You may be interested in…
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God Doesn’t Do Waste: Redeeming the Whole of Life
Everyday Life, The Inner JourneyMeet 'the Bookless Bunch', a very ordinary family who went green. When God challenged him over his attitude to the environment, Dave Bookless did a total rethink. This led to major changes, not only in his family's lifestyle but also eventually in his career: full time involvement in the global A Rocha movement that aims to care for God's fragile world. But in one sense this book isn't about going green at all. It's a personal account of a life lived in relationship. It's about roots and belonging, suffering and healing, identity and meaning, faith and doubt. It's about how in God's economy nothing need be wasted. It's about the messiness that each human being wades through in every area of life, and about a God who can take all that seems most wasteful and useless, and recycle it into something of infinite worth.£8.99 -
A Labyrinth Prayer Handbook: creative resources for worship and reflection
Creativity, Music & Creativity, Scripture & Prayer, Spiritual Exercises, The Inner JourneyAn imaginitive and practical resource for using the labyrinth in worship, spiritual practice and pastoral care. It offers many ideas for using labyrinths with individuals and groups in different settings, including schools, hospitals and hospices, residential care, mental health care, adults with learning disabilities, retreats and quiet days, and in seasonal worship throughout the church year. It offers complete outlines for themed worship and workshops, focussing on such subjects as life stages, pilgrimage and vocations, and includes prayers, simple liturgies, suggestions for music and creative ideas for responding to walking the labyrinths. This inviting book also shows how to create your own labyrinth, whether a small hand-held one, or a temporary or permanent installation, indoors or outdoors.£14.99 -
CDP Complines Booklet
Celtic Daily Prayer & Liturgy, Celtic Daily Prayer & Liturgy, Celtic Prayer, Celtic Studies & Spirituality, Music & Creativity, Northumbria Community Resources & TeachingAn A5 booklet with the liturgies for the night office of Compline for each day of the week and the melody lines for those parts of the Complines that have been set to music. Can also be purchased in Braille, Large Print (18 pt) and Giant Print (24pt) versions. Accessible versions are words only.£4.50 -
The Forgotten Desert Mothers
Desert Monasticism, Monasticism & New MonasticismAn introduction to the sayings, lives and stories of early Christian women. "Written in clear, heartfelt language, this book does two things beautifully. It revives lost memories of women leaders in the early evolution of Christian spirituality, thus filling in one more missing piece of women's history. And it calls the reader to a path of spirituality sorely needed in today's clamorous world: slow down, be quiet, listen for the voice of God deep within your heart. The book's attractiveness is enhanced by a time line, ordination rite, glossary and calendar of feasts in addition to notes and bibliography. Altogether an appealing contribution."£15.99- Elizabeth Johnson, C.S.J. Fordham University
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Matching Monastery and Mission
Influences & Suggested Reading, New MonasticismGeorge Lings 'accompanied' the Community during 2005 (as part of 'Building Bridges of Hope') and has written this very helpful exploration of where the Northumbria Community fits into the 'fresh expressions of church' scene today. He examines particularly the Community's balance between the interior life ('monastery') and its outward expression (mission'). George Lings concludes: If the need today is for deep people then here is the portal to inner attentiveness in following Jesus and the painful but liberation process of being transformed by Him.' This booklet is part of the Encounters on the Edge series. A downloadable PDF version of the booklet is also available.£1.00 -
A Blessing and Comfort Prayer Book
Creativity, Scripture & PrayerA collection of original prayers and complementary Bible passages. Use the prayers in this book to bless people at significant moments in their lives, the words of comfort in the second part of the book may be used at any time. The booklet comprises of prayers, Bible passages and pictures which can be coloured in.£3.99 -
Franciscan Spirituality: Following St Francis Today
The Inner Journey, Traditional MonasticismWhat is special about the spirituality of St Francis? Can it be possible for ordinary men and women today, with family, jobs, and other responsibilities, to follow in the way of a thirteenth-century friar? Brother Ramon, an Anglican Franciscan Friar, shows us that Franciscan spirituality is as compelling and relevant today as ever. It is marked by spontaneity and emotional freedom, by openness to every human being and love for the natural world. It treasures both the evangelical and the catholic nature of the gospel. It is rooted in a biblical faith and in reverence for the whole of creation. Franciscan Spirituality introduces us to the world of Francis and his first followers and shows how their excitement and wonder at Jesus alive in their midst can still be recaptured. The book is illustrated throughout by Molly Dowell£15.99 -
The Love Is Activity Book
CreativityThis little book contains meditations, prayers and activities about Love, inspired by the verses in the book of Corinthians. In Paul's first letter to the Christians of Corinth in Greece, he spends a long time instructing, advising, challenging and encouraging the young church there. He hasn't visited for a few years and he knows of the immorality in the wealthy pagan city and the divisions that have emerged within the church. Although he aims not to diminish the message of the cross with 'wisdom and eloquence', he gave us, in chapter thirteen, some of the most powerful and well-known verses of the New Testament.£3.99 -
Help me to journey beyond the familiar 210mm square print
Celtic Sites & Saints, Celtic Studies & Spirituality, Creativity, Spiritual GrowthLynda Owen-Hussey, a companion with the Northumbria Community, is a mixed media artist living on the shores of the West Coast of Ireland in County Kerry, close to the birthplace of St Brendan. These days, her work is inspired by the many gifts of the sea she encounters on walks along the shore, often pondering the life of St Brendan and the many monks of old who inhabited this land. In describing this original artwork Lynda says:£12.00Painted whilst on retreat at Nether Springs, the Mother House of the Northumbria Community, this artwork is inspired by a verse in the Northumbria Community’s Brendan Liturgy:
Lord, I will trust You, help me to journey beyond the familiar and into the unknown.
Brendan’s journey begins as his heart is stirred by a vision that takes him beyond his present circumstances and surroundings. In Genesis 12 we find Abram, who like Brendan, followed the call of God to leave the familiar comforts of home and venture towards the land of promise. Sometimes we hear that call ourselves, but oftentimes it is discomfort or the unexpected which proves to be the catalyst that opens us afresh to seeking out new ways as we journey in trust.
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The Recovery of Love: Walking the Way of Wholeness
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“…Washed flat and almost clean by the ebb of the tide, the sand is bare except for a single set of footprints. And – why are we not surprised? – there he is again ahead of us, waiting. Although it is barely dawn, there is light enough to see his face, recognise his smile. The shadows have gone, for this in-between time, anyway. When he speaks, we know his voice, although we cannot place his accent. Five words; a question: “What do you really want?”’ Some people like to be taken on mystery tours; others prefer to know where they are going, how long it will take, and where they will stop for lunch. This book is a bit of a mystery tour, exploring aspects of faith and truth through storytelling and reflection on the Bible. At its heart is the meaning of love on the one hand, our hunger for it and often weary search to find it, and on the other hand God’s breathtaking love for us. ‘ All too often the world of faith exists in a separate compartment from where our real living has to happen. This fresh and honest book seeks to bring the two together in an authentic relationship, not by giving answers but by following the questions. Through story telling, gentle and tough by turns, the invitation is to awaken to a presence, often hidden, that waits to meet us in the midst of daily living.’ David Runcorn (spiritual director and author of Spirituality Workbook) ‘This is a highly unusual book blending imaginative narrative with Bible quotes and reflection. It won’t be to everyone’s taste but, for people who are prepared to think differently, to find themselves challenged and have their thoughts stretched, it will take you on a journey into the heart of God’s love.’ Paula Gooder (biblical studies lecturer and author of Heaven: A Rough Guide)
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Multicoloured Seasons
Advent & Christmas, Creativity, Lent & Easter, Resources for the Christian YearA collection of sixteen images to colour based around the Church Year, two images for each season starting at Advent, then Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost and Harvest with mediations on the reverse of each image.£4.49 -
Acquainted with the Night: An Exploration of Spirituality and Depression
Everyday Life, Spiritual Direction, Spiritual Growth, The Inner JourneyDepression is pandemic today; as the demands of modern life prove too much for many adults, it has also clawed its way into the minds and souls of our young people, so that it is not unusual to hear that teenagers, or even children, are taking anti-depressants, sometimes committing suicide. The aim of this book is to illustrate that depression is often a spiritual malaise that can be "treated" by spiritual measures. Award-winning author, Robert Waldron explores the common causes and symptoms of depression, and in so doing underscores the Socratic ideal of "the unexamined life is not worth living." When depressives take their depression seriously, they see that they are living superficially and understand that there is a deeper kind of living available: it is this realization that leads them into a spiritual dimension. Indeed the cure for much depression lies within the Christian message of mercy, forgiveness, compassion, acceptance and love. Using Jungian theory on spirituality as a foundation, Acquainted With The Night goes on to explore the scrutiny and expression famous Christians have given to their individual acquaintance and struggle with darkness, these include: Gerard Manley Hopkins, T.S. Eliot, Henri Nouwen, Philip Toynbee, Thomas Merton, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and Loran Hurnscot.£12.99 -
Calm me O Lord A5 poster
Celtic Daily Prayer & Liturgy, Music & Creativity, Northumbria Community Resources & TeachingThese words by David Adam form part of the Felgild Compline (for Wednesday each week) in Celtic Daily Prayer. This calligraphic design by Pam French is also available as an A4 poster, an A6 Greetings card and an A6 postcard.£1.50 -
The Luminous Web: Faith, science and the experience of wonder
Influences & Suggested Reading, Scripture & Prayer, Spiritual Growth, The Inner JourneyThe renowned author Barbara Brown Taylor reflects on two different worlds knowledge, science and faith, that are often set in opposition to one another. The one is said to rely on observable fact; the other on subjective belief. With her customary skill and grace, Barbara Brown Taylor demonstrates that these distinctions do not hold. She seeks to discover what the insights of quantum physics, the new biology, and chaos theory can teach a person of faith, why scientists often sound like poets and why physicists call on the language of imagination, beauty and mystery that is also found in scripture. Both science and religion, she finds, are dedicated to searching for truth. Both experience awe. Both are vulnerable to error, but are open to the wonder of discovery. Both are prone to desiring certainty. Both admit that there is an essential messiness to life that makes it unpredictable, that experience will always trip us up no matter what our beliefs, yet both see a symmetry and order that holds things together. Whether our understanding of the origins of the world rests in theoretical physics or God, The Luminous Web opens our eyes afresh to the wonder of creation, where we each belong and where nothing – not even the hairs of our head or a butterfly's wings – is without immense significance.£12.99 -
Celtic Parables: Stories, Poems and Prayers
Celtic Prayer, Celtic Studies, Celtic Studies & Spirituality, Scripture & Prayer, Spiritual GrowthNever mock what others say. Perhaps their words are full of nonsense. Perhaps they are trying to puff themselves up. Perhaps they like hearing the sound of their voices. Perhaps they are trying to deceive their hearers. Perhaps they are foolish and dim. Perhaps they are more clever than wise. Yet amidst the useless clay You may find jewels beyond price. The word of God is in every heart, And can speak through every voice. Never mock (p.104) This collection of stories, meditations, poems and prayers evokes the authentic spirit of Celtic Christianity. Capturing the atmosphere of parables passed down through generations, it shows the human warmth, respect for the natural world and robust, down-to-earth qualities for which Celtic spirituality is so greatly valued. With its rich treasury of material – most of it previously unavailable in modern editions – Celtic Parables offers a fresh lively introduction to the Celtic world. It will appeal to all those fascinated by our Celtic heritage and the way it speaks directly to us today.£10.99 -
The Sayings of the Desert Fathers
Desert MonasticismThe Sayings of the Desert Fathers – The Alphabetical Collection Translated by Benedicta Ward, SLG The fourth-century ascetic flight to the desert indelibly marked Christianity. The faithful who did not embrace the austerity of the desert admired those who did and sought them out for counsel and consolation. The ‘words’ the monks gave were collected and passed around among those too far away or too feeble to make the trek themselves – or lived generations later. Previously available only in fragments, these Sayings of the Desert Fathers are now accessible in its entirety in English for the first time. ‘We have a great deal to learn from their integrity and their unrelenting courage, from their vision of God – so holy, so great, possessed of such a love, that nothing less than one’s whole being could respond to it,’ wrote Archbishop Anthony of Sourzah in the preface. ‘If we wish to understand the sayings of the Fathers, let us approach them with veneration, silencing our judgments and our own thoughts in order to meet them on their own ground and perhaps to partake ultimately – if we prove to emulate their earnestness in the search, their ruthless determination, their infinite compassion – in their own silent communion with God.’£15.99 -
Prayer Beads
Celtic Daily Prayer & Liturgy, Northumbria Community Resources & Teaching, Scripture & PrayerWooden beads plus a metal celtic cross that can be held in the hand as an aid to prayer. Rob Davies, who has lost his sight and puts these together with the help of his wife, finds that holding the cross and using the individual beads helps him to keep praying. Others have also found them very helpful and we commend them. The pack contains suggestions as to how the beads might best be used, showing how each bead can be used to pray through the Midday Office from Celtic Daily Prayer. Colours may vary. A small number of packs containing beads in the form of a string rather than a loop are available on request. Please email the office.£6.00 -
The Circle of Peace: an antidote to distress
Everyday Life, Spiritual Growth, The Inner JourneyA much-needed book which gives people - Christians in particular - permission to love themselves as they should. Written by a chartered psychologist and a priest with a distinguished teaching and pastoral ministry, this book offers an encouraging hand to those who want to experiment with making beneficial changes in their life, especially those bothered by anxiety, depression, low self-esteem or feelings of helplessness. Full of reassuring and engaging stories. Includes practical exercises throughout to enable people to understand where discomfort originates and to discover ways forward. The Church is very good at inviting or challenging people to love their neighbours - it is not so strong on encouraging us to love ourselves. This book illuminates the healing truth that encountering the love of God sets us free to live as we were intended to live - loving ourselves and those around us. Through Bible passages, stories and exercises, the authors encourage us to throw off the sense of apprehension that bothers so many, and to enjoy living to the full in God's exhilarating company.£10.99 -
Even though the day A6 greetings card
Celtic Daily Prayer & Liturgy, Music & Creativity, Northumbria Community Resources & TeachingThis Hebridean prayer is used as the Meditation for Day 20 in Celtic Daily Prayer Book 1: The Journey Begins. This calligraphic design is also available as an A5 poster and an A6 postcard.£1.20 -
Given for Life
Influences & Suggested Reading, The Inner JourneyA guide to motivational gifts by Andy Raine, one of the founders of the Northumbria Community. 'It is not what you do but the underlying WHY that you do it that betrays who you are.' Are you a 'prophet', 'ruler', mercy', server', teacher', 'exhorter', or 'giver'?£17.99 -
Sacred Strangers: what the Bible’s outsiders can teach Christians
Culture & Mission, Everyday Life, Scripture & PrayerThe Bible is laced with stories in which strangers behave better than believers. What do these encounters with "others"--people from different cultures, religions, genders, economic and social classes--teach us about our own spiritual values, about the faith and God behind them? In Sacred Strangers, Nancy Haught leads readers through these stories, line by line, offering insight to open hearts to sacred strangers at a time when personal encounters can make us or break us--as people and citizens of the world.£10.99 -
Fire of the North: The Life of St Cuthbert
Celtic Sites & SaintsSt Cuthbert, monk and bishop of Lindisfarne, was a man of extraordinary charm and ability. A preacher, teacher and pastor, he was also reputed to have gifts of prophecy and healing. David Adam, one of the most prolific and best-loved writers in the Celtic tradition, vividly relates the story of this central figure in Celtic Christianity. Drawing out the qualities which make Cuthbert so important in our own time, Fire of the North celebrates the saint's ready sense of God's presence and eager response to nature. The narrative is complemented throughout by prayers specially composed to help us experience the direct force of Celtic spirituality for ourselves.£10.99 -
Celtic Christian Spirituality
Celtic Prayer, Celtic Sites & Saints, Celtic Studies, Celtic Studies & SpiritualityThe Celtic Christians beheld the world around them and perceived the divine life of God upholding every aspect of the material universe. Their prayers and poems, their liturgies and their theological texts give Christians a sense of faith that is confident in a merciful and infinitely creative, healing God. In this introduction to Celtic Christian spirituality, Mary C. Earle presents the primary texts from the Celtic Christian tradition - selections from the writings of Pelagius, Eriugena and St Patrick, as well as prayers and poems from Wales, the Outer Hebrides and Ireland. These essential texts direct humanity to read the 'book of creation' as well as the book of scripture, and call us to remember that 'matter matters'. The author's engaging facing-page commentary explores how faithful Christians and spiritual seekers use the writings of this lively tradition as ways of embodying and living the gospel.£10.99 -
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The Wisdom of the Desert
Desert Monasticism, Influences & Suggested ReadingThe Wisdom of the Desert was one of Thomas Merton's favourites among his own books - surely because he had hoped to spend his last years as a hermit. The personal tone of the translations, the blend of reverence and humour so characteristic of him, show how deeply Merton identified with the legendary authors of these sayings and parables, the fourth century Christian Fathers who sought solitude and contempation in the deserts of the Near East. The hermits of Scete who turned their backs on a corrupt society remarkably like our own had much in common with the Zen Masters of China and Japan, and Father Merton made his selection from them with an eye to the kind of impact produced by the Zen mondo.£13.00 -
The Making Of Us: who we can become when life doesn’t go as planned
Everyday Life, Seasons of Life, Spiritual Growth, The Inner JourneyBeautiful Things Can Emerge from Life Not Going as Planned. When life takes one too many unexpected turns, do you find yourself saying, "I don't know who I am anymore"? In the wake of shattered dreams, do you wonder how you will keep going-and if you'll ever find purpose or joy again? After infertility, an international move, and a professional change shook Sheridan Voysey's world, he realized that he couldn't reconcile his expectations with the life he was living. Feeling lost, he decided to pair his spiritual journey with a literal one: a hundred-mile pilgrimage along the northeast coast of England. Inspired by the life and influence of the seventh-century monk Cuthbert, Sheridan travelled on foot from the Holy Island of Lindisfarne to Durham. Taking his friend DJ along for the journey, and keeping a journal by his side, Sheridan discovered not resolution but peace. Not ambition but purpose. Not shouts of convictions but whispers of the presence of God. In The Making of Us, Sheridan invites us to join him as he walks along England's shores and we trace the borders of our own hearts. Part pilgrim's journal, part call to reflection, The Making of Us eloquently reminds us of the beauty of journeying into uncertainty, the freedom of letting go, and the wonder of losing our identity only to discover who we really are.£12.99 -
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An Altar in the World
Church & Leadership, Everyday Life, Influences & Suggested Reading, The Inner JourneyIn this highly acclaimed and lyrical book, the best-selling author Barbara Brown Taylor reveals the countless ways we can discover divine depths in the small things we do and see every day. People go to extraordinary lenghts, she writes, to discover this treasure. 'They will spend hours launching prayers into the heavens. They will travel half way around the world to visit a monastery in India...The last place most people will look is right under their feet, in the everyday activities, accidents and encounters of their lives...the reason so many of us cannot see the red X marks the spot is because we're standing on it.' An Altar in the the World shows us how heaven and earth meet in such ordinary occurrences as hanging out the wahing, doing the supermarket shop, feeding an animal, losing our way. It will transfrom our understanding of ourselves and the word we live in and renew our sense of wonder at the extraordinary gift of life.£12.99 -
Hidden Wings: Emerging from troubled times with new hope and deeper wisdom
Everyday Life, Spiritual Growth, The Inner JourneyYou must become the change you long for. Fine words, a great vision, but where to begin? We caterpillars know. From the moment we are conceived in our parents' mating dance, we already contain the cells that hold our future butterfly. Let us tell you our story... Tumultuous changes are occurring in the world around us, and the structures and values by which we have charted our lives seem to be collapsing. Many of us are struggling to plot a spiritual path through this unfamiliar landscape, and to believe in a positive future. Hidden Wings is a book offering hope and understanding. Using the example of a caterpillar entering the devastating, world-altering stage of the chrysalis, before emerging – transformed – as a butterfly, Margaret Silf helps us to see that these times of chaos could in fact be an opportunity for profound spiritual transformation.£12.99 -
Egfroth of Lindisfarne (not a saint!)
Celtic Studies & SpiritualityKate Tristram has written an entertaining and accessible account of the remarkable years of the 7th century Golden Age of Northumbria from the viewpoint of a fictional monk called Egfroth and his cat. She tells the story of Saint Aidan coming to Lindisfarne at the request of King Oswald, the traumatic events of the Synod of Whitby, the ministry of the charismatic Saint Cuthbert, the creation of the Lindisfarne gospels and the emergence of the great historian The Venerable Bede. Like Bede, Kate Tristram is an historian and author; she has lived and worked on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, at the heart of this story, for forty years. Combining her detailed knowledge of the era with a delightfully light touch, she provides a succinct overview of the momentous events that stamped their mark firmly on the religious, cultural and artistic life of our nation.£5.99 -
CDP Daily Office card
Celtic Daily Prayer & Liturgy, Celtic Daily Prayer & Liturgy, Celtic Prayer, Celtic Studies & Spirituality, Northumbria Community Resources & TeachingA folded A4 card with the words of the Daily Office (Morning, Midday and Evening Prayer) from Celtic Daily Prayer. This is a handy resource to carry in your pocket or in your Bible. 10% discount when you purchase 5 or more. PLEASE NOTE: A PDF DOWNLOAD VERSION OF THIS CARD IS ALSO AVAILABLE HERE£0.65 -
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Lost in Wonder: Rediscovering the Spiritual Art of Attentiveness
Everyday Life, The Inner Journey'To take time to be apart ... is not a luxury, it is essential. The gift of space for myself seems so simple, and in a way it is; but it is also surprisingly difficult to do without some form of external encouragement. And that is the very simple purpose of this book.' With these words, Ester de Waal begins to show us ways into a fuller and deeper sense of attentiveness to the world around us and to the presence of God in that world. As she observes, 'if we fail to find the time to stand back, to give ourselves a break, a breathing space we are in danger of failing to be fully alive, or to enjoy that fullness of life for which we were created.' Many aspects of modern life can distract us: busyness, boredom, stress, lethargy, lack of direction. Yet Christ's invitation to each of us is, 'Come and see'. Responding to this call, Lost in Wonder clears and refreshes our inner vision, teaching us again how to use those gifts we may have come to take for granted or forgotten we had: sight, sound, silence, awareness, mystery, wonder.£9.99 -
Praying with the Desert Mothers
Desert Monasticism, Scripture & PrayerThe fourth- and fifth-century desert mothers lived the earliest forms of Christian life in the Mediterranean region. Until now, their lives have been little known outside of academic circles, Praying with the Desert Mothers presents the stories and insights of these remarkable spiritual elders, who were known as ammas; that is, women of spiritual insight and direction. The book draws on the wisdom of ancient spiritual practices to provide reflection for prayer and meditation today.£17.99 -
Most powerful holy spirit: A5 poster
Celtic Daily Prayer & Liturgy, Music & Creativity, Northumbria Community Resources & TeachingThese words are the 'Invocation of the Holy Spirit' in found in Celtic Daily Prayer Book 1: The Journey Begins by the Northumbria Community. This calligraphic design is also available as an A4 poster.£1.50 -
Walking with Grief Bookmark
Celtic Daily Prayer & Liturgy, Northumbria Community Resources & Teaching, Spiritual Growth, The Inner JourneyThe poem 'Walking with grief' (from the 'In the shadow of death' section of Celtic Daily Prayer) was written by Andy Raine, one of the founders of the Northumbria Community. It has proved to be of enormous help to countless people all over the world who are struggling with loss, particularly bereavement. This presents the words in the form of a bookmark that can easily be given to somebody in these circumstances, so that they may often remind themselves of the words.£1.00 -
Oswald Liturgy Card
Celtic Daily Prayer & Liturgy, Celtic Daily Prayer & Liturgy, Celtic Sites & Saints, Celtic Studies & Spirituality, Northumbria Community Resources & TeachingA trifold A4 card containing the Oswald Liturgy from Celtic Daily Prayer Book 1: The Journey Begins. A useful resource for pilgrimages and retreats. 10% discount when buying 5 or more copies.£0.65 -
Using the Bible in Spiritual Direction
Scripture & Prayer, Spiritual Direction, The Inner Journey'An invaluable travelling companion for anyone engaged in spiritual direction. The book affirms in an enlightening and interesting way the indispensable place of the Bible in listening, discerning and journeying with another person. A really helpful guide that explores the relationship of Scripture to issues of spiritual formation, mystery, life, faith, spirituality and the spiritual disciplines'.£15.99Roy Searle, Northumbria Community.
'This is the authentic voice of a spiritual guide who is widely read, deeply thoughtful and richly experienced. All this comes together in a book which is both wise and generous and, most valuably of all, roots the increasingly important practice of spiritual direction in the core Christian text of the Bible. This is the book we have needed for a long time.'John Pritchard, author and former Bishop of Oxford.
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Healing the Purpose of Your Life
Everyday Life, Spiritual Growth, The Inner Journey£12.99The Linns have a knack for choosing topics that are very timely and communicating them in a way that speaks to our everyday experience. In this book they explore how we discover our unique calling and develop it as a gift – for ourselves, others and the earth. For those caught up in our hectic culture, this little book is a rich source for reflection and prayer that can be used either individually or with groups.
Robert T Sears, SJ Professor of Pastoral Theology, Loyola University
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Benedictus: A Book of Blessings
Celtic Prayer, Celtic Studies & Spirituality, Scripture & Prayer, Spiritual GrowthIn sharing words of grace and wisdom, the poet and writer John O'Donohue offers blessings to shelter and comfort us on our journey through life. As he opens our eyes to the natural beauty and splendour of the world that surrounds us, he inspires in us a new confidence and passion for life and helps us to confront key thresholds of human experience. Guided by these blessings and by a reassuring vision of hope and possibility for the present and the future, we begin to recognise that our relationships with one another and even the most seemingly insignificant rituals which frame our days, are crucial to our emotional and spiritual well-being. Through his poetic blessings, John O'Donohue also ignites in us a greater understanding of our innate qualities and, perhaps for the first time, we experience a true sense of belonging in this often troubled world. Drawing on the heritage of ancient Celtic thought and imagination, Benedictus is, ultimately a sanctuary of peace and a gentle, illuminating gift of light on our path through this world.£16.99 -
Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home
Influences & Suggested Reading, Scripture & PrayerNo-one who reads Prayer will remain Unmoved. Even in the most difficult times, when we feel the 'agony of prayerlessness', this book will provide encouragement and the possibility of a profound experience of prayer will come within our reach. Richard Foster explores many facets of prayer, from the ordinary to the extraordinary, describing it an an inward journey of change and an upward journey of intimacy with God.He draws on the riches of the great classics of prayer throughout history as well as his own personal experience, and roots his teaching in Scripture.£9.99 -
Poustinia
Influences & Suggested Reading, Orthodox TraditionThis book (fundamental to the Community) by Catherine de Hueck Doherty explores the heart of drawing apart to a meeting place with God. Poustinia, a Russian word, means 'desert'. Men and women who desire communion with God can discover how the poustinia powerfully fulfils their yearning. Readers are invited to leave the noise and harried pace of daily life to enter a place of silence and solitude. The author writes from her own experience with refreshing and startling Christian authenticity and a strong personal sense of spiritual authority.£24.99 -
Home by another way: Biblical meditations through the Christian year
Daily Readings, Everyday Life, The Inner JourneyWritten by one of the world's greatest preachers, these insightful meditations began their life as beautifully crafted sermons that explore the meanings of the major seasons and holy days of the Christian year. Reviewer Lucy Winkett, Rector of St James's Picadilly, writes: "This is a deeply compassionate book that takes seriously what it's like to live in the world now, while holding out the scriptural hope of a life not yet imagined. Barbara Brown Taylor tells new parables that reveal meaning in everyday holiness, and the thoroughly human states of confusion, suffering and joy of which she is keenly aware.This book is for all who want to believe but can't quite get there, or for those whose jaded spirit needs a long cool drink at a freshwater spring. Reading these reflections is like being drenched in grace." Recently voted one of the world's top ten contemporary spiritual sages, Barbara Brown Taylor is Professor of Religion and Philosophy at Piedmont College in Demorest, Georgia. Her previous books include An Altar in the World and Leaving Church.£13.99 -
Creating Community: Ancient Ways for Modern Churches
Celtic Studies, Celtic Studies & Spirituality, New Monasticism, Re-imagining ChurchThere is much talk today of 'new ways of being church' and 'new monastic spirituality'. As Simon Reed explored the Celtic roots of the Christian faith, in community with others who drew inspiration from our spiritual ancestors in the British Isles, he came to realise that the third-millennium church has much in common with the first-millennium church and, more importantly, much to learn from it. In Creating Community, he introduces us to a new but at the same time very old way of being church which is based upon three core elements: A Way of Life, a network of Soul Friends, and a rhythm of prayer. The book shows how the rediscovery of these elements by Christians today offers a vital key that opens up an ancient way for modern churches, one that not only helps to bring believers to lasting maturity but creates genuine and much-needed community in an increasingly fragmented world.£8.99 -
I Thought There Would be Cake: navigating the ups and downs of adult life
Everyday Life, Leadership, Spiritual Growth, The Inner Journey£7.99EVER THOUGHT LIFE ISN'T TURNING OUT QUITE AS YOU EXPECTED? Growing up, Katharine Welby-Roberts imagined that being an adult was one big party. But depression, anxiety and crippling self-doubt led her to alienate herself from others. To replay events and encounters as nightmares, occasionally, to be unable to leave the house. Aware of the cacophony of voices in her head, Katharine invites us to join her as she journeys to the depths of her soul. Here, with instinctive honesty and humour, she confronts the parts of her story that hinder her most.As she charts a course that offers ways of coping with everyday issues, we are encouraged to embrace our own self-worth. To recognise the value of our existence. To let ourselves be loved. Exactly as we are. -
The Art of Healing Prayer : Bringing Christ’s Wholeness to Broken People
Church & LeadershipThe Art of Healing Prayer aims to help both clergy and laity to develop a greater understanding of those who come seeking healing, and to become skilled in praying for such people biblically, imaginatively and sensitively. The authors recognize that this is a costly ministry, requiring counsellors to find time in their own often busy lives to guide others, and necessitating that they continue to be open to the gifts of God's grace. However, it is a ministry that often results in joy and transformation, as those healed from long standing inner woundedness become sources of goodness and healing for others.£10.99 -
A Prayer in Brokenness: A6 postcard
Celtic Daily Prayer & Liturgy, Creativity, Music & Creativity, Northumbria Community Resources & TeachingThis A6 Postcard is printed with the words of 'A Prayer in Brokenness' which you can also find in the section of Celtic Daily Prayer Book 1: The Journey Begins entitled 'In Difficult Times'.£0.75 -
Streams of Living Water
Influences & Suggested Reading, The Inner JourneyIsn't it a shame that the rich tapestry of Christian belief and practice has so often been rigidly carved up, crammed into denominational boxes and padlocked shut? Richard Foster addresses this by identifying six major strands of Christian spirituality within the worldwide church that have contributed at various times and places across the centuries. They are: The Contemplative tradition - or the Prayer-filled life, The Holiness tradition - or the Virtuous life, The Charismatic tradition - or the Spirit-empowered life, The Social Justice tradition - or the Compassionate life, The Evangelical tradition - or the Word-centred life, The Incarnational tradition - or the Sacramental life, Foster's celebration of spiritual life incorporates history's most significant Christian figures and movements. It serves as a refreshing example of how real peopl have evaded preconceived ideas and lived wonderful Christ-centred lives in spite of constricting labels.£10.99 -
Embracing Chaos
LeadershipUnderstanding the importance of chaos and complexity is well established in the sciences, and increasingly impinges on everyday life. But how does it affect our understanding of leadership and theology? This wide-ranging study looks at the key elements of chaos theory, and makes helpful connections with the practical issues of leadership within and beyond ministry.£3.95 -
Born to Fly: A handbook for butterflies-in-waiting
Everyday Life, Spiritual Growth, The Inner JourneySometimes it can feel as though we are living in the worst of times – a world of chaos, uncertainty and breakdown. But could this also be the best of times – a crucible of change in which a wiser and more spiritually mature future is being forged? The stars are most clearly visible in the deepest darkness. The butterfly emerges out of the worst meltdown of the chrysalis. In Born to Fly, Margaret Silf helps us to explore what it would mean for each of us to be such an emerging butterfly – to be an agent of spiritual transformation in our own lives and in the world around us. What kind of future do we desire for ourselves, for those who follow after us, and for the whole of creation? And if the choices we make today are shaping that future, how might we learn to make those choices more wisely? The second part of the book takes us on a gentle journey in five stages through the process of transformation mapped out for us by the caterpillar as it changes from a pesky garden grub, taking what it wants without regard for the rest of creation, to a butterfly, giving life wherever it lands? Born to Fly is designed to be read for personal reflection and inspiration, or alongside fellow readers, with suggestions for further discussion. It is a companion book to Margaret Silf's Hidden Wings.£12.99 -
Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life
Influences & Suggested Reading, Seasons of Life, The Inner JourneyIn the first half of life, we are naturally and rightly preoccupied with establishing our identities – climbing, achieving, and performing. But those concerns will not serve us as we grow older and begin to embark on a further journey, one that involves challenges, mistakes, loss of control, broader horizons, and necessary suffering that shocks us out of our comfort zones. Eventually, we need to see ourselves in a different and more life-living way. This message of 'falling down' – that is in fact moving upward – is the most resisted and counterintuitive of messages in the world's religions, including and most especially Christianity. In Falling Upward, Father Richard Rohr offers a new paradigm for understanding one of the most profound of life's mysteries: how our failing can be the foundation for our ongoing spiritual growth. Drawing on the wisdom from time-honoured myths, heroic poems, great thinkers, and sacred religious texts, the author explores the two halves of life to show that those who have fallen, failed, or 'gone down' are the only ones who understand 'up'. We grow spiritually more by doing it wrong than by doing it right. With rare insight, Rohr takes us on a journey to give us an understanding of how the heartbreaks, disappointments and first loves of life are actually stepping stones to the spiritual joys that the second half of life has in store for us.£12.99 -
Advent and Christmas Wisdom from St Francis of Assisi
Advent & Christmas, Resources for the Christian YearThe much loved Saint Francis of Assisi discarded the trappings of wealth and found Christ in the simple life. Through daily meditations, Scripture readings, and action-based spiritual exercises written for the Advent and Christmas season, we are each invited to examine our spiritual life, to listen to the wisdom of Saint Francis and to follow in the footsteps of Christ. St Francis of Assisi calls us to embrace a life of radical Christian discipleship. For Francis, to live the life of a disciple of Christ meant that one had to embrace the poverty and humility of Christ as made manifest in Christ's own birth. This Advent and Christmas, let Saint Francis guide you in finding the great expression of God's overflowing love for each one of us through reflection and prayer.£11.99 -
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In His Grandfather’s Shadow
CreativityWalking away from his job, his flat and his relationship, Josh sets out on a journey of self-discovery as he unlocks the secrets of his own family’s past. His journey takes him across contemporary Britain and Ireland to discover the ancient truths revealed by sacred sites and encounter those who can guide his quest to find his own inner path. Meanwhile, the girlfriend he left behind, Megan, embarks on her own search to find Josh. Will Megan catch up with Josh in time or will their respective inner journeys, or the budding relationships between Josh and those whom he meets, have put too great a distance between them?Original price was: £8.95.£6.95Current price is: £6.95. -
Glimpses of Eden: field notes from the edge of eternity
Everyday Life, Seasons of Life, The Inner Journey'The land has a long memory...it forgets nothing, waiting only for the opportunity to ease the heart.' Glimpses of Eden is a seasonally-arranged collection of the very best of novelist Jonathan Tulloch's acclaimed nature column, which ran in The Tablet for more than 10 years. In 96 evocative daily records of his exploration of the land, mostly within an hour's bike ride of his North Yorkshire home, Jonathan captures snapshots of the wonders of the natural world. Here are eternal stories of resilience and beauty, hope and death, survival and renewal, a tapestry of miraculous creation to enrich our souls and deepen our understanding of life. Each reading is followed by a new reflection written for this book.£19.95 -
The Wounded Healer
Influences & Suggested Reading, The Inner JourneyWhat does it mean to be a healer in the modern world? In this hope-filled and profoundly simple book, Henri Nouwen offers a radically fresh interpretation of modern ministry. Here he inspires devoted men and women who want to be of service in their church or community, but have found the traditional ways of ministry alienating and ineffective. According to Nouwen, ministers are called to identify the suffering in their own hearts and make that recognition the starting point of their service. For Nouwen, ministers must be willing to go beyond their professional, somewhat aloof role and leave themselves open as fellow human beings with the same wounds and suffering as those they serve. In other words, we heal from our wounds. Generally recognized as one of Nouwen’s finest works, this book is a modern classic.£10.99 -
Learning to Walk in the Dark
Influences & Suggested Reading, The Inner JourneyNew from best-selling author Barbara Brown Taylor, perhaps best known for An Altar in the World, comes Learning to Walk in the Dark. In this hardback book she writes with wisdom, grace and beauty as she seeks to rehabilitate what we have learned to fear - the dark. Here she reflects on how our lives do not only work when everything is brightly lit; twilight and deep darkness have treasures of their own waiting to be discovered. Babara Brown Taylor writes: 'Darkness is shorthand for anything that scares me - either because I am sure that I do not have the resources to survive ti or because I do not want to have to find out. If I had my way, I would eliminate everything from chronic back pain ti the fear of the devil from my life ad the lives of those I love. At least I think I would. The problem is this: when, despite all my best efforts, the lights have gone off in my life, plunging me into the kind of darkness that turns my knees to water, I have not died. The monsters have not dragged me out of bed and taken me back to their lair. Instead, I have learned things in the dark that I could never have learned in the light, things that have saved my life over and over again, so that there is really only one logical conclusion. I need darkness as much as I need light. Learning to Walk in the Dark is a wise spiritual companion and guide for those times in life when we don't have all the answers. Recognising our tendency to associate all that is good with light, and all that is evil and dangerous with darkness, Barbara Brown Taylor asks whether God doesn't work at night too? With her characteristic grace and generosity, she invites us to put aside our fears and anxieties and to discover all that the darkness has to teach us. She takes us to underground caverns, subterranean chapels, basement night clubs and unlit cabins in the woods on moonless nights. Through darkness, we begin to see the world and sense God's presence around us in new ways, guiding us through things seen an unseen, and teaching us to find out footing in times of uncertainty. Like seeds buried in the ground, we will find how darkness is essential for our own growth and flourishing.£12.99 -
Aidan, Bede, Cuthbert: Three Inspirational Saints
Celtic Sites & Saints, Celtic Studies & SpiritualityIn this rousing book, David Adam celebrates the lives and interweaving stories of Aidan, Bede and Cuthbert. Recalling, in a personal introduction, his ordination to the pastoral ministry in Durham Cathedral (the burial place of Bede and Cuthbert) and his thirteen years as Vicar of the Holy Island of Lindisfarne (where Aidan lived), the author communicates clearly his appreciation of these three great saints. They have much to teach us, he believes, about vision – about expanding our spiritual awareness and deepening our love for God.£9.99 -
From Darkness to Light
Lent & Easter, Scripture & PrayerFrom Darkness to Light is a masterpiece of contemplative exegesis of the Bible. Daniel Bourguet takes the reader on a challenging, three-chapter pilgrimage exploring the mystery of three conversions: in the darkness at Jesus's death, in the cries of descent into the grave, and in the light at his garden resurrection. Bourguet interprets with precision and passion the story of the one thief's conversion on the cross as he witnesses Jesus's suffering love. His treatment of Heman's cry from the depths in Psalm 88 plumbs the depths of a biblical theology of the cross. His final chapter on Mary Magdalene's transformative encounter with Jesus in the garden is brilliant, inspiring more careful study, contemplative prayer, and adoration.£17.00 -
How To Discover Your Personal Mission: the search for meaning
Seasons of Life, Spiritual Growth, The Inner JourneyHow to Discover your Personal Mission invites you on an adventure to discover your personal mission in life. In this user-friendly book, author John Monbourquette will lead you through a three-stage process: learning to let go of the past; deepening your sense of identity and mission; and risking a new beginning in life.£12.99 -
The Way of the Heart
Desert Monasticism, Influences & Suggested ReadingThe words flee, be silent and pray summarise the spirituality of the desert. They indicate the three ways of preventing the world from shaping us in its image and are thus the three ways to life in the Spirit.' How can Christians live as God wants in today's world? Henri Nouwen seeks his answer from an unlikely source - the example of the fifth-century Egyptian Desert Fathers and Mothers. Their experience in the desert taught them that true Christian living in possible only if we find a place in our lives for solitude, silence and prayer. The Way of the Heart in a perfect book for prayerful meditation. Compassionate yet challenging, it will enable us not only to appreciate the teaching of the Desert Fathers and Mothers, but to apply it to our daily lives.£15.99 -
Celtic Daily Prayer Book 2: Farther Up and Farther In
Celtic Daily Prayer & Liturgy, Celtic Daily Prayer & Liturgy, Celtic Prayer, Celtic Sites & Saints, Celtic Studies & Spirituality, Music & Creativity, Northumbria Community Resources & TeachingCeltic Daily Prayer Book 2: Farther Up and Farther In is the long awaited companion volume to Celtic Daily Prayer Book 1: The Journey Begins, also reissued in a new binding. It contains a further two years of daily readings together with a new set of meditations for each day of the month plus prayers and liturgies that speak into real life as we have experienced it. With the exception of the Daily Offices and Complines, which have been re-issued with melody lines for those parts where a sung version exists, the material included is new. Here you will find additional resources for the Times and Seasons of the year and for Rites of Passage. Here too are liturgies and prayers for the significant events and decisions in life. For those seeking fresh resources for corporate worship there are four new Communion services, an Advent liturgy that could work equally well in either a church or home group setting and fourteen new ‘Follow the Example’ liturgies with suggestions for occasions when they may prove helpful. Beautifully bound in a specially commissioned hardback cover with ribbon markers, this book is built to last. Just as well as we anticipate it becoming as much a part of our journey, alone and together, as its treasured elder sibling! See a sample:CDP Book 2 Sample£25.00Celtic Daily Prayer is also available as an INTERACTIVE E-BOOK published by HarperCollins and available for a variety of devices. It can be purchased from:Amazon hereiTunes heregoogleplay herekobo books hereThe e-book has app-like features and includes the Daily Prayer and Compline liturgies, the Meditations for the Day from Book 2 and all four years of Daily Readings from Books 1 and 2. Please be aware that currently the introduction to the theme for each month is not included (we are looking into that). The e-book does not contain any of the communion liturgies or prayers for times and seasons, rites of passages and other themed prayers and liturgies from either Celtic Daily Prayer 1 or 2.However, also included within the e-book are the Scriptures for each day’s readings in full from the New Revised Standard Version Bible and music from the Celtic Daily Prayer CD - ALTHOUGH PLEASE NOTE THAT THE MUSIC FILES WILL NOT PLAY ON ALL DEVICES. -
Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth
Influences & Suggested ReadingPraised by many as the most important contemporary book on Christian spirituality, this timeless classic has helped well over a million people discover a richer spiritual life infused with joy, peace and a deeper understanding of God. This book explores the 'classic disciplines' of the Christian faith: the inward disciplines of meditation, prayer, fasting and study; the outward disciplines of simplicity, solitude, submission and service; and the corporate disciplines of confession, worship, guidance and celebration.£10.99 -
An Introduction to the Wisdom of the Celtic Saints
Celtic Sites & Saints, Celtic Studies, Celtic Studies & Spirituality, Core Teaching, Influences & Suggested Reading, Northumbria Community Resources & TeachingEdward C Sellner has recently published a revised and expanded edition of his important work Wisdom of the Celtic Saints, which presents the stories of 27 of the most important of the Celtic saints from Ireland, Scotland, northern England, Wales, Cornwall and Brittany. However, this is currently only available in hardback form and the author has permitted the Northumbria Community to publish his excellent introduction to his book in this booklet form, making it more widely accessible.£4.00 -
Spiritual Maladies
Scripture & Prayer, The Inner JourneyTo love is to live and to live is to love; this is God's intention for humanity. However, humanity falls ill along the way; its love of God and neighbour becomes diseased, infected with other loves; the love of money, of pleasure. . . . To these malaises God becomes our physician; he draws alongside us to heal and to restore us to fullness of life. The author enables us to rediscover this obscured face of God, the face of God our physician, full of compassion and very attentive--a God before whom it is best to lay bare all our ills in order to be healed. In this important corrective, Daniel Bourguet reorients readers. Sin is not so much law-breaking behaviour that requires a punitive judge as it is a spiritual malady of the passions in need of the Great Physician. From Cain's sin to Christ's ministry, we see grace as God's medicine for our sick world. This book is gentle, therapeutic gift.£13.00 -
The Celtic Way of Prayer: The Recovery of the Religious Imagination
Celtic Prayer, Celtic Studies, Celtic Studies & Spirituality, Influences & Suggested ReadingWhile it may seem that everything that can be said about Celtic spirituality has been said, this outstanding book has already established itself as a classic and as essential reading. Its beauty and wisdom lingers in the mind and in the heart. First published in 1996, it has sold tens of thousands of copies throughout the world and a new edition is to be welcomed. Esther writes as a historian and as a spiritual guide, avoiding the sentimentality that is so easily associated with Celtic spirituality. She draws on its rich literary and artistic traditions and its earthy realism to make vital and life-giving connections between the Celtic Christian world and the toughness and challenges of our own world. Here is a spirituality that we can live by with honesty, commitment and truthfulness.£14.99 -
Availability and Vulnerability: A way for living
Core Teaching, Northumbria Community Resources & TeachingThe Rule of the Northumbria Community with an introduction by Trevor Miller, one of the leaders of the Community. A new Way for Living that offers hope in the changed and changing culture of today's world.£4.00 -
Celtic Daily Prayer – music CD
Celtic Daily Prayer & Liturgy, Celtic Daily Prayer & Liturgy, Celtic Prayer, Celtic Studies & Spirituality, Music & Creativity, Northumbria Community Resources & TeachingSung and spoken versions of Morning, Midday and Evening Prayer; and Complines for each day of the week. This music and liturgy is recorded in normal Audio CD format and can be played on any CD player or computer. This album is also available as an audio download. To purchase the download please click on one of these options:£10.00 -
A Silent Action: engagements with Thomas Merton
Spiritual GrowthThomas Merton's life, especially once he had become a writer, was to a great extent one of dialogue with people who were distant, both geographically and historically. In these probing and perceptive studies, Rowan Williams looks closely at the key intellectual and spiritual relationships that emerge in Merton's writings, exploring the impact on him of thinkers as diverse as Hannah Arendt, Karl Barth, William Blake, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Olivier Clement, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Paul Evdokimov, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Vladimir Lossky, John Henry Newman, Boris Pasternak and St John of the Cross.£11.99 -
Hermits of the Inner Farne
Celtic Daily Prayer & Liturgy, Celtic Sites & Saints, Celtic Studies, Celtic Studies & Spirituality, Northumbria Community Resources & TeachingThis booklet has been compiled by Andy Raine, a Companion with the Northumbria Community, as a way of retelling the story of the hermits who lived and prayed on the little island of Inner Farne, just off the north Northumberland coast. It begins with a reprinting of Kathleen Parbury’s manuscript of The Hermits of the House of Farne, which she self-published in 1983, and which is contained here with the permission and blessing of her surviving relatives. It also includes relevant liturgical material taken from Celtic Daily Prayer, and other articles about the hermits.£6.00 -
Contemplation in a World of Action
The Inner JourneyThe spiritual and psychological insights of these essays were nurtured in a monastic milieu, but their issues are universally human. Thomas Merton lays a foundation for personal growth and transformation through fidelity to "our own truth and inner being". Our desire and need to attain "a fully human and personal identity" is the focus of Merton's concern.£24.99 -
Sabbath Time: A hermitage journey of retreat, return, communion
Seasons of Life, The Inner Journey'A serious health breakdown in my thirties, where I spent over six months in recovery, made me aware of the need for greater balance in my life. Yet since then, I have continued to do too much, say “yes” instead of “no” too often, and I have struggled to set aside time for rest, prayer and reflection. But finally, after a year of thought and planning, I decided to take a whole six months off...' From the Author Preface Description Being left alone to embark on a reflective journey is a great gift – particularly in our age, where remaining connected is such a driving expectation. Charles decided to take a whole six months off and to spend much of this time in a hermitage on friends’ property. To enter a space of disconnection is both a scary and an exhilarating experience. And to 'down' tools and be still without an agenda of expectations is wonderfully open and freeing. It is also walking into mystery. Who knows what might happen? About the Author Charles Ringma has taught in universities, colleges and seminaries in Asia, Australia and N. America. And he has worked in urban and overseas mission for several decades. He is Emeritus Professor of Regent College, Vancouver, is a Franciscan Tertiary (tssf) and companion of Northumbria Community, Brisbane. Besides working for justice, he plants rain forest trees, grows vegetables and pens books on Christian spirituality.£7.99 -
How the Irish saved civilisation
Celtic Sites & Saints, Celtic Studies, Celtic Studies & SpiritualityFrom the fall of Rome to the rise of Charlemagne – the 'dark ages' – learning, scholarship and culture disappeared from the European continent. The great heritage of Western civilisation – from the Greek and Roman classics to Jewish Christian works – would have been utterly lost were it not for the holy men and women of the unconquered Ireland. In this delightful and illuminating look into a crucial but little-known 'hinge' of history, Thomas Cahill takes us to the 'island of saints and scholars', the Ireland of St Patrick and the Book of Kells. Here, far from the barbarian despoliation of the continent, monks and scribes labouriously, lovingly, even playfully preserved the West's written treasury. With the return of stability in Europe, these Irish scholars were instrumental in spreading learning. Thus the Irish not only were conservators of civilisation, but became shapers of the medieval mind, putting their unique stamp on Western civilisation.£10.99 -
Contemplative Prayer
Influences & Suggested Reading, Scripture & PrayerThomas Merton's classic study of monastic prayer and contemplation brings a tradition of spirituality alive for the present day. But, as A M Allchin points out in his Introduction to this new edition, Contemplative Prayer also shows us the present day in a new perspective, because we see it in the light of a long and living tradition. Merton stresses that in meditation we should not look for a 'method' or 'system' but cultivate an 'attitude' or 'outlook': faith, openness, attention, reverence, expectation, trust, joy. God is found in the desert of surrender, in giving up any expectation of a particular message and 'waiting on the Word of God in silence'. Merton insists on the humility of faith, which he argues 'will do far more to launch us into the full current of historical reality than the pompous rationalisation of politicians who think they are somehow the directors and manipulators of history'.£11.99 -
Journaling as a Spiritual Practice: Encountering God Through Attentive Writing
Spiritual ExercisesWhether you are a longtime journal keeper or someone who has never kept a journal at all, this book will help you to go below the surface of your life with God. It is not about the art of writing, but about how journaling can form us spiritually. Every chapter combines descriptive text, illustrations from journals and the author's own experience with journaling practices integrated along the way to help you bring your own life and world into sharper focus. God wants to surprise you with the beauty of your own life, growing and alive, filled with movement, light and shadow. This is the book to do just that.£16.99