Deep Peace

Experience deep wholeness in your life that springs forth from the peace of God. We live in a fearful, anxiety-driven age where the problems and challenges of the world assault us from every direction and every media source, and they far exceed our abilities to respond to them. The sense of desperation that often comes of this leads to discord and violence: from bitter, cutting remarks to the atrocities of war; from pervasive racism to knee-jerk micro-aggressions. It contributes to our current, peace-bankrupt social discourse, leading to patterns of dismissing, dividing from, condemning, or hating people. But what if the root of these problems is not found out there, in the situations, the information or misinformation of what's happening in the world? What if they come from here: in our minds, hearts, thought-life, and emotions? In Deep Peace, Todd Hunter, founding pastor of Holy Trinity Anglican Church, analyzes the anxiety and desperation of our current moment and brings it before a biblical framework of profound peace. This book provides practices to help Christians value and actively seek peace, becoming people of reconciliation in ordinary life. Deep Peace: Uncovers the ten things that are most harmful to peace in a person's life. Unpacks the "Trinity of Peace" found in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and how we can find rest in each person of the Trinity. Reveals spiritual practices that will teach you how to pursue an inner calm and become the kind of person that meets conflict with love and renounces fear. Deep Peace is a timely benediction that offers a practical and spiritual guide to recenter believers in the peace of Christ.

An experiential guide to the spiritual path of the Holy Grail • Traces the evolution of the Holy Grail from the sacred vessel of the Celtic goddess to the Cup of Christ and how it represents the longing for the divine feminine • Provides exercises, meditations, and rituals to connect you with the powers of the Cauldron of Rebirth, the Chalice of Healing, the Sword of Light, and the Holy Grail • Explains how attaining the Grail brings full consciousness of the soul and Divine influence for the healing of self and others The primary myth of Western culture, the quest for the Holy Grail persists through the centuries like a recurring dream, embodying the longing for the divine feminine suppressed for more than two thousand years. The Holy Grail emerged not only as a symbol of the feminine but also as a symbol of the soul, for hidden within the sacred Grail legends lies an initiatory path that leads to the highest realms of consciousness and spiritual illumination. By working with the symbols of the Grail tradition we can gaze into our own hidden depths and heal the separation between masculine and feminine, Spirit and Matter, and Heaven and Earth. Mara Freeman traces the evolution of the Grail from the sacred vessel of the Celtic goddess to the Cup of Christ, revealing a spiritual path rooted in the mysteries of the Goddess, the Grail, and the Sword. She explains how the Sword has dominated over the Goddess and the Grail for far too long, leading to a spiritual wasteland as foretold in the Grail stories. She provides a practical workbook of exercises, visualizations, and magical rituals to restore the power of the divine feminine through spiritually transformative experiences with the Cauldron of Rebirth, the Chalice of Healing, the Sword of Light, and the Holy Grail itself. Drawing on folk traditions and medieval Arthurian romances as well as alchemy and the wisdom of the mystics of Glastonbury, Freeman reveals the ancient Celtic teachings of the Western Mystery tradition. She shows that attaining the Grail involves achieving full consciousness of the soul. Then, as a Grail-bearer, you can bring the light of the Grail into the world for the healing of self and others.

Facing Feelings in Faith Communities is based on a simple premise: We have emotions because we need them. God created us as affectively competent beings, William Kondrath argues, to help us understand our world and to give appropriate signals to people around us about what we are experiencing. When we express our feelings clearly, other people can more easily respond in ways that are helpful to us, thus enhancing our relationships and the work we might do together. Kondrath also recognizes that unfortunately, for many of us, our emotional software was infected early on with viruses (early familial and social conditioning) that distorted the way we responded to natural stimuli. Because we are underusing or misusing our emotional capacities, we are missing out on the opportunity to express our full humanity. Fortunately, we can re-program our emotional software. Facing Feelings in Faith Communities help us restore our emotional systems to their original state, or at least invites us to imagine how we would live differently if our emotional expressions were more nearly congruent with the situations and events we encounter. Kondrath invites us to explore six feelings--fear, anger, sadness, peace, power, and joy--through poetry, meditation on an evocative drawing, as well as through his own analysis of each feeling. Congregational Resources for Facing Feelings is a companion collection to this book. For more information, click here.

For a thirteen-year period, the reclusive Scottish writer Fiona Macleod enthralled the Victorian reading public with a deluge of stories, novels, poems and essays drawn from the wildly romantic Highland and Island landscape. Although it was later revealed that these works had issued from the pen of William Sharp, it was clear that Fiona Macleod was more than a pseudonym; to Sharp she was very much an autonomous entity. What's more, the wealth of previously unknown and unheard of myths, names, traditions and beliefs in her writings, while shone through a Celtic prism, show every sign of having emanated from the Realm of Faery. Steve Blamires presents a ground-breaking assessment of the Faery lore within Fiona Macleod's literary output as part of his ongoing study of this enigmatic writer. Building on the established groundwork of his biography of Sharp, The Little Book of the Great Enchantment, he explores the mythology and traditions of Faery, their symbolic and magical significance, and the devices employed by Fiona in the transmission of Faery teachings and inspirations. Using examples from Fiona's rich and resonant body of work, his detailed interpretation will enable the reader to tease out the Faery gems that are still to be found woven into the lines and verse of her writings.

"Peace begins with a smile." -- Mother Teresa Peace stimulates reflection and to inspire discussion at work, at home, and among friends about the meaning of peace--personally, spiritually, and politically. This inspirational title makes a great gift for anyone seeking to bring a sense of harmony to a family member, friend, or special person in their life. An affordable and simple gesture, this encouraging title adds a little meaning to any gift or occasion...and is impossible to resist. What is peace? What is its purpose, spiritually, emotionally, and globally? Peace seeks to ground this concept in its cultural contexts and explore it through the thoughts and words of humanity's greatest peacemakers. Peace is the cornerstone of civilization, allowing all nations to grow and thrive while enabling individuals to learn and develop together. There is no goal more desirable, and many great men and women have given their lives in its pursuit. Peace encapsulates their collected wisdom through quotes, prayers, and thoughtful meditations on the subject of unity. Simple and accessible for all ages, this book is fun to pick up at any spare moment, or read aloud and share with family and friends. Rich with meaningful advice and quotes, each chapter also features easy ways to promote peace towards those around you. These stories of hope in difficult times will be an inspiration to many. Words spoken in favor of peace are amongst the most powerful sentiments ever expressed by man. Peace captures and applies this meaning to provide inspiration and practical guidance towards leading a life of unity and harmony. Featuring inspiring quotes, moving prayers, and helpful guidelines Peace provides words of wisdom joined with practical applications. This approach of joining the abstract and the concrete, the idealistic and the practical, makes Peace a book that is not just about peace; it is itself a tool for the promotion of harmony and unity in our lives, in our selves, and in our world.

When you breathe in all the grace available to you and release everything that is outside of your control, you'll discover peace that surpasses your circumstances. All it takes is practice. If you feel overwhelmed with anxiety about the future, you're far from alone. For many of us, when we're not worrying about what is to come, we find ourselves wrestling with things from the past. Where does that leave us today? Morgan Harper Nichols has learned the answer to this question. She has examined stories from her own life and the lives of people around the world and noticed a common thread: we all long for peace. We're all seeking light and life. But these things don't happen passively. Peace Is a Practice invites you to become a peacemaker in your own life, starting right where you are, and in some of the most unexpected places. As these words and images inspire you to take daily steps toward peace, you'll uncover the key to: Embracing the beauty of the present Letting go of regret of the past and fear of the future Developing a path toward meaning and authenticity Approaching life's challenges with faith and a calm confidence Feeling peace even in the midst of uncertainty or difficult times In every moment, there is something as deep and boundless as a winding river waiting to be found--a true peace that flows, beckoning you to rest . . . and be still.

Peace begins with us! When the world is at its most threatening and uncertainty reigns, it comforts us to know that mindful living is still within our grasp. Peace in Our Hearts, Peace in the World helps us come to a full and deep understanding of our own thoughts, actions, limitations, and strengths--and the effect they have on the world at large. Ruth Fishel serves as our wonderfully effective guide through this year-long journey of introspection, reflection, and resolution. Her daily encouragement to appreciate the most basic things in life--waking up, brushing our teeth, the breaths we take--alternate with thoughts on relationships, choice, and personal responsibility. A thought-provoking quote accompanies each meditation: Fishel draws these wise words from sources old and new, ranging from Buddhism to new spiritual writings by Eckhart Tolle, Christina Feldman, and Deepak Chopra. Small enough to travel with, and beautifully designed, this book makes inspirational reading available anytime, anywhere. Readers will find its comforting presence a constant reminder of the maxim that drives this motivational collection: if there is peace in our hearts, there may indeed one day be peace in the world.