Hello, Friends!
I'm so looking forward to beginning our journey of exploring ways of being present in God and discerning God's wisdom in our daily lives. Our four weeks of Advent will, of course, only be an introduction (a continuation for many of you) of a path of learning that can consume a lifetime--and that will, I hope, engage us in meaningful conversation and shared practice for some time to come.
While there are countless wonderful books about prayer and spiritual growth, I've chosen the following as a grounding for reference in our time together this Sunday and the following weeks, because they have nourished and grounded me for years, and because they represent a significant spectrum of thoughtful approaches and tools for personal practice.
Whether or not you decide to join us this Sunday at 9:30 am and the following Sundays of Advent, I hope you'll spend some time in your way, listening, being present with the Holy.
And should you choose to find and read any of these books, I think you'll find a treasure trove of holy wisdom made accessible for all us "ordinary monks and mystics" in working person clothing.
Amazon is of course a great resource for finding most anything, but if you just want to check books out of a library, the libraries at the two seminaries in town, The Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest (my alma mater!) and Austin Prespbyterian Seminary, have these available, I'm sure--and both make allowances for guests to check out resources. Both seminaries also have excellent little bookstores in which some of these may be available.
The larger Episcopal churches likewise have pretty neat bookstores; I especially like St. David's and St. Matthew's.
And if you're in San Antonio, Viva Books on Broadway is wonderful, for all kinds of religious and spiritual topics.
Here's my list: (and I have shelves full of more stuff, if you'd like to browse, and borrow!):
A Testament of Devotion, Thomas R. Kelly, Harper/Collins, New York, NY, 1941 (paperback reprints in 1969, 1992, and 1994)
Kelly (1893-1941) was a Quaker missionary, educator, writer, and scholar, who taught and inspired many. Gerald May, director for spiritual guidance at the Shalem Institute, said, "A Testament of Devotion has been the single most helpful written resources for the most important endeavor of my life: practicing God's presence."
Kelly himself expressed appreciation for the fact that many scientific, professional academics found this work useful in translating spirituality into language they could understand, accept, and put into practice.
Wellsprings: A Book of Spiritual Exercises, Anthony de Mello, Doubleday, New York, NY, 1984
De Mello, a Jesuit spiritual teacher, offers simple exercises for contemplation that blend ancient traditions of East and West, with the aim of helping us center, calm, and reorient our minds toward holy awakeness. I love the way these exercises take "ideas" and translate them into "awareness."
Seeking God: the Way of St. Benedict, Esther de Waal, Fount Paperbacks, London, England, 1984
The Rule of St. Benedict has been adapted by many "ordinary" folks for many years, as a useful way of engaging time, and remembering to center in God's presence throughout our day. De Waal transposes the spirit of the St. Benedict's rule into an accessible guide for anyone who wishes to live more consciously in everyday life.
Encounter with God, Morton Kelsey, Paulist Press, Mahway, N.J., 1987
Kelsey, a much-quoted scholar on Christian sprituality and mysticism, says this is "the foundation of everything else I have written." In it he offers "a theological base and understanding of how we can be in contact with the Holy Spirit and the Risen Christ and know the reality of Abba God."
Stories of God, Rainer Maria Rilke, translated by M. D. Herter Norton, W. W. Norton, New York, NY, 1932, reissued 1960, 1963, 1992
These early parable-like tales were composed when Rilke was 23, and have never been out of print in Germay, and translated into several languages. Poetic in nature, they speak in child-like poetic terms, in Rilke's words, "busied with transferring God from the sphere of rumor into the realm of direct and daily experiencing."
Ordinary People as Monks and Mystics: Lifestyles of Self-discovery, Marsha Sinetar, Paulist Press, Mahwah, N.J., 1986
Morton Kelsey, another great spiritual teacher, professor emeritus of theology at Notre Dame University, says this book "speaks very simply to the rising quest of many people to find a more spiritual meaning in a materialistic universe and among people who have no place for a spiritual dimension." I like its accessible language, its anecdotal quality, and its non-judgmental approach to self-actualization and spiritual maturity as a journey, not a destination.
Tales of a Magic Monastery, Theophane the Monk, The Crossroad Publishing Co., New York, NY, 1989
This lovely little book of parables has too many gems to count--small, brilliant illustrations of our deepest spiritual yearnings, and our most elemental human qualities, both the admirable and the less-than-admirable. Father Theophane himself was an experienced retreat director and spiritual director.
The Way of Perfection, St. Teresa of Avila, translated and edited by E. Allison Peers, Image Books, Garden City, NY, 1964 (and there are many more printings of this classic work)
Of all her works, this is the most accessible, and though centuries old, still speaks with a timeless wisdom about how one can pray, and attain "spiritual perfection." Though her monastic philosophy may not match our own, her deep understanding of every human's hunger for God and of how we may put our yearnings into focused practice continues to be valued by many, even in our too-educated post-modern context.
The Spiritual Life, Evelyn Underhill, Morehouse Barlow, Wilton, Conn., 1955 (there are later issues, too, also in paperback)
Evelyn Underhill is one of the most beloved and often-quoted spiritual teachers in the English-speaking world. Her stated object in this book is "to present some of the great truths concerning man's spiritual life in simple language; treating it, not as an intense form of other-worldliness remote from the common ways and incompatible with the common life, but rather as the heart of all real religion and therefore of vital concern to ordinary men and women." Readable in a single sitting, this little book packs more essential wisdom into fewer words on this subject than I've found anywhere else.
The Spiritual Life: Learning East and West, John H. Westerhoff, III, and John D. Eusden, The Seaburgy Press, New York, NY, 1982
Westerhoff and Eusden team up to offer a comparative view of spirituality from the Christian and Zen Buddhist perspectives, respectively. Their intent is to expand the understanding of Western (mostly Christian) folk of how much depth and common ground can be found in Oriental spiritual tradition and practice. In their forward they state that their intent is to remind us that "religion is that which links together and gives sense to the estranged, contradictory experiences of life.....(and) gives meaning to people in every age through the medium of culture--a people's learned, shared understandings and ways--even as it points toward the sacred or to transcendence."