--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ministry is a very confronting service…" description: "\"Ministry is a very confronting service. It does not allow people to live with illusions of immortality and wholeness. It keeps reminding others that th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c0/henri-nouwen-600_broken_ministry-is-a-very-confronting-service-i_775592.png" --- # Ministry is a very confronting service. It does not allow… ![“Ministry is a very confronting service. It does not allow people to live with illusions of immortality and wholeness. It keeps reminding others that they are mortal and broken, but also that with the recognition of this condition, liberation starts.” quote by Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c0/henri-nouwen-600_broken_ministry-is-a-very-confronting-service-i_775592.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c0/henri-nouwen-600_broken_ministry-is-a-very-confronting-service-i_775592.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c0/henri-nouwen-600_broken_ministry-is-a-very-confronting-service-i_775592.png) > “Ministry is a very confronting service. It does not allow people to live with illusions of immortality and wholeness. It keeps reminding others that they are mortal and broken, but also that with the recognition of this condition, liberation starts.” [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ministry confronts human mortality and brokenness, offering liberation through acknowledging these truths rather than illusionary wholeness. **In simple terms:** Ministry reveals brokenness, leading to freedom. Key Takeaway Embrace truth for liberation. Themes spirituality mortality liberation Mood reflective hopeful Type theological inspirational When to use this quote - counseling - pastoral care - grief support - personal healing Key Concepts theology existentialism Questions to Reflect On - How does acknowledging brokenness foster growth? - What practices help integrate this awareness? A Different Perspective Some may resist confronting mortality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Broken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broken/) [Conditions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conditions/) [Confronting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confronting/) [Confronting Service](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confronting-service-5985982/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Illusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illusion/) [Immortality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immortality/) [Immortality Wholeness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immortality-wholeness-5985981/) [Liberation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberation/) [Ministry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ministry/) [Ministry Confronting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ministry-confronting-5985980/) [Mortals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mortals/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Recognition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recognition/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Reminding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reminding/) [Reminding Mortal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reminding-mortal-5985983/) [Wholeness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wholeness/) ## Related quotes > [Art has a way of confronting us, of reminding us, of engaging us, in what it means to be human, and what it means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/art-has-a-way-of-confronting-us-of-reminding-us-of-engaging-us-in/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [I've been hated by many, wanted by plenty, disliked by some, but confronted by none.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/i-ve-been-hated-by-many-wanted-by-plenty-disliked-by-some-but/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [“I've seen what you're going to understand, dear. It made me patient when confronting your temper.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/i-ve-seen-what-you-re-going-to-understand-dear-it-made-me-patient/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [Putting your ego aside and confronting your weaknesses and just letting things happen is hard. Not to use a Scientology term, but it's difficult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-e-clark/putting-your-ego-aside-and-confronting-your-weaknesses-and-just/) [Annie E. Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-e-clark/) > [I can't agree that what we're seeing is a matter of the American bourgeoisie confronting workers everywhere. It's more like the international plutocracy eliminating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hendrik-hertzberg/i-can-t-agree-that-what-we-re-seeing-is-a-matter-of-the-american/) [Hendrik Hertzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hendrik-hertzberg/) > [A woman confronting men is a proper subject, it is inexhaustible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-chabrol/a-woman-confronting-men-is-a-proper-subject-it-is-inexhaustible/) [Claude Chabrol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-chabrol/) > [We will see that the greatest problem confronting civilization is not merely religious extremism: rather, it is the larger set of cultural and intellectual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/we-will-see-that-the-greatest-problem-confronting-civilization-is-not/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [There were angry men confronting me and I caught the flashing of defiant eyes, but above me and within me, there was a spirit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoinette-brown-blackwell/there-were-angry-men-confronting-me-and-i-caught-the-flashing-of/) [Antoinette Brown Blackwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoinette-brown-blackwell/) > [While confronting the problems of the present, I often find myself thinking back to the world of books as it was experienced by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-darnton/while-confronting-the-problems-of-the-present-i-often-find-myself/) [Robert Darnton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-darnton/) > [The myths underlying our culture and underlying our common sense have not taught us to feel identical with the universe, but only parts of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/the-myths-underlying-our-culture-and-underlying-our-common-sense-have/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [Higher education is confronting challenges, like the economy is, about the need for a higher number of more adequately trained, more highly educated citizenry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-spellings/higher-education-is-confronting-challenges-like-the-economy-is-about/) [Margaret Spellings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-spellings/) > [I have come to think that the challenge confronting Christians is not that we do not believe what we say, though that can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-hauerwas/i-have-come-to-think-that-the-challenge-confronting-christians-is-not/) [Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/) > [I want to remind priests that the confessional must not be a torture chamber but rather an encounter with the Lord’s mercy which spurs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/i-want-to-remind-priests-that-the-confessional-must-not-be-a-torture/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [The challenge in confronting Trump is that there are certain things that he does that that you have to respond to, just morally. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-buttigieg/the-challenge-in-confronting-trump-is-that-there-are-certain-things/) [Pete Buttigieg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-buttigieg/) > [A tree is a self: it is 'unseen shaping' more than it is leaves or bark, roots or cellulose or fruit ... What this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-swimme/a-tree-is-a-self-it-is-unseen-shaping-more-than-it-is-leaves-or-bark/) [Brian Swimme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-swimme/) ## More by Henri Nouwen > [We are not the healers, we are not the reconcilers, we are not the givers of life. We are sinful, broken, vulnerable people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/we-are-not-the-healers-we-are-not-the-reconcilers-we-are-not-the/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [The more we touch the intimate love of God which creates, sustains, and guides us, the more we recognize the multitude of fruits that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/the-more-we-touch-the-intimate-love-of-god-which-creates-sustains-and/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [Feelings of guilt dominate our work as peacemakers we cannot last long. But when we have opened each other's eyes to the great human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/feelings-of-guilt-dominate-our-work-as-peacemakers-we-cannot-last/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [...we all want to hear stories, from the moment we are born to the moment we die. Stories connect our little lives with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/we-all-want-to-hear-stories-from-the-moment-we-are-born-to-the-moment/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [I have found it very important...to let go of my wishes and start hoping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/i-have-found-it-very-important-to-let-go-of-my-wishes-and-start-hoping/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [Simply being with someone is difficult because it asks of us that we share in the other's vulnerability, enter with him or her into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/simply-being-with-someone-is-difficult-because-it-asks-of-us-that-we/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [Somewhere we know that without silence, words lose their meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/somewhere-we-know-that-without-silence-words-lose-their-meaning/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [Jesus says, "Keep your heart on the kingdom first. Keep your heart on God's love. Keep focused on the fact that you are God's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/jesus-says-keep-your-heart-on-the-kingdom-first-keep-your-heart-on/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [This sounds very simple and maybe even trite, but very few people know that they are loved without condition or limits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/this-sounds-very-simple-and-maybe-even-trite-but-very-few-people-know/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [“The more preoccupied we are with security the more visible the force of death becomes, whether in the form of a pistol beside our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/the-more-preoccupied-we-are-with-security-the-more-visible-the-force/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [If you feel a great loneliness and a deep longing for human contact, you have to be extremely discerning...and ask yourself whether this situation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/if-you-feel-a-great-loneliness-and-a-deep-longing-for-human-contact/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [I choose L'Arche; L'Arche chooses me. I would be dead if I weren't here. I need people to love me and care for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/i-choose-l-arche-l-arche-chooses-me-i-would-be-dead-if-i-weren-t-here/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [The truth, even though I cannot feel it right now, is that I am the chosen child of God, precious in God's eyes, called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/the-truth-even-though-i-cannot-feel-it-right-now-is-that-i-am-the/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [In a world so torn apart by rivalry, anger, and hatred, we have the privileged vocation to be living signs of a love that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/in-a-world-so-torn-apart-by-rivalry-anger-and-hatred-we-have-the/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [Where true inner freedom is, there is God. And where God is, there we want to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/where-true-inner-freedom-is-there-is-god-and-where-god-is-there-we/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) [Explore all 452 Henri Nouwen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) ## More Broken quotes > [Broken by hardships, disappointments and tragedy, people can become discouraged and cynical. But lives can also be mended. Put back together well, they won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-goodier/broken-by-hardships-disappointments-and-tragedy-people-can-become/) [Steve Goodier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-goodier/) > [You don't want to fix things that aren't broken, so that kind of stops you from make changes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-weidman/you-don-t-want-to-fix-things-that-aren-t-broken-so-that-kind-of-stops/) [Chris Weidman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-weidman/) > [How else but through a broken heart may Lord Christ enter in?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/how-else-but-through-a-broken-heart-may-lord-christ-enter-in/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [The worst advice? 'Don't listen to the critics.' I think that you really ought to listen to the critics, because sometimes they're telling you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-worst-advice-don-t-listen-to-the-critics-i-think-that-you-really/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Marriage is a desperate thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-selden/marriage-is-a-desperate-thing/) [John Selden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-selden/) > [The child who ran weeping to you with a cut finger is now brought home, smiling gamely, with a broken collarbone and incredible contusions-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-brown/the-child-who-ran-weeping-to-you-with-a-cut-finger-is-now-brought/) [Pam Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-brown/) > [There is no pain like the first time you get your heart broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ne-yo/there-is-no-pain-like-the-first-time-you-get-your-heart-broken/) [Ne-Yo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ne-yo/) > [Broken china lasts longer than unbroken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-renard/broken-china-lasts-longer-than-unbroken/) [Jules Renard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-renard/) > [My life was incoherent to me. I felt it quivering, spitting out broken teeth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-fox/my-life-was-incoherent-to-me-i-felt-it-quivering-spitting-out-broken/) [Paula Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-fox/) > [Don't fix what's not broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-atkins/don-t-fix-what-s-not-broken/) [Robert Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-atkins/) > [“ving self and others is an every second of every day of every week, of every month, of every year gift that should not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjo-jendayi/ving-self-and-others-is-an-every-second-of-every-day-of-every-week-of/) [Sanjo Jendayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjo-jendayi/) > [Your head's like mine, like all our heads; big enough to contain every god and devil there ever was. Big enough to hold the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-morrison/your-head-s-like-mine-like-all-our-heads-big-enough-to-contain-every/) [Grant Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-morrison/) > [Rome, believe me, my friend, is like its own Monte Testaceo, Merelya marvellous mass of broken and castaway wine-pots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-hugh-clough/rome-believe-me-my-friend-is-like-its-own-monte-testaceo-merelya/) [Arthur Hugh Clough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-hugh-clough/) > [Its funny how someone breaks your heart but you still love them with all those broken pieces..!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-funny-how-someone-breaks-your-heart-but-you-still-love-them-with/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When we don't get what we want, there's a legitimate grieving, and then the spiritual journey truly begins, because not getting what we want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-nepo/when-we-don-t-get-what-we-want-there-s-a-legitimate-grieving-and-then/) [Mark Nepo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-nepo/) [Browse all 5,851 Broken quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broken/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Ministry is a very confronting service. It does not allow people to live with illusions of immortality and wholeness. It keeps reminding others that they are mortal and broken, but also that with the recognition of this condition, liberation starts.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henri Nouwen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/ministry-is-a-very-confronting-service-it-does-not-allow-people-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Broken" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/ministry-is-a-very-confronting-service-it-does-not-allow-people-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c0/henri-nouwen-600_broken_ministry-is-a-very-confronting-service-i_775592.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c0/henri-nouwen-600_broken_ministry-is-a-very-confronting-service-i_775592.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c0/henri-nouwen-600_broken_ministry-is-a-very-confronting-service-i_775592.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Ministry is a very confronting service. It does not allow people to live with illusions of immortality and…” — Henri Nouwen", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Henri Nouwen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Ministry is a very confronting service....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/ministry-is-a-very-confronting-service-it-does-not-allow-people-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/ministry-is-a-very-confronting-service-it-does-not-allow-people-to/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```