Holy Listening

Describes the role and practice of a spiritual director as distinct from pastoral care and from psychotherapy. Compares the spiritual director to a midwife for the soul, describing actions of teaching prayer and offering exercise suggestions.

Many of us long to hear God’s voice, yet we often overlook the great wisdom God gave us in our bodies. There is a deep connection between our bodies and spirits. What might happen if we listened more deeply to the wisdom of our bodies? How might listening with our whole selves change the way we listen to God? A stroke at age 31 forced Whitney Simpson to slow down and listen more deeply to her body. In the process she discovered how to listen more deeply to God. During her journey of healing and wholeness, Whitney explored ancient practices that she found helpful in connecting her body and spirit, including: lectio divina (meditative reading of scripture) yoga breath prayer aromatherapy Listening to God with the entire body, not simply with our ears, may seem like a strange concept. Yet God created the body and the breath as gifts for us to explore. Most important, we don’t have to experience a crisis to learn to listen to God’s activity in and around us. Each of us can slow down and listen for God just as we are—in breath, body, and spirit. This 40-day guide to holy listening offers daily meditations that can be completed in as little as 30 minutes. Each meditation includes scripture, yoga postures, a breath prayer, suggested essential oils, and reflection questions. The book provides descriptions and simple illustrations of yoga poses and suggests seated poses as modifications for all poses, making it accessible to both experienced yoga practitioners and those new to yoga. Allow this book to invite you on a journey of holy listening as you explore ancient tools and new ways of experiencing the presence of God.

“Healing may not be so much about getting better, as about letting go of everything that isn’t you-all the expectations, all the beliefs-and becoming who you are.” —Rachael Naomi Remen “There is no need to go to India or anyplace else to find peace. You will find that deep place of silence right in your own room, your garden and even your bathtub.” —Elizabeth Kubler-Ross Sacred Listening is a six-week spiritual adventure designed to awaken each of us to our true, authentic being. We are encouraged to stand still, breathe deeply, and learn to listen to the language of our life. As you turn each page and engage in the experience, you will discover the sacred gift of listening and awaken to the life that longs to live in, with, and through you. The journal prompts, experiential exercises, and holy listening are guides to open you to healing, wellness, and wholeness.

A profound call to Christian discipleship. An intensive course in Christian faith. A creative freedom to serve God that is deeply grounded in Scripture. These are ways to describe Sacred Listening, James L. Wakefield's adaptation of the classic Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius Loyola. Central to the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), the Spiritual Exercises is a manual used to direct a month-long spiritual retreat. Now adapting these time-honored Exercises specifically for Protestant Christians, James L. Wakefield encourages readers to integrate their secular goals with their religious beliefs and helps them reflect on the life of Jesus as a model for their own discipleship. Combining scholarship with classic forms of spirituality, Sacred Listening will interest church leaders and lay Christians who want to deepen their faith.

Listening skills are essential for all forms of congregational ministry. This book is based on interviews with congregational leaders, both lay and ordained, about listening for the purpose of carrying out faithful, effective congregational ministry and mission. To minister effectively we must listen effectively to each other and our neighbors.

What do Christianity and librarianship have in common? Netherlands Prime Minister and theologian Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920) was among the first in the modern era to attempt to rejoin the dichotomy of sacred vs. secular study when he said, "no single piece of our mental world is to be hermetically sealed off from the rest." Over the years a number of publications have followed Kuyper's lead yet little has been written on the subject since Greg A. Smith's notable Christian Librarianship (2002). Building on Smith's work, this volume seeks to bridge the sacred/secular divide with an exploration of how Christianity and the gospel are manifested through the profession of librarianship.

Drawing on the writings of Augustine, John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila and others, Keith R. Anderson and Randy D. Reese show that the age-old practice of Christian mentoring is meant to facilitate our growth throughout life. They provide motivation, principles and plans for starting and continuing mentoring relationships.

Cutting-edge essays, written by seasoned spiritual directors, which examine a variety of new frontiers in spiritual direction in the 21st century.