chApteR 2 - South Main Baptist Church

Transcription

Atlanta, Georgia
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Guide to Spiritual Formation Resources
CBF Leadership Team
Contributors
Daniel Vestal
Coordinator
This resource guide is a project of the CBF Spiritual Formation
Network Resourcing Team. All members of the team contributed to
the writing and compilation of the resource guide.
Bo Prosser
Coordinator for Congregational Life
Production Team
Rick Bennett
Associate Coordinator for Congregational Life
Cynthia Jarrold
Project Manager, Light for the Path
Walton Media Services
Designer and Printer
© 2006
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
All rights reserved, no part of this material may be reproduced in any
form without the written permission of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
Catalog Order No. 0640P001
ISBN 1-4243-0801-1
Scripture is from the New Revised Standard Version Bible. Copyright
©1989.
Division of Christian Education of the
National Council of the Churches of Christ
in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
PO Box 450329
Atlanta, Georgia 31145
www.thefellowship.info
770.220.1600
Cooperative Baptist
Fellowship
ii
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Light for the Path
Amy Sturdivant Jennings is an adjunct instructor at Belmont University
in Nashville, Tennessee. She wrote the introduction and annotations
in chapter 3.
Amy C. Joyner is associate pastor at Northminster Baptist Church in
Jackson, Mississippi. She wrote the introduction and the information
on the labyrinth and spiritual direction for chapter 1.
Scott McBroom is a pastoral counselor and spiritual director in
Charleston, South Carolina. He contributed to the Training Centers/
Workshops section in chapter 1.
Sandi Evans Rogers is pastor for faith formation at Columbia
Baptist Church in Falls Church, Virginia. She contributed to the
Congregational Resources section in chapter 2.
Michael Sciretti is youth minister at Lakeshore Baptist Church
in Waco, Texas. He wrote the resource guide introduction and
contributed to the resources in chapter 2.
Eric Spivey is associate pastor of The Baptist Church of Beaufort
in Beaufort, South Carolina. He wrote the introduction to
Congregational Spiritual Formation Resources in chapter 2.
The glossary was compiled and written by the CBF Spiritual Formation
Task Force (1997). Task force members included Gary Furr, Betty
Talbert, Rick Landon, Ken Corr, Loyd Allen, and Jeannie Miley.
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Contents
Introduction..................................................................................................................... iv
Chapter 1. Personal Spiritual Formation Resources...........................................................4
Prayer Resources.......................................................................................................4
The Labyrinth as an Aide to Prayer and Spiritual Formation.......................................8
Personal Retreat Places............................................................................................10
Workshops and Training..........................................................................................12
Degree Programs.....................................................................................................13
Spiritual Direction...................................................................................................14
Chapter 2. Congregational Spiritual Formation Resources...............................................15
Implementation Resources......................................................................................15
Curriculum Resources ............................................................................................16
Children and Family Spirituality Resources..............................................................17
Chapter 3. Bibliography of Christian Devotional Classics.................................................19
Ancient Classics ......................................................................................................19
Medieval Classics ....................................................................................................19
Modern Classics .....................................................................................................20
Chapter 4. Additional Spiritual Formation Resources.......................................................24
Spiritual Formation Books Recommended by Pastors .............................................24
Spiritual Formation Books Recommended by Church Staff ...................................24
Spiritual Formation Books Recommended by Religion Professors ........................24
Spiritual Formation Books Recommended by Chaplains and Counselors ..............25
Spiritual Formation Books Recommended by Laypersons .....................................25
Chapter 5. A Glossary of Christian Spirituality Terms........................................................26
iii
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Introduction
“Follow me.” Not simply “believe in me and go about your
business,” but, “Follow me.” When Jesus called his first disciples,
he invited them to be with him and learn from him how to live as
citizens of the kingdom of God. This inevitably involved a change in
their way of life. Jesus’ promise was that through him they would
learn how to love God, love other people, and experience abundant
life (Mark 12:30–31; John 10:10). Jesus’ invitation to his first
disciples remains his invitation for all those today who would follow
him in their spiritual journey with God.
Christians throughout the ages have contemplated what it means
for Jesus to be both our way to God and our guide. The journey/
pilgrimage metaphor is a rich image for a growing relationship with
God, one that is found throughout the Scriptures. Abraham journeyed
by faith to an unknown land. The Hebrew people wandered through
the desert on their journey to the promised land. The writer of
Hebrews referred to the great Israelite men and women as strangers
and foreigners in search of a heavenly homeland. In Acts we learn
that the early Christians were called those “who belonged to the
Way.” The Gospel of Luke tells us that as an adolescent Jesus of
Nazareth took a pilgrimage with the rest of his family to the temple in
Jerusalem.
Taking a pilgrimage to Jerusalem continued to be important
to early, medieval, and modern Christians, which sparked many
spiritual writings that explained the Christian life as a pilgrimage
with and to God. This theme of the pilgrimage of the soul with God
can be found in many of the works of Augustine. The fourteenthcentury English mystic Walter Hilton wrote a short allegory about a
spiritual pilgrim to Jerusalem. But the most popular spiritual classic
in modern history comes from the seventeenth-century Baptist John
Bunyan. In The Pilgrim’s Progress Christian, the main character of
the book, journeys from the City of Destruction toward the Celestial
City. On his journey he encounters many obstacles, such as the Hill of
Difficulty, the Slough of Despond, and the Town of Vanity Fair, as well
as several guides who shine light on his pilgrim path to God.
Bunyan’s allegory of the Christian life suggests there are obstacles
as well as facilitating conditions on our journey to God. On his
pathway to God, Christian completely relies on the grace of God while
at the same time perseveres toward the Celestial City. In allegorical
fashion John Bunyan in his spiritual classic was teaching about
intentional Christian spiritual formation.
Christian Spiritual Formation
On a general level all people are undergoing spiritual formation
whether they are conscious of it or not. Each day we are shaped
by what is going on inside of us, the people with whom we come
in contact, the everyday situations in which we find ourselves, as
iv
well as the world mediated to us through our radios, televisions,
cell phones, and the Internet. As human creatures we are spiritual
by nature and therefore have an innate ability to be conscious of
this formation process and become active participants in it. On this
journey through life, we are given the ability to choose if we will
allow the events, people, and things of our lives to shape us positively
or negatively. When we cooperate with what life sends our way, our
obstacles and failures as well as our benefits and successes can
become formation opportunities. As this happens we become more
peaceful, whole, and loving persons. In short, we become more truly
human.
While this formation process is common to all, each person must
decide what will be the foundation of his or her life. When we choose
to follow Jesus, we are saying to ourselves and to the world that
our deepest desire is to make the Spirit of Christ the guiding force
in our lives. Through the Christian faith tradition we enter into the
story of the creation and redemption of humanity and the whole
cosmos, a living story that has been handed down to us through
Jesus, his first disciples, the early church fathers and mothers, the
great spiritual theologians and mystics, and the great reformers of
faith and practice throughout the ages. The Christian story is not
simply to be learned but lived; it makes demands on our lives and
calls us to allow God to help us restructure the way we think, feel,
and behave. In other words, we are called to embody the values and
directives of the good news of Jesus the Christ through being formed,
reformed, and transformed into his image and likeness. When we
answer this call and attempt to embody it in daily life, we move
into intentional Christian
spiritual formation, which
is the process of being
shaped in the image of
Christ by the gracious
working of God’s Spirit, for
the transformation of the
world.
This process of Christian
spiritual formation is
a gradual, lifelong movement. Although one may experience a
dramatic conversion that places the Christian faith tradition at the
foundation of one’s life, it is naive to assume that simply because
we have chosen to live the values of the good news of Christ we
will be able to do so quickly and easily. Growth in Christlikeness
is impossible without the dynamic interplay of divine grace and
human action. Once we commit to the Christian spiritual journey
of following Christ as the way to God, the Spirit begins to heal our
wounds, weaknesses, and sins and guides us to make decisions
that are consonant with our Christian faith and life call.
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At all times the goal of Christian spiritual formation is to become
like Christ in our everyday lives, or as the apostle Paul put it,
for Christ to be “formed” in us (Gal. 4:19). Because we are
God’s beloved children, the image of Christ is already within us.
Yet we cannot willfully conform ourselves to Christ. Rather, in
order to become the presence of the living Christ in our world,
we must gently open ourselves to the gracious working of God’s
Spirit for the reformation and transformation of our minds
and hearts (Rom. 12:2). The primary way we open our minds
and hearts to the healing and empowering work of the Spirit is
through spiritual disciplines, such as silence, formative reading
of Scripture, meditation, contemplation, and service. When we
humbly and faithfully practice the spiritual disciplines personally
and communally, we open our hearts to the mysterious workings
of the Spirit of God. In this way God forms, reforms, and
transforms us into the image and likeness of Christ. Although we
may be unaware of this inner work, it inevitably bears fruit in our
personal relationships and in the way we see the world and live
in it. Thus, to become like Christ is to become little epiphanies of
God’s loving care and concern for all of creation.
Christian Religious Education and
Christian Spiritual Formation
One common question raised in regards to Christian spiritual
formation is its relationship to Christian religious education. Because
of the many misunderstandings of spiritual formation and the term
spirituality circling in our postmodern society, many have been
cautious about the concept of spiritual formation. At the same time
some have come to the conclusion that spiritual formation is simply
the same as Christian education; in this case it is a new way of saying
the same thing.
If a comprehensive approach to spiritual formation is taken, it
becomes apparent that Christian education is a vital component
of how Christian spiritual formation takes place. If we are to be
formed, reformed, and transformed into the image of Christ, we
must be informed about the life, teachings, death, and resurrection
of Jesus. In other words, Christians need to be educated in the
school of Christ.
Traditional philosophies and methods of Christian education have
often not focused on the transformation of the whole person and
have instead focused only on a soul to be saved or a mind to be
taught. While these are important, there is more to the Christian
journey than an initial conversion experience and growth in the
knowledge of the Bible and Christian doctrine. Christians also
must be shaped into the image of Christ so they will increasingly
think and behave as Jesus would if he were living in their places
of labor and leisure. Thus some prefer to use the word formation
instead of education because the latter term seems to imply only an
intellectual exchange of Christian ideals, values, and doctrines. The
term education can be indicative of the church’s tendency to adopt
the methods and models of other ideological traditions, in this case
educational philosophies and language. Education also implies
something more linear whereas formation is more dynamic. The life
of the spirit is a dance of give-and-take, not simply a transmission of
a body of information that can be tested, measured, and mastered. At
the heart of Christian spiritual formation is nurture and discipleship:
the Spirit of God gradually and gently forming, reforming, and
transforming us into the likeness of Christ as we attempt to
implement and embody Jesus’ teachings in our daily lives.
Baptists and Spiritual Formation
With such an understanding of intentional Christian spiritual
formation, it becomes apparent that Baptists are not really new to
this process. Baptists have always attempted to be radicals in the
truest sense of the word, going back to the roots of our Christian
heritage for new direction, inspiration, and power to be the presence
of God in the world. Like all Christians, Baptists can attest to the
power of such foundational spiritual disciplines as formative reading
of scripture, meditation, prayer, and service to other people.
While we have much in common with other Christians, certain
things make Baptists unique. In becoming Baptists, we have been
shaped by certain ideals, priorities, and values. Because freedom
has been so important for Baptists throughout our history, some
have attempted to capture the essence of the Baptist tradition in
this light, such as Bible freedom, soul freedom, church freedom,
and religious freedom. Therefore, Christian spiritual formation
for those who are Baptists by conviction means continual growth
in Christlikeness in light of such distinct Baptist principles as
these. Regardless of what we have called it in the past, Baptist
churches have been concerned about the spiritual formation of
their members. Because spiritual formation is the process whereby
we allow our faith and beliefs to shape our daily lives, any program
in Christian education has as its ultimate goal the formation of a
committed and faithful Baptist Christian.
In fact throughout our history, Baptists have uniquely given form
to certain spiritual disciplines of the Christian life. Many Baptists,
like seventeenth-century minister Roger Williams, have attempted to
embody their Baptist beliefs by serving some of the most neglected in
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their day. Many Baptists, like eighteenth-century spiritual theologian
A Guide to Spiritual Formation Resources
Anne Dutton, have always read the Scriptures devotionally, attempting
to discover what the Bible says to them personally. And many
Baptists have always recognized the need for assistance and
Baptists, like nineteenth-century pastor Charles Haddon Spurgeon,
direction on their pilgrimage with God. Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress
have been mighty pray-ers—in the church, in the home, and in their
has been used by many Baptists as a book to foster spiritual selfown lives. While Baptists have often practiced in their own unique
direction. Baptist pastors, deacons, godly laity, wise women and
ways such spiritual disciplines as formative reading, meditation,
men have always been important spiritual guides for confused souls
prayer, and service, Baptists have tended to ignore other essential
needing direction in their spiritual
spiritual disciplines, such as silence
life. Baptist publishing houses have
and contemplation. Part of this comes Several years ago I read an article by Henri Nouwen that was
been formed to equip Baptists with
truly life changing. He suggested that the pattern of the life
from our historical tendency to be
and ministry of Jesus is to be our pattern. He began in solitude resources for them to use for spiritual
wary of personal revelation apart from
formation in the local church as well as
moving to community and then to mission and finally ending
the Scriptures. The result has been
in passion. Everything begins in solitude, for that is where we
for personal use.
a preoccupation with the conscious
come to know we are the beloved and are spiritually formed. I
Yet times have changed. In our
mind, which has inevitably led to a
had the privilege of meeting Mother Teresa before she died. She
postmodern
and pluralistic world,
lack of attention to our unconscious
gave me what she called her “business” card. It reads:
we are given so many options we can
motivations. If we are to allow the
The
fruit
of
silence
is
prayer,
easily become paralyzed. It can be
Spirit of God to shape us into the image
The
fruit
of
prayer
is
faith,
difficult to discern what God calls us
of Christ, we must open our hearts for
to be and do. We often run into the
The fruit of faith is love,
a deeper work of grace. This grace can
danger of rejecting anything new and
The fruit of love is service,
only come through awe-filled silence
foreign while desperately clinging to
The fruit of service is peace.
and contemplation, whereby we allow
— Daniel Vestal old ideals and practices that God might
the Divine Physician to heal our deep
want us to move beyond. On the other
inner wounds and sins. In other words,
hand,
we
can
begin
to
see
all
the
many ways other people of faith have
through such disciplines as silence and contemplation, we allow “the
attempted
to
live
out
their
core
beliefs.
We can respectfully listen and
peace of Christ [to] rule in our hearts” and “the word of Christ [to]
learn from other Christian traditions. We can open ourselves to hear
dwell in [us] richly” (Col. 3:15-16).
from God by examining the resources, methods, and forms others
As Baptists, because of our emphasis on soul freedom, we find
have used to experience and radiate God’s love in their daily lives.
ourselves in a unique position to choose freely those practices
But as Baptists, where do we begin? How can we navigate through
we feel will best enable us to become the persons God calls us
the surplus of spiritual formation resources available to us today? This
to become. When choosing a specific way to practice one of the
booklet seeks to address these questions. These pages offer many
foundational spiritual disciplines of the Christian life, many factors
resources that Baptists have found beneficial in their personal journey
will be involved, such as our temperament, family responsibilities,
into Christlikeness and as they have attempted to help others on their
stage of life, and physical limitations. At this point practice in
spiritual journeys. These resources help us seriously to consider, as
discernment as well as awareness of the process of spiritual
individuals and as communities of faith, whether we are progressively
formation can be of great help. Because we are all in the process
becoming more like Jesus. For those who have contributed to this
of becoming like Christ, if we allow God to do so, God can use our
publication, the following resources have been channels whereby
obstacles, failures, strengths, and successes to shape us into Christ’s
Christ, the living Word of God, has shined on their path towards
image. Therefore, we can step out in faith and trust that what we
Christlikeness. We offer this publication with the hope and prayer
seem most drawn to in this moment in our lives could well be the
that through this guide to spiritual formation resources you and your
best place to start. And, if we fail or later feel we need to go in
church will find light for your path to Christlikeness.
another direction, we can begin again the next day.
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1
For an excellent introduction to the field of formative
spirituality, see the essay “Formation, Spiritual” by Keith Beasley-Topliffe in
The Upper Room Dictionary of Christian Spiritual Formation (Nashville:
Upper Room Books, 2003).
2
This definition was adopted by the Spiritual Formation
Network summit group and is an adaptation and expansion of Robert
Mulholland’s definition of spiritual formation found in Invitation to a
Journey (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993). Companions in
Christ Training © 2004. All rights reserved.
3
For a brief comparison between a traditional model where
Christian education is part of a church’s ministry and a spiritual formation
model where spiritual formation is at the heart of a church’s ministry, see
John M. Dettoni’s essay “What Is Spiritual Formation?” in The Christian
Educator’s Handbook on Spiritual Formation, Kenneth O. Gangel and
James C. Wilhoit, eds. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1994). See also
William Clemmons, Discovering the Depths, revised and updated with a
Foreword by E Glenn Hinson; Advent Spirituality Center, P.O. Box 191, Mars
Hill, NC 28754, 2006. (Also Nashville: Broadman, 1976, 1984 and London:
SPCK, 1989).
4
Phyllis Rodgerson Pleasants, Freedom for the Journey
(Richmond: Center for Baptist Heritage & Studies, 2002), 10-11. Pleasants
uses this understanding of radical to talk about Baptists being
“ancientfuture,” a term used by Leonard Sweet for a church that looks to the
sources of its faith for wisdom for the future.
5
Walter Shurden, The Baptist Identity: Four Fragile Freedoms
(Macon, GA: Smyth & Helwys: 1993). See also Pleasants, who uses early
Baptist confessions of faith to show how Baptists believe in the freedom to
assemble themselves as God leads, the freedom to read and interpret
Scripture as God leads, the freedom to follow God wherever God leads, and
the freedom of religion for all, so that all people can follow God as God
leads.
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Chapter 1
Personal Spiritual Formation Resources
Spiritual formation is the process of being shaped in the image
of Christ by the gracious working of God’s Spirit, for the
transformation of the world.
— CBF Spiritual Formation Network Task Force, 2004
As we embark on the journey of following Christ, we acknowledge
that our salvation and our transformation come through God’s gracious
initiative. However, there are ways in which we can seek to open
ourselves more and more to the leadings of the Holy Spirit, to be more
receptive to God’s “still small voice.”
Though one of the best ways to help ourselves become available to
God’s direction for our lives is to covenant with a Christian community,
it is also important to follow Christ’s example of engaging in times
of solitude and quiet. Accordingly, this section of Light for the Path
provides resources for personal spiritual formation in these areas:
• Prayer
• The Labyrinth
• Personal Retreat Places
• Workshops and Training
• Spiritual Direction
Some of these resource areas are familiar to every Baptist believer;
others, like the labyrinth and spiritual direction, may be new, so
explanations will be provided in the pages to follow. It is important to
note that the listing of resources is not and does not attempt to be
exhaustive—what is provided is merely a starting point. Also important
to note is that not every resource will be helpful for every person. Just as
each of us is drawn more to some scriptures than to others for comfort,
challenge, and inspiration, each of us will also be drawn more to some
books on prayer and methods of formation than to others. You are
invited, then, to view the resources in this section, and in the entire
resource guide, as aides in your journey to follow Christ, as means to
the ultimate end of communion with God, not as ends in themselves. St.
Augustine said, “Let us seek so as to find, and find so as to continue to
seek.” May God bless both your seeking and your finding.
Prayer Resources
Prayer the Church’s banquet, Angel’s age,
God’s breath in man returning to his birth,
The soul in paraphrase, heart in pilgrimage,
The Christian plummet sounding heav’n and earth;
Engine against th’ Almighty, sinners’ tower,
Reversed thunder, Christ-side-piercing spear,
The six-days-world transposing in an hour,
A kind of tune, which all things hear and fear;
Softness, and peace, and joy, and love and bliss,
Exalted Manna, gladness of the best,
Heaven in ordinary, man well drest,
The milky way, the bird of Paradise,
Church-bells beyond the stars heard, the soul’s blood,
The land of spices; something understood.
— George Herbert
To pray is to change. Prayer is the central avenue
God uses to transform us. If we are unwilling to
change, we will abandon prayer as a noticeable
characteristic of our lives.
— Flannery O’Connor
Baillie, John. A Diary of Private Prayer. New York: A
Fireside Book, Simon and Schuster, 1996. Originally
published in New York by Charles Scribner’s Sons in
1949.
This devotional classic contains a month’s work of morning and evening
prayers for personal use and beautifully intermingles prayers of praise for
God with prayers of intercession for self and others.
Bass, Dorothy C. Receiving the Day: Christian
Practices for Opening the Gift of Time. The Practices
of Faith Series, Dorothy C. Bass, ed.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2002.
For many people, time, or a lack thereof, becomes an impediment to a
more fulfilling life of prayer. Dorothy Bass examines the notion of time
from a spiritual perspective and offers ways Christians can embrace time
rather than be driven by it. Her treatments of Sabbath-keeping and the
Christian year are accessible and informative.
Bloom, Anthony. Beginning to Pray. New York:
Paulist Press, 1970.
This modern-day classic is aimed at people who have never prayed before.
Bloom gives an excellent introduction to the meaning and purpose of
prayer along with some methods and meditations for readers to practice.
Bloom encourages his readers to discover the “God who is closer to you
than you are aware” (p. 49).
Bondi, Roberta. To Pray and to Love: Conversations
on Prayer with the Early Church. Minneapolis:
Fortress Press, 2003.
Bondi examines the prayer life of the desert mothers and fathers in an
effort to help readers deepen their prayer life through a growing understanding of the connection between prayer and love for God and neighbor.
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The Book of Common Prayer (1979). New York:
Oxford University Press, 2000.
Though The Book of Common Prayer is the official worship book of
the Episcopal Church, it contains many resources applicable to Baptist
Christians, including a collection of prayers and thanksgivings and a daily
schedule of Scripture readings (the daily office lectionary).
Brown, Patricia D. Paths to Prayer: Finding Your
Own Way to the Presence of God.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2003.
Written by a United Methodist minister, this book is a practical guide to
discovering one’s spiritual type and exploring forty different ways to pray,
all of which are based on Christian tradition.
Brueggemann, Walter. Awed to Heaven, Rooted
in Earth: Prayers of Walter Brueggemann. Edwin
Searcy, ed. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2004.
This collection of prayers from renowned Old Testament scholar Walter
Brueggemann is as inspiring as it is daring.
Cloyd, Betty Shannon. Children and Prayer: A Shared
Pilgrimage. Nashville: Upper Room Books, 1997.
Children and Prayer is a wonderful resource for anyone who has children,
works with children, or simply loves being around them. The book
provides a brief introduction to the stages of faith development, guidelines
for teaching children how to pray, forms of prayer to use with children,
and activities to enhance the prayer life of children. It also contains some
insightful interviews with children about prayer.
Collins, Owen. 2000 Years of Classic Christian
Prayers. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2000. Originally
published in Great Britain by HarperCollins in 1999.
Thematically arranged, this superb collection of prayers is suitable for
public or private use.
Foster, Richard J. Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True
Home. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1992.
Considered by many to be one of the best modern books on
Christian prayer, Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home is,
according to its author, not so much a book about definitions
of prayer as it is a book about an “enduring, continuing,
growing love relationship with the great God of the universe.”
Foster, Richard J. Prayers from the Heart. San
Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1994.
This collection of prayers by Richard Foster and other writers is organized
around the following categories: “Prayers for the Journey Inward,” “Prayers
for the Journey Upward,” and “Prayers for the Journey Outward.”
Friends of Silence
Those who are especially interested in contemplative prayer may find
Friends of Silence, a monthly newsletter edited by Nan C. Merrill, helpful.
Each month’s edition contains a variety of thoughts to ponder from diverse
authors and faith traditions. To become a part of the Friends of Silence
mailing list, write to Friends of Silence, 129 Skunk Hollow Road, Jericho,
Vermont 05465.
Geitz, Elizabeth Rankin, et al, eds. Women’s
Uncommon Prayers: Our Lives Revealed, Nurtured,
Celebrated. Harrisburg, PA: Morehouse Publishing,
2000.
A collection of prayers by women for women, Women’s Uncommon
Prayers is organized around the seasons of a woman’s life as well as the
seasons of the church year.
Howell, James C. The Beautiful Work of Learning to
Pray: 31 Lessons. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2004.
“Learning to pray should be something profound and mysterious, yet
learning to pray is utterly practical, and over a lifetime of praying you
pick up a hint here, a simple suggestion there. For prayer is something
we practice. Prayer is a skill to be developed.” This quote from the
introduction provides the basis for the thirty-one lessons that comprise the
book. Howell’s work is an excellent introduction to prayer, especially for
those who have felt too intimidated or too busy to engage in its practice.
Indermark, John. Traveling the Prayer Paths
of Jesus. Nashville: Upper Room Books, 2003.
This six-week study of the prayers of Jesus examines those prayers in
context: in solitude, by the roadside, on the mountainside, in the upper
room, at the garden, and upon the cross. A Scripture passage, a brief
meditation, a prayer, and a suggested spiritual exercise are included in
each day’s devotional.
Ingram, Kristen Johnson. Beyond Words: 15 Ways to
Do Prayer. Harrisburg, PA: Morehouse Publishing,
2004.
We often think of prayer as an activity that requires the body to be still, but
Kristen Ingram demonstrates that many of the things we do every day can
become a form of prayer.
Job, Rueben P., and Norman Shawchuck. A Guide to
Prayer for All Who Seek God. Nashville: Upper Room
Books, 2003.
This latest offering in the Guide to Prayer series follows the Christian
year and the lectionary readings. The daily devotional format includes an
opening affirmation, prayer, and daily Scripture readings. In addition to
daily readings, A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God offers helpful
explanations of the seasons of the church year.
Jones, Timothy. The Art of Prayer: A Simple Guide
to Conversation with God. Colorado Springs:
WaterBrook Press, 2005.
Jones offers wise and gentle guidance in the art of praying. He goes beyond
prayer as a means of communicating one’s needs to a deeper level. Jones
addresses such struggles as how to pray when one feels distant from God,
when the words won’t come, when one is angry with God, and when one’s
prayers go unanswered.
Keating, Thomas. Open Mind, Open Heart: The
Contemplative Dimension of the Gospel. New York:
Continuum, 2002.
This thorough treatment of contemplative, or centering, prayer provides
an overview of the history of contemplative prayer in the Christian tradition
as well as step-by-step guidance in the process of centering prayer.
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Klug, Lyn, ed. All Will Be Well: A Gathering of Healing
Prayers. Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1998.
This lovely collection contains prayers for physical and emotional healing,
prayers for the healing of community, and prayers about the power of
forgiveness in addition to many other healing prayers. The prayers were
written by authors from different countries and cultures.
Klug, Lyn, ed. Soul Weavings: A Gathering of Women’s
Prayers. Minneapolis: Augsburg, 2004.
This compilation of prayers from women around the world provides comfort
for the troubles women face as well as celebration for the joy they experience.
Law, Philip, compiler. A Time to Pray: 365 Classic
Prayers to Help You through the Year. Oxford,
England: Lion Publishing, 1998.
Organized according to the calendar year, each month in this book of
prayers has a different emphasis. For example, January’s emphasis is
“Praying with the Prophets,” and October’s emphasis is “Praying with the
Hymn Writers.” This collection of prayers draws on resources from every
major Christian tradition and is fully indexed by author and theme.
Loder, Ted. Guerrillas of Grace: Prayers for the
Battle. Minneapolis: Augsburg Books, 2005.
An authentic collection of poetic prayers that has been popular for twenty
years, Guerrillas of Grace contains prayers for the different phases of our
spiritual journey as well as prayers appropriate for various seasons and
holidays.
Merrill, Nan C. Psalms for Praying: An Invitation to
Wholeness. New York: Continuum, 2000.
This modern paraphrase honors the lyricism of the original Book of Psalms
and offers a beautiful resource for corporate worship and individual prayer.
Merton, Thomas. Contemplative Prayer. New York:
Doubleday, 1971.
In this small but profound book, Merton summarizes the main themes
of prayer. He gives special attention to a form of meditative prayer
also known as “the prayer of the heart.” Merton insists that “true
contemplation is . . . a theological grace,” and he invites his readers to
discover prayer’s true meaning.
Muller, Wayne. Learning to Pray: How We Find
Heaven on Earth. New York: Bantam Books, 2004.
Ordained minister and therapist Wayne Muller offers a thoughtful
meditation on the Lord’s Prayer as well as suggested prayer practices.
Newell, Philip J. Celtic Prayers from Iona. Mahwah,
NJ: Paulist Press, 1997. Originally published in Great
Britain as Each Day and Each Night by Wild Goose
Publications in 1994.
This book was originally written for use by members and associates of the
Iona Community, an ecumenical movement of lay and ordained Christians
whose home is on the island of Iona, located in the Western Isles of
Scotland. However, the prayers it contains honoring God and creation will
be meaningful to Christians across the spectrum of traditions.
Norberg, Tilda, and Robert D. Webber. Stretch Out
Your Hand: Exploring Healing Prayer. Nashville:
Upper Room Books, 1999.
Topics addressed in this book include the following: frequently asked
questions about healing, praying for one’s self, praying for others, praying
for institutions, and the church as a healing community.
Northumbria Community. Celtic Daily Prayer:
From the Northumbria Community. San Francisco:
HarperSanfrancisco, 2002.
Developed by the Northumbria community, which has a
motherhouse near the Holy Island of Lindisfarne in northern
England, this prayer book contains two years’ worth of daily
readings as well as a host of other devotional and prayer resources.
Nouwen, Henri J. M. With Open Hands. Notre Dame,
IN: Ave Maria Press, 2006.
With Open Hands was first published in 1972. This revised edition
contains new prayers by Henri Nowen as well as helpful questions for
reflection at the end of each chapter. The following quote from the final
chapter aptly summarizes the book’s theme: “To pray means to open your
hands before God. It means slowly relaxing the tension which squeezes
your hands together and accepting your existence with an increasing
readiness, not as a possession to defend, but as a gift to receive. Above all,
therefore, prayer is a way of life which allows you to find a stillness in the
midst of the world where you open your hands to God’s promises, and find
hope for yourself, your neighbor, and your world.”
Peacock, Larry James. Openings: A Daybook
of Saints, Psalms, and Prayer. Nashville, Upper Room
Books, 2003.
Organized according to the calendar year, Openings includes the
following offerings for each day: a saint to remember, a Scripture passage,
a devotion to ponder, and a method of prayer to practice.
Pennington, Basil M. Centering Prayer: Renewing an
Ancient Christian Form. New York: Doubleday Image
Books, 1982.
Centering Prayer offers a new approach to ancient Christian prayer
methods. Readers learn how to relax for prayer, how to listen to and for
God, how to handle pain and distractions, and how to strive for the highest
possible communication with God.
Prayers Encircling the World: An International
Anthology. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press,
1999. Originally published in Great Britain by SPCK
in 1998.
This collection of three hundred prayers from more than sixty countries
represents a wide spectrum of the Christian tradition. The prayers are
arranged according to themes that span across life’s experiences.
Quoist, Michel. Prayers. Kansas City, MO: Sheed and
Ward, 1999.
Prayers by Michel Quoist is far more than a collection of prayers. It is an
intriguing introduction to the life of prayer. Quoist’s poetic and insightful
prayers reveal how Christ can be found in the everyday events of life.
Richardson, Jan L. Sacred Journeys: A Woman’s Book
of Daily Prayer. Nashville: Upper Room, 1995.
Arranged according to the Christian year, this collection contains prayers
and poetry from women across the ages; for example, voices as diverse
as Hildegard of Bingen and Sojourner Truth are represented.
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Rupp, Joyce. Praying Our Goodbyes. Notre Dame, IN:
Ave Maria Press, 2003.
Praying Our Goodbyes is about “the spirituality of change.” It is for
anyone who has experienced loss, whether that loss involves financial
struggle, the end of a friendship, or the death of a loved one. The book
ends with twenty-four prayer experiences that can serve as sources of
strength and healing.
Rupp, Joyce. The Cup of Our Life: A Guide for
Spiritual Growth. Notre Dame, IN: Ave Maria Press,
2004.
Designed for group or individual use, The Cup of Life contains six weeks
of devotional exercises designed to deepen and strengthen one’s prayer
life using the cup as a metaphor for spiritual growth. Each day’s offering
includes a brief meditation, a reflective activity, a Scripture passage,
questions for journaling, a prayer, and a suggestion for being continually
mindful of the day’s theme.
Shoemaker, H. Stephen. Finding Jesus in His
Prayers. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2004.
A good starting point for learning about prayer is to take a close
look at the prayers of Jesus, which is exactly what Baptist minister
Stephen Shoemaker does in this brief but insightful book of theological
meditations.
Simpson, Ray, compiler. Celtic Blessings: Prayers for
Everyday Life. Chicago: Loyola Press, 2005.
Celtic Blessings contains more than 130 blessings and prayers for events
ranging from exams to weddings.
Smith, Martin L. The Word Is Very Near You: A
Guide to Praying with Scripture. Cambridge: Cowley
Publications, 1989.
Part I of this book teaches three ways to pray with Scripture: (1)
meditation with stories; (2) lectio divina, or “holy reading,” in which one
meditates with single words or phrases that have surfaced from a “slow,
receptive reading” of passages, and (3) contemplative prayer with images
from Scripture. Part II of The Word Is Very Near You contains a series of
Scripture citations organized around a variety of themes.
Steindl-Rast, David. Gratefulness, the Heart of
Prayer: An Approach to Life in Fullness. New York:
Based on the premise that “everything is a gift” and prayer is essentially
an act of gratitude, this gentle book encourages the reader to live life
more abundantly through prayer. The chapter on “Contemplation and
Leisure” will be especially meaningful for those feeling driven by their
daily schedules.
Stewart, Dorothy M., compiler. The Westminster
Collection of Christian Prayers. Louisville:
Westminster John Knox Press, 2001.
This wonderful resource contains more than fifteen-hundred prayers
arranged by theme and serves as a helpful tool for those planning
worship services as well as those wishing to enhance their prayer lives.
Thurman, Anne, ed. For the Inward Journey: The
Writings of Howard Thurman. Richmond, IN: Friends
United Press, 1991.
Howard Thurman was one of the twentieth century’s foremost religious
thinkers and one of its most eloquent minority voices. For the Inward
Journey is an anthology of Thurman’s most important writings and
provides thoughtful and inspiring material for those wishing to learn more
about the “disciplines of the spirit.”
Tickle, Phyllis, compiler. The Divine Hours Series.
New York: Doubleday, 2006.
The Divine Hours Series is comprised of three volumes: Prayers for
Springtime, Prayers for Wintertime, and Prayers of the Summertime
and is “the first major literary and liturgical reworking of the sixth-century
Benedictine Rule of fixed-hour prayer.” This collection draws heavily from
The Book of Common Prayer and the writings of the church fathers and will
greatly assist those wishing to establish a regular rhythm of daily prayer.
Vennard, Jane E. Praying for Friends and Enemies:
Intercessory Prayer. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress,
2004.
Vennard strengthens her offering of practical exercises for intercessory
prayer with an examination of the theology of intercessory prayer and stories
of intercessory prayer found in the Gospels. Readers are challenged to follow
the whole Gospel teaching about intercessory prayer: to pray for enemies as
well as friends.
Vennard, Jane E. Praying with Body and Soul: A
Way to Intimacy with God. Minneapolis: Augsburg
Fortress, 1998.
Based on the premise that our bodies are a gift from God and can teach
us new ways to pray, this book contains a number of suggested prayer
practices for those wishing to move beyond praying with words only.
Waldron, Robert. Poetry as Prayer: Thomas Merton.
Boston: Pauline Books and Media, 2000.
In addition to a brief biography of Thomas Merton and meditations on several
of Merton’s poems, Waldron offers “Ten Steps to Reading Poetry in a Holy Way”
and a list of suggested poems for prayer. A true blessing for lovers of poetry,
the Poetry as Prayer series prayerfully considers the work of a variety of poets,
including Saint Francis of Assisi, Emily Dickinson, and Denise Levertov.
Weems, Ann. Psalms of Lament. Louisville:
The poems in this collection give voice to Ann Weem’s grief over losing her
son and can serve as powerful prayers, especially for those who are also
engaged in the grieving process.
Wiederkehr, Macrina. Seasons of Your Heart:
Prayers and Reflections, Revised and Expanded. San
Designed for daily use as well as retreats, Seasons of Your Heart contains
prayers and journal reflections that encourage the reader’s journey
through the seasons of wonder, hope, love, mystery, and faith. A helpful
prayer index is included.
Wuellner, Flora Slosson. Prayer, Stress, and Our Inner
Wounds. Nashville: Upper Room Books, 1995.
Wuellner addresses several types of pain, including physical pain, painful
memories, and stress and anxiety. She also offers prayers and spiritual
exercises that can help one experience inner healing in a context of grace.
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The Labyrinth as an Aide to Prayer and
Spiritual Formation
God is a circle whose center is everywhere,
And whose circumference is nowhere.
— Saint Bonaventura
In recent years, use of the labyrinth as an aide to prayer and spiritual
formation has grown tremendously. In fact, it is currently estimated that
there are more than five-thousand labyrinths in the United States. Though
many Christians have been drawn closer to Christ through use of the
labyrinth, many others are either unfamiliar with the labyrinth or hesitant
to use it because of some of the misinformation that surrounds it. A brief
introduction to the labyrinth follows along with a list of resources.
Commonly Asked Questions About the Labyrinth
What is a labyrinth?
A labyrinth is comprised of a series of concentric lines that have been
carefully connected to form a path to the center of the design. At first
glance, a labyrinth may look like a maze. However, a labyrinth is different
from a maze in that it has no dead ends or
false pathways. Instead, there is but one
path that leads to the center. Occasionally, as
exemplified in the labyrinth from the famous
Greek myth about Theseus and the minotaur,
the way out from the center is not obvious.
Most of the time, though, the same path that
leads to the center also leads clearly back
out again.
Labyrinths come in many different sizes
and can be made of many different materials.
Some labyrinths are painted on canvas and
are therefore portable, some are inlaid in
the floors of churches, and some are created
outdoors from stone or even hedges. Small,
hand-held labyrinths that can be traced with
one’s finger or a stylus are also available.
In the Middle Ages labyrinths gained in popularity, perhaps in part
because they may have been viewed as a form of “substitute pilgrimage”
for those who could not afford to journey to the Holy Land. The most
famous labyrinth from this period is the one inlaid in the floor of the
Chartes Cathedral in France, circa 1205 CE. It has eleven circuits
and a fourfold symmetry that differentiates it from the classical, sevencircuit labyrinth.
After the Middle Ages, the labyrinth began to wane in popularity, and
for several hundred years even the famous Chartres Cathedral labyrinth
was largely ignored. However, the past twenty years or so have seen a
renewed interest in labyrinths. The Reverend Doctor Lauren Artress,
Canon of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, has been one of the leading
proponents of the labyrinth as an aide to Christian worship, meditation,
and prayer.
Thus, while some adherents of the New Age movement may use the
labyrinth for meditation, such use does not negate the legitimacy of the
labyrinth in Christian tradition or in current Christian practice.
How does a labyrinth “work”?
As one walks the path of a labyrinth, as the feet follow the pattern of the
sacred circle, the mind gradually becomes more and more still. Generally,
the walk has three stages:
1. Releasing—The walk toward the center
provides an opportunity to let go of daily
distractions and frustrations.
2. Receiving—The center of the labyrinth
offers a space for prayer and meditation, a
privileged place of listening for the still, small
voice of God.
3. Returning—The walk away from the
center is preparation for the outward journey,
for engaging the active life once again.
Though these three stages provide a helpful
framework for walking the labyrinth, there
is really no right or wrong way to engage in
this ancient practice. The most important aspect of walking the labyrinth is
being open to the whispers and gentle movements of God’s Spirit.
Isn’t the labyrinth a part of the New Age movement?
Actually, the labyrinth is very old. The labyrinth symbol can be traced
back more than thirty-five hundred years and has appeared in places as
diverse as Peru, Arizona, Iceland, Scandinavia, Crete, Egypt, India, and
Sumatra. Though the labyrinth predates the advent of Christianity and
is not unique to Western culture, evidence exists that early Christians
adopted and adapted the labyrinth as an instrument for Christian prayer
and worship. For example, in 324 CE Christians placed a labyrinth on the
floor of their church in Algiers, North Africa. At St. Lucca Cathedral in
Italy, there is a wall labyrinth worshippers traced with their fingers that
dates back to the ninth century.
Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find;
knock, and the door will be opened for you.
For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who
searches finds, and for everyone who knocks
the door will be opened.
— Luke 11:9–10
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Labyrinth Resources: Books
Artress, Lauren. Walking a Sacred Path:
Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Practice.
New York: Penguin Group, 2006.
Geoffrion, Jill Kimberly Hartwell. Christian Prayer
and Labyrinths: Pathways to Faith, Hope, and Love.
Cleveland: Pilgrim Press, 2004.
Praying the Labyrinth: A Journal for Spiritual
Exploration. Cleveland: Pilgrim Press, 1999.
Kern, Hermann. Through the Labyrinth: Designs and
Meanings over 5,000 Years. New York: Prestel, 2000.
Schaper, Donna and Carole Ann Camp. Labyrinths
from the Outside In: Walking to Spiritual Insight,
A Beginner’s Guide. Woodstock, VT: Skylight Paths,
2000.
West, Melissa Gayle. Exploring the Labyrinth: A
Guide for Healing and Spiritual Growth. New York:
Broadway Books, 2000.
Labyrinth Resources: Web Sites
www.labyrinth-enterprises.com
This is the web site of renowned labyrinth scholar and master labyrinth
builder Robert Ferre. In addition to offering labyrinths for purchase, this
web site has an extensive bibliography about labyrinths and more than
three-hundred links to labyrinth web sites.
www.Veriditas.net
Veriditas, The Voice of the Labyrinth Movement, was established by Lauren
Artress in 1996 as a nonprofit organization “dedicated to introducing people
to the healing, meditative powers of the labyrinth.” The Veriditas web site has
a helpful labyrinth locator as well as an online interactive labyrinth.
www.labyrinthos.net
Jeff Saward, considered by many to be the world’s foremost expert on
labyrinths, created this web site, which offers a scholarly, historical look at
labyrinths.
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Personal Retreat Places
In the morning, while it was still very dark, he
[Jesus] got up and went out
to a deserted place, and there he prayed.
— Mark 1:35
To do great work, a man must be
very idle as well as very industrious.
— Samuel Butler
Though some of the retreat places listed below
are available for group retreats, we offer them
as potential sites for personal retreats. These are
not necessarily offered as recommendations, for
individuals must determine the resources they
require for a retreat and determine whether a
particular facility offers those resources.
Alabama
Sacred Heart Monastery (Benedictine)
Cullman, AL 35055
256.734.4622
www.shmon.org
Arkansas
Oasis Renewal Center
Mary-Melsia Cobb
Little Rock, AR 72223
888.689.0663
www.oasisrenewalcenter.org
Georgia
Calvin Center
Hampton, GA 30228
770.946.4276;
www.calvincenter.org
Carmel Retreat Center
Hoschton, GA 30548
706.654.3435
Cedar Hill Enrichment Center
Gainesville, GA 30506
770-887-0051
www.cedarhillenrichment.org
Center for New Beginnings
Dahlonega, GA 30533
800.492.1046
www.CenterForNewBeginnings.com
Convent of Saint Helena (Episcopal)
Augusta, GA 30916
706.798.5201
www.osh.org
Green Bough House of Prayer, Inc.
Adrian, GA 31002
912.668.4758
Ignatius House (Jesuit)
Atlanta, GA 30328
404.255.0503
www.ignatiushouse.org
Saint Scholastica Retreat Center (Benedictine)
Fort Smith, AR 72913
479.783.1135
[email protected]
Monastery of the Holy Spirit (Trappist)
Conyers, GA 30094-4044
770.483.8705
www.trappist.net
Florida
Cenacle Retreat House
Lantana, FL 33462
561.582.2534
Monastery of the Visitation
Snellville, GA 30078
770.972.1060
Our Lady of Divine Providence House of Prayer
Clearwater, FL 33759
813.797.7412
[email protected]
Saint Leo Abbey (Benedictine)
Saint Leo, FL 33574-2350
352.588.8679
www.saintleoabbey.org
San Pedro Center
Winter Park, FL 32792
407.671.6322
www.sanpedrocenter.org
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New Ebenezer Retreat and Conference Center
Rincon, GA 31326
912.754.9242
www.newebenezer.org
Kentucky
The Abbey of Gethsemani (Trappist)
Trappist, KY 40051-6201
www.monks.org
Bethany Spring
New Haven, KY 40051
502.549.8277
www.bethanyspring.org
Cliffview Center
Lancaster, KY 40444
606.792.3333
Father Farrell Spiritual Life Center
Hazard, KY 41701-1541
606.436.2533
Loose Leaf Hollow
Bardstown, KY 40004
502.348.0201
www.looseleafhollow.com
Mount Tabor Retreat Center
Martin, KY 41649
606.886.9624
Louisiana
Cenacle Retreat House
P.O. Box 8115
Metarie, LA 70011
Jesuit Spirituality Center at Saint Charles College
Grand Coteau, LA 50541
337.662.5251
www.jesuitspiritualitycenter.org
Manresa House of Retreats (Jesuit)
P.O. Box 89
Covent, LA 71360
Saint Joseph’s Abbey (Benedictine)
Saint Benedict, LA 70457
504.892.1800
Maryland
Bon Secours Spiritual Center
Marriottsville, MD 21104
410.442.1320
www.bonsecours.org/bssc
Dayspring Silent Retreat Center
Germantown, MD 20876-4147
301.428.9348
www.serve.com/dayspringretreat
Manresa Retreat House (Jesuit)
P.O. Box 9
Annapolis, MD 21404
Wellspring Conference Center
Germantown, MD 20876
301.428.3373
www.wellspringministry.org
Mississippi
The Dwelling Place
Brooksville, MS 39739-9537
662.738.5348
\www.dwellingplace.com
Silentia Center for Spiritual Formation
Jackson, MS 39225-4026
[email protected]
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Missouri
Assumption Abbey (Trappist)
Ava, MO 65608 (near Springfield)
417.683.5110
www.assumptionabbey.org
Conception Abbey (Benedictine)
Conception, MO 64433
660.944,2809
www.conceptionabbey.org
Mystic Trace
Buffalo, MO 65622
417.267.2508
[email protected]
North Carolina
Aqueduct Retreat Center
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
919.933.5557
Avila Retreat Center
Durham, NC 37712
919.477.1285
Bend of Ivy Lodge
Marshall, NC 28753
828.645.0505
Bonclarken Conference Center
500 Pine Drive
Flat Rock, NC 28731
828.692.2223
www.bonclarken.com
Camp Agape
Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526
919.552.9421
www.agapekurebeach.org
Cedar Cross Retreat Center
Louisburg, NC 27549
252.431.0829
[email protected]
Christmount Christian Assembly
Black Mountain, NC 28711
828.669.8977
Gemeinhaus (on the grounds of Laurel Ridge
Camp of the Moravian Church)
Laurel Springs, NC 28644
336.359.2951
www.laurelridge.org
Kanuga Conference Center
Hendersonville, NC 28793
828.692.9136
www.kanuga.org
Montreat Conference Center
Montreat, NC 28757-0969
800.572.2257
www.montreat.org
Sea of Peace House of Prayer: A Dominican
Retreat House
Edisto Island, SC 29438
843.869.0513
The Mountain
Highlands, NC 28741-1299
704.526.4505
Springbank Christian Retreat Center
Kingstree, SC 29556-9625
800.671.0361
[email protected]
The Pelican House
Salter Path, NC 28575 (near Outer Banks)
252.222.0855
www.trinityctr.com
Saint Francis Springs Prayer Center
Greensboro, NC 27401
336.273.2554
www.franciscancenter.com
Short Journey Center
Smithfield, NC 27577
919.934.7463
Snail’s Pace
Saluda, NC 28773
828.749.3851
www.thesnailspace.org
Windsong Retreat Center
Pittsboro, NC 27312
919.542-261
www.windsongretreat.org
Oklahoma
Osage Monastery
Sand Springs, OK 74063
918.245.2734
South Carolina
The Anchorage
Greenville, SC 29604
864.297.5308
www.theanchorage.org
Mepkin Abbey (Trappist)
Moncks Corner, SC 29461
803.761.8509
www.mepkinabbey.org/home.htm
The Monastery of Saint Clare
864.244.4514
www.poorclaresc.com
The Oratory
Rock Hill, SC 29731
803.327.2097
www.rockhilloratory.com
Pilgrims Rest Retreat Center
864.294.7002
Tennessee
Saint Mary’s Sewanee
Sewanee, TN 37375
931.598.5342
www.stmarysretreat.org
Texas
Cedarbrake Retreat Center
Belton, TX 76513-0058
254.780.2436
www.austindiocese.org/cedarbrake.htm
Cenacle Renewal Center
Houston, TX 77079
281.497.3131
Laity Lodge
Kerrville, TX 78029
830.896.2505
www.hebuttfoundation.org
Pastors Retreat Network
Vanderpool, TX 78885
830.966.6270
www.pastorsretreatnetwork.org
Virginia
Benedictine Retreat Center
Richmond, VA 23233
804.784.3508
Holy Cross Abbey (Trappist)
Berryville, VA 22611
540.955.3124
www.hcava.org
Richmond Hill
Richmond, VA 23223
804.783.7903
www.richmondhillva.org
Shalom House
Montpelier, VA 23192
804.883.6149
West Virginia
Lost River Retreat Center
Lost River, WV 26810
304.897.5935
www.vbc-va.org
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Workshops and Training
Listed below are a sampling of some institutions and programs that provide
training and enrichment opportunities in spiritual formation or spiritual
direction. While these providers are known to have a good reputation, CBF
does not endorse them. You are encouraged to investigate their offerings and
determine if they are appropriate for you.
The Academy for Spiritual Formation
The Upper Room
P.O. Box 340004
Nashville, TN 37203-0004
615.340.7200
www.upperroom.org
In addition to spiritual formation materials, The Upper Room
provides a two-year academy and an abbreviated five-day academy
in spiritual formation offered at various locations around
the country. They also organize The Walk to Emmaus retreat.
Advent Spirituality Center
P.O. Box 191
Mars Hill, NC 28754
828.689.8320
[email protected]
www.adventcenter.org
The Advent Center is committed to connecting Baptists with others
who search for a growing life in God. The Center provides educational
programs, conferences, retreats and resources, as well as assistance to
churches seeking to be inspired, renewed and challenged in spiritual
growth.
The Anchorage
P.O. Box 9091
864.297.5308
[email protected]
www.theanchorage.org
Offers retreats and workshops on spirituality.
Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary et. al.
Columbia Theological Seminary
701 Columbia Drive
Decatur, GA 30031
404.687.4587
www.spiritualityprogram.com
Offers a Certificate in Spiritual Formation as a cooperative partnership
between several Presbyterian seminaries, including Austin Presbyterian
Theological Seminary, Columbia Theological Seminary, and Pittsburgh
Theological Seminary.
Benedictine Spirituality and Conference Center at
Sacred Heart Monastery
P.O. Box 2040
Cullman, AL 35056
256.734.8302
www.shmon.org
Offers both private and directed retreats and numerous workshops in
spirituality, prayer, and human development, all designed to help both laity
and clergy deepen their relationship with God. 12
Bon Secours Spiritual Center
1525 Marriottsville Road
Marriottsville, MD 21104
410.442.1320
[email protected]
http://www.bonsecoursspiritualcenter.org
Columbia Theological Seminary
P.O. Box 520
Decatur, GA 30030
404.378.8821
Offers both a Certificate in Spiritual Formation and a Doctor of Ministry in
Christian Spirituality.
Contemplative Outreach Ltd.
P.O. Box 737
10 Park Place, Suite 2B
Butler, New Jersey 07405
201.838.3384
[email protected]
www.centeringprayer.com
Contemplative Outreach is a resource following the model of
contemplative prayer advocated by Fr. Thomas Keating, author of Open
Mind, Open Heart. Several regional centers offer training opportunities.
Epiphany Association of Formative Spirituality
820 Crane Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15216-3050
412.341.7494
[email protected]
epiphanyassociation.org
“Offers a . . . theoretical and practical program in spiritual and
ministerial formation.”
Haden Institute
P.O. Box 1793
Flat Rock, NC 28731
828.693.9292
The Haden Institute offers programs in spiritual direction and pastoral
counseling from a Jungian perspective. Their programs are designed to
foster spiritual growth and healing. There is an emphasis on integration of
the psychological and spiritual aspects of one’s life.
Mercy Center
2300 Adeline Drive
Burlingame, CA 94010
650.340.7474
[email protected]
mercy-center.org
Offers workshops in spiritual formation as well as a training program in
spiritual direction.
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Palmetto Health Institute for Spirituality
Palmetto Health Baptist Hospital
1330 Taylor St.
Columbia, SC 29220
803.296.5879
[email protected]
www.palmettohealth.org/facilities/baptist/index.html
The Institute offers retreats, seminars, workshops and prayer days for
churches, volunteer organizations, businesses, and other community
groups. Primary areas of emphasis are spirituality and health, spiritual
guidance, and the life of prayer. They also offer a two-year training
program in spiritual guidance.
Renovare
8 Inverness Drive East, Suite 102
Englewood, CO 80112-5609
303.792.0152
www.renovare.org
Founded by Richard Foster, Renovare sponsors both national and regional
conferences, as well as produces resource materials on spiritual formation.
Their web site includes extensive lists of both academic and nonacademic
training programs in both spiritual formation and spiritual direction.
St. Mary’s Sewanee
P.O. Box 188
Sewanee, Tennessee 37375
931.598.5342
[email protected]
www.stmaryssewanee.org
Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation
5430 Grosvenor Lane
Bethesda, MD 20814
301.897.7334
www.shalem.org
Offers extension programs in the contemplative tradition including
Spiritual Guidance, Group Leaders, Personal Spiritual Deepening,
Facilitating Group Spiritual Direction, Soul of the Executive, and Clergy
Spiritual Life and Leadership Programs, as well as workshops and
retreats on spirituality.
Spiritual Directors International
P.O. Box 3584
Bellevue, WA 98009-3584
425.455.1565
[email protected]
www.sdiworld.org
SDI serves as a resource for people of many faiths, including non-Christian,
who are seeking to develop their spirituality. They sponsor an annual
conference and can point individuals toward spiritual directors. They also
maintain an extensive list of centers offering training in spiritual direction.
Stillpoint
c/o Dr. Kathleen Flood, OP
P.O. Box 150803
Nashville, TN 37215
615.329.2555
Offers programs in spirituality and contemplative prayer intended
to train and provide resources for emerging spiritual directors.
Sursum Corda
P.O. Box 205
Central, SC 29630-0205
864.624.0602
[email protected]
sursumcordasc.org
While initially organized through the Episcopal Church, this program
has welcomed Christians of all denominations in their two-year
training program in spiritual direction.
Degree Programs
For those seeking an academic degree in
spiritual formation/direction.
Catholic University of America
School of Theology and Religious Studies
Caldwell Hall
The Catholic University of America
Washington, DC 20064
202.319.5683
[email protected]
religiousstudies.cua.edu/graduate/STRS_spirituality.cfm
Offers an MA and PhD in Spirituality.
Creighton University
2500 California Plaza
Omaha, NE 68178
402.280.2424 or 800.637.4279
[email protected]
www.creighton.edu/christianspirituality/
Offers the Master of Arts with a major in Christian Spirituality and the
Graduate Certificate in Spiritual Direction and Directing Retreats in
summer-only programs of graduate-level courses.
Fordham University
441 East Fordham Road
Keating 216
Bronx, NY 10458-9993
718.817.4400
[email protected]
www.fordham.edu/Academics/Colleges_Graduate_S/Graduate_
Profession/Graduate_School_of_R/FIELDS_OF_STUDY/
Offers both masters of religion and religious education with a
concentration in either spirituality or spiritual direction as well as a
graduate certificate in spiritual direction for social workers, psychologists,
counselors, and other professionals.
San Francisco Theological Seminary
105 Seminary Road
San Anselmo, CA 94960
415.451.2800 or 800.447.8820
http://www.sfts.edu/degrees/index.cfm/fuseaction/dasf/fuse/
programoverview/
Offers a Diploma in Spiritual Formation or Diploma
in The Art of Spiritual Direction.
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Spiritual Direction
Spiritual direction is, in reality, nothing more than a way
of leading us to see and obey the real Director—
the Holy Spirit hidden in the depths of our soul.
— Thomas Merton
What is spiritual direction?
Spiritual direction may sound a little foreign to Baptists, who have
always clung fiercely to the priesthood of all believers, but it is actually an
extension of this long-honored tenet of Baptist faith. “The priesthood of all
believers” means not only that each of us is free to seek God directly, but
also that we are priests one to another. Most of us have a spiritual mentor,
someone who is “priest” to us, someone who helps us see the way of
Christ more clearly. Perhaps this person is a minister, a parent, or a friend.
Spiritual direction is somewhat similar to the relationship we may have
with a spiritual mentor, but it is more formal, more structured.
The following definition of spiritual direction from
the Shalem Institute clarifies the matter even further: “Spiritual direction,
sometimes referred to as spiritual guidance or spiritual friendship, is an
on-going relationship in which one person (the directee), desirous of being
attentive to his or her spiritual life, meets with another person (the director)
on a regular basis (approximately once a month), specifically for the
purpose of becoming more attuned to God’s Presence in order to respond
more fully to that Presence in all of life.”
During a meeting with a spiritual director (which usually lasts about one
hour), the directee may share aspects of his or her spiritual journey with
the director, discuss stumbling blocks to prayer, or engage in a time of
quiet meditation with the director. What happens during the meeting will
vary depending on the needs of the person seeking spiritual direction as
well as the background of the spiritual director.
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The purpose of spiritual direction does not involve counseling, therapy,
or financial advice; and a good spiritual director will refer the directee to
qualified professionals when these services are needed.
How do I find a spiritual director?
The first and most important step in finding a spiritual director is
to pray about your search, asking God to guide you in the process. Here are
some possible avenues to explore as you continue to seek God’s guidance:
1. Some churches have staff members who have been trained in
spiritual direction or who can provide references for those in your
community who have been trained.
2. Calling theological schools or institutes and asking if they have a list
of people who offer spiritual guidance may prove helpful.
3. Spiritual Directors International provides regional coordinators
who maintain lists of spiritual directors in various parts of the
United States and around the world. (Please note: Spiritual
Directors International is an interfaith organization, so you will
need to specify that you are looking for a Christian spiritual
director.) The best way to contact Spiritual Directors International
is through the web site: www.sdiworld.org. You may also call
425.455.1565.
4. For questions about locating a spiritual director, contact Rick
Bennett, associate coordinator for Congregational Life, Cooperative
Baptist Fellowship, 770.220.1600 or [email protected].
Working with a spiritual director is a wonderful opportunity for spiritual
growth, but remembering that no one person holds all the answers and
that we are responsible for our own life with Christ is key. As the Shalem
Institute maintains, “The director is only a facilitator in the process. The
directee must claim the journey.”
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Chapter 2
Congregational Spiritual Formation Resources
When my church, The Baptist Church of Beaufort in South Carolina,
began its spiritual formational journey, it was a congregation rooted in
educational history. From the plaque in our nineteenth-century sanctuary
highlighting the beginning of our Sunday school in the 1870s to our 1950s
education building, we had been a well-organized school for biblical
learning and evangelism. When the church called me as their first minister
of Christian formation and missions, most people in our two-hundred-yearold congregation did not have the slightest idea what my job title meant.
Our formation journey began by building on this strong educational
history. We invited longstanding leaders and participants in our education
programs to a new spiritual experience called Companions in Christ. It
took time for people nurtured on informational programs to begin to grasp
the concept of spiritual formation. We began to speak about the Christian
life as a journey of transformation, incorporating spiritual practices into our
traditional classes.
As we enter our third generation of Companions in Christ groups, I
am amazed at how God has moved within our congregation. Individuals
have been spiritually stretched in new and exciting ways. Intergenerational
Christian communities have developed. Sunday Bible Study groups have
grown deeper. Committees have begun to see God’s presence in their work.
Families have begun to embrace their home as the place for their children
to be spiritually formed rather than simply releasing this responsibility to the
church. The understanding of God’s kingdom has broadened.
When we began this journey, the first two questions we asked were, “How
do we begin to introduce spiritual formation in our church?” and “What
resources are out there for us to use?” This section lists some answers to
these questions. Resources are divided into three categories: Implementation
Resources; Curriculum Resources; and Children and Family Spirituality
Resources. May God bless your congregation on its formation journey.
Implementation Resources
Dean, Kenda Creasy and Ron Foster. The Godbearing
Life, The Art of Soul-Tending for Youth Ministry.
Nashville: Upper Room Books, 1998.
Though this book’s focus is on youth ministry, anyone can apply the
principles of formation described in the book. Their desire is to help
readers understand that Jesus calls all of us into ministry to transform lives,
not simply into program and event building. “When our own life with God
catches fire, the souls of youth and our congregations ignite as well.” It
is a great introduction into moving a congregation from program-focus
to formational ministry that is transformational. It also has a companion
curriculum piece: Soul Tending: Life-Forming Practices for Older Youth
and Young Adults.
Jones, Tony. The Sacred Way: Spiritual Practices for
Everyday Life. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005.
In The Sacred Way, Tony Jones explores spiritual practices, such as the Jesus
Prayer, Spiritual Direction and Pilgrimage that Christians have used to grow
closer to God. If you are desperate for a fuller communion with God and
interested in the spiritual pathways of the saints, you will find The Sacred
Way to be a trustworthy guide.
Lawrenz, Mel. The Dynamics of Spiritual Formation.
Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2000.
The book begins: “Spiritual formation is the progressive patterning
of a person’s inner and outer life according to the image of Christ
through intentional means of spiritual growth.” Written for pastors and
church leaders, this text brings together principles of personal spiritual
disciplines alongside the life of the body of Christ. A good introduction
for ministers and leaders wanting to move from a traditional means of
measuring spiritual growth, this book takes an in-depth look at the tools
of soul-shaping, with the goal that every church member may grow into
the fullness of Christ.
Thompson, Marjorie J. Soul Feast: An Invitation to
the Christian Spiritual Life. Louisville: Westminster
John Knox Press, 1995.
Thompson says, “My primary intention is to speak to the spiritual
needs and concerns of the ordinary person in the pew. Yet I know from
experience that many pastors, church educators, and seminarians are
as hungry for guidance in the spiritual life as laypersons.” This is a
wonderful introduction piece to formation understanding and learning.
Each chapter has an informational introduction with historical, biblical,
and theological reference points as well as reflections and exercises that
allow this resource to become practical in its training.
Vennard, Jane E. A Praying Congregation: The Art
of Teaching Spiritual Practice. Herndon, VA: The
Alban Institute, 2005.
Pastors and others who want to develop their skills as teachers of
prayer and spiritual practices will find in this book not only wisdom for
themselves, but also easily accessible lesson plans so that they can share
Vennard’s insights with others while infusing the activities with their own
spirit and creative ideas.
Johnson, Susanne. Christian Spiritual Formation in
the Church and Classroom. Nashville: Abingdon Press,
1989.
In this volume, Susanne Johnson counters what she sees as “wrong thinking”
in much contemporary Christian education by offering forceful ideas about
spiritual formation and faith development. Johnson brings innovative ideas
into the practical arena where they can be applied in local churches.
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Curriculum Resources
Dawson, Gerrit Scott, et al. Companions in Christ:
A Small Group Experience in Spiritual Formation.
The Participant’s Book includes twenty-eight weeks of readings and
exercises divided into five major parts. Weekly themes are introduced
by recognized authors, including well-known writers for Upper Room
Ministries. In these introductory chapters, Gerrit Scott Dawson, Adele
Gonzalez, E. Glenn Hinson, Rueben Job, Marjorie Thompson, and
Wendy Wright combine personal, firsthand accounts with wisdom from
the Christian tradition to provide focus and background for the weekly
exercises. Following each reading are five daily exercises to help you
ponder the theme more deeply and prepare for the group meeting.
These exercises may involve some combination of Scripture reading,
spiritual practice, reflection questions, and journaling and will take
about thirty minutes each day.
Dean, Kenda Creasy and Ron Foster. Soul Tending: LifeForming Practices for Older Youth and Young Adults.
Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2002.
This book offers a practical way for senior high youth and young adults
to study spiritual disciplines while strengthening relationships among
participants. It expands on the ideas Kenda Creasy Dean and Ron Foster put
forth in The Godbearing Life: The Art of Soul Tending for Youth Ministry.
This study includes lessons on inward, outward, and corporate disciplines.
The goal is that Christ would be formed in each participant. Youth and adults
journey together as they examine classical and contemporary disciplines,
supporting one another, and intentionally seeking encounters with God.
Hudson, Trevor and Stephen D. Bryant. Companions
in Christ: The Way of Transforming Discipleship.
In this resource in the Companions in Christ series, Trevor Hudson, one of
the leaders in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, guides participants
in an exploration of authentic Christian spirituality. This resource consists of
a Participant’s Book and Leader’ Guide and contains a preparatory meeting,
five sessions, and a closing retreat. It is appropriate for any group that has
completed the Companions twenty-eight week resource. It may also be used
as a first Companions experience.
Johnson, Jan. Listening to God, Using Scripture as a
Path to God’s Presence. Colorado Springs: NavPress,
1998.
An introduction to lectio divina or sacred reading. It is divided into six
sections with five mediations each. Johnson also has added tools for a group
leader so this material may be used within a group setting as well.
Johnson, Jan. Savoring God’s Word, Cultivating the
Soul-Transforming Practice of Scripture Mediation.
Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2004.
Each chapter is filled with wonderful introductory material to meditation
along with instructions and exercises along the way. Johnson also has
added tools for a group leader so this material may be used within a group
setting as well. She has developed additional resources for group meditation
included in appendix A.
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Johnson, Jan. Spiritual Disciplines Bible Studies Series.
Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2003.
This Bible study series is designed to help participants live in God’s
presence by incorporating these spiritual practices into our lives. This series
includes eight Bible study books with six sessions each, all of which include
transformation exercises. Topics include: Community and Submission,
Prayer and Listening, Reflections and Confession, Service and Secrecy,
Simplicity and Fasting, Solitude and Silence, Study and Meditation, and
Worship and Celebration.
Jones, Tony. Soul Shaper: Exploring Spirituality and
Contemplative Practices in Youth Ministry. Grand
Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003.
Jones has gathered examples of how classic spiritual exercises are being
implemented in both the United States and Great Britain. Jones visited
innovative British youth workers, the Youth Ministry and Spirituality Project
at San Francisco Theological Seminary, the Princeton Youth Ministry
Forum, and Sabbath: A Spiritual Retreat for Youth Workers. The result of
his investigation is this practical and anecdotal paradigm for youth workers
interested in contemplative and activist approaches to spirituality
The Journey to Adulthood
An online resource available at www.leaderresources.org/j2a_youth, The
Journey to Adulthood is a complete youth ministry program of spiritual
formation for sixth through twelfth grades. It uses Bible study, prayer, rites
of passage, outreach ministries, and both serious and playful activities to
underscore its core messages: (1) manhood and womanhood are free gifts
from God and (2) adulthood must be earned.
Ortberg, John. The Life You’ve Always Wanted:
Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People. Grand
Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2004.
John Ortberg offers an engaging, easy to understand introduction to spiritual
formation and disciplines. Through authentic writing and illustrations,
he makes the classic disciplines come alive for postmodern readers. The
newest editions of the book have a good study guide in the back to be used
as a book study or introduction to spiritual formation.
Ortberg, John, Laurie Pederson, and Judson Poling.
Pursuing Spiritual Transformation. Grand Rapids, MI:
Zondervan, 2000.
The purpose of this small-group curriculum is to “help you pursue authentic
spiritual transformation.” The series does this by offering a balance between
information, Bible study, and spiritual formation. Each week’s study includes:
a message/topical information, a spiritual exercise, and an interactive
Bible study. A leader’s guide is located in the back of each book. This is an
excellent, nonthreatening resource to offer groups to begin to experience
spiritual exercises alongside Bible study. Studies in the series include: Fully
Devoted, Grace, Growth, Groups, Gifts, and Giving.
Sire, James W. Learning to Pray through the Psalms: A
Guide for Individuals and Groups. Downers Grove, IL:
InterVarsity Press, 2006.
Choosing ten specific psalms, Sire offers background information that helps
the reader read each one with deeper insight and then lays out a meditative,
step-by-step approach to using the psalmist’s words as a guide for
conversation with God. The group study that is included with each chapter
and the guide for praying through the psalm in community make this a great
curriculum piece.
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Smith, James Bryan with Lynda L. Graybeal. A Spiritual
Formation Workbook, Small-Group Resources for
the Nurturing Christian Church. San Francisco:
HarperSanFranciso, 1999.
A beginning workbook for spiritual formation groups that provides
guidelines for starting a group, study plans for the first nine sessions, and a
questionnaire that maps the way ahead.
Thompson, Marjorie J. Companions in Christ: The Way
of Forgiveness. Nashville: Upper Room Books, 2002.
The Way of Forgiveness: Participant’s Book focuses on one of the most
difficult of the Christian commands: forgiveness. This study includes eight
weeks of readings and exercises about shame, guilt, anger, forgiveness, and
reconciliation.
Thompson, Marjorie J. Companions in Christ: The Way
of Grace. Nashville: Upper Room Books, 2004.
The Way of Grace Participant’s Book explores the Gospel of John and,
specifically, how divine grace is at work in our lives today, just as it was in
the lives of biblical characters two thousand years ago.
Thompson, Marjorie J. Exploring The Way: An
Introduction to the Spiritual Journey. Companions in
Christ Series. Nashville: Upper Room Books, 2005.
A condensed (four-week), flexible orientation to the Companions in Christ
initiative, Exploring the Way defines and examines the basic concepts of the
Christian life and spiritual formation.
Thompson, Marjorie J. and Stephen D. Bryant.
Companions in Christ: The Way of Blessedness.
The Way of Blessedness invites readers to cultivate the dispositions of the
soul, as outlined in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.
Children and Family Spirituality Resources
Children and Prayer
Caldwell, Elizabeth F. Leaving Home with Faith:
Nurturing the Spiritual Life of Our Youth. Cleveland:
The Pilgrim Press, 2002. This book attempts to help equip parents in their role as primary faith
educators of their teenage children. Each chapter deals with adolescence
from a particular perspective, such as developmental, theological, and
educational. The final chapter on “A Backpack of Belonging” offers
suggestions for things youth and parents need to keep accessible during
the changes they face as a family. This book would be ideal for a four-tosix week class for parents of older children and youth. The book includes
discussion questions and brief Psalm reflections.
Cloyd, Betty Shannon. Children and Prayer: A Shared
Pilgrimage. Nashville: Upper Room Books, 1997. Written for parents, Sunday School teachers, weekday care teachers, and
pastors, Cloyd brings the reader into the beautiful and mysterious world
of the relationship between God and the child and how the adult can
learn from the child at the same time he/she gently guides. Cloyd offers a
sampling of prayer experiences for children as well as how ancient prayer
practices are a good fit for children.
Caldwell, Elizabeth F. Making a Home for Faith:
Nurturing the Spiritual Life of Your Children. Cleveland: The Pilgrim Press, 2000.
Designed to be read independently or in a small groups, Caldwell offers
guidance and encouragement to help parents address the hard questions
of faith. Caldwell believes that modeling faith encourages children’s faith
formation. Caldwell places emphasis on the art of storytelling. There is
a guide for writing one’s own statement of faith and how the parent can
communicate faith to the child.
Halverson, Delia. Teaching Prayer in the
Classroom. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1989. This book is a very practical guide for Sunday School and weekday care
teachers to expand children’s thoughts and experiences with prayer.
Halverson offers instructions for using different types of prayer in the
classroom, such as memorized prayers, spontaneous prayers, prayer
as art and music, group prayers, and personal prayers. There is also a
bibliography of helpful resources for further study.
Roth, Nancy L. Praying: A Book for Children. New
York: Church Publishing, Inc., 1991. Written for children, this book explores with children prayer in daily life,
beginning with wordless prayers called “noticing prayers” then moving
to “thinking prayers” where dance, music, and art are used. Roth shows
how prayer can be a part of both work and play. Roth concludes with a
chapter on prayers with words. Yust, Karen Marie. Real Kids, Real Faith: Practices
for Nurturing Children’s Spiritual Lives. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2004. Yust challenges the idea that children cannot grasp religious concepts and
invites parents to join their children as they become spiritually
aware. Chapters include “Creating a Spiritual World for Children to
Inhabit,” “Telling Stories that Draw Children into a Life of Faith,”
“Helping Children Name God’s Presence in Their Lives,” and “Finding a
Faith Community to Call Your Own.” There are questions for personal and
small group reflection.
Family Spirituality
Boyer, Jr., Ernest. A Way in the World: Family Life
as Spiritual Discipline. Cambridge: Harper & Row
Publishers, 1984. Boyer articulates the conflict many parents feel in his discussion of how
to balance the two ways of life – solitude and community, or what he calls
life on the edge and life at the center. He draws from what he has learned
about the spirituality of the desert fathers and mothers and what he has
learned and experienced about the rhythms of family life to craft a wonderful
resource for parents. Key chapters deal with how to practice the presence
of God in the midst of the family, the sacrament of the care for others,
the sacrament of the routine, and his section on “Childcare in the Desert
– Drawing the Two Ways of Life Together.”
McGregor, Wynn. The Way of the Child: Helping
Children Experience God. Nashville: Upper Room
Books, 2006.
Part of the Companions in Christ series produced by The Upper Room,
The Way of the Child encourages children ages 6-11 to develop life-long
spiritual practices that deepen their relationships with God.
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Nelson, Gertrud Mueller. To Dance with God: Family
Ritual and Community Celebration. New York: Paulist
Press, 1986.
The first part of this book covers the history, psychology and spirituality of
ritual while the second part gives practical suggestions on how to follow the
Christian year as a family. Many of her examples come from the practices
of her own family. This beautiful, poetic, fresh approach to Christian ritual
makes relevant for the reader the value of ritual for helping us flow with the
pace of grace in our lives.
Payden, Deborah Alberswerth and Laura Loving.
Celebrating at Home: Prayers and Liturgies for
Families. Cleveland, United Church Press, 1998.
Payden and Loving provide prayers, blessings, scripture readings, liturgies,
and ideas to be used in one’s home to celebrate being the people of God.
Resources are given for several occasions: Sabbath, daily life, seasons of the
Church year, seasonal celebrations, and life transitions.
Robinson, David. The Family Cloister: Benedictine
Wisdom for the Home. New York: Crossroad, 2000.
This book is an adaptation of the Rule of St. Benedict for the contemporary
family. Robinson relates key principles from the Rule that help families grow
in peace, love, and stability. The book covers such issues as spirituality,
discipline, health, life together, hospitality, and growth.
Thompson, Marjorie J. Family: The Forming
Center. Nashville: Upper Room Books, 1996. Thompson believes that more than any other place, the family is the
foundational place of spiritual formation, especially for children. Thompson
helps the reader to see all the opportunities families have, both naturally
and intentionally, to conform themselves to the image of Christ. Intentional
practices include family spiritual disciplines and spiritual discernment,
rituals and celebrations, and acts of service.
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Wright, Wendy M. Sacred Dwelling: A Spirituality
of Family Life. Leavenworth, KS: Forest of Peace
Publishing, Inc., 1994. Wright attempts to help the reader integrate the family and the Christian
spiritual heritage. Instead of using the more familiar metaphor of
pilgrimage, she offers the metaphor of “dwelling,” suggesting that we need
new ways to cultivate a settled space. Wright takes us on a contemplative
walk through the home, allowing various rooms, pieces of furniture and
objects to evoke a sense of the lived experience of inhabiting and being in
family. The result is a classic on family spirituality that takes seriously the call
of the “domestic church” to enflesh the Word of God in a distinctive way that
enriches the entire church and the world.
Wright, Wendy M. Seasons of a Family’s Life:
Cultivating the Contemplative Spirit at Home. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2003.
This book helps parents address the question of how to live contemplatively
in the midst of a busy family life filled with demands and obligations. Wright
explores family life as a context for nurturing contemplative practices in
the home and provides parents a model for integrating spiritual awareness
and family living. She provides chapters on discernment, the family altar,
the family narrative, spiritual life in the ordinary places, the sacred sense of
place, family ritual, the countercultural arts of family life, and reconciliation.
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Chapter 3
Bibliography of Christian Devotional Classics
The purpose of this bibliography is to offer both individuals and spiritual
formation groups an introduction to a sample of Christian devotional
classics. As stated earlier in the introduction to this guide, Christian spiritual
formation has deep historical roots. The following selections are listed in
chronological order beginning with the fourth century and progressing to
the twenty-first century. Although the following books include a vast range
of Christian faith traditions (Baptist, Quaker, Methodist, Catholic, etc.), this
bibliography is in no way exhaustive. Readers are encouraged to use these
writings as a starting point. Our prayer is that through these great Christian
classics readers may be shaped in the image of Christ by the gracious
working of God’s Spirit for the transformation of the world.
The Wisdom of the Desert. Translated by Thomas
Merton. New York: New Directions, 1970.
This translation of the Desert Fathers comes from a classical collection
called the Verba Seniorum. Most of the stories and sayings are about
hermits from Scete in Northern Egypt. Not only does Merton provide an
excellent and easy to understand translation of these insightful maxims, but
he also has written an inviting introduction to the lives of these mystical men.
This collection of sayings covers such topics as solitude, contemplation,
poverty, fasting, prayer, and the primacy of love. Merton clearly identifies that
these sayings and stories are about men who are “on the way to purity of
heart” rather than about men who have fully arrived.
Ancient Classics
Saint Augustine. Confessions. Trans. Garry Wills. New
York: Penguin Classics, 2005.
More than any other person, Augustine has shaped not only Western
Christianity but also Christian spirituality. In his Confessions, Augustine
traces the operation of grace throughout his own life and offers a
penetrating look into his character and deeds. Clearly, readers will
discover how grace is at the center of Augustine’s theology. As Augustine so
aptly says, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in God.” Confessions is
the best introduction to Augustine’s early life and inner life.
Athanasius. Athanasius: The Life of Antony and The
Letter to Marcellinus. Translated by Robert C. Gregg.
Classics of Western Spirituality Series. New York:
The Life of Antony as told by Athanasius is one of the foremost classics
of Christian asceticism. It tells the spiritual story of St. Antony of Egypt,
the founder of Christian monasticism. It contains both narrative material
and discourses. While the discourses are fascinating, the narratives are
enlightening. For instance, Antony discovered that when he separated
himself from the world, he became more indispensable to the world. He
taught, healed, exorcised demons, and engaged in debates with philosophers
because of his reputation as a holy man. The main lesson Antony’s life
teaches readers is that the pursuit of God truly transforms one and causes
one to become a conduit for God’s healing and redemption of the world.
Gregory of Nyssa. The Life of Moses. Translated by
Abraham J. Malherbe and Everett Ferguson. Classics
of Western Spirituality Series. New York: Paulist Press,
1978.
Gregory of Nyssa, a spiritual master of the fourth century, was born during the
period when the general persecution of Christians was ending. He is regarded
as the most brilliant and mystical thinker of the Greek Cappadocian Fathers.
His work, The Life of Moses, has special significance because it reflects
Gregory’s “spiritual sense” of the Scriptures. He maintained that the ultimate
purpose of the Bible was its capacity for elevating the soul to God. Gregory
saw the spiritual life as an ascent that occurs in three stages. According to
Gregory, spirituality can be symbolized by the Lord’s revelation of himself to
Moses, first in the light, then in the cloud, and finally in the dark. However,
readers should realize that Gregory is not writing so much about Moses but
rather about prayer and how God makes himself known to people.
The Sayings of the Desert Fathers: The Alphabetical
Collection. Translated by Benedicta Ward, SLG.
Kalamazo, MI: Cistercian Publications, 1972.
This collection presents the sayings and wisdom teachings of the Desert
Fathers. It reveals how the “holy men” of the fourth through sixth
centuries exemplified courage, devotion, earnestness, compassion, and
determination. Their vision of and silent communion with God inspires
the beginnings of Christian asceticism. Their stories and teachings clearly
show that the aim of the Desert Fathers is not asceticism but rather the
pursuit of God, and the way to God is through charity.
Medieval Classics
The Rule of St. Benedict. Translated by Anthony C.
Meisel and M. L. del Mastro. New York: Doubleday
Image Books, 1975.
Perhaps more influential than any other document in Western spirituality
is this sixth-century “Rule” written by Benedict of Nursia. Benedict’s plain
words of wisdom serve as a guide for work, prayer, study, and community
life in the monastery. Benedict’s purpose in establishing monasteries
was to provide schools for spirituality where an individual living in the
context of a group might draw closer to God. The first word of the rule is
to “listen,” and it serves as a key word for anyone who is searching for
guidance and direction in his or her life. Throughout the book, Benedict
explores such issues as charity, personality, integrity, humility, hospitality,
and equality. In addition, there is a helpful introduction that provides
biographical information about St. Benedict and about the formation of
“The Rule.”
Bernard of Clairvaux. Selected Works. Translated by
G. R. Evans. The Classics of Western Spirituality. New
York: Paulist Press, 1987.
Selected Works includes the writings of St. Bernard that focus on a
deeper, more intimate relationship with God. Such treatises as “On Loving
God” and “On the Steps of Humility and Pride” are included. Both of
these essays give a definitive and enlightening reflection about humanity
loving God without any limits based on the fact that God first loved his
creation. Also, the introduction provides a helpful biography on St.
Bernard as well as an overview of his writings.
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The Little Flowers of St. Francis. Translated by
Raphael Brown. New York: Doubleday Image Books,
1971.
The Little Flowers is a charming collection of tales about the life of
Francis of Assisi; however, in many ways it could be called the “Acts of
Francis and His Followers,” as it chronicles their journeys and miracles
in addition to recording their wisdom. The stories are presented as oral
traditions which tend to be legendary (for example, he communicates with
animals, talks to saints in heaven). This particular translation by Raphael
Brown is excellent because it includes “The Considerations of the Holy
Stigmata,” “The Life of Brother Juniper,” “The Life of Brother Leo,” and
“The Sayings of Brother Giles.”
Meister Eckhart. Selected Writings. Translated by
Oliver Davies. London: Penguin Books, 1995.
Selected Writings provides an illuminating introduction to one of the
greatest German Dominican scholars and preachers of the thirteenth
century. Eckhart, who was both grounded in Scholasticism and also loyally
embedded in the church, emphasized the connectedness between reason
and revelation in Scripture. In this collection of writings, readers are
introduced to Eckhart’s love of speculation, paradox, and the apophatic
way. Eckhart was a proponent of the apophatic way which embraced the
paradox that God who is intimately near is also ineffably unknowable.
The Cloud of Unknowing. New York: HarperCollins
Spiritual Classics, 2004.
Originally written as a series of letters to a monk, this book serves as a
practical guide to contemplative prayer. The anonymous author explains
how the mind is too small to grasp God and how the mind cannot
penetrate the “cloud of unknowing” that surrounds God. However, the
writer insists that God is approachable. God can be known only by love
not by thought: “Because he [God] may well be loved, but not thought.
By love he can be caught and held, but by thinking never.” Readers are
encouraged to strike the thick, dark cloud of unknowing with the sharp
dart of longing love. This longing love calls readers to give up everything
else for the sake of God, “a naked intention directed to God, and [God]
alone, is wholly sufficient.”
Julian of Norwich. Showings. Translated by Edmund
Colledge, O.S.A. and James Walsh, S.J. Classics of
Western Spirituality Series. New York: Paulist Press,
1977.
Julian, a late fourteenth-century English mystic, lived in solitude next to a
church in Norwich, England. There she provided guidance and counsel
to those who came seeking a closer relationship with God. Her book,
Showings consists of sixteen revelations from God that came in a series
of visions. The first version was a short text; however, the second, longer
version was written some years afterwards, when she had had time to pray
and reflect about the teachings God had given her. One of her most famous
visions was her reflection on the smallness of a hazelnut. According to
Julian, God made it, God sustained it, and God loved it. Therefore, if God
did all this for a hazelnut, how much more valuable are God’s children.
For Julian, the hazelnut revealed God’s unfathomable love. Because of
God’s daunting love, Julian could declare “all shall be well” even in the
midst of pain and suffering. Moreover, Julian offers a description of God
as “our mother.” Her revelations concerning the feminine side of God
contribute significantly to the mystical tradition.
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Catherine of Siena. The Dialogue. Translated by
Suzanne Noffke, O.P. Classics of Western Spirituality
Series. New York: Paulist Press, 1980.
Catherine, who was a fourteenth-century Italian mystic, was committed
to a life of deep piety and prayer. In The Dialogue Catherine presents a
series of questions or petitions to God each of which receives a response
and further explanation. Catherine also provides a magnificent analogy of
Christ as the bridge that connects heaven to earth. Also included in The
Dialogue are specific discussions of discernment, tears (true and false
spiritual emotion), truth, divine providence, obedience, and much more.
Catherine writes about issues related to every aspect of life, including
relationships with one another and how to please God. Central to her
message is the great love that God has for humanity—that is, God loved
creation before creation knew and loved God. Her advice is helpful to
people from all walks of life, the layperson as well as clergy.
Thomas a’ Kempis. Of the Imitation of Christ.
Springdale, PA: Whitaker House, 2005.
Divided into four major sections, this book focuses on practical theology
and biblical interpretation. In the first section, the author encourages his
readers to develop their interior lives by renouncing the sensory things of this
world. He emphasizes the important role of humility in seeking that which
is true and eternal. Acquiring the kingdom is attained only by union with
God through Christ. He also emphasizes love and grace and living a simple
life of adoration and praise. He concludes his dialogues by discussing the
importance of the Lord’s Supper and by focusing on deep devotion to Christ.
Modern Classics
Ignatius of Loyola. Spiritual Exercises and Selected
Works. Edited by George E. Ganss, S.J. Classics of
Western Spirituality Series. New York: Paulist Press,
1991.
This compilation presents Ignatius’s four major writings: Autobiography,
Spiritual Exercises in their entirety, Spiritual Diary, and Constitutions
of the Society of Jesus. In Exercises, readers will find a synthesis
of his chief spiritual principles and in Constitutions an example of
his organizational ability. The Autobiography tells of his mystical
illuminations and gifts, and the Spiritual Diary allows readers to peer
deep into his heart in his most intimate dealings with God. Perhaps best
known for his meditations, Ignatius invites his readers to place themselves
in the presence of God by using a passage of Scripture or a specific
meditative prayer. Ignatius emphasized the direct experience of God; thus,
contemporary readers will find his exercises beneficial and applicable.
Saint Teresa of Avila. The Interior Castle. Translated
and introduction by Mirabai Starr. New York:
Riverhead, 2004.
In The Interior Castle, Saint Teresa inspires her readers to participate in
the search for ultimate spiritual reality. She compares the soul to a castle in
which there are many rooms, just as there are many mansions in heaven. She
describes the various rooms of this castle, which represent the degrees of
purgation. Teresa emphasizes the continual work the human soul in its quest
for perfection must pass through before reaching the innermost chamber,
which is intimate communion with God.
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John of the Cross. Selected Writings. Edited by Kieran
Kavanaugh, O.C.D. Classics of Western Spirituality
Series. New York: Paulist Press, 1987.
This collection consists of the writings of the sixteenth-century Spanish
mystic and doctor of the church, St. John of the Cross. He was a Carmelite
friar and friend of St. Teresa of Avila. As a valued spiritual counselor,
many of his works served as instruction to those who sought his guidance.
Selected Writings contain four major works and many minor works. The
major works include “The Ascent of Mount Carmel,” “The Dark Night,”
“The Spiritual Canticle,” and “The Living Flame of Love.” Each of the
major works consists of a poem, written by Saint John, and an extensive,
word-by-word explanation. In the explanation Saint John reveals his
own theology, supported by Scripture. Most importantly, this book offers
readers insight into God’s call for all Christians to draw themselves closer
to God.
Brother Lawrence. The Practice of the Presence of
God. Revised and rewritten. By Harold J. Chadwick.
Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Classic Books, 2004.
Nicholas Herman, better known as Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection,
lived in the seventeenth century and was a Carmelite monk. His book, The
Practice of the Presence of God, is both a story and a book of instruction
for seekers. It includes four conversations and sixteen letters from
Brother Lawrence to various individuals and a compilation of his Spiritual
Maxims that summarize his spiritual teachings. Brother Lawrence’s aim
and challenge to readers is to turn one’s life into a perpetual prayer with
God. According to Brother Lawrence, prayer is more than just speaking
words; it is a humble attitude of a heart where one abandons oneself to
God’s grace. No matter what the task, even washing dishes like Brother
Lawrence, one can offer it up to God in an act of service and worship.
Hence, everything one does becomes a holy offering unto God by
recognizing God’s presence in it.
Pascal, Blaise. Pensees, Rev. ed. Translated by A. J.
Krailsheimer. London: Penguin Books, 2003.
Pensees, which translated means “thoughts,” is a series of reflections about
the human situation, Jesus Christ, God, revelation, infinity, and finitude.
However, it is the pithy sayings like “The heart has its reason of which
reason knows nothing,” that are the real treasures. Although Pascal’s early
death at age thirty-nine kept him from finishing Pensees, what he did write
is an outline of his defense for Christianity. One of his best arguments for
Christianity is known as “Pascal’s Wager.” According to Pascal, it is better
to risk believing in God and living with him for all eternity and being wrong
than to risk not believing in God and living apart from him in all eternity.
Like few other writers, Pascal fuses head and heart. The depths of this book
will flood one’s heart and head with passion and reason to love and know
God.
Bunyan, John. The Pilgrim’s Progress. Springdale, PA:
Whitaker House, 1981.
The Pilgrim’s Progress is one of the most captivating allegories of
humanity’s religious journey in search of salvation. The author, John
Bunyan, was a devout Puritan and wrote The Pilgrim’s Progress while
he was in prison for his religious beliefs. Throughout the story, Bunyan
follows the main character, Pilgrim, later known as Christian, as he
travels an obstacle-filled road to the Celestial City. Along the way, Pilgrim
is confronted by spiritual adversaries such as Worldly Wiseman, Giant
Despair, and the demons in the Valley of the Shadow of Death. Such
characters as Piety and Simple aid him on his journey. As with everything
in this story, there is no hiding the truth about who the characters are
and what they want with the protagonist; all of the names are quite literal
in their descriptions of the characters. The Pilgrim’s Progress was an
enormously influential seventeenth-century classic and is universally
known for its simplicity, quaint language, and optimistic message.
De Caussade, Jean-Pierre. The Sacrament of the
Present Moment. Translated by Kitty Muggeridge. San
Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, Publishers, 1989.
Jean-Pierre de Caussade was a French priest who served as the spiritual
director for the Nuns of the Visitation. His book The Sacrament of the
Present Moment is a compilation of letters and lecture notes for the nuns.
The book is about a sense of reflection, holy listening, and awareness of
God’s will and guidance. As one becomes aware of God’s will, one begins
to surrender oneself to it. Hence, the earlier title, Self-Abandonment to
Divine Providence, was appropriate. Caussade’s main message is that
one abandons oneself by living in faith, abiding in love, and becoming like
Christ. The other aspect of Caussade’s message is that God’s providence
can be seen in one’s duties, trials, or joys. Caussade explains how some
people are called to a life of pure faith where they will only know the
darkness of God. Others are called to a life of pure love where they will
often experience God’s presence. According to Caussade, both paths are
equal before God. Whether one is called to a life of activity or a life of
stillness, all are called to pursue the Lord by yielding to the Spirit in the
present moment.
Wesley, John. A Plain Account of Christian Perfection.
Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press, 1966.
John Wesley, an eighteenth-century preacher and writer, firmly believed
that God continued to work in the life of the believer after he or she was
saved. In A Plain Account of Christian Perfection, Wesley develops his
understanding of the doctrine of Christian perfection. This short work
contains an explanation of the basis of the doctrine and the practical way
that “perfect love” works in the life of the believer. While this work is
intended to instruct those who are seeking “perfect love,” it also attempts
to answer those who would deny the doctrine. Wesley defines perfection
as living what Jesus said was the greatest commandment: “to love the
Lord your God with all your heart, all your mind, all your strength, and
to love your neighbor as you love yourself.” For Wesley, the main point
of Christian perfection is “perfect love.” “Perfect love” thus defines one’s
relationship to God and others.
Kierkegaard, Soren. Purity of Heart. Translated by
Douglas V. Steere. New York: HarperTrade, 1956.
Purity of Heart is all about the purpose and meaning of existence. It is
about reconciliation to the Eternal. Kierkegaard, a Danish philosopher
and theologian, aims at preparing his readers to enter into the “office of
confession” and to probe deeply into their inner motivations for choosing
to become authentic believers. He writes for those who are willing to
confront their double-mindedness and come face-to-face in purity of heart
with their destinies, their vocations, and the God who has called them.
Considered a classic of devotional literature, Purity of Heart is a call for
Christians to live self-consciously and responsibly.
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The Way of the Pilgrim: And The Pilgrim Continues
His Way. Translated by Helen Bacovcin. New York:
Doubleday Image Books, 1985.
This nineteenth-century Russian classic is a tale about a peasant seeking the
truth with simple humility. The anonymous pilgrim is successful because
he discovers the spiritual key of unceasing prayer. He seeks until he finds a
treasure of joy unspeakable and full of glory and a peace which passes all
understanding. His discovery is the “Jesus prayer.” It is a simple prayer
(“Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me a sinner”) with the intent of disciplining
one’s mind toward a constant awareness of God’s presence as manifested
through Christ’s mercy. The prayer reinforces one’s absolute dependence on
God’s grace and sensitizes one’s soul to the Holy Spirit’s leadings. The goal of
the prayer is to pray without ceasing, which is only possible if one internalizes
the prayer. This intense prayer helps keep the thought of God always in one’s
mind and serves as an aid for piety and stillness.
Underhill, Evelyn. The Spiritual Life. Harrisburg, PA:
Morehouse Publishing, 1985.
Evelyn Underhill, an English poet and mystic, was the twentieth century’s
most authoritative feminine voice on mysticism. She defined clearly and
succinctly the importance of mysticism as an underlying foundation of
any religious or spiritual practice. In her book The Spiritual Life, which
was originally a series of radio talk shows, Underhill provides an uplifting
description of the pursuit of the spiritual life. She describes not only
the spiritual state of communing with God, but also the blessed state of
cooperating with God.
Teilhard de Chardin, Pierre. The Divine Milieu, Rev. ed.
New York: HarperTrade Publishers, 2001.
Teilhard de Chardin in The Divine Milieu weaves together his thirst for
knowledge and his burning devotion for God. Throughout the book,
he expresses the tension between activity and passivity, immanence and
transcendence, involvement and detachment, sacred and profane; however,
at each level these paradoxes ultimately blend. Teilhard sees Christ as the
beginning and ending point of creation. Nothing is profane; everything is
sacred because Christ is transparent throughout creation. The universe is
the Lord’s, and “the Christian knows that his or her function is to make the
whole world sacred in Jesus Christ.” For Teilhard de Chardin, the main point
is that each soul exists for God, and each soul is linked in mystical union
to the incarnate Word. The universe exists for the soul. “Everything forms a
single whole” and exists for the glory of God. Thus, in each soul, God loves
and partly saves the whole world.
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of Discipleship. New
York: Touchstone, 1995. Originally published in New
York by Macmillian in 1959.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran pastor, theologian, and martyr, was
one of the greatest spiritual leaders of the twentieth century. In the early
1930s, Bonhoeffer spoke out against Adolph Hitler and the Nazi regime.
Surprisingly enough, The Cost of Discipleship was published while the
Nazis were persecuting him. Eventually, Bonhoeffer was imprisoned in
Buchenwald and hung by the Gestapo in 1945. Written in this context, The
Cost of Discipleship centers on what it really means to be a disciple of
Christ. The theme of the book is summed up by Bonhoeffer’s statement that
Christ calls followers to “come and die.” Christ wants all of the disciple with
nothing being held back. For Bonhoeffer, believers are either disciples of
Christ, or they are not. There is no middle ground. He asserts that if one
believes, one must obey; and if one does not obey, he or she does not truly
believe. Furthermore, Bonhoeffer attacks “cheap grace” and demands a
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steadfast, deep loyalty to Christ. The true disciple is dying to his or her life
as a whole with the old life being replaced with the life of Christ. The Cost of
Discipleship offers a powerful challenge to Christians who believe personal
sacrifice is an essential component of faith, and Bonhoeffer serves as an
exemplar of such sacrificial faith.
Kelly, Thomas. A Testament of Devotion. Introduction
by Richard Foster. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco,
1996. Originally published in New York by Harper &
Brothers in 1941.
Since its first publication in 1941, A Testament of Devotion, by the
renowned Quaker teacher, Thomas Kelly, has been universally embraced as
a truly enduring spiritual classic. Plainspoken and deeply inspirational, A
Testament of Devotion is a collection of five compelling public addresses
to Quaker audiences, which have been turned into spiritual essays. These
devotional essays focus on such topics as the Light within, holy obedience,
the blessed community, the eternal now and social concern, and the
simplification of life. In these reflective essays, Kelly urges readers to center
their lives on God’s presence, to find quiet and stillness within modern life,
and to discover the deeply satisfying and lasting peace of the inner spiritual
journey. As relevant today as it was nearly a century ago, A Testament of
Devotion is the ideal companion to that highest of all human callings, the
lifelong conversation between God and God’s creatures.
Lewis, C. S. Mere Christianity. New York:
HarperTrade, 2003. Originally published in New York
by Macmillan in 1952.
C. S. Lewis, a professor and scholar at Oxford, was an atheist who
later became a Christian. As a Christian apologist and the author of
Mere Christianity, Lewis presents the listener with a case for orthodox
Christianity. He employs sound logical arguments that are eloquently
expressed. He describes basic Christian doctrines such as original sin,
the transcendent Creator God, and the divinity of Jesus as well as Jesus’
atonement and bodily resurrection. This book is a defense of the beliefs
that are common to all Christians at all times. As an important classic
of the twentieth century, Mere Christianity makes clear that religion,
whether accepted or rejected, is extremely serious and demands one’s
total attention and energy.
Day, Dorothy. The Long Loneliness: The Autobiography
of Dorothy Day. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2006.
Originally published in New York by Harper & Row,
1952.
The Long Loneliness by Dorothy Day has been considered an important
social document as well as a meaningful autobiography of one Catholic
woman’s journey. Dorothy Day lived the kind of life depicted in the New
Testament because she lived with Jesus as her guide. She took literally Jesus’
command “that when you do it unto the least of these, you have done it unto
me.” Dorothy discovered that God’s heart cries out for the poor and that
Jesus identified himself with the oppressed and voiceless. Clearly she was
determined to practice a life of love and sacrifice and not simply dwell on
social theories. In her autobiography, Dorothy experiences many difficulties,
yet none of them overwhelm her. She constantly moves toward the poor. This
is her goal to live among the poor, a goal that she not only accomplishes but
also enjoys. Dorothy Day reveals that to love God’s creation, humanity must
work with one another because humanity is God’s creation. When humanity
works with love, God is loved and all of creation feels that love.
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Steere, Douglas. Dimensions of Prayer. Foreword by
E. Glenn Hinson. Nashville, Tennessee: Upper Room
Books, 2002.
Dimensions of Prayer is a practical introduction about developing a life of
prayer. The book covers a series of reflections about the major components
of prayer and includes numerous anecdotes and sound theological advice.
Douglas Steere, a Quaker philosopher, teacher, and spiritual director,
assures his readers that in learning to pray no laboratory is needed. The only
thing that is needed is a place of quiet stillness where one may focus his or
her attention on God. The living God is the field force through which one
enters prayer. Furthermore, Steere admonishes his readers that the only real
failure in praying is to stop praying and not begin again.
Merton, Thomas. Thoughts in Solitude. New York:
Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1999.
Thoughtful and eloquent, Thoughts in Solitude addresses the necessity
of a solitary life as well as the need for quiet reflection. Merton, a Trappist
monk and perhaps the foremost spiritual thinker of the twentieth century,
recognized how important solitude is to one’s morality, integrity, and ability
to love. In this book, Merton writes several brief, luminous, humble essays
gleaned from his insightful prayers and extensive reading. Merton divides
this book into two distinct sections. The first is a discussion of the Christian
life, and the second is the application to the life of solitude. An overarching
theme is one’s connection to God. He relates humility to listening, reading to
prayer, and all things to God. Of the many themes that Merton emphasizes,
gratitude and humility are perhaps the most important. To live in solitude
is to be without attachment to material things, personal relationships, or
even spiritual accomplishment. Therefore, solitude is a life of utter poverty
and humility. Hence, one’s entire life is a gift to God. Through this act one
discovers that one’s life becomes an ongoing prayer of gratitude for whatever
gifts one receives.
Nouwen, Henri. Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in
a Secular World. New York: Crossroad Publishing Co.,
2002.
Life of the Beloved is among one of the final books published by Henri
Nouwen and in many ways serves as a culmination of much of his life and
thought. Nouwen’s purpose for writing the book was to share with some of
his non-Christian friends how much God loves them. The book is divided
into four main sections entitled: Chosen, Blessed, Broken, and Given.
Although the book is clear and concise, the message takes a lifetime to live.
The basic theme is how to live as the beloved children of God in a world
where there are lies about one’s identity at every turn. Nouwen clearly
identifies how each person must claim his or her identity as God’s beloved
child in whom God takes great delight. Truly Nouwen has provided readers
with an affirming and positive message about spirituality.
Foster, Richard. Celebration of Discipline, 3rd ed.
New York: HarperSanFrancisco and HarperCollins
Publishers, 1998.
In Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster presents an authentic
approach to the Christian Life. The path to spiritual growth comes through
the celebration of discipline. Foster discusses such inward disciplines as
meditation, prayer, fasting, and study, and how each of these is essential
to spiritual growth. Foster also discusses how the outward disciplines
of simplicity, solitude, submisison, and service are essential. These
disciplines nurture the Christian and lead to the corporate disciplines
of confession, worship, guidance, and celebration. Not only does Foster
clearly define each discipline, but also he provides practical ways to
implement each one. Foster demonstrates that the classic spiritual
disciplines practiced throughout the history of the church serve as a door
to liberation from defeat, despair, and division. His balanced focus on the
inward, outward, and corporate disciplines encourages personal spiritual
maturity that impacts the larger Christian community in which one lives.
Hinson, Glenn. A Serious Call to a Contemplative
Lifestyle, Rev. ed. Macon, GA: Smyth & Helwys
Publishing, Inc., 1993.
In this second, revised edition of E. Glenn Hinson’s classic study of spiritual
development, readers are invited to journey down the path of mature faith.
Hinson intentionally seeks to overcome the compartmentalization of the
devotional life that plagues contemporary society. In his approach to spiritual
growth, he shows how one can integrate commitment to God with what one
does in everyday living. His overall theme is to focus on the one needful
thing which is to approach all of life from the perspective of communion,
communication, and conversation with God.
For those wishing to explore Christian classical writings even further, the
Upper Room Spiritual Classics Series provides an excellent introduction
and includes several volumes especially relevant to prayer, such as Making
Life Prayer, Selected Writings of John Cassian, and A Life of Total Prayer,
Selected Writings of Catherine of Siena. These books can be ordered
through the Upper Room Web site: www.upperroom.org.
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Chapter 4
Additional Spiritual Formation Resources
Spiritual Formation Books Recommended
by Pastors
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Life Together: The Classic
Exploration of Faith in Community. New York:
HarperSanFrancisco, 1993.
Hinson, E. Glenn. Spiritual Preparation for
Christian Leadership. Nashville: Upper Room
Books, 1999.
Killinger, John. Beginning Prayer. Nashville,
Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 1993.
Mulholland, M. Robert. Invitation to a Journey:
A Road Map for Spiritual Formation. Downers
Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993.
Norris, Kathleen. The Cloister Walk. New York:
Penguin Group, 1997.
Nouwen, Henri J. M. The Way of the Heart: Desert
Spirituality and Contemporary Ministry. San
Palmer, Parker. Let Your Life Speak: Listening for
the Voice of Vocation. San Francisco, CA: JosseyBass, 1999.
Peterson, Eugene H. A Long Obedience in the Same
Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society, 2nd
ed. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000.
Thompson, Marjorie J. Soul Feast: An Invitation
to the Christian Spiritual Life. Louisville, KY:
Willard, Dallas. The Divine Conspiracy:
Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God. San
by Church Staff
Benson, Bob and Michael W. Benson. Disciplines
for the Inner Life. Hendersonville, TN: Deeper Life
Press, 2000.
Bridges, Jerry. The Pursuit of Holiness. Colorado
Springs: NavPress, 2006.
Edge, Findley. The Greening of the Church.
Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1990.
Foster, Richard. Streams of Living Water:
Celebrating the Great Traditions of Christian
Faith. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2001.
Groome, Thomas H. Christian Religious
Education: Sharing Our Story and Vision. San
Francisco: John Wiley, 1999.
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Kidd, Sue Monk. When the Heart Waits: Spiritual
Direction for Life’s Sacred Questions. New York:
Manning, Brennan. The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good
News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt-Out.
Sisters, OR: Multnomah, 2005.
Mulholland, M. Robert. Shaped by the Word: The
Power of Scripture in Spiritual Formation, Rev.
ed. Nashville: Upper Room Books, 2001.
Nouwen, Henri J. M. In the Name of Jesus:
Reflections on Christian Leadership. New York:
Crossroad Publishing Co., 1993.
Ortberg, John. The Life You’ve Always Wanted:
Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People, Rev. ed.
Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2004.
Yancey, Philip. What’s So Amazing About Grace?
Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005.
by Religion Professors
Barry, William A. and William J. Connolly. The
Practice of Spiritual Direction. San Francisco:
Bass, Dorothy. Practicing Our Faith: A Way of Life
for a Searching People. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass,
1998.
Buechner, Fredrick. Telling Secrets. New York:
HarperCollins Publishers, 1992.
Edwards, Tilden. Spiritual Director, Spiritual
Companion: Guide to Tending the Soul. New York:
Guenther, Margaret. Holy Listening: The Art of
Spiritual Direction. Cambridge, MA: Cowley
Publications, 1992.
Johnson, Ben Campbell. The God Who Speaks:
Learning the Language of God. Grand Rapids, MI:
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2004.
Jones, Alan. Soul Making: The Desert Way of
Spirituality. New York: HarperCollins Publishers,
1989.
Merton, Thomas. Contemplative Prayer. New York:
Doubleday Image Books, 1971.
Merton, Thomas. New Seeds of Contemplation,
Rev. ed. Boston: Shambhala, 2003.
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Nouwen, Henri J. M. Reaching Out. Grand Rapids,
MI: Zondervan, 1998.
Palmer, Parker. The Courage to Teach: Exploring
the Landscape of a Teacher’s Life. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass, 1999.
by Chaplains and Counselors
Crabb, Larry. Shattered Dreams: God’s Unexpected
Pathway to Joy. Colorado Springs: Waterbrook
Press, 2002.
Fowler, James W. Faith Development and Pastoral
Care. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress Press, 1987.
Riso, Don Richard and Russ Hudson. The Wisdom
of the Enneagram: The Complete Guide to
Psychological and Spiritual Growth for the Nine
Personality Types. New York: Bantam Books, 1999.
by Laypersons
Brother Lawrence and Frank Laubach. Practicing
His Presence. The Library of Spiritual Classics. Vol.
1. Jacksonville, FL: Seedsowers, 1973.
Edwards, Tilden. Living in the Presence: Spiritual
Exercises to Open Our Lives to the Awareness of
God. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1995.
Keating, Charles J. Who We Are Is How We Pray:
Matching Personality and Spirituality. Mystic, CT:
Twenty-Third Publications, 1999.
Foster, Richard. Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True
Home. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1992.
Griffin, Emilie. Clinging: The Experience of Prayer.
Wichita, KS: Eighth Day Press, 2003.
Levoy, Gregg Michael. Callings: Finding and
Following an Authentic Life. New York: Three
Rivers Press, 1998.
Miller, Keith. Taste of New Wine, Rev. ed. Orleans,
MA: Paraclete Press, 1993.
Michael, Chester P. and Marie C. Norrisey. Prayer
and Temperament: Different Prayer Forms for
Different Prayer Types. Charlottesville, VA: The
Open Door, 1991.
Nouwen, Henri J. M. The Wounded Healer: Ministry
in Contemporary Society. New York: Doubleday
Image Books, 1979.
Oates, Wayne Edward. Nurturing Silence in a Noisy
Heart: How to Find Inner Peace. Minneapolis:
Augsburg Fortress, 1996.
Peck, Scott M. Further Along the Road Less
Traveled: The Unending Journey Toward Spiritual
Growth. New York: Simon & Schuster Inc., 1998.
Richardson, Peter T. Four Spiritualities:
Expressions of Self, Expression of Spirit.
Mountain View, CA: Davies-Black Publishing, 1996.
Nouwen, Henri J. M. Return of the Prodigal Son: A
Story of Homecoming. New York: Doubleday Image
Books, 1994.
Thomas, Gary. Seeking the Face of God: The Path
to a More Intimate Relationship with Him. Eugene,
OR: Harvest House Publishers, 1999.
Wiederkehr, Macrina. The Song of the Seed: The
Monastic Way of Tending the Soul. San Francisco:
Willard, Dallas. Hearing God: Developing A
Conversational Relationship with God. Downers
Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999.
Willard, Dallas. Renovation of the Heart: Putting
on the Character of Christ. Colorado Springs:
NavPress, 2005.
25
LAight
for the Path
Chapter 5
A Glossary of Christian Spirituality Terms
Baptists have many familiar forms of prayer and devotion. They are
sometimes strikingly similar to ancient and less familiar forms in other
Christian traditions. Because terminology can sometimes be confusing,
this glossary is offered as a simple introduction to some terms used in
the broader stream of the Christian tradition to refer to aspects of the life
of prayer and spiritual growth. While there are many fine books on these,
a good introduction is found in Richard Foster, Prayer: Finding
the Heart’s True Home.
Body Prayer—The body prayer involves the body as an active part of
the prayer. Christians have used their bodies in prayer from the days of the
early church. In the catacombs of Rome, Christians are depicted in prayer
standing with their arms raised. Traditionally Christians have knelt to pray.
Today the use of the body may represent our total involvement in prayer.
This aspect of prayer is especially effective when used in a retreat setting.
An example might be to use gestures to act out the Lord’s prayer.
Centering Prayer—Centering prayer is an ancient form of Christian
contemplative prayer. The most powerful description of the theology of the
prayer was written in fourteenth-century England by an unknown author
in a work called The Cloud of Unknowing. Thomas Merton popularized
centering prayer in the United States in the l960s. You can learn about the
use and value of this form of contemplative prayer by reading the works of
Thomas Keating and Basil Pennington. Essentially, centering prayer is a way
of focusing our minds and hearts and eliminating distractions so we may be
present to God.
Contemplative—A contemplative person seeks to live life in a state
of continual awareness of God. A good introduction to contemplative living
is found in Tlden Edwards’s book, Living Simply through the Day (New
York: Paulist Press, l980).
Deeper Life, Keswick Movement—The “deeper life” movement
includes devotional practices popular among many Baptists and many
evangelical groups. Dr. Fisher Humphreys gives a treatment of this
movement in his book The Way We Were: How Southern Baptist Theology
Has Changed and What It Means to Us All (Macon, GA: Smyth & Helwys,
2002). It developed in the nineteenth century and is also called the holiness
movement. As its name implies, the “deeper life” movement asserts that
there are secrets to a victorious Christian life that is found when Christians
cease striving and learn to depend totally on God. The results of this
surrender bring victory in our lives.
Devotion—Devotion is a term familiar to Baptists that is used to describe
the dimension of personal prayer life and development. It refers to a body of
practices such as Bible reading, quiet reflection, prayer, and study that are
undertaken in order to live in greater awareness and attentiveness to God.
Discernment—Discernment was originally a term used of
discriminating between various spirits in the world. It has come to be
applied more broadly as the effort of a Christian or group of Christians to
distinguish and follow the will of God. Various traditions have contributed
insights into how this is done. Baptists have always placed great emphasis
on the use of the Bible to guide this process and the congregation as the
body where it is best practiced.
26
Disciplines, spiritual disciplines—Spiritual disciplines are
actions that are undertaken in order to develop a focused and intentional
Christian life. These may include practices such as prayer, silence, study,
fasting, worship or service to others. Spiritual disciplines are a means of
growth in our relationship with God, not a substitute for it.
Formation, spiritual formation—Simply put, spiritual
formation is the lifelong process of being shaped in the image of God.
Group Spiritual Direction—Group spiritual direction is the
experience of discovering God’s will in a group dynamic, often faciliated by
a mature, trained spiritual guide or director.
Jesus Prayer—The Jesus Prayer is a prayer exercise begun as early
as the fourth century in which the one praying repeatedly calls upon Jesus
with the goal of focusing all of one’s mind and heart in undivided devotion
to Christ. The standard form of the prayer is “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,
have mercy on me” and is often linked with the rhythm of the believer’s
breathing. It is especially popular in Eastern Orthodox Christianity. The
Russian devotional classic The Way of the Pilgrim (New York: Doubleday
Image Books, 1985) is a popular introduction to the Jesus Prayer.
Journal—A Journal is a spiritual diary or reflection which gives
particular attention to recording one’s growth in awareness of God. A
journal is a personal autobiography of an individual’s perceptions about his
or her relationship to God. Journaling invites private and forthright writing
about the struggles and discoveries of one’s life and provides a record for
the individual of progress and learnings.
Journey, Spiritual Journey—The motif of journey as an allegory
of the Christian life is expressed in many forms in the history of Christian
spirituality. From Paul’s allusions to the current popularity of labyrinth
exercises, the believer’s development of faith from stage to stage on a
journey toward the ultimate goal of Christlikeness is a central and enduring
metaphor for growth in Christ.
Lectio divina—Lectio divina or “sacred reading” is a form of
praying texts, especially the Bible. Its goal is to be led through the text into
communion with the Author of the text. It has four movements: reading the
text, reflecting upon the reading (meditation), responding to the message
of the text (worded prayers), and relaxing in the presence of the One who
comes to us through the divine word (silent contemplation).
Meditation—Meditation is a term that has often been viewed with
suspicion because of its fuzzy associations with Eastern religions, but it is a
term with strong Christian historical roots. Christian meditation is a slowing
of the mind and heart that enables us to pay closer attention to what God is
saying to us through Scripture, in our lives, or in our world.
LAight
for the Path
Monastic, monastic movement—Monasticism has recaptured
much popular interest of late. It was an ancient movement that began in the
fourth century to counter perceived worldliness when the church became
accepted in the Roman Empire. Monks sometimes lived in communities,
and some monks chose to live in complete solitude. It embodied the
Christian’s desire to live completely for the life of prayer. Its writers through
the centuries have left many wonderful and helpful works about silence,
prayer, spiritual disciplines, and devotion to God.
Mysticism, mystics—Mysticism in Christian tradition has referred
to those Christians whose focus has been on the attainment of union with
God in love through the life of prayer. There have been many different views
about the nature of mysticism and what makes one a mystic, but generally
mysticism has been more interested in the direct personal experience of
God rather than discussion about God.
Retreat, spiritual—According to the Westminster Dictionary of
Christian Spirituality, a retreat is time set apart and “spent in silence and
occupied by meditation and spiritual exercises, under a leader or leaders.”
It is a time in which special attention is given to one’s prayer life, spiritual
progress, and personal growth in Christ.
Silence—Silence (sometimes referred to as “solitude”) is at the heart
of Christian spirituality. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in Life Together (New York:
HarperSanFrancisco, 1993), defined it as “the simple stillness of the
individual under the word of God.” Silence is an essential component of
hearing God in the life of prayer.
Spiritual Direction, Spiritual friendship—Providing
a mentor in the spiritual life is more common in Catholic tradition. A
spiritual director is one who is gifted to help others see how God is
working in their midst. Spiritual direction is an art that focuses on helping
another to pay attention to God’s work in their life. Director sometimes
connotes an authoritarianism that leads some to use the term spiritual
friend or spiritual companion. Nevertheless, the term implies that we are
walking with one who knows more about the path than we do.
Spiritual inventory—A spiritual inventory is a personal accounting
of one’s spiritual resources and assets, hindrances, and obstacles, taken in
order for the person to assess their progress in Christian growth.
Spirituality—Spirituality is a mystery of faith notoriously difficult to
describe. One attempt defines Christian spirituality as the process, contents,
and results of personal encounter with God in the Christian’s journey toward
becoming one with Christ.
27
New Resources!
Available in 2006
To order these resources or to view all resources in the
Companions in Christ Series, visit the CBF Store at
www.thefellowship.info or call 1.888.801.4223.
If you are wondering where to look for guidance in spiritual formation,
do not overlook this rich resourcebook. Pastors, ministers of education,
ministers of music, and other leaders will find at their fingertips the
information they need to pursue their central task of caring for the
spiritual life of their churches.
— Glenn Hinson
Professor Emeritus of Spirituality and John
Loftis Professor of Church History, Baptist
Theological Seminary at Richmond
Senior Professor of Church History and
Spirituality at Baptist Seminary of Kentucky
I am delighted to see this resource back in print. It has served to give
guidance to a generation of ministers, ordained and lay, who want to
continue their growth in Christ and their maturity in Christlikeness.
— William Clemmons
Retired Myers Professor of Pastoral Ministry and
Christian Spirituality, Northern Baptist Theological
Seminary, ABC/USA, Lombard (Chicago)
Atlanta, Georgia

chApteR 2 - South Main Baptist Church

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