The psalmist's cogent lines that humans are both "passing guests" and "aliens like all of our forebears" (Ps 39:12) bind humans together in their lived experiences. This temporary status on earth is reinforced in the changing seasons, from winter . . . to spring . . . to summer . . . to fall, year after year. The seasons are both a physical reality persons experience and a metaphor for their spiritual journeys. The days are not all the same; as varied as the seasons, they come and go, carr...

The rule of Jesus articulated in Matthew's Gospel is neither obscure nor archaic. Jesus' imperatives speak powerfully to the contemporary issues of our day, and do so by illuminating a way of clarity, simplicity, and love. Where populism demands separation, Jesus promotes unity; where institutionalism extols hierarchical power, Jesus encourages humble service; where individualism lauds immediate gratification, Jesus asserts the path of sacrificial love. Indeed, as the Gospel of Matthew lay...

This is a guide for spiritual mountain climbers. In the Scriptures, connecting with Abba often leads to a mountain. Modern spiritual writers have long recognized this scriptural metaphor and explored the nature of this journey of ascent. Drawing on the text of the Bible, works of literature, and the writings of mystics both old and new, Climbing the Spiritual Mountain speaks of the desires and intentions, discipline, and effort involved in developing our intimacy with Christ. In Jesus' dea...

There is a longstanding tradition that God whispers in our ears. He does not shout. It is in "the holy whisper," writes the Quaker mystic, that we hear Abba's voice, not in the noise of clamoring crowds or the incessant barrage of social media. To hear the voice of God is an awesome thing--to know his thoughts, to intuit his love, to participate in his good pleasure. It is both a gift to be received and art to be cultivated. It can call to us when we least expect; but we can train ourselve...

St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians is a bold declaration of love. We were in the ruminations of Abba before the stardust formed into galaxies and the earth coalesced into its present shape. Indeed, Abba's dream for his people already existed in those primordial days. Today we have the opportunity to wake up and embrace his dream with enthusiasm and intentionality. As members of his church, individually and collectively, we want to embrace God's desire for a dynamic people infused with his ...

In his sequel to The Ragamuffin Gospel bestselling author Brennan Manning shows how true and radical trust in God can transform our lives and invigorate our approach to Christian living.Manning, beloved author and spiritual teacher, shows us how trust in God can transform our lives and open us up to deeper experiences of grace and love. In Ruthless Trust EPB, he turns his focus from furious love to radical trust, revealing the ways in which trust renews our faith ...

The Divine Conspiracy has revolutionized how we think about the true meaning of Christian discipleship. In this classic work of spiritual formation, one of the most brilliant Christian thinkers of our times and author of the acclaimed The Spirit of Disciplines, Dallas Willard, skillfully weaves together biblical teaching, popular culture, science, scholarship, and spiritual practice, revealing what it means to "apprentice" ourselves to Jesus. Using Jesus’s Sermon on the M...

10th Anniversary Edition Whatever path you're on, God is there to guide you . . .Anyone seeking to deepen his or her relationship with God will greatly benefit from Inner Compass, Margaret Silf's dynamic presentation of the profound insights of St. Ignatius of Loyola's Spiritual Exercises. While reflective, the work exudes a congenial, practical outlook and a thoroughly modern sensibility. As Silf points out, the book "grew out of questions rather than certainty, discovery rather than doct...

Written in a warm, accessible, and intimate style, Be Still and Get Going will touch those who are searching for an authentic spiritual practice that speaks to them in their own cultural language.Lew is one of the most sought-after rabbis on the lecture circuit. He has had national media exposure for his dynamic fusion of Eastern insight and Bible study, having been the subject of stories on ABC News, the McNeil Lehrer News Hour, and various NPR programs. In the past five ...

As they examine each familiar phrase of the Lord's Prayer, readers will uncover a profound framework for spiritual growth. In a reader-friendly, memorable style, David Timms points to Jesus's teaching on community, love for the broken and isolated, holiness in an age of profanity, dealing with the evil within, resisting temptations, and much more. This critically acclaimed book will appeal to all who desire to go deeper into spiritual formation, helping them taste the life-giving water tha...

As Abba's children, we need only to define ourselves through His Son, just as the apostle John did—as one beloved by God. Through this timeless devotional, author and speaker Brennan Manning brings you from a lukewarm, distant faith to being close enough to lean against Jesus—the Great Rabbi—and listen to His heartbeat. Adapted from the best-seller Abba's Child, this daily reminder of the Father's relentless love will help you accept your identity as a child of God as you grow in ...