In this practical guide, best-selling author Kathryn J. Hermes, FSP, demonstrates how to begin a life of contemplative prayer. You don't have to be a mystic to learn this type of prayer, just a person who is seeking a deeper communion with God. Sr. Kathryn has helped thousands of people through difficult times. Now let her guide you in this timeless form of meditative prayer.

Finding Harmony through Contemplative Prayer: A One Year Journal is a personal journal which provides one year of daily scripture references based on ten themes important to us today: personal honesty, valuing others, repentance/forgiveness, salvation, mind, body, Spirit, faith, hope and love. The journal encourages the use of Lectio Divina, an ancient and sacred form of bible reading and contemplative prayer that brings a deep understanding of scripture and draws us closer to God. The Finding Harmony journal can help all of us as we seek peace within ourselves and harmony within our relationships.

While many practicing Christians are relatively satisfied with their prayer life, others are not. The latter often find their prayer practice has dried up. Their traditional forms of prayer at churches have become routine and empty. In a very real sense, there is a void in their spiritual lives. They want a deeper union with God yet experience an unsettling estrangement with their current pathway in prayer. In Contemplative Prayer at Work in Our Lives, Geoff Colvin draws on his own experiences, studies of spiritual literature, and participation in retreats and meditation groups, to unravel the challenging practice of contemplative prayer, a unique form of meditation involving very few words in silence and stillness. Contemplative prayer centers on the fundamental belief that God dwells not only in the world at large but also at the center of our being. This book offers Christians an approach for understanding contemplative prayer followed by hands-on detail for developing and sustaining a practice that hopefully leads to a richer and fuller spiritual journey to union with God.

This book started out as a guidebook on the Contemplative Living Experience program, a spiritual formation program in contemplative life offered by Contemplative Outreach. It grew into a story about how a life dedicated to contemplative prayer can be transformed when one consents to the presence and action of God within, the divine indwelling. Because Julie’s teaching style comes out of her lived experience, the book also became part memoir and part practical application of Thomas Keating’s teaching. You will likely be able to relate to many of the examples from her life which will remind you of similar experiences you’ve had in your life, all in this exploration of contemplative prayer and its movement into a deeper relationship with the Ultimate Mystery.

In this classic text, Thomas Merton offers valuable guidance for prayer. He brings together a wealth of meditative and mystical influences–from John of the Cross to Eastern desert monasticism–to create a spiritual path for today. Most important, he shows how the peace contacted through meditation should not be sought in order to evade the problems of contemporary life, but can instead be directed back out into the world to affect positive change. Contemplative Prayer is one of the most well-known works of spirituality of the last one hundred years, and it is a must-read for all seeking to live a life of purpose in today’s world. In a moving and profound introduction, Thich Nhat Hanh offers his personal recollections of Merton and compares the contemplative traditions of East and West.

This groundbreaking primer illuminates contemplative methods that can improve mental and physical health. Contemplative practices, from meditation to Zen, are growing in popularity as methods to inspire physical and mental health. Contemplative Practices in Action: Spirituality, Meditation, and Health offers readers an introduction to these practices and the ways they can be used in the service of well being, wisdom, healing, and stress reduction. Bringing together various traditions from the East and West, this thought-provoking work summarizes the history of each practice, highlights classic and emerging research proving its power, and details how each practice is performed. Expert authors offer step-by-step approaches to practice methods including the 8-Point Program of Passage Meditation, Centering Prayer, mindful stress management, mantram meditation, energizing meditation, yoga, and Zen. Beneficial practices from Christian, Buddhist, Jewish, Hindu, and Islamic religions are also featured. Vignettes illustrate each of the practices, while the contributors explain how and why they are effective in facing challenges as varied as the loss of a partner or child, job loss, chronic pain or disease, or psychological disorders.

What does a Christian life lived "by the Spirit" look like? Bringing together Protestant scholars and practitioners of spiritual formation, this volume offers a distinctly evangelical consideration of the benefits of contemplation. Drawing on historical examples from the church—including John Calvin, Richard Baxter, Jonathan Edwards, and John Wesley—this book considers how contemplative prayer can shape Christian living today.

In Spirituality, Contemplation and Transformation, some of the leading practitioners of centering prayer--the contemporary expression of the Christian contemplative tradition as developed by the desert fathers and mothers and elaborated by mystics such as saints John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila--write about the many and varied benefits of this dynamic and intimate means of connecting with the Divine. Thomas Keating and David Frenette examine the sources of centering prayer - Justin Langille and Jennifer Michael explore different facets of the wisdom of silence - and Paul David Lawson, David G.R. Keller, and Tom Macfie explain the vital role centering prayer can play in fostering communities of faith. Cynthia Bourgeault explicates philosopher and spiritual practitioner Beatrice Bruteau's study of the meaning of contemplation - Brian Taylor uncovers the positive mental changes that centering prayer can bring about - and Thomas Ward reflects on spirituality in the twenty-first century, as well as the inspiring experience of attending a centering prayer retreat. Of interest to anyone involved with contemporary Christian life, these essays, originally published in the Sewanee Theological Review, contribute to the growing body of literature on centering prayer--its practice, theory, and applications--and offer valuable entry points for all those interested in deepening their spiritual practice and fostering a more profound relationship with the Divine. Contents: "A Traditional Blend: The Contemplative Sources of Centering Prayer" by Thomas Keating, OCSO "Three Contemplative Waves" by David Frenette "There is Nothing Between God and You: Awakening to the Wisdom of Contemplative Silence" by Justin Langille "Beatrice Bruteau's "Prayer and Identity: An Introduction with Text and Commentary" by Cynthia Bourgeault "Reading Living Water: The Integral Place of Contemplative Prayer in Christian Transformation" by David G. R. Keller "Binding Head and Heart: A Conversation Concerning Theological Education: The Contemplative Ministry Project" by David G. R. Keller "Centering Prayer and the Work of Clergy and Congregations: Prayer, Priests, and the Postmodern World" by Paul David Lawson "Seeking a Deeper Knowledge of God: Centering Prayer and the Life of a Parish" by Tom Macfie "Spirituality, Contemplation, and Transformation: An Opportunity for the Episcopal Church" by Thomas R. Ward, Jr. "Keep the Rest: Practicing Silence while Professing Poetry" by Jennifer Michael "Changing Your Mind: Contemplative Prayer and Personal Transformation" by Brian C. Taylor "Centering Prayer Retreats" by Thomas R. Ward, Jr.

As the percentage of unaffiliated seekers or Spiritual But Not Religious people or "Nones" increases in America and in the world at large, a sizable number are drawn toward a spirituality of Nature. And while many of these seekers emphasize simply the physical challenge and ignore the theological or philosophical aspect of their relationship to Nature, Wilderness Mysticism seeks to offer a spiritual / theological interpretation for those who want it. In the process, it employs insights and meditation practices gleaned from an ancient tradition - that of Christian Mysticism - and updated in a modern context. Publisher:

“Contemplative Youth Ministry is refreshing rain for dry youth workers and barren youth ministries. More than the same old youth ministry tips and tricks, it gives principles and practices to soak in God’s grace, love, and power. I wish I had read it 15 years ago.” - Kara Powell, Ph.D., executive director, Center for Youth Ministry and Family Ministry, Fuller Theological Seminary “Mark invites readers to be encountered by the presence of Jesus who is always near. This book is transparent about the challenges that churches and families face as they desire to be effective in youth ministry. The book is filled with the honest stories of different kinds of youth ministries representing the breadth of Christianity in the United States. I heartily endorse Contemplative Youth Ministry as a rich encounter with the souls of youth and adults whose lives have been transformed by our very present God.” - Bill Kees, director of youth ministries, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) “Mark Yaconelli not only reminds us of some of the long-forgotten pathways of faith, he shares with us how it actually looks when men and women who love God practice it with young people. I especially appreciate Mark’s optimism in his perspective of today’s kids, for his insights are grounded in God’s view of them.” - Chap Clark, Ph.D., associate professor of youth, family, and culture, Fuller Theological Seminary “Mark Yaconelli was experimenting with contemplative youth ministry practices before contemplative youth ministry practices became cool. This book has about it the unique air of authenticity. He shares with us in these pages his own journey as a youth worker who actually believes that God’s still small voice speaks louder than the roaring windstorm of our busy youth ministry calendars. It’s a book about creating for our students places of silence and opening up spaces for God to speak.” - Duffy Robbins, professor of youth ministry, Eastern University; author of Enjoy the Silence and This Way to Youth Ministry “Mark Yaconelli has emerged as one of youth ministry’s most provocative ‘voices in the wilderness,’ calling us back to our theological taproots: The contemplative practices that bind our lives to the life of Christ. If Mark’s research has taught us anything, it’s that these practices do not cause youth ministry to take fl ight into a spiritual never-never land; rather they anchor young people—and their churches—in the fertile soil of Christian tradition, in the nitty-gritty of daily life, and in the explosive transformation that awaits us when we wait upon God.” - Kenda Creasy Dean, parent, pastor, and professor of youth, Princeton Theological Seminary; author of Practicing Passion: Youth and the Quest for a Passionate Church