Spiritual Poetic Meditations

Th is is an uplifting compilations of poems. Th ese are meditations, statements and chronicles of a spiritual journey. Th is collection is a collection of clear and heartfelt works by the poet with accessible language and relatable themes. It is the poets sincere conviction that spiritual growth and becoming a compassionate human being is a life long process. In the third section , Poems from a Beit Midrash(house of study) , the poet relates this growth process through the lens of the Jewish Spiritual Tradition. Th e themes are universal and are a calling for an increasingly mindful and compassionate world.

Spiritual Entrepreneurialism is a story of how one small church, aging and in decline, experienced renewal and transformation by bridging the power of the Holy Spirit with business development tools from the small business sector. This book briefly explores the entrepreneurial drive of the early pioneers of the American Methodist movement and how recapturing the passion of their entrepreneurial spirit and using proven small business development principles a congregation can be changed for Jesus sake. As the Church continues its march through the twenty-first century it is wise to explore new ways in which we can transition aging and declining small churches into growing centers of vital, life-changing ministry. The approach to small church renewal offered in Spiritual Entrepreneurialism is but one possibility of how small church renewal can take place. Wade Martin is pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Emmitsburg, Maryland. As a second career pastor he has served in the U.S. Navy, had leadership roles in small private and public companies, and has served as chair of the board of a nonprofit organization. He received his undergraduate degree from Excelsior College in New York, received his Master of Divinity degree from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington DC, and will receive his Doctor of Ministry degree in May of 2008 from Wesley Theological Seminary with a concentration in Church Leadership Excellence.

Since her earliest memories, Melinda has been highly intuitive, simply knowing things without any evidence or proof, having prophetic dreams and the ability to connect and communicate with spirit. During her meditations, she often hears inspiring words and phrases that sometimes become a beautiful poem offering much needed comfort and encouragement.

As Eckhart Tolle has written, poetry "has been recognized since ancient times as a highly appropriate medium for the expression and transmission of spiritual truth." The Clear Light is Steve Taylor's latest contribution to this poetic tradition, offering short and powerful reflections as a guide to spiritual awakening and as experiential glimpses of the state of enlightenment itself. Taylor ranges widely, through subjects including "Making the Human Race Whole," "Freedom from the Past," and "The Reality of Connection," always in clear and simple language. Best of all, he reminds us of the choices we always have when life feels chaotic and overwhelming: empathy, acceptance, and love. Soothing but also challenging, Taylor's words continually affirm the profound bedrock of peace and even joy in the present that is always available. The book's eponymous reflection says it best: There is nothing that can't be undone no past injury that can't be healed no past mistake that can't be corrected in the clear light of the present. Reading this book is a transformational spiritual experience in itself.

A year of daily meditations and prayers, from many religions and cultures, that together form a beautiful tapestry of comfort and strength. Every man prays in his own language, and there is no language that God does not understand. —Duke Ellington This interfaith book provides insight from various religious and cultural texts and a wide range of writings, touching on our pain and inspiring the healer within each of us. These words remind us of hope and faith, so that we may live a deeper, more meaningful, and fully self-expressed life. During moments that are filled with despair, illness, depression, or spiritual longing, this treasury creates a healing space and draws on the power of wise devotionals for reflection and deep meditation. Embrace physical, emotional, and spiritual transformation through Prayers for Healing, drawing from a select collection of influential spiritual leaders, thinkers, and sacred books, including the Tao Te Ching, the Koran, the Torah, Native American texts, the Bible, Thich Nhat Hanh, Wendell Berry, Jack Kornfield, Rumi, Rainer Maria Rilke, Marian Wright Edelman, Martin Luther King, Jr., Marianne Williamson, and many more. “I hope that people of all faiths as well as those who do not believe in a religion will find inspiration and understanding here that in some way contributes to their own inner peace.” —The Dalai Lama

Dead or alive? Drowsy or awake? Distracted or alert? How do we respond to the Apostle Paul’s charge to be alive together with Christ, awake even at night, and alert in unceasing prayer? Layered with scriptural allusions, Cynthia Griffin’s Alive, Awake, Alert, a collection of 101 poems, sounds a call to live fully in Christ, to wake from apathy, and to watch with alertness to the Holy Spirit. With an energetic and concise style, she offers readers a combination of soberness and delight. Packed with doctrine, wit, and imagery, her poetry provides readers with a meaty meal. No cotton candy Christianity here! Like a digger of ancient wells, she unearths rhyme, rhythm, and structure reminiscent of Donne, Herbert, and Hopkins to craft over fifty sonnets bursting with joyous faith, vulnerable reality, and thought-provoking metaphors. The Introduction invites readers to come to the Lord’s table for constant nourishment on God’s Word in unceasing meditation. In Part One: Responses in Communion with the Host, the poems are prayer reflections addressed to God Himself, Father, Son, and Spirit. In Part Two: Conversations in the Cloud of Witnesses, perspectives from both Old Testament saints and New Testament disciples combine with the poet’s voice in an enriching dialogue of faith. After most poems, biblical references follow providing interpretative context. For readers who enjoy deeper analysis, the Addendum: Author’s Annotations gives background and additional references for the meditations.

Whispers of the Soul: A Collection of Spiritual Poems for Meditation is poetry (reflective thoughts) that is the culmination of Connie H. Deutsch's life's work, which has involved helping people from all walks of life deal with destructive behavior patterns and to achieve peace and happiness on a soul level. These reflections are uplifting, inspirational and thought-provoking. There is an appendix which details the meanings of each reflection that touches on a myriad of issues from relationships, parents, children, friendships, to emotional areas such as fear, jealousy, anger, love and joy. These poems will gently take you apart and put you back together, piece-by-piece as you explore issues related to abandonment, abuse, sexuality, creativity, greed, jealousy, victimization, and the Divine. Your psychological and spiritual state will never be the same as you submerge and intoxicate yourself in this incredible collection.Each poetic meditation pierces the veil of illusion that we are separate from the Divine and that hurts cannot heal. This special book will enrich your life and help inspire and guide you on your spiritual journey.

Discover how to engage with poetry to support your spiritual practice, leading to more mindfulness, equanimity, and joy. In The Dharma of Poetry, John Brehm shows how poems can open up new ways of thinking, feeling, and being in the world. Brehm demonstrates the practice of mindfully entering a poem, with an alertness, curiosity, and open-hearted responsiveness very much like the attention we cultivate in meditation. Complete with poetry-related meditations and writing prompts, this collection of lively, elegantly written essays can be read as a standalone book, or as a companion to the author’s acclaimed anthology, The Poetry of Impermanence, Mindfulness, and Joy.