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Cuthbert of Farne: A Novel of Northumbria’s Warrior Saint (Book 1 of 3: The Cuthbert Novels)
Celtic Sites & Saints, FictionWhat made a young Anglo-Saxon warrior lay down his sword and enter a monastery? Why would he turn his back on wealth and position - and women? Seventh-century England is a time of war and religious divisions that threaten to split the Church. As a reconciler and peace-maker he is much loved by those around him, and his antagonist, the powerful Bishop Wilfrid, respects him. When Cuthbert's vocation takes him to the windswept solitude of Inner Farne, his long-foretold destiny lies in wait for him. He is summoned back to become the most powerful churchman in the land. This gripping historical novel takes us to the heart of Cuthbert's world and sheds new light on the life and times of the North's favourite saint.£12.99 -
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 -
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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'.£9.99 -
Poverty – Simplicity – Joy: Stories of St Francis and his Companions for Everyone
Saints & Mystics, Spiritual ExercisesOccasionally in the Church some spirit is raised up who proves to have a universal significance that endures through the ages. Such a one was Francis of Assisi, whose life continues to inspire countless thousands of Christians, and even people of other faiths and none. When the present pope chose the name Francis, the Church thrilled with a sense of something new, radical, focused on Jesus and the poor. The name Francis alone symbolizes a way of life that challenges and offers hope. It returns us to the basic message of Christianity, the love that is ever ancient, ever new, and demands a response on our part. Francis was born in 1182. It was the era of the crusades, which heralded enormous changes in the Christian West. During his lifetime Francis himself was to go to the East, not as a fighting Crusader, but as one who wanted to bring peace through dialogue and understanding. It was also a new era of lay holiness. There was a reaction to the wealth of the Church and its distance from the ordinary person. People flocked to the growing cities, but for most it was a life of misery and squalor. They were uprooted from the land they had lived on for years, and there was little provision in urban areas for their spiritual welfare or material well-being.£5.95 -
A Retreat with Thomas Merton
The Inner JourneyThe celebrated spiritual writer Thomas Merton remains one of the most influential voices of our day. His many books have become modern spiritual classics and he opened up the riches of the monastic tradition for many. Here, Esther de Waal devises a seven day personal or group retreat programme using extracts from Thomas Merton's writings and a selection of the photography for which he was also renowned. She creates a retreat that can be made at home, at a centre or on holiday, over a week or a period of weeks. The focus of each of the seven days is: The Call; Response; The Solitary Within; Encounter With Christ; The Demands of Love; Common and Natural and Ordinary; Integration.£14.00 -
Listening for the Heartbeat of God
Celtic Studies, Celtic Studies & Spirituality, Influences & Suggested Reading, Spiritual Growth, The Inner JourneyListening for the Heartbeat of God presents a spirituality for today, modelled on the vital characteristics of Celtic spirituality through the centuries. there is an emphasis on the essential goodness of creation and of humanity, made in the image of God. The book traces the lines of Celtic spirituality from the British Church in the fourth century through to the twentieth century, in the founder of the Iona community, George MacLeod. Philip Newell finds Celtic spiritual roots in the New Testament, in the mysticism of St John the Evangelist. John was especially remembered as the one who lay against Jesus at the Last Supper and heard the heartbeat of God. So he becomes a Celtic image of listening to God in all of life. This fresh angle on Celtic spirituality - linking figures in the Bible and in the British Christian history - will be warmly welcomed by all who are concerned to refresh the roots of their faith. The Revd Dr J Philip Newell is a poet, scholar and teacher. Formerly Warden of Iona Abbey, he is now Companion Theologian for the American Spirituality Centre of Casa del Sol in the high desert of New Mexico. Newell has won international acclaim for his work in the field of Celtic spirituality.£9.99 -
A Month With Julian of Norwich
Daily Readings, Saints & MysticsThis short book contains 62 prayers and readings (one each morning and evening for a month). It will help the reader to steep him- or herself in the writings and thoughts of this favourite spiritual writer, and the introduction will introduce Julian of Norwich's particular appeal. The special angle unique to this series of books is the way they accompany the reader on a month-long journey with a favourite saint or writer.£7.99 -
Julian of Norwich: A Very Brief History
Saints & MysticsOver six hundred years ago a woman known as Julian of Norwich wrote what is now regarded as one of the greatest works of literature in English. Based on a sequence of mystical visions she received in 1373, her book is called Revelations of Divine Love. Julian lived through an age of political and religious turmoil, as well as through the misery of the Black Death, and her writing engages with timeless questions about life, love and the meaning of suffering. But who was Julian of Norwich? And what can she teach us today? Medievalist and TV historian Janina Ramirez invites you to join her in exploring Julian's remarkable life and times, offering insights into how and why her writing has survived, and what we can learn from this fourteenth-century mystic whose work lay hidden in the shadows of her male contemporaries for far too long£10.99 -
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 -
Places of Enchantment: Meeting God in Landscapes
Everyday Life, The Inner JourneyThere is a great and honourable tradition of finding God in landscapes. Many who have given up on church appreciate the spiritual benefits they gain from climbing a mountain or walking in nature. But how and why do we encounter God in land, forest, river, mountain, desert, garden, sea and sky? That is what Graham Usher explores in this captivating volume which takes us from the giant Redwoods of the Californian Sierra Nevada to the jagged New York skyline; from the wilds of the ancient Scottish Highlands to the rolling pastures of English Shropshire. Drawing on material from biblical and church history traditions, as well as scientific research and contemporary art, he seeks to ascertain how such encounters support our Christian pilgrimage and challenge our assumptions. More than anything, the author's desire is to encourage readers to look at the world with fresh eyes - and so be enchanted by the world all around us.£11.99 -
Silence and Honey Cakes
Desert MonasticismSilence and Honey Cakes – The Wisdom of the Desert by Rowan Williams In Silence and Honey Cakes, Rowan Williams returns to the desert fathers and mothers of the fourth and fifth centuries, revealing a spirituality that resonates strongly with aspects of the modern spiritual search. Drawing on their stories and sayings, he reflects on questions such as: How can we discover the truth about ourselves? How do we live in relationship with others? What does the desert say about our priorities? How can we create a fearless community?£7.99 -
Ancient Paths CD
Celtic Prayer, Creativity, Music & Creativity, Spiritual GrowthAnna's first solo album includes some of her 'signature' pieces as well as some songs of her own. Some of you will recognise familiar words from the Complines in Celtic Daily Prayer drawn from Carmina Gadelica and other traditional sources. Here they are set to Anna's own music which has emerged over the years of saying and singing these night-time prayers with her children, Joel and Martha. Anna says, 'I hope you will want to play this album often and that it will capture something of the rhythm of the tides, the sounds of the island and also its stillness.'£12.00 -
The Cloud of Unknowing for Everyone
Saints & Mystics, Spiritual ExercisesIn this adaptation of a classic 'how to' book of contemplative prayer, beautifully and simply expressed and illustrated, the riches of contemplative prayer are made available to all. Those who find this way of praying natural for them and those who wish to discover hitherto unknown facets of the beauty of prayer can alike find in it real spiritual nourishment.£5.95 -
Followers of the Way: Ancient discipleship for modern Christians
Celtic Studies, Celtic Studies & Spirituality, Desert Monasticism, New MonasticismOne of the most pressing issues in today's church is encouraging people to become true and effective disciples of Jesus Christ. If, in simple terms, discipleship is about connecting more deeply with God and connecting God with the whole of life, Simon Reed argues, we're looking at a life-long process for which we require long-term skills rather than short-term courses. The Celtic and Desert Christians, drawing on Old and New Testament practices, taught and modelled how to do this through the practice of living by a Way of Life. By drawing together today's need for disciples and Celtic Christianity, Followers of the Way inspires authentic Christian discipleship for the contemporary world.£9.99 -
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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 -
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 -
A Place of Repose: St.Cuthbert’s Last Journey (Book 2 of 3: The Cuthbert Novels)
Celtic Sites & Saints, FictionThe year is 875, and the Danish King of York, Halfden Ragnarsson, is carrying fire and sword across Northumbria, burning churches and monasteries and killing their inhabitants. The once-great Christian kingdom is at the mercy of the heathen. The monks of Lindisfarne flee, taking the relics of Saint Cuthbert and the Lindisfarne Gospels with them. Their journey in search of a new home for the Saint lasts for seven years and changes the lives of the men who bear him for ever. Katharine Tiernan's second novel is a tale of violence and intrigue, revenge and reconciliation – and of true love lost and found. An extraordinary story combines with the skilful and engaging recreation of characters and relationships at this fateful moment in the survival of Northumbria. Always in the background is the mysterious presence of Cuthbert, as the threads of destiny that will bind heathen and Christian, Dane and Saxon start to weave together.£12.99 -
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 -
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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Celtic Advent: 40 days of devotions to Christmas
Advent & Christmas, Celtic Prayer, Celtic Studies, Celtic Studies & Spirituality, Resources for the Christian YearThis inspirational book takes the reader through Advent to the celebration of Christmas through the eyes and beliefs of Celtic Christianity. Starting on 15 November – the beginning of Celtic Advent – and reflecting on Jesus' coming at his birth as well as into our lives by the Holy Spirit and at the world's end, the author offers a unique approach to the season to help you gain a new sense of wonder in the birth of Jesus, the Saviour of the world.£8.99 -
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 -
In Search of Julian of Norwich
Saints & MysticsIn Search of Julian of Norwich is a spiritual detective story. Who was Julian? Why has she suddenly become so famous? Why did her writings disappear for centuries? Why is everyone reading them today?This fascinating illustrated exploration of Julian's world - her city, her century, and her remarkable book, the first written by a woman in English - uncovers the clues to the exciting mystery that is Julian. Those who have already encountered her through the tantalising short extracts from her writing in the best-selling Enfolded in Love will be delighted that Sheila Upjohn, who made the lively translation, has now included longer passages in this perceptive analysis of Julian's life, her writing and her relevance to the world today.£8.95