"With clarity, wisdom and wit, Brian Taylor offers us a fresh look at contemplative prayer as the pathway to genuine healing and spiritual transformation. This book is itself the fruit of years of contemplative practice, and whether you are new to this form of prayer or an experienced practitioner, Taylor's insight, encouragement, and practical guidance will enhance and strengthen you efforts to draw nearer to the heart of God in prayer, and in doing so, become more conformed to the image of Christ". -- back cover.
Contents divided into three main sections: Part One: Practice -- Part Two: Context -- Part Three: Transformation.
Contents: Acknowledgements -- Foreword / Fr. Richard Rohr, O.F.M. -- Getting Started -- Praying with the Will, the Mind, and the Heart -- The Contemplative in the Church -- Traditional Disciplines -- Finding Support -- Going Deeper -- Learning from Difficulty -- Becoming Free --Appendix : A Bibliography of Patristic and Eastern Orthodox Sources.
"First published in 1982 by Morehouse-Barlow. Forward Movement Edition 2004".
Includes bibliographical references.
"Part I of this book is entitled `Wholeness' and states the biblical definition of wholeness, as well as definitions of the Holy Spirit and the human spirit. Part II is called `Spirit and Structure' and deals with the human spirit in relation to the structure of the inner life as well as to the structure of the outer environment. Part III is concerned with `The New Life' in Christ and with Christ. The parables of the Prodigal Son, the Pharisee, and the Publican and the labourers in the Vineyard are revelatory of the Good News and are therefore given special attention in this section. Part IV on the `Journey to Wholeness' describes the stages of both the inward and outward journeys, as well as the sources of the courage which will be needed". -- Preface, pp. xiii-xiv.
Contents divided into four main sections: Wholeness -- Spirit and Structure -- The New Life -- Journey to Wholeness.
Contents: Foreword / John B. Coburn, Sometime Bishop of Massachusetts -- Preface / Jesse M. Trotter -- A Cry of Pain, a Cry of Joy -- Your Centered-spirit Is Spirit-led -- The Inner Environment -- The Outer Environment -- Faith-union with Christ -- Dying-to-live in Christ -- Stages on the Journey Inward -- Stages on the Outward Journey -- Courage for the Journey to Wholeness -- Wholeness May Be Yours -- Epilogue -- Appendix.
"The Book of Common Prayer offers an ancient pattern of prayer and praise that goes back to Old Testament time" (p. [1]. "The Book of Common Prayer enables us to continue this beautiful tradition of Judeo-Christian devotion. Whether we gather with others to share our times of prayer or whether we carry out our worship alone, we join the faithful everywhere who share the same tradition. We are a part of the Church's daily prayer even as we sit quietly with Prayer Book in lap in our own sitting room. We bind ourselves more closely to the praying, witnessing Church and to Christ in the simple act of opening Prayer Book and Bible" (p. 2).
Contents: The Daily Office -- Reading God's Word -- Reflecting God's Word -- Praying and Giving Thanks -- Easy Does It -- What is the Apocrypha ? -- Day by Day -- Less and More.
Frank Griswold is the first Presiding Bishop to address the Trinity Institute conference. He spoke on the theme "Acquiring a Listening Heart". "Citing the prologue of the Rule of St. Benedict, Griswold, in his sermon and again later urged Christians to listen carefully, listen with the ear of the heart". "`One of the saddest realities of the present day, both in the church and in the world, is that we tend to lead with our conclusions, without soliciting from one another how we reached those conclusions,' Griswold argued. 'Conversation is a sacred enterprise because it is really about living the mystery of communion ... engaging each other's perceptions of the truth'." "As he has in other settings, Griswold said that conversation means turning around, being turned around, a verb of motion, being shaped through association with others, requiring 'ever more deep, full listening of the heart and renouncing what is not large enough for God's mysteries, as Kathleen Norris writes'."
"Lectio divina, or divine reading, is a four-step approach to reading/praying scripture that comes to us from western medieval monasticism, predating the invention of the printing press. The twelfth-century monastic Guigo II described it this way: 'reading' seeks; 'meditation' finds (meaning); 'prayer' demands; 'contemplation' tastes (God)".. -- p. [2].
Contents: Acknowledgements -- Introduction -- What Does the Healthy and Authentic Living Project Look Like ? -- Appreciating Liturgy -- Discovering What God is Like: The Word -- Approaching the Eucharist -- Living Every Day in Gratitude -- How the History of the Prayer Book Contributes to the Healthy and Authentic Living Project -- The Power of Music and Symbol -- Appendix One: An Instructed Eucharist: For a Congregation to Understand What is Going On -- Appendix Two: Liturgy and Transformation: For the Scholar -- Notes -- Additional Resources.
The author "starts with the premise that ongoing Christian education must be central to a life of faith, and then proceeds from the corollary that baptism must be central to all Christian education. Eight group sessions focus repeatedly on water, first as a natural element necessary to life, then as a symbolic element necessary to spirituality. Gradually, through the use of prayer, song, scripture, silence, poetry, visual arts, storytelling, group discussion, and personal reflection, the focus is refined further, and water -- as baptismal element -- gains ascendancy in the lives of participants. .... These sessions will be used in some parishes for the preparation of catechumens, but `Living Water' is intended for use by all Christians -- those who are many years into their journeys as well as those who are beginning. Designed for small groups of adult Episcopalians, the program is easily adaptable to other denominations, to one-on-one spiritual mentoring, to children, young adult, or intergenerational groups, and even to individuals for private meditation". -- back cover.
Contents: Permissions -- Dedication -- Acknowledgements -- Foreword / A. Theodore Eastman -- Prologue -- Introduction -- Session One: Remember your baptism, and be thankful ! -- Session Two: Do you believe ? -- Session Three: Will you continue in the Apostles' teaching ? -- Session Four: Will you persevere in resisting evil ? -- Session Five: Will you proclaim the Good News ? -- Session Six: Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons ? -- Session Seven: Will you strive for justice and peace ? -- Session Eight: Living Water -- Epilogue -- Appendices -- Art Credits.
Contents of Appendices: Using Books as a Resource -- Using Music as a Resource -- Using Art as a Resource -- Using Films as a Resource -- Praying the Baptismal Covenant -- Session Materials -- Session Planning Sheet.
Author is an Episcopalian and Christian educator with the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland.
"The purpose of this volume is to help you pray and grow in your personal religious life. It is a book about your inner life and your relationship with God. Although this relationship is unique for each person, there is a general way in which God deals with us and through which we respond. This book is concerned with this general pattern". -- p. 1.
Contents: Foreword dated Bedford, Massachusetts, June 2008 / John B. Coburn -- Preface dated Cincinnati, Ohio, June 2008 / Richard H. Schmidt -- Prayer is Response to God -- Be Yourself and Begin Where You Are -- Clearing the Ground -- The Foundation Stones of Prayer -- The House That Prayer Builds -- Progress in Prayer -- Mature Personal Religion: Action and Worship -- On Suffering and Joy -- Discussion Questions.
A brief summary of the life of Nicholas Herman (1611-1691), also known as Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, and his mystical treatise entitled The Presence of God.
"El Hermano Lorenzo nos dice que para llegar a profundas intimidades con Dios podemos seguir un metodo sencillo que es el de acordarnos de El en todo momento. Nuestro amor a Dios ira cresciendo hasta llegar a las altas combres de la mistica." -- p.11.
Contents: La presencia de Dios -- Como adquirir la presencia de Dios -- Beneficios de la practica de la presencia de Dios -- Conclusion.
"Victor Ruiz es periodista y traductor nacido en Espana. Fue editor de la revista episcopal Caminos durante seis anos y web master de la pagina www.episcopaleslatinos.org. Actualement reside en Madrid, donde se ocupa de los contenidos de varias publicaciones electronicas". -- back page.