"What might we learn about God and ourselves if our Bible study group gathered outside to stare at the stars in silence?"

“We live, and move, and have our being in a consumer cosmos. The global economy and interconnection of markets and resources means every time we eat a meal, listen to music, put on clothing, or read a book, we are being consumers.”

“Scripture and tradition tell us that formation into the likeness of Christ, also known as spiritual maturity, is not achieved by always getting what we want.”

“The dilemma posed by consumerism is not the endless manufacturing of desires, but the temptation to settle for desires far below what we were created for.”

“Modern people may express outrage at the horrors of the African slave trade or the Holocaust, but in truth the commodification of human beings that made those atrocities possible is more prevalent today than ever before.”

“We have all swallowed the cultural punch that believes institutions are both the means and the end of God's mission in the world.”

“Our imaginations can throw off the shackles of consumerism if we start to feel the infinite once again.”