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Hineni : In Imitation of Abraham
Desert Monasticism, Spiritual Direction, Spiritual GrowthHow do you encounter the mystery of the other? This is the central question at the heart of spiritual direction and central to the human quest. Hineni presence is not an answer to the mystery but a response to the challenge. At a time when people on the edges of religion increasingly seek out spiritual direction as a way of confronting life's unanswerable questions, hineni indicates a fundamental reality beyond labels. And in an age that seems to suffer from disconnection, hineni indicates a way in. A helpful resource for anyone interested in spirituality beyond easy answers or (in)convenient labels, Hineni: In Imitation of Abraham is a stark exploration of what it truly means to be present to yourself, to the one before you, and to the one we call God.£13.99 -
The Monkhood of All Believers : The Monastic Foundation of Christian Spirituality
New MonasticismAlthough the institution of monasticism has existed in the Christian church since the first century, it is often misunderstood. Greg Peters, an expert in monastic studies, reintroduces historic monasticism to the Protestant church, articulating a monastic spirituality for all believers. As Peters explains, what we have known as monasticism for the past 1,500 years is actually a modified version of the earliest monastic life, which was not necessarily characterized by poverty, chastity, and obedience but rather by one's single-minded focus on God--a single-mindedness rooted in one's baptismal vows and the priesthood of all believers. Peters argues that all monks are Christians, but all Christians are also monks. To be a monk, one must first and foremost be singled-minded toward God. This book presents a theology of monasticism for the whole church, offering a vision of Christian spirituality that brings together important elements of history and practice. The author connects monasticism to movements in contemporary spiritual formation, helping readers understand how monastic practices can be a resource for exploring a robust spiritual life.£17.99 -
The Contemplative Response: Leadership and ministry in a distracted culture
Church & LeadershipFollowing on from the success of The Contemplative Minister, Ian Cowley offers new insight and greater depth for church leaders in a distracted world. Ian emphasises that the true self finds peace in resting in the love of God. He addresses the compulsions of our consumerist culture and calls those in leadership to an inner life of truthfulness, self-knowledge and self-discipline. Praise for Ian's previous book: 'An immensely readable tour de force' Church Times£8.99 -
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Surprised by Paradox: The Promise of “And” in an Either-Or World
Everyday Life, Scripture & PrayerWhat if certainty isn't the goal? In a world filled with ambiguity, many of us long for a belief system that provides straightforward answers to complex questions and clarity in the face of confusion. We want faith to act like an orderly set of truth-claims designed to solve the problems and pain that life throws at us. With signature candor and depth, Jen Pollock Michel helps readers imagine a Christian faith open to mystery. While there are certainties in Christian faith, at the heart of the Christian story is also paradox. Jesus invites us to abandon the polarities of either and or in order to embrace the difficult, wondrous dissonance of and. The incarnation--the paradox of God made human--teaches us to look for God in the and of body and spirit, heaven and earth. In the kingdom, God often hides in plain sight and announces his triumph on the back of a donkey. In the paradox of grace, we receive life eternal by actively participating in death. And lament, with its clear-eyed appraisal of suffering alongside its commitment to finding audience with God, is a paradoxical practice of faith. Each of these themes give us certainty about God while also leading us into greater curiosity about his nature and activity in the world. As Michel writes, "As soon as we think we have God figured out, we will have ceased to worship him as he is." With personal stories and reflection on Scripture, literature, and culture, Michel takes us deeper into mystery and into worship of the One who is Mystery and Love.£15.00 -
Following Jesus: Finding Our Way Home in an Age of Anxiety
Influences & Suggested Reading, The Inner JourneyAt one of the lowest points in his life, Henri Nouwen gave a series of lectures on the importance of following Jesus in an age of anxiety. This new work from the archives of the Nouwen estate draws on those talks. It reveals the deep turmoil and sometimes chaotic inner life of the man who has become an icon of compassion and vulnerability for Christians and non-Christians alike. Nouwen writes eloquently about calling and purpose, fear and hope and explains why, with so many choices available to 21st century seekers - including atheism and secularism - the greatest reward for those looking for fulfilment is to choose belief in God. Along the way he offers warm, insightful, practical spiritual practices to help readers navigate the narrow, sometimes arduous, but ultimately fulfilling road of conviction and faith.£13.99 -
What Do We Do With the Bible?
Scripture & Prayer, Spiritual Growth, The Inner JourneyWhat do we do with the Bible? Does this ancient, sometimes violent and contradictory text have anything to teach us today? Selective use of Scripture - by preachers and politicians alike - has been employed to justify violence, racism, misogyny, homophobia . . .the list goes on. Still, we believe the Bible has something important to say. How can we read it in a contemplative and intelligent way? In "What do we do with the Bible?", Richard Rohr answers just this question. He offers a methodology of hermeneutics (interpretation) that creates a foundation for a hopeful and cosmic vision - incarnation from beginning to end of time. (He explores this vision further in The Universal Christ). In particular, Father Richard focuses on Jesus' own method of using his Hebrew Scriptures. Jesus read between the lines to find and follow God's mercy, inclusion, and compassionate justice. For him, everything came down to relationship and transformation.£9.99 -
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The Abbess of Whitby : A novel of Hild of Northumbria
Celtic Sites & SaintsChosen as handmaid to Eostre, the Saxon goddess, Hild would spend a year serving the goddess before she was wed. Her future was mapped out - until her father was murdered, and King Edwin claimed her as kin. Hild's first love was given a key command in Edwin's forces, and vanished from her life, wed to her elder sister. That same day, the court was baptised, ending the people's fertility religion and Hild's role. Life looked bleak - even more so when the husband to whom she was given was killed, along with her child. Hild resented the compulsory baptism, but became intrigued by the Iona priests, and eventually converted. Aidan, the charismatic figure who taught, and lived, a new kind of love, persuaded Hild to help spread the new faith. In thanks for a significant victory, King Oswy ordered her to found one of his new monasteries at Whitby. She would see the men she trained appointed by the Pope as missionary bishops, carrying the faith across Britain.£7.99 -
Embracing Conflict: Jesus as a model for church leaders
LeadershipTo be human is to know conflict; to be a leader is to know conflict intensified. This invaluable guide explores some of the many instances when Jesus dealt with tension and hostility throughout his ministry. It invites leaders to enter into and experience these tense events from Jesus’ point of view.£4.95 -
Just This : Prompts And Practices For Contemplation
The Inner JourneyJust This is a collection of brief and evocative meditations and practices that invites us to cultivate the gift of waking up to the beauty of reality in all its glorious ordinariness. With his signature blend of contemplation, theology, and pastoral sensitivity, Fr Richard Rohr creates a spaciousness for the soul to grow into a kind of seeing that goes far beyond merely looking to recognising and thus appreciating. This is the heart of contemplation, the centrepiece of any inner dialogue that frees us from the traps of our perceptions and preoccupations. The contemplative mind does not tell us what to see; it teaches us how to see what we behold.£10.99 -
Putting Joy Into Practice : Seven Ways to Lift Your Spirit from the Early Church
Spiritual Exercises, The Inner JourneyPutting Joy into Practice: Seven Ways to Lift Your Spirit from the Early Church is an invitation to a life of joy. Phoebe Farag Mikhail explains what joy is and how to experience it through seven spiritual practices that cultivate our inner lives and connect us to our communities. These seven practices, which include giving thanks, hospitality, praise, and more, take us on a journey that leads to joy through the giving and receiving of sacrificial love. She describes her own experiences and struggles with joy and offers practical ways to implement these practices to increase joy in our own lives and in the lives of all those around us.£13.00 -
The Private Lives of the Saints : Power, Passion and Politics in Anglo-Saxon England
Celtic Sites & Saints, Celtic Studies, Celtic Studies & SpiritualitySkulduggery, power struggles and politics, The Private Lives of the Saints offers an original and fascinating re-examination of life in Anglo-Saxon England. Taking them from their heavenly status to the human level, Oxford art historian and BBC presenter Dr Janina Ramirez explores the real lives of over a dozen seminal saints. This landmark book provides a unique and captivating lens through which to explore the rich history of the Dark Ages.£12.99 -
Oswiu: King of Kings
Celtic Sites & Saints, Celtic Studies, Celtic Studies & SpiritualityOswald's head is on a spike. Can Oswiu avoid the same fate? The great pagan king Penda set a trap, and when the brothers Oswiu and Oswald walked in, only one came back alive. Rumours abound that the place where Oswald's body is strung up has become sacred ground - a site of healing for those who seek it. Oswald's mother believes he will protect those he loves, even beyond the grave. So she asks the impossible of Oswiu: to journey to the heart of Penda's kingdom and rescue the body that was stolen from them. Will this fateful task allow Oswiu to prove himself worthy of uniting the kingdoms under him as the King of Kings, or will it set him on a path to destruction? Oswiu: King of Kings is the masterful conclusion to The Northumbrian Thrones trilogy.£12.99 -
Living in Two Kingdoms
Celtic Studies & Spirituality, Everyday Life, The Inner JourneyBoth visionary and engagingly down-to-earth, "Living in Two Kingdoms" helps us recognize that the visible world of matter and the invisible world of spirit are not two worlds but one. We can be sure that whatever harsh reality we may have to face from time to time, the true reality is that we are never on our own. Because here and now - whatever it may feel like, we are truly part of the kingdom of God!Each chapter of this book ends with mediations, readings and prayers. These are designed to enable us to set aside time regularly to rest in the presence and peace of God, in order that we may rediscover afresh his all-encompassing love and care - and glory in the heaven that is all around us.£9.99 -
Cadences of Home : Preaching Among Exiles
Church & LeadershipMany of today's churchgoers wander in a world that was once structured and reliable, but now feels meaningless and incoherent. In this book, Walter Brueggemann argues for a dynamic transformation of preaching to help people find their spiritual home and to proclaim to the world that there is a home for all people.£17.99 -
Sustaining Leadership : You are more important than your ministry
Church & LeadershipMany books on leadership and ministry are written from the point of view of success and strength. In Sustaining Leadership Paul Swann writes out of the raw experience of failure, getting to the heart of who we are as leaders rather than what we do. From this he offers both hope and practical resources for sustaining effective long-term ministry, looking at self-care, balance and healthy ministry, feasting on divine love, and more. As he says, this is the best gift we can offer those we serve.£8.99 -
Incarnational Ministry : Being with the church
Church & Leadership, Everyday LifeThe bestselling writer and popular broadcaster Sam Wells reflects theologically and practically on the essence of discipleship and Christian ministry today. Those in ministry, like Jesus, are called to the task of `being with': with God, with the church, with the created world and those who live in it. Incarnational Ministry explores the concept of `being with' in eight dimensions: presence, attention, mystery, delight, participation, partnership, enjoyment and glory. It challenges readers to deeper discipleship and more vital ministry as they explore what it means to be with the troubled, the hurt, the afflicted and the dying - and all who are embraced by the Church's incarnational ministry.£16.99 -
Inhabiting the Church : Biblical Wisdom for a New Monasticism
New MonasticismIf the church is more than just a building, what could it mean to live in it-to inhabit it as a way of life? From their location in new monastic communities, Otto, Stock, and Wilson-Hartgrove ask what the church can learn from St. Benedict's vows of conversion, obedience, and stability about how to live as the people of God in the world. In storytelling and serious engagement with Scripture, old wisdom breathes life into a new monasticism. But, like all monastic wisdom, these reflections are not just for monks. They speak directly to the challenge of being the church in America today and the good news Christ offers for the whole world.£16.00 -
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Seamless Faith: Simple Practices for Daily Family Life
Everyday Life, Seasons of LifeFaith is learned when it is woven seamlessly into the fabric of everyday life. In Seamless Faith, author Traci Smith shares dozens of simple practices to equip families of all kinds with the tools they need for bringing faith home. Filled with easy-to-organize traditions, ceremonies, and spiritual practices for many of life's stressful and faith-filled moments, this is a resource parents will rely on for years to come.Original price was: £12.50.£7.99Current price is: £7.99. -
The Holy Island of Lindisfarne
Celtic Sites & SaintsDavid Adam has been captivated by the beauty, wonder and holiness of Lindisfarne since first glimpsing its fairytale castle from the train as a young boy. In this absorbing volume, he shows the island's human face, revealing how Lindisfarne and its people have responded to trial, tribulation and triumph in the course of a long and vibrant history. This tiny place witnessed one of the last stands of the 'British' Celtic peoples against the invading Anglo-Saxons in the 6th century. It has been the home of saints and scholars, most notably St. Aidan and St. Cuthbert, and famously produced the medieval masterpiece known as the "Lindisfarne Gospels". Less familiar to readers, perhaps, will be that the island experienced the first recorded Viking invasion in 793, and was involved in the 17th century Civil War and the 18th century Jacobite Rebellion. Today its ruined 11th century Priory and 16th century Castle - later redesigned by the great English architect Edwin Lutyens - draw pilgrims and visitors from all over the world. Wherever you walk on Lindisfarne, the past impinges on the present...In relating afresh many of the island's legends and stories, David Adam's lovely volume affords the reader a wonderful sense of all there is to discover, just beneath the surface.£9.99 -
Mission-Shaped Hermit: Thomas Merton, Mission and Spirituality
Culture & Mission, Spiritual GrowthThe church is rediscovering a passion for mission‚ and with that there is the danger that it finds an addiction to action, and puts itself, rather than God, at centre stage.Thomas Merton was a radical and engaging thinker who saw contemplation as the necessary partner to action. This profound and challenging study distils some of his insights and offers a radical agenda for mission in the new realities of today.£3.95 -
Thomas Merton: The Exquisite Risk of Love : The Chronicle of a Monastic Romance
Influences & Suggested Reading, The Inner JourneyWhile recuperating from an operation on his spine in a hospital in Louisville, Kentucky, Thomas Merton befriended a female nurse charged with his care. They fell in love. On returning to the Abbey of Gethsemani, where Merton had been living as a Trappist monk, their clandestine romance continued. In his journal Learning to Love and a collection of eighteen poems, Merton chronicled his relationship with `M.', the gentle, kind and mysterious young woman who opened a window to his heart after his life long refusal of women. Here, for the first time, Robert Waldron explores Merton's rich and full experience of the sacred game of love with reference to Eighteen Poems as well as Merton's own personal account, and how it made it possible for him to attain a spiritual and psychological wholeness he had never known before. Indeed, the book wonderfully illustrates the value in daring to live for the love of another.£12.99 -
Undivided Heart : Finding Meaning and Motivation in Christ
Scripture & Prayer, The Inner Journey`"Give me an undivided heart."`Something in my soul has always been snagged by that phrase in Psalm 86. Something in it speaks to me of my own heart division, my own disarray. It captures a deeper longing, beyond the surface chatter of my mind. I find, amid the muddle that is me, that there is something - someone - calling me on, gathering together my disparate, fraying threads and weaving them into a story greater than I could ever perceive.'Why do we do what we do? What makes us who we are? And what could make us more?In Undivided Heart, Lucy Mills digs deep in search of an understanding of human identity, purpose and living by faith, asking what the influences are that shape us and define us. She explores what it might mean to have an undivided heart - to live a life compelled by Christ's love, undistracted by all other motives. This is not a book of easy answers. It is a book of deep questioning, of relationship, honesty and encounter, counter-cultural in our age of social media, soundbite news and mass communication. But God can meet us in our confusion and distraction as much as in our certainty. Join Lucy on her exploration of this demanding, fragmented life, and the quest for a faith that is deeper, stronger and undivided.£12.99 -
Mere Spirituality : The Spiritual Life According to Henri Nouwen
Influences & Suggested Reading, The Inner JourneyHenri Nouwen's compelling spirituality of the heart is at once simple and complex, accessible but deeply profound. For this Catholic theologian, whose ecumenical writings continue to inspire Christians of all denominations and levels of involvement, spirituality is, at its most basic, simply 'attention to the life of the spirit in us'.Wil Hernandez's sensitive distillation of Nouwen's vast literary legacy invites us to take courage and be still, creating space for God and our true selves. It is in this place of trust and solitude that we discover our belovedness and our capacity to love God and others.A scholar and spiritual director intimately acquainted with Nouwen's understanding of the spiritual life, Wil Hernandez offers an elegant synthesis of Nouwen's main themes, inspiring us to embrace the power and vulnerability of mere spirituality.£9.99 -
Facing Death: Bible readings for special times
Daily Readings, Seasons of LifeThis collection of 18 undated reflections draws comfort and encouragement from the Bible and from the author's own experience for those going through life-limiting illness and for their family and carers. With moving vulnerability and without denying the difficult reality of the situation, Rachel Boulding suggests a way to confront terminal illness with faith and hope in a loving God. Facing Death grew out of the overwhelming response to Rachel's Bible notes in New Daylight (May-August 2016). Readers recognised in her comments her courage to be authentic in the face of terminal illness, her appropriate vulnerability and her faith.£3.99