Discernment and Inner Knowing


Book Description

This ground-breaking study explores spiritual and secular discernment. It is a detailed study of the process of Quaker practice of discernment and of Theory U, a secular framework for change. Joycelin Dawes cross-fertilises the insights of Quaker practice with the methods and visual 'U map' of Theory U. Her purpose is to bring greater clarity strength to Quaker discernment through 'mutual irradiation' with Theory U. Joycelin is an established writer on Quaker and contemporary spirituality. What others are saying about this book: "This compelling book provides an original and insightful understanding of the art of discernment for the modern world in all its complexities. Joycelin Dawes explores the Quaker tradition and practice of discernment alongside modern secular leadership approaches of presencing and sensing. She offers an invaluable synthesis and makes a significant intellectual and practical contribution to the field of discernment and decision making for individuals, leaders and members of organisations. I cannot recommend it highly enough for its wisdom and insights." Dr Lynne Sedgmore CBE. Former Chief Executive of 157 Group, The Centre for Excellence in Leadership UK. "Joycelin Dawes'book explores Quaker discernment in the context of 'Theory U', a model for understanding the flow of decision making. It helpfully illuminates Quaker discernment without turning it into an artificial or theoretical process but retaining the connection to deep spiritual experience that we as Friends are seeking and encounter when engage in discernment processes. This book will help Friends to better understand, practise and share Quaker discipline and the source from which we act." Simon Best, Head of Learning, Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre. "What a fascinating and scholarly exploration of the nature and practice of discernment. Joycelin Dawes has carried out an exquisitely detailed investigation into the heart, head and hands of Quaker discernment; she draws on her equally forensic study of 'Theory U' to portray the light it can shed on both discernment theory and action. This is an exciting and timely study and of interest to anyone interested in improving collective thinking and decision-making." Jane Reed, Facilitator, coach and researcher. Author of The Adventurous School: Vision, Community and Curriculum for primary education in the twenty-first century.




Sacred Pace


Book Description

How do we hear from God and discern His will when it’s time to make big decisions? Terry Looper shares a four-step process for doing just that - a process he has learned and refined over thirty years as a Christian entrepreneur and founder of a multi-billion dollar company. At just thirty-six years old, Terry Looper was a successful Christian businessman who thought he had it all—until managing all he had led to a devastating burnout. Wealthy beyond his wildest dreams but miserable beyond belief, Terry experienced a radical transformation when he discovered how to align himself with God’s will in the years following his crash and burn. Sacred Pace is a four-step process that helps Christians in all walks of life learn how to slow down their decision-making under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, sift through their surface desires and sinful patterns in order to receive clear, peace-filled answers from the Lord, gain the confident assurance that God’s answers are His way of fulfilling the true desires he has placed in their hearts, and grow closer to the One who loves them most and knows them best. Sacred Pace is not another example of name-it-and-claim-it materialism in disguise. Instead, it walks Christians through the sometimes-painful process of “dying to self” in their decisions, both big and small, so that they desire God’s will more than their own.




Pursuing God's Will Together


Book Description

Church boards and other Christian leadership teams have long relied on models adapted from the business world. Ruth Haley Barton, president of the Transforming Center, helps teams transition to a much more fitting model—the spiritual community that practices discernment together.




Discernment


Book Description

Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life features the wisdom that spiritual leader and counselor Henri J. M. Nouwen brought to the essential question asked by every Christian and seeker: What should I do with my life? Nouwen emphasizes listening to the Word of God—in our hearts, in the Bible, in the community of faith, and in the voice of the poor as a way to discern God’s plan. Although the late Henri J. M. Nouwen counseled many people during his lifetime, his principles of discernment were never collected into a single volume. Now, in association with the Nouwen Legacy Trust, Michael Christensen—one of Nouwen’s longtime students—and Rebecca Laird have taken his coursework, journals, and unpublished writings to create this and other books in the series exploring God’s will for your life.




Manresa


Book Description




Steps To Knowledge: The Book of Inner Knowing


Book Description

Steps to Knowledge: The Book of Inner Knowing Steps to Knowledge is the Book of Inner Knowing. Its one-year study plan, which is divided into 365 “steps,” or lessons, is designed to enable students to learn to experience and to apply their Self-Knowledge, or Spiritual Power, in the world. Steps to Knowledge sets out to accomplish this task in a step-by-step manner as students are introduced to the essential ideas and practices which make such an undertaking possible. Practicing every day provides a solid foundation of experience and develops the thinking, perception and self-motivation necessary for both worldly success and spiritual advancement. Steps to Knowledge describes Knowledge in the following way: “Knowledge represents your True Self, your True Mind and your True Relationships in the universe. It also possesses your greater calling in the world and a perfect utilization of your nature, all of your inherent abilities and skills, even your limitations, all to be given for good in the world.” (Step 2) Knowledge is the deeper spiritual mind that the Creator has given to each person. It is the source of all meaningful action, contribution and relationships. It is our natural Inner Guidance system. Its reality is mysterious, but its Presence can be directly experienced. Knowledge is remarkably wise and effective in guiding each person in finding his or her right relationships, work and contribution. It is equally effective in preparing one to recognize the many pitfalls and deceptions that exist along the way. It is the basis for seeing, knowing, and acting with certainty and strength. It is the foundation of life. Steps to Knowledge has been provided as a Way for individuals who feel that a spiritual calling and purpose are emerging in their lives, but who need a new approach to fully comprehend what this means. Often these individuals have felt this pull for a long time. Steps provides a foundation upon which they can begin to respond to this calling. The only entrance requirement is the determination to know one’s purpose, meaning and direction.




God's Voice Within


Book Description

Many of us do not trust our own thoughts, feelings, and desires when it comes to discerning God’s will. Instead we look outside ourselves to determine what God wants from and for us. In God’s Voice Within, spiritual director Mark E. Thibodeaux, SJ, shows us how to use Ignatian discernment to access our own spiritual intuition and understand that the most trustworthy wisdom of all comes not from outside sources, but from God working through us. God’s Voice Within is intended for people who know that there is more to the spiritual life than they are currently experiencing and are ready to take the next step in their walk of faith by making effective discernment—specifically Ignatian discernment—a daily practice. Ultimately, God’s Voice Within teaches us to discern what is at the root of our actions and emotions, which in turn allows us to respond to God’s promptings inside us rather than unconsciously reacting to life around us.




Let Your Life Speak


Book Description

PLEASE NOTE: Some recent copies of Let Your Life Speak included printing errors. These issues have been corrected, but if you purchased a defective copy between September and December 2019, please send proof of purchase to [email protected] to receive a replacement copy. Dear Friends: I'm sorry that after 20 years of happy traveling, Let Your Life Speak hit a big pothole involving printing errors that resulted in an unreadable book. But I'm very grateful to my publisher for moving quickly to see that people who received a defective copy have a way to receive a good copy without going through the return process. We're all doing everything we can to make things right, and I'm grateful for your patience. Thank you, Parker J. Palmer With wisdom, compassion, and gentle humor, Parker J. Palmer invites us to listen to the inner teacher and follow its leadings toward a sense of meaning and purpose. Telling stories from his own life and the lives of others who have made a difference, he shares insights gained from darkness and depression as well as fulfillment and joy, illuminating a pathway toward vocation for all who seek the true calling of their lives.




The Lived Experience of Group Spiritual Direction


Book Description

These moving, positive essays witness the experiences of participants in Shalem Institute's group spiritual direction workshops. Each author relates what he or she learned as a member, mentor or facilitator of a spiritual direction group--a community gathered together to seek and share a desire for God in communal silence, dialogue, intercessory prayer and discernment--and adapts it to a specific setting--the family, workplace, congregation, seminary, the homeless. The result is this collection--a loving, gentle testament to the power of spiritual direction groups--that enables young and old, clergy and laity of all faiths to realize, celebrate and proclaim a commonality of greater spiritual purpose. Fluid and well-honed, The Lived Experience of Group Spiritual Direction is of great value to seminarians, graduate students, church organizations, clergy and laity of all faiths, as well as to anyone seeking guidance on the value of group spiritual direction. It features biographies of its numerous contributors. +




Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership


Book Description

In this expanded edition of her spiritual formation classic, Ruth Haley Barton invites us to an honest exploration of what happens when spiritual leaders lose track of their souls. Weaving together contemporary illustrations with penetrating insight from the life of Moses, Barton explores topics such as facing the loneliness of leadership, leading from your authentic self, reenvisioning the promised land and more.




Recent Books