pursuits, nor even in spiritual pursuits, as normally understood. No the happy life is rooted in the grace of God and discovered in imitating the life and teachings of Jesus.

The main means through which this simple life of Imitatio Christi occurs are prayer and love. Having laid the foundation, Savonarola proceeds with two crucial chapters: “Simplicity of the Heart” and “Exterior Simplicity.”

“Each Christian,” declared Savonarola, “ought to try to come to perfect simplicity of the heart.” Even the natural order witnesses to the fact that the more inwardly simple or unified something is the more perfect it is. In the spiritual realm, this inner heart simplicity is discovered in having the crucified Christ as the unifying force of all our affections and aspirations.

Exterior simplicity flows from this true interior simplicity… In even stronger language, he goes on to add, “He who does not love exterior simplicity is not able to live the Christian life.”

Girolamo Savonarola (1452-1498) in De Simplicitate Christianae Vitae, 64-65, 188. cf. Richard Foster in Freedom of Simplicity (New York: HarperCollins, 1981) 88-89.

Tell the rich in this world’s wealth to quit being so full of themselves and so obsessed with money, which is here today and gone tomorrow. Tell them to go after God who piles on all the riches we could ever manage–to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous. 1 Timothy 6:17-18 The Message

“The Christian who has the ability to … fast from all extravagance, and practice simplicity in his dress, his home and his whole manner of life, is, therefore, rendering good service to society.”

Oscar Hardman in The Ideas of Asceticism (New York: MacMillan, 1924) 211-12.

“Giving is the only antidote to materialism.”

Randy Alcorn in The Treasure Principle: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving (Sisters, OR: Multnomah, 2001) 56.

“Love your neighbors and also your enemies because they’re almost always the same people.”

Ted Dekkar, Facebook Post, 10 January 2012.

“He, therefore, is the devout man, who lives no longer to his own will, or the way and spirit of the world, but to the sole will of God; who considers God in everything, who serves God in everything, who makes all the parts of his common life parts of piety, by doing everything in the Name of God, and under such rules as are conformable to his glory.”

William Law (1686-1761) in A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life, opening words.

“I soon found that I could live upon very much less than I had previously thought possible. Butter, milk and other luxuries I ceased to use, and found that by living mainly on oatmeal and rice, with occasional variations, a very small sum was sufficient for my needs.” In this way he was able to use two thirds of his income for other purposes. He wrote, “My experience was that the less I spent on myself and the more I gave to others, the fuller of happiness and blessing did my soul become.”

Hudson Taylor (1832-1905) missionary to China, in Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret by Howard Taylor (Chicago: Moody, 1932) 26, cf. Richard Foster in Freedom of Simplicity (New York: HarperCollins, 1981) 84-85.