Dark Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross

Dark Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross

Dark Night of the Soul

by St. John of the Cross

A 16th-century mystic, St. John of the Cross was also a Carmelite monk who helped reform the Order. In this book, he addresses pride, avarice, envy, and other human imperfections. He also provides an extended explanation of Divine love, and describes methods of conversion through prayer, submission, and purification.

Sacred Pauses by April Yamasaki

Sacred Pauses by April Yamasaki

Sacred Pauses: Spiritual Practices for Personal Renewal

by April Yamasaki

In a fast-paced world full of distractions, spiritual practice can help us become more centered—more in touch with ourselves and others, more in touch with the world around us, more in touch with God. Sacred Pauses is an introduction to this more centered way of life.

The author, a pastor in British Columbia, begins with her own longing for personal renewal. What would it take to feel renewed every day? Instead of waiting for a vacation to smooth out the tensions of life, instead of waiting until the end of the week to shed our weariness, what if we could take time out every day? Live a renewed life every day? Be refreshed by God every day?

Sacred Pauses offers simple ways for readers to do just that. Each chapter explores a different spiritual practice—from the classic disciplines of Scripture reading and prayer to other creative approaches such as paying attention, making music, and having fun. With plenty of stories from real life and ideas to try, this book is personal and practical. Its flexible format is appropriate for personal use or in a group, every day or any time.

Amazing Grace by Kathleen Norris

Amazing Grace by Kathleen Norris

Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith

by Kathleen Norris
Struggling with her return to the Christian church after many years away, Kathleen Norris found it was the language of Christianity that most distanced her from faith. Words like “judgment,” “faith,” “dogma,” “salvation,” “sinner”—even “Christ”—formed what she called her “scary vocabulary,” words that had become so codified or abstract that their meanings were all but impenetrable. She found she had to wrestle with them and make them her own before they could confer their blessings and their grace. Blending history, theology, storytelling, etymology, and memoir, Norris uses these words as a starting point for reflection, and offers a moving account of her own gradual conversion. She evokes a rich spirituality rooted firmly in the chaos of everyday life—and offers believers and doubters alike an illuminating perspective on how we can embrace ancient traditions and find faith in the contemporary world.

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Cathy rated it ★★★★★.

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