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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 -
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 -
Advent and Christmas Wisdom with Henri Nouwen
Advent & Christmas, Resources for the Christian YearHenri J. M. Nouwen is one of the most beloved and well-read spiritual authors of our time. His works are popular among Christians of all denominations. This book of Advent and Christmas Wisdom will both challenge you and warm your heart during your annual preparation for the Lord's coming. Through the quotes, Nouwen share with the reader his own journey of waiting while seeking the Lord. Advent is that period of great anticipatory joy to prepare for the celebration of Christ's arrival in Bethlehem as a helpless infant. The date commemorating his birth begins the Christmas cycle of the liturgical year, a cycle that runs through the Sunday after the feast of the Epiphany. This book is designed to be used during the entire period from the First Sunday of Advent to the end of the Christmas season. Reflections for each day in this book begin with the words of Henri Nouwen taken from various sources of his writings. Following that quotation is an excerpt from Scripture related to the quote. Next is a small prayer based on the quote and the Scripture passage. Finally, an activity is suggested for applying the messages to one's daily life. All devotees of Nouwen will appreciate the applications made of his words of wisdom for daily living. Any Christian who is serious about his or her search for the Lord will cherish this book and want to use it from year to year.£12.50 -
Alone Together CD
Music & Creativity, Northumbria Community Resources & TeachingAn eclectic collection of music written and performed by Community musicians and singers. The musical styles represented in these 19 tracks include a capella, chant, folk, rock, instrumentals - from solo sitar to string quartet - and a children's song. Over 50 Community folk, from USA, Scotland, England, the Netherlands and Germany, have sung in English, Old English, Gaelic and Dutch to create this eclectic collection that forms a snapshot of the diversity that is Northumbria Community. The lyrics for the CD can also be downloaded from our website. You can also download this album via iTunes or at Amazon (MP3) [playlist images="false" ids="6001,6003,6004,8435,8437,8439,8441,8443,8445,8447,8449,8451,8453,8455,8458,8460,8464,8466,8468"]£7.50 -
Home Tonight: Further Reflections on the Parable of the Prodigal Son
Influences & Suggested Reading, The Inner JourneyPrior to writing his great classic, The Return of the Prodigal Son, Henri Nouwen suffered an enormous personal loss and breakdown that took him away from his home in the L'Arche Daybreak community for a period of seven months. His thoughts were intense, raw and deeply private, and ultimately revealed to him the passionate drama of parenthood, filial duty, rivalry, anger and unconditional live on display in Rembrandt's painting. On his return from solitude, Henri held small private workshops on his revelations that were recorded in audio. The material of those extremely personal talks has now been formed into a unique work. Home Tonight brings to light Nouwen's lectures on the Prodigal Son in a powerful guide for spiritual reflection. Providing exercises, suggestions for times of solitude, questions for pondering, simple prayers, and aids for personal journalling, Home Tonight leads readers to commune with God through spiritual listening. A practical guide for the inner journey home, this important book will give those who adore Nouwen's works the chance to hear his voice anew on his most popular topic.£9.99 -
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 -
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 -
Fresh Bread: and Other Gifts of Spiritual Nourishment
Everyday Life, The Inner JourneyJoyce Rupp writes: 'When I first wrote Fresh Bread, I did so with the hope that it would offer prayerful support to other who also wanted to care for their inner self. This intention has grown more relevant with time. So much has changed since this book was first published. Life is busier, noisier, and more demanding of our time and energy. A fast-paced culture tries to convince us that silence and solitude are obsolete. In the midst of the transitions and changes that the passage of twenty years has brought, I see an ongoing need to care for our deepest selves. The ordinary images of life contained in this book offer a way of connecting with our deepest selves. Every day is an opportunity to turn the pages of Fresh Bread and find refreshment and solace for our spirit.'£12.99 -
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 -
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 -
Seasoned By Seasons: flourishing in life’s experiences
Seasons of Life, Spiritual GrowthLike the seasons themselves, our lives are variable and can change in a moment. In Seasoned by Seasons, Michael Mitton acknowledges this and offers Bible reflections for the variety of life's seasons: spring, the season of emerging new life; summer, the season of fruitfulness; autumn, the season of letting go; winter, the season of discovering light in the dark. What can we learn, and how can we be encouraged in each season of our lives? This book will empower you to discover for yourself the truths and messages of scripture, and might well change the way you view life's changes.£7.99 -
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 -
The Selfless Way of Christ
Spiritual Growth, The Inner JourneyDownward Mobility and the Spiritual Life by Henri Nouwen In these short reflections Herne Nouwen explores the theme of downward mobility as the way of Christ, and the things that tempt us away from it, namely, the lure of success, of power, of being needed and important. Originally serialized in the magazine Sojourners, Nouwen wrote the articles during his years as a professor at Yale Divinity School. There he enjoyed academic success and found fame as a spiritual writer, but was struggling to find his true vocation. Here he seeks to explain for himself and his readers how choosing the downwardly mobile path can, conversely, be the means of growth and new life in Christ.£8.99 -
Finding Happiness: Monastic Steps for a Fulfilling Life
The Inner Journey, Traditional MonasticismOur obsession with seeking happiness through consumption and pleasure often leads to very little fulfillment. In this accessible and engaging book, Abbot Christopher Jamison encourages alternative approaches to our view of happiness. He turns to monastic wisdom and Benedictine tradition to offer answers to the eternal question: what does it mean to be truly happy? He also looks in turn at the demons that make us unhappy, providing guidance and generous insight on our search for contentment.£8.99 -
Discernment – reading the signs of daily life
Everyday Life, Influences & Suggested Reading, The Inner JourneyHenri Nouwen understood the spiritual life as a journey of faith and transformation that is deepened by accountability, community and relationships. And the practice of discernment is about how to read the 'signs of the times' in daily life in order to know what to do next. Nouwen believes our calling and mission may be made clear through the people we meet on our path, the circumstances that each day brings, the books and sacred texts we read and meditate on, and through current events. Discernment seeks the will of God, requiring the disciplines of contemplative prayer, compassionate action and theological reflection. Discernment has been compiled by two of Nouwen's longtime students, Michael Christensen and Rebecca Laird, from coursework, journals and unpublished writings.£13.99 -
Be stronger than each storm in me: Greetings card
Creativity, Spiritual GrowthGreetings card, supplied with envelope, featuring an original design by Lynda Owen-Hussey that reflects the story of St Brendan's journey of faith. Blank inside. The title is taken from Brendan - in exploration of a vision, a call to risky living in Celtic Daily Prayer Book 1: The Journey Begins.£2.20 -
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 -
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 -
Life of the Beloved and Our Greatest Gift
Influences & Suggested Reading, The Inner JourneyThe real 'work' of prayer is to become silent and listen to the voice that says good things about me. The late Henri Nouwen was one of the twentieth century's greatest spiritual writers, and this book brings together two of his most inspirational pastoral works, reissued to mark the twentieth anniversary of his death. Life of the Beloved asks how one can live a spiritual life in a completely secular culture. The greatest challenge, concludes Nouwen, is to bridge the gap between secular and sacred within the human self as a human being beloved of God. Our Greatest Gift is a mediation on dying. Dying and death can often bring fear, but the experience of dying and caring for the dying can become the deepest experience of love. Now encourages us to ask, 'How can my death become fruitful in the loves of others?'. Ultimately, it is the greatest gift we have to offer.£10.99 -
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 -
Anxious For Nothing: finding calm in a chaotic world
Everyday Life, Scripture & Prayer, Seasons of Life, The Inner JourneyWhen it comes to anxiety, depression, and stress-related illnesses, America is the frontrunner. Thankfully, there's a practical prescription for dealing with them. Anxious for Nothing, the most recent book from New York Times bestselling author, Max Lucado, provides a roadmap for battling with and healing from anxiety. Does the uncertainty and chaos of life keep you up at night?Is irrational worry your constant companion?Could you use some calm?If the answer is yes, you are not alone. According to one research program, anxiety-related issues are the number one mental health problem among women and are second only to alcohol and drug abuse among men. Stress-related ailments cost the nation $300 billion every year in medical bills and lost productivity. And use of sedative drugs like Xanax and Valium have skyrocketed in the last 15 years. Even students are feeling it. One psychologist reports that the average high school kid today has the same level of anxiety as the average psychiatric patient in the early 1950s. Chances are, you or someone you know seriously struggles with anxiety. Max writes, "The news about our anxiety is enough to make us anxious." He knows what it feels like to be overcome by the worries and fear of life, which is why he is dedicated to helping millions of readers take back control of their minds and, as a result, their lives. Anxious for Nothing invites readers to delve into Philippians 4:6-7. After all, it is the most highlighted passage of any book on the planet, according to Amazon: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. In the characteristic tone of his previous books like You'll Get Through This and Fearless, Max guides readers through this Scripture passage and explains the key concepts of celebration, asking for help, leaving our concerns, and meditating. Stop letting anxiety rule the day. Join Max on the journey to true freedom and experience more joy, clarity, physical renewal, and contentment by the power of the Holy Spirit. Anxiety comes with life. But it doesn't have to dominate your life.£14.99 -
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 -
The Return of the Prodigal Son
Influences & Suggested Reading, Spiritual GrowthThe Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen A chance encounter with a reproduction of Rembrandt’s The Return of the Prodigal Son catapulted Henri Nouwen on a long spiritual adventure. Here he shares the deeply personal and resonant meditation that led him to discover the place within which God has chosen to dwell. In seizing the inspiration that came to him through Rembrandt’s depiction of the powerful Gospel story, Henri Nouwen probes the several movements of the parable: the younger son’s return, the father’s restoration of sonship, the elder son’s vengefulness, and the father’s compassion. In his reflection on Rembrandt in light of his own life journey, the author evokes the powerful drama of the parable in a rich, captivating way that is sure to reverberate in the hearts of readers. The themes of homecoming, affirmation, and reconciliation will be newly discovered by all who have known loneliness, dejection, jealousy, or anger. The challenge to love as the father and be loved as the son will be seen as the ultimate revelation of the parable known to Christians through time, and here represented with a vigour and power fresh for our times.£11.99 -
The Inner Voice of Love: A journey through anguish to freedom
Influences & Suggested Reading, The Inner JourneyThis is Henri Nouwen's 'secret journal'. It was wrtten during the most difficult period of his life, when, following the breakdown of a close relationship, he suddenly lost his self-esteem, his energy to live and work, his sense of being loved, even his hope in God. Although he experienced excruciating anguish and despair, he was stilla ble to keep a journal in which he wrote eah day a spiritual imperative to himself, which emerged from his conversations with friends. For more than eight years, Henri Nouwen felt that what he wrote was too raw and private to share with others. Instead he published The Return of the Prodigal Son in which he expressed some of the insights gained during his mental and spiritual crisis. But then friends asked hi,, 'Why keep your anguish hidden from the many people who have been nurtured by your writing? Wouldn't it be of consolation for many to know about the fierce inner battle that lies underneath many of your spiritual insights? For the countless men and women who have to live through the pain of broken relationship, or who suffer from the loss of a loved one, this book offers new courage, new hope, even new life.£9.99 -
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