Books

Learning To Dance

Michael Mayne

“My theme is the dance:  the dance of life;  the dance of the cosmos, of the natural world and the tiniest particles of matter;  the dance of music and paint and words;  the dance of those cruel times which feels like dancing in the dark;  the dance of relationships, of forgiveness, friendship and love;  the dance of faith;  and finally, that hidden dance that some call heaven.”
Few writers have explored the borderland between faith and contemporary living more eloquently and engagingly in recent years than Michael Mayne.  In Learning to Dance he creates a magical weave of poetry, science and spirituality, touching on the longings, doubts and hopes of all of us.

Prayerful Pauses

Finding God's Presence in Daily Life

Amy Welborn

“This is a delightful book that shines the light of faith into the daily human experiences of our lives.
Each reflection is like a little dart that pierces to the heart of daily living and opens us up to God and divine grace.  It’s a practical, easy-to-read, insightful and very profound book.”
– Msgr. Stephen J. Rossetti, PhD, DMin.

Prayers & Ideas For Healing Services

Ian Cowie

A book of sound advice and practical resources arising from the author’s decades of experience in the Christian healing ministry.  It provides guidelines for preparing, structuring and following up on healing services and presents a large number of prayers which can be used in such situations.
‘… A structured yet inspiring presentation of the basis of the Christian healing ministry…’  – Bernard Cartwright, Director, The Churches’ Council for Health and Healing (UK)

Summoned At Every Age

Finding God in our Later Years

Peter van Breemen

Life summons us at every age and calls us to be ready for new endeavours.  Whether in youth, adulthood, or maturity, we are always learning, always growing.  Best-selling author and Jesuit retreat master Peter van Breemen invites us to recognize that amidst the many challenges of growing older, there is indeed profound beauty and grace.
Summoned at Every Age awakens a sense of profound gratitude and beckons us to enter our inner centre of stillness.
Ageing is indeed a grace.  But it is also a multifaceted and complex task.  This engaging and easy-to-read little book will help readers to see that there is harmony and fruitfulness during this sometimes difficult stage of life.

Experiencing God in a Time of Crisis

Sarah Bachelard

There are critical times in our lives, moments of profound loss, grief and fear in which our frameworks of sense seem to collapse and no longer enable us to convey meaning to overwhelming events or even to life itself.  In this work Sarah Bachelard suggests that the practice of meditation and contemplative living may help us endure and integrate such turning point experiences, and bring our life and identity into a deeper wholeness.
Crisis, Bachelard indicates, may be seen as a call or opportunity to genuinely encounter the reality of God.  The journey is painful and involves letting go of our old ways to enter the unknown realm of poverty of spirit, but it also offers us the possibility of going back into the world free and courageous, with a new sense of being alive, and with a radically deepened capacity to be with and to love other human beings.

Into The Silent Land

The Practice of Contemplation

Martin Laird

‘This book is different.  There are plenty of books on contemplation that feel rather tired – either wordy and laboured or unhelpfully smooth and idealistic.  But this is sharp, deep, with no cliches, no psychobabble and no short cuts.  Its honesty is bracing, its vision utterly clear;  it is a
rare treasure.’      –   Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury

‘Often they say, “You learn how to swim by swimming” but a good coach or swimming manual is essential.  Equally, we could say, “You learn how to be contemplative by contemplating” and a good guide or mentor is necessary.  Into the Silent Land is just that.  I tried it and it works.  Try it.’
–     Desmond Tutu, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize