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PT Media Picks: Books |
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12
steps to transformation
Step Up: A Vital Process for Spiritual
Renewal
By Richard C.
Meyer (Augsburg Books,
2005, 160 pages; $12.99, paper) |
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Many think of the "12
Steps" only in terms of the famous programs for recovery
from addictions. Meyer, a Presbyterian pastor and founder of
the "One-Anothering Institute" (which trains congregations
and individuals in small-group ministry) presents the 12 steps
as a general-purpose path to spiritual, emotional and relational
transformation.
The same process of life examination, change and renewal that
has helped millions of people overcome addictions is prescribed
here as a Bible-based method of reflection on our relationships
with God and one another. It's a gentle book with a powerful
message. It is not for passive reading. You won't be able
to regard it from a safe distance or as an outside observer.
It is not for someone happy with the status quo. It calls the
reader to authentic self-examination and to an unhesitant commitment
to healthier relationships, with God and other people. |
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The ideas here must be processed,
thought through, internalized and tried — which takes time. So this book is not suitable
for a fast read on an airplane. It is best read and processed
in a small group or by a couple; you will almost certainly
want to talk about your insights with someone you trust, in
a safe environment. In the end, you will know more about God,
other people and yourself for having walked the 12 steps.
—Richard and Gail
Johnson, Greenville, Texas |
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To
forgive ... divine
Fire of Grace: The Healing Power of
Forgiveness
By Richard W. Rouse (Augsburg,
2005; 157 pages; $12.99, paper; (800) 328-4648)
Many of us have opportunities to forgive, but
my bet is that few of us act on them. A wise friend once said, "It
is more fun to nourish a grudge." Rouse and his congregation,
facing just such a choice, took the road less traveled. |
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An arsonist torched their church,
Trinity Lutheran in Lynnwood, Wash., along with several others
in the area, in 1992. Rather than feast on the capture and
imprisonment of the arsonist, Rouse visited the man in jail
(and later in prison), leading his congregation to "God's
forgiving and healing grace."
To read this book is to experience that divine love as manifest
in God's people. A reader experiences the pain of loss,
then the joy of forgiveness. He or she joins Rouse's congregation
in rebuilding, experiences its pain, takes note of the remorse
felt by the fire-setter, Paul Keller, and of his later gratitude
that he, too, has been touched by grace. Keller writes a preface
from prison; we join in the celebration as a new building is
raised; the congregation learns anew that a church is its people,
not a building. |
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This book is ideal for individual
or group study, as in Sunday school. It's not full of namby-pamby dogma, but leads
a reader along the path of forgiveness to a harvest of grace.
—Tinsley
Stewart, a student at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary |
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Strategic
retreat
Sacred Refuge: Why and How to Make a Retreat
By Thomas Santa (Ave
Maria Press, 2005; 158
pages; $12.95, paper)
Finally, a "how-to" book on making
a retreat; just the thing for those of us who are interested
but unfamiliar with the retreat culture. |
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Many religious professionals make a
retreat at least annually. More and more, these days, lay
people also are discovering the respite of retreat. Retreat
centers are available around the world, and while some are
pricey, modern and like luxury hotels, others are plain,
clean and reasonably priced. All invite a person to rest,
rejuvenate and reorient oneself to God's priorities.
Santa, a Catholic priest who directs the Redemptorist Renewal
Center at Picture Rocks in southern Arizona, describes various
sorts of retreats (preached, silent, group, solitary, etc.)
and various motives for making a retreat.
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Sacred Refuge is informative,
with Web site listings, retreat-related tips and ideas, and
a list of 10 (other) good books about retreats and spiritual
life. It also is inspirational: If you're a retreat veteran,
it'll make you want to go again; if you've never
experienced a retreat, it'll make you want to try it.
—Teresa
Blythe |
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Wholly
silence
Holy Silence: The Gift of Quaker Spirituality
By J. Brent Bill (Paraclete
Press, 2005;
147 pages; $14.95, paper)
What would it be like to slow down and really
listen to the "sound of sheer silence"? |
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For many Presbyterians, the one- or
two-minute "silent
meditation" in worship is a tad awkward; but for our
Quaker brothers and sisters, silence is literally a sacrament.
Bill, a Friends minister who is executive
vice president of the Indianapolis Center for Congregations,
writes of his own experience as a Quaker who loves silence
but is an extrovert at heart — and who understands
how our culture militates against silence. He "gets" both
our hunger for silence and the inner "blocks" that
catch us, and provides encouragement through stories and
a few simple exercises to help us enjoy the gift of silence. |
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"If you can only handle
a nanosecond of silence, that's OK," Bill writes. "Begin
there. Squirm. Try to find a comfortable place in an uncomfortable
stillness."
It is always a pleasure to hear other people's
stories about how and when they came to feel that God was real
in their lives. The many examples of Quakers' perceptions
of God's voice in the silence may help a reader understand
the need to wait for a word from God instead of thrashing about
for answers. The gift of Quaker spirituality is for all who
seek God — and this book will be helpful to all who seek
God in silence.
—Teresa Blythe |
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