Two days ago, I finished reading Christianity After Religion: The End of Church and the Birth of a New Spiritual Awakening, by Diana Butler Bass in preparation for hearing her speak at year’s Joint Clergy Session in two weeks. There were things I disagreed with a things I was indifferent to, and much that I simply didn’t find all that helpful (not that other folks won’t), but the following was one of the nuggets I wanted to share:

Not many people think of discontent as a gift. As the prayer [above] points out, however, discontent is the beginning of change. Only by noticing what is wrong, seeing the systems and structures that do not foster health and happiness, can we ever make things different.

— Diana Butler Bass, Christianity After Religion.