Avalon: The Return of King Arthur (The Pendragon Cycle, #6)

by Stephen R. Lawhead

“Proof is easy to come by. Belief is difficult

“Well, no matter how far we roam, it’s always good to come back home,”

Hiraeth

“But I’ll give it my undivided attention as soon as I’ve had some sleep.”

“Further, I think that the world you speak of, this world of high finance, global trade, international politics—in short, the world of money and power—is only part of a larger reality, and most likely not even the most important part.

“The point is, give a child a good, solid foundation on which to build—that is, a mind that can think, a heart that can feel, a conscience that knows right from wrong—and there is no limit to what that individual can do in life.”

As King, I ask no one to accept me by the circumstances of my birth. I ask only to be judged by the quality and integrity of my character.”

there are forces at work in the world which are ordained by God and which people may thwart, or disregard for a time, but which will not be denied forever.

With that, she handed the phone to James. “Hello?” The voice on the other end said, “The answer is yes.” “Jenny?” She laughed. “Of course, Jenny! How many other women have you proposed to lately?”

“I expect nothing less,” James replied with regal aplomb. “Those bottles have been gathering dust long enough. Bring ’em out, I say. High time they did some good for King and Country.”

Priddy’s champion oak-grilled salmon with peppercorns and cream.

haunch of venison, roasted with fennel and herbs.

Bowls of steaming vegetables followed: potatoes roasted in dripping, braised carrots and parsnips with coriander, and apples baked with cloves, brown sugar, and rum—all filling the hall with a magnificent aroma.

“I see that some of you are upset by my blunt speaking. Good!”

“I dare say some of you will think I am overstating the case; you will think I am assigning cosmic causes to simple worldly problems. ‘Now wait a minute, padre,’ I hear you say. ‘Accidents happen. It’s just the way of the world.’

the way of the world is evil. It does not become any less evil because we disguise it with harmless-sounding phrases like ‘status quo’ or ‘business as usual’—it merely makes the evil more palatable to us.

Wow… I like it. It reminds me of Larry Crabb talking about "socializing the flesh."

“If the things we value are not ephemeral—if we recognize that there are some eternal truths, some everlasting principles at work in our broken world, then we must refuse to give in to the status quo, to surrender to the way of the world. My friends, we must refuse to allow our voices to be silenced when we stand up for goodness and righteousness. We must demand that godliness gets an equal share in the day-to-day commerce of our lives. We must refuse to cast aside the very principles which have become the foundational truths of our great nation, which so many of our best citizens have given their lives to defend.”

“The much-trumpeted cut and thrust of party politics is mere child’s play compared to Church House administration.

“May the God who has called you bless you richly and prosper you in all things. And may He grant you the gifts of grace and wisdom to perform aright the duties which belong to the grave and sacred trust you have undertaken. And may the Lord of Peace, who raised our Lord Jesus from the dead so that we might know salvation, give you vision, courage, love, and strength to do His will. And may the blessing of the Almighty Creator be upon you and remain with you always. Amen.”