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An Ocean of Light : Contemplation, Transformation, and Liberation
Scripture & Prayer, The Inner Journey, UncategorizedFor people drawn to a life of contemplation, the dawning of luminous awareness in a mind full of clutter is deeply liberating. In the third of his best-selling books on Christian contemplative life, Martin Laird turns his attention to those who are well settled in their contemplative practice. An Ocean of Light speaks both to those just entering the contemplative path and to those with a maturing practice of contemplation. Gradually, the practice of contemplation lifts the soul, freeing it from the blockages that introduce confusion into our identity and thus confusion about the mystery we call God. In the course of a lifetime of inner silencing, the flower of awareness emerges: a living realization that we have never been separate from God or from the rest of humanity while we each fully become what each of us is created to be. In contemplation we become so silent before God that the "before" drops away. Those whose lives have led them deeply into the silent land realize this, but not in the way that we realize that the square root of 144 is 12. Laird draws from a wide and diverse range of writers-from St. Augustine, Evagrius Ponticus, and St. Teresa of Avila to David Foster Wallace, Flannery O'Connor, Virginia Woolf, and Franz Wright-to ground his insight in an ancient practice and give it a voice in contemporary language. With his characteristic lyricism and gentleness, Laird guides readers through new challenges of contemplative life, such as making ourselves the focus of our own contemplative project; dealing with old pain; transforming the isolation of loneliness and depression into a liberating solidarity with all who suffer; and the danger of using a spiritual practice as a strategy to acquire and control.£15.99 -
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The Dark Night of the Soul: A Psychiatrist Explores the Connection Between Darkness and Spiritual Growth
The Inner JourneyGerald G. May, MD, one of the great spiritual teachers and writers of our time, argues that the dark 'shadow' side of the true spiritual life has been trivialised and neglected to our serious detriment. Superficial and naively upbeat spirituality does not heal and enrich the soul. Nor does the other tendency to relegate deep spiritual growth to only mystics and saints. Only the honest, sometimes difficult encounters with what Christian spirituality has called and described in helpful detail as 'the dark night of the soul' can lead to true spiritual wholeness. May emphasises that the dark night is not necessarily a time of suffering and near despair, but a time of deep transition, a search for new orientation when things are clouded and full of mystery. The dark gives depth, dimension and fullness to the spiritual life.£16.99 -
The Woman With Nine Lives
Spiritual GrowthIby Knill is a simply remarkable woman. An Auschwitz holocaust survivor originally from Bratislava, she married a British army officer and set out to make a new life in England, arriving in Cornwall in 1947 to set up home. Dealing with the problems of integration as an immigrant in post-war Britain, raising a family and making careers in civil defence, education, international textile design and manufacture and as linguist, amongst others, she also gained an MA at the age of 80.Passionate about music and art, the loss of her beloved Bert prompted her to return to writing but always hitting a stumbling block, 60 years of suppressed memories. Eventually, despite several breakdowns, she unlocked that part of her life and became determined to tell of her experiences to future generations.Even now, she is in constant demand to talk to various groups, schools and within the media. This eagerly-awaited 'The woman with nine lives' picks up where her best-selling first book 'The woman without a number' ends, evoking changing times through a life that has constantly embraced challenge and opportunity.Included in it is the growing realisation that the past cannot be avoided, the difficulty of facing up to it and of how, eventually, Iby returns to some of the places that brought tragedy and despair to her young and formative years. Interspersed within her story, she tells those of her brother, father and mother - the woman whose determination she has inherited.Poignant, moving and searingly honest, this account reconfirms the very best of human nature and is a truly uplifting sequel.£13.99 -
New Testament Wives
Creativity, Spiritual Growth, The Inner JourneyA new collection of poetry which gives an imagined female voice to events and stories in the New Testament.£6.00 -
God Untamed : Out of the Spiritual Comfort Zone
Culture & Mission, Everyday Life, Scripture & Prayer, The Inner JourneyPowerful. Almighty. Sovereign. Magnificent. Fearsome. This is the God we encounter in the Bible and in prayer--a God who astounds. Yet, Johannes Hartl argues that this is an astonishment that many have lost in the West today. A challenging rejection of 'feel-good' Christianity, God Untamed explores the deep crisis of faith that effects the Western world. At a time where the need for spirituality is great, yet churches are losing more and more members; in the face of a generation with so many opportunities and so little direct threat, yet who are so anxious, depressed and disenchanted--Hartl speaks of the voice that can still oceans. God, as He encounters us, is not simply 'nice' and certainly not trivial or comfortable. He is fascinating and intimidating at the same time. Hartl calls us to rediscover this sense of wonder and re-imagine what it is to have a fear of God--not founded in a whimper at the unknown, but a respect borne out of watching His visible power in the nature of our world. Without this fear, Hartl warns that the church is in danger of weakening under the immense pressures of our times. God Untamed is a compelling charge to get out of our spiritual comfort zones to find a real, truly fulfilled and fulfilling faith.£12.99 -
Searching for a Silent God
Culture & Mission, The Inner JourneyThis is a thoughtful and engaging companion for all who experience times of spiritual crisis. Having come to faith as a young adult, Sarah Parkinson had always had a strong sense of the presence and loving care of God in her life. Following a family bereavement, she found herself searching for a God who no longer seemed to be there. Movingly expressed in reflective prose, and poems written at the time, she describes how this experience led her to a more profound and mature relationship with God. The author tells her own story and in doing so enables others to search for and find transformation in their life of faith.£8.99 -
The Sacramental Sea : A Spiritual Voyage through Christian History
Scripture & PrayerWhy do so many people feel a spiritual connection with the sea? Why does so much of our art, poetry and expressions of religious experience draw so heavily on imagery of its power, its wideness and its depth? These are questions at the heart of The Sacramental Sea, a unique exploration of our complex relationship with the seas and the oceans through history. In charting our changing religious attitudes towards it over time, Edmund Newell paints a striking picture of the sea as highly sacramental: a powerful representation of, and pointer to, God. The Sacramental Sea closes with a timely call for us all to view the current environmental crisis - including rising sea levels - as one of the most pressing spiritual issues of our time.£16.99 -
George McDonald in the Age of Miracles
Scripture & PrayerThe Bible is full of miracles. Yet how do we make sense of them today? And where might we see miracles in our own lives? In this instalment of the Hansen Lectureship series, historian and theologian Timothy Larsen considers the legacy of George MacDonald, the Victorian Scottish author and minister who is best known for his pioneering fantasy literature, which influenced authors such as C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, G. K. Chesterton, and Madeleine L'Engle. Larsen explores how, throughout his life and writings, MacDonald sought to counteract scepticism, unbelief, naturalism, and materialism and to herald instead the reality of the miraculous, the supernatural, the wondrous, and the realm of the spirit. The Hansen Lectureship series offers accessible and insightful reflections by Wheaton College faculty members on the transformative work of the Wade Center authors.£10.99 -
The Universal Christ : How a Forgotten Reality Can Change Everything We See, Hope For, and Believe
Scripture & Prayer, Spiritual Growth, The Inner JourneyAcross the 30,000 or so varieties of Christianity, believers universally love Jesus. They have no trouble accepting his humanity and his divinity. Many express intimations of his close presence in their lives; a fear of his judgment and wrath as well as a love of his compassion; a justification for their worldviews and politics (of all persuasions), and firm convictions about his atonement for their sins and thus his centrality in their personal salvation. But who is Christ? Is Christ simply Jesus's last name, denoting his role as saviour of humanity, as messiah? What is Christ? How is his function or role different from Jesus's? Are we missing something fundamental because of our overwhelming emphasis on Jesus to the exclusion of the Christ, or our misunderstanding of what it means that Jesus was `the Christ'? Could it be that such limited views are contributing to the slow and painful erosion of Christianity in western culture, to its insularity and insistence on purity and exclusion? These are questions Fr Richard Rohr has been pondering for many years. In his ecumenical and scripturally grounded books on contemplation, mysticism and many more topics, he has emphasized the importance of a large framework for understanding the nature of 'what is' and what lasts, of unity and the ultimate reality of God's presence in all of creation-Christian and non-Christian, human and non-human. Could it be that Jesus, who is the Christ, is offering us a model and example on how to live inside `this Big Frame?'£10.99 -
Lifecare
Everyday LifeAccording to the World Health Organization, hundreds of millions of people around the world struggle with relational issues, emotional and mental health - and do not have access to help. LifeCare is a response to this crisis. An accessible and deeply encouraging resource that brings together discipleship practices, Christ-centred recovery skills, and research-supported pastoral care exercises, LifeCare guides you through the process of attending to your past, thought life, emotions, behaviours, and difficult circumstances to help you find the joy and purpose of abundant life. For all who feel called to work on difficulties in their life and relationships, whether through counselling, pastoral care, small groups, or other discipleship contexts, this book encourages you to start healing and seek growth in community.£14.99 -
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For Peace and For Good : A History of the Community of St Francis
Saints & Mystics, Scripture & PrayerWolfgang Bader offers a fresh translation of 55 of St. Francis of Assisi's most beautiful prayers including Poverty: My Only Riches, Like the Tax Collector in the Temple, Greatness of the Little Ones, Canticle of the Creatures, and Dear Brother Fire. This graceful translation of a spiritual classic belongs in the devotional library of anyone who seeks to deepen his or her own prayer life. Editorial commentaries place each prayer in its historical context allowing the reader to experience it from the saint's own perspective.Original price was: £19.99.£16.00Current price is: £16.00. -
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A Franciscan Way of Life : Brother Ramon’s quest for holiness
The Inner Journey, Traditional MonasticismBe inspired by one man's unflinching faith in God. This is the first biography of Brother Ramon. It tells of his life's pilgrimage, his quest for holiness as a Franciscan friar, his inner journey of discovery and transformation, his love of God and his influence on others. The selection from his writings which concludes the book illustrates his spiritual journey. It will be an inspiration to readers to live lives fully for Jesus Christ.Original price was: £8.99.£6.99Current price is: £6.99. -
Striking Out : Poems and stories from the Camino
Spiritual Growth, The Inner JourneyOn a September morning, Bishop Stephen Cottrell said mass in his chapel, kissed his wife goodbye, stepped out of his front door and walked two miles to the nearest station. It was the start of a 700 kilometre pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Choosing the least travelled route across northern Spain, he craved the solitude of the road and felt the small vulnerabilities of not knowing what each day would bring - where meals or a bed would be found - would be beneficial. As a busy diocesan bishop, he looked forward not so much to arriving at the great destination, but to what the journey itself would reveal to him. This is a spiritual diary of that journey, comprising reflections, prayer poems and evocative images from the road and poetry which Stephen Cottrell has written for many years. Arranged in four sections, each with seven paired reflections and poems, the shape of the book echoes the rhythm of walking and is an intimate and honest account of the profound effect of the age-old tradition of going on pilgrimage.£9.99 -
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The Well of the North Wind
Celtic Studies & SpiritualityFian has been adopted by monks on the west coast of Ireland. However, the young boy's fine drawings in the sand soon take him to the Isle of Iona to work on the Book of Kells - that great treasure of the Celts - in the last days of Columba. Fian befriends the monks, and though never quite becoming one of them, he grows into their world and is caught up in their stories. One day he falls in love, and in the joy and anguish that follows, he wrestles with faith and embarks on the long journey to discover his true self.Original price was: £8.99.£6.99Current price is: £6.99. -
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Footprints of the Northern Saints
Everyday Life, Spiritual Growth, The Inner JourneyPresents the late Cardinal's personal reflections on themes such as prayer, solitude, and living the Christian life today. A beautiful book with full colour photographs.Original price was: £10.95.£7.99Current price is: £7.99. -
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Leading with Everything to Give : Lessons from the Success and Failure of Western Capitalism
Church & Leadership, Culture & Mission, LeadershipHaving looked at the personal character of an undefended leader in Leading out of Who You Are and at the pragmatics of wielding power in Leading with Nothing to Lose, Simon Walker next looks at the Politics - and economics - of undefended leadership. In this final volume of his leadership trilogy, The Undefended Leader, he analyses the crisis in social ecology in Western culture and its global repercussions. Walker offers a piercing analysis that sets the current economic problems within broader, deeper narrative of social dysfunction in the West. Sane, wide-ranging and acutely relevant in the chaos of the current crisis, his analysis offers a clear perspective and points to the future. This is a provocative book, and, in the light of current events, most timely. With study questions and practical ideas to help readers apply the undefended vision wherever they are. "I have come to see that idealism and pragmatism are not incompatible bedfellows - the grand and the noble and the humble and immediate are both necessary."Original price was: £10.99.£7.99Current price is: £7.99. -
Radical Leadership : In The New Testament And Today
Church & LeadershipHow did Jesus lead? What are the key principles of leadership that he encouraged in his disciples? Michael Green draws out the radical teaching of the New Testament, and explains why a recovery of that teaching is so vital if Christianity is to grow and thrive, and not just survive.£10.99 -
The Contemplative Minister : Learning to lead from the still centre
Church & LeadershipThere was a time where Christian ministry offered the opportunity to spend your life in the study of God's word, in reading and reflection, in prayer and sermon preparation, and in the quiet and faithful pastoral care of a community. The world has changed, and with it most of the expectations that govern church appointments. These days there are very few jobs in full time ministry which do not require a heroic combination of stamina, multi-tasking and change management. This book gives practical advice on how to nurture faith and a sense of calling amid the hectic life that is ministry today. Drawing on his experience of developing and leading training programmes in this area, Ian Cowley assesses the stresses and pressures of the job and shows how to grow into being a 'contemplative minister', prioritising a relationship of deepening love with God. He also offers guidance on leading others into that same relationship, without your own spiritual life running dry.£8.99 -
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For Good : The Church and the Future of Welfare
Church & Leadership, Culture & Mission, Everyday LifeIt is often claimed that local churches provide a significant proportion of social care today. This important new study considers the reality of the church's involvement to offer compelling and concrete recommendations for the future. It proposes a transformational model of welfare that breaks free from the default approach of `eradicating the five giant evils - squalor, ignorance, want, idleness, and disease'. Instead the authors focus on fostering five assets - relationship, creativity, partnership, compassion, and joy - and empowering people to regain control of their lives. With bold and innovative practical recommendations for churches, civil society and public policy, and compelling theological reflection on welfare and poverty, this is essential reading for anyone interested in the church's contribution to society.Original price was: £10.99.£6.99Current price is: £6.99. -
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Youthwork After Christendom
Culture & Mission, Re-imagining ChurchThe end of Christendom where the Christian story was known and the church was central invites Christians in western culture to embrace marginality and discover fresh ways of being church and engaging in mission. While the transition from modernity to postmodernity has received a huge amount of attention the shift from Christendom to postChristendom has not yet been fully explored. This book is an introduction; a journey into the past an interpretation of the present and an invitation to ask what following Jesus might mean in the strange new world of postChristendom. Drawing on insights from the early Christians dissident movements and the world church this book challenges conventional ways of thinking. For those who dare to imagine new ways of following Jesus on the margins it invites a realistic and hopeful response to challenges and opportunities awaiting us in the 21st century.Original price was: £9.99.£6.99Current price is: £6.99. -
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Church After Christendom
Culture & MissionChristianity must be understood not as a religion of private salvation, but as a gospel movement of universal compassion, which transforms the world in the power of God's truth. Amid several major global crises, including the rise of terrorism and religious fundamentalism and a sudden resurgence of political extremism, Christians must now face up fearlessly to the challenges of living in a "post-truth" age in which deceitful politicians present their media-spun fabrications as "alternative facts." This book is an attempt to enact a transformative theology for these changing times that will equip the global Christian community to take a stand for the gospel in an age of cultural despair and moral fragmentation. The emerging post-Christendom era calls for a new vision of Christianity that has come of age and connects with the spiritual crisis of our times. In helping to make this vision a reality, Searle insists that theology is not merely an academic discipline, but a transformative enterprise that changes the world. Theology is to be experienced not just behind a desk, in an armchair, or in a church, but also in hospitals, in foodbanks, in workplaces, and on the streets. Theology is to be lived as well as readOriginal price was: £9.99.£7.99Current price is: £7.99. -
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Knowing Christ Today: Why We Can Trust Spiritual Knowledge
Scripture & Prayer, The Inner JourneyAddressing the central question facing the church today--Is the Gospel true?--Dallas Willard offers an impassioned argument that Christian spiritual ideals are a reliable source of wisdom that should be granted the same authority as other intellectual disciplines such as science or philosophy. He shows how faith and reason are complementary and confronts the difficult issues of Christian pluralism (the challenge of other faiths) and how we can know God exists.Original price was: £11.50.£8.99Current price is: £8.99. -
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Questions Are The Answer : nakedpastor and the search for understanding
Everyday LifeDavid Hayward - the `Naked Pastor' - is one of the most prolific Christian cartoonists of the online world. Describing himself as `a graffiti artist on the walls of religion' with the aim of `helping people undress religion to the core essential of their own unique spirituality', his immediately-recognisable images are shared by thousands across social media every day. This book uses David's cartoons and accompanying text to tell his own story from being a `Closed' Christian, with a black and white, fundamentalist view of the world to the freedom of becoming an `Open' Christian with the courage to ask questions and wrestle with some of the tougher challenges of faith.Original price was: £9.99.£6.99Current price is: £6.99. -
God Lost and Found
Everyday Life, Spiritual Growth, The Inner JourneyWhen you dig a bit below the surface, you are likely to discover that many of us who attend church regularly feel we have lost touch with a living experience of God. Indeed, we may find we no longer believe in God at all. The reasons why faith breaks down are multi-layered and complex, and this sympathetic volume has been written for those who aren't satisfied with pious answers to real questions and disappointments. John Pritchard draws deeply on his own experience of dark times in order to shed light on what we may be going through ourselves. He then offers starting points from which we might rediscover and re-imagine a more realistic faith in the God who, despite appearances, is ever present with us, whether apprehended or not.£9.99
