A Hidden Wholeness: The Journey Toward an Undivided Life, by Parker J. Palmer. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2004. ISBN 0-7879-7100-6. Hb., 192 pp. $22.95.
Drawing attention to the divided nature of our lives (the “blizzard” that assaults us without and within), Palmer seeks a means by which we might live as more whole persons, “undivided” in the relationships in which we seek to live and serve. Palmer offers no quick fixes, but calls for his readers to create safe spaces to nurture the soul in community; his hope is that such undivided lives will enable us to live non-violently in the world.
A Table of Delight: Feasting with God in the Wilderness, by Elizabeth J. Canham. Nashville: Upper Room Books. 2005. ISBN 0-8358-9804-0. Pb., 132 pp. $12.
Canham invites readers to find God at work in wilderness experiences–both the chosen wildernesses of retreat, and the un-chosen wildernesses of barren times of life. She shares with the reader ways that the wilderness can be a place of prayer where God is at work.
Finding Calm in the Chaos: Christian Devotions for Busy Women, by Kathleen Long Bostrom. Louisville: WJKP, 2005. ISBN 0-664-22916-6. Pb., 360 pp., $14.95.
Encouraging her readers into a daily discipline of prayer and devotional reading, Bostrom collects a treasure of readings–prose, poetry, prayer, and more–from classic and contemporary writers. This is a marvelous book, and will richly reward its readers.
Loving Jesus, by Mark Allen Powell. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2004. ISBN 0-8006-3676-7. Pb., 200 pp., $16.
Lifting up a new piety for our time, Powell contends, “the essence of spirituality is loving God.” He encourages folk to grow in their faith by fostering a spirituality marked by a deeper commitment to following Jesus.
Meditating on the Psalms, by John Eaton. WJKP, 2004. ISBN 0664229301. Pb., 192pp. $19.95.
Drawn from his larger work on the psalms (The Psalms: A Historical and Spiritual Commentary, T&T Clark, 2003), Eaton offers a fresh translation, along with brief verse-by-verse reflections, on 52 favorite psalms. Pastoral in tone, this volume will enrich one’s devotional reading deeply.
Morning B.R.E.W.: A Divine Power Drink for Your Soul, by Kirk Byron Jones. Minneapolis: Augsburg Books, 2005. ISBN 0-8066-5138-5. Pb., 128 pp. $12.99. Journal, $9.99.
Jones offers a delightful guide to creating a personal morning devotion time. “B.R.E.W.” is an acronym for Be still, Receive God’s love, Embrace personhood, and Welcome the day. Not a bad way to begin a day. There is a companion Morning B.R.E.W. Journal.
The New Westminster Dictionary of Christian Spirituality, edited by Philip Sheldrake. Louisville: WJKP, 2005. ISBN 0-664-23003-2. Hb., 704 pp., $49.95.
Replacing its 1983 predecessor in the Westminster Dictionary series, this new volume will prove to be an invaluable resource for those who are passionate about the history and practice of spirituality in the church. Thirteen initial essays are followed by an encyclopedic listing of topics from Abandonment to Zen and Christianity; the contributors come from across the globe.
Ordinary Joy: Finding Fresh Promise in Routine Moments, by Joe Campeau. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 2005. ISBN 0-8066-5145-8. Pb., 165 pp. $12.95.
In the spirit of Brother Lawrence’s The Practice of the Presence of God, Campeau encourages his readers to “discover God on ordinary days,” and to “serve God in ordinary ways.” He presents a refreshing reminder of the holiness to be found within the commonplace of our lives.
Sabbath Keeping: Finding Freedom in the Rhythms of Rest, by Lynne M. Baab. Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 2005. ISBN 0-8308-3258-0. Pb., 130 pp. $12.
Recognizing our need for rest in our over-programmed, compulsively busy lives, Baab reclaims Sabbath as a practice of faith. She combines strategies for stopping with resources for celebrating this day as a gift from God.
Soul Feast: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life, by Marjorie J. Thompson. Louisville: WJKP, 1995, 2005. ISBN 0-664-22947-6. Pb., 184 pp., $14.95.
This tenth-anniversary edition of Marjorie Thompson’s classic work offers a rich resource for new generations of those who hunger and thirst for God. Ideal for individuals and for groups (a study guide is included), Thompson’s book draws her readers into inner and outer spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting, reading, hospitality, and more.
