The Christian Mens Breakfast group meets this Saturday and (almost) every other Saturday at a local restaurant in Davie, FL. Call Tom Truex, or use the CONTACT tab at K-Line.ORG to get more information.

Week 7 : our discussion will focus on the Chapters listed below, from The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas à Kempis.[1. The dates listed are the dates the chapters were posted online, which also corresponds to the suggested reading plan in the study guide.]

All items listed below are online at ImitateChrist.ORG:

1. Book 1 , Chapter 15 : Works Done in Charity (February 13, 2012)
2. Book 1 , Chapter 16 : Bearing with the Faults of Others (February 15, 2012)
3. Book 1 , Chapter 17 : Monastic Life (February 17, 2012)

Also Posted this Week at ImitateChrist.ORG:

1. Challoner’s Reflections[2. Right Rev. R. Challoner, D.D., V.A., Imitation of Christ, Dublin: McGlashan and Gill, 1873 ] on The Imitation of Christ for each of the above chapters.

Discussion Notes:[1. References to days are from the Imitate Christ Study Guide]

1. Is Kempis correct when he writes in Chapter 15 that God weighs the love that prompts a charitable act as much as the deed itself? How does this view fit with the common perception that good intentions don’t count for much? (Day 44)
2. Do you agree that excessively annoying others is equally as bad as being too easily annoyed? (Day 45)
3. Kempis wrote in Chapter 16 that “we want [other people] to be perfect, yet we do not correct our own faults.” Is he correct? Is this just human nature? How well does this observation fit you, personally? (Day 46)
4. Should you disregard Chapter 17, which is titled “Monastic Life,” if you don’t live in a monastery? Though we live in a secular society, aren’t Kempis’ essential recommendations of dedication to God, service to others, refraining from idleness and gossip, and humility still valid and applicable to all. (Day 48)

Footnotes:

The Christian Mens Breakfast group meets this Saturday and (almost) every other Saturday at a local restaurant in Davie, FL. Call Tom Truex, or use the CONTACT tab at K-Line.ORG to get more information.

Week 6 : our discussion will focus on the Chapters listed below, from The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas à Kempis.[1. The dates listed are the dates the chapters were posted online, which also corresponds to the suggested reading plan in the study guide.]

All items listed below are online at ImitateChrist.ORG:

1. Book 1 , Chapter 13 : Resisting Temptation (February 6, 2012)
2. Book 1 , Chapter 14 : Avoiding Rash Judgment (February 9, 2012)

Also Posted this Week at ImitateChrist.ORG:

1. Challoner’s Reflections[2. Right Rev. R. Challoner, D.D., V.A., Imitation of Christ, Dublin: McGlashan and Gill, 1873 ] on The Imitation of Christ for each of the above chapters.

Discussion Notes:[1. References to days are from the Imitate Christ Study Guide]

1. “The Holy Spirit makes us discern between trials, which are necessary for the growth of the inner man, and temptation, which leads to sin and death. We must also discern between being tempted and consenting to temptation.” (Day 36)
2. Kempis writes in Chapter 13 of Book 1: “Yet temptations, though troublesome and severe, are often useful to a man, for in them he is humbled, purified, and instructed. “ If temptation performs a useful purpose, should we seek out temptation? (Day 37
3. Why is judging others such a bad thing? Isn’t judging a necessary and useful part of normal human interaction? (Day 40)
4. During Kempis’ lifetime, many Christians “seemed to believe in an ‘arithmetical piety’ in which one sought to add up sufficient ‘good deeds’ to outweigh one’s sins. The quantity of prayer was emphasized over prayer quality.” Do you find evidenence of this kind of thinking today? (Day 41)

Footnotes:

The Christian Mens Breakfast group meets this Saturday and (almost) every other Saturday at a local restaurant in Davie, FL. Call Tom Truex, or use the CONTACT tab at K-Line.ORG to get more information.

Week 5 : our discussion will focus on the Chapters listed below, from The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas à Kempis.[1. The dates listed are the dates the chapters were posted online, which also corresponds to the suggested reading plan in the study guide.]

All items listed below are online at ImitateChrist.ORG:

1. Book 1 , Chapter 11 : Acquiring Peace and Zeal for Perfection (January 30, 2012)
2. Book 1 , Chapter 12 : The Value of Adversity (February 2, 2012)

Also Posted this Week at ImitateChrist.ORG:

1. Challoner’s Reflections[2. Right Rev. R. Challoner, D.D., V.A., Imitation of Christ, Dublin: McGlashan and Gill, 1873 ] on The Imitation of Christ for each of the above chapters.

Discussion Notes:[1. References to days are from the Imitate Christ Study Guide]

1. Kempis was born in a small town in about 1380 A.D. Would it be possible for a modern person to write a book remotely similar to “The Imitation of Christ”? (Day 29)
2. Note the life goals of The Brotherhood of Common Life. Which of these pursuits are desirable or even possible for modern Christians? (Day 29)
3. What does Kempis mean when he writes, “Resist temptations in the beginning, and unlearn the evil habit lest perhaps, little by little, it lead to a more evil one.” Have you found this to be true in your experiences? (Day 30)
4. Is Kempis correct when he writes, “It is good for us sometimes to suffer contradiction, to be misjudged by men even though we do well and mean well. These things help us to be humble and shield us from [becoming vain].” (Day 33)

Footnotes: