Wild Blessings


Book Description

This book "offers the first full-length study of Lucille Clifton's poetry, drawing on a broad knowledge of the American poetic tradition and African American poetry ... In addition to a new preface written after Clifton's death in 2010, this updated edition includes an epilogue that discusses the poetry she published after 2004"--Page 4 of cover




Wild Blessings


Book Description

Widely acclaimed for her powerful explorations of race, womanhood, spirituality, and mortality, poet Lucille Clifton has published thirteen volumes of poems since 1969 and has received numerous accolades for her work, including the 2000 National Book Award for Blessing the Boats. Her verse is featured in almost every anthology of contemporary poetry, and her readings draw large and enthusiastic audiences. Although Clifton's poetry is a pleasure to read, it is neither as simple nor as blithely celebratory as readers sometimes assume. The bursts of joy found in her polished, elegant lines are frequently set against a backdrop of regret and sorrow. Alternately consoling, stimulating, and emotionally devastating, Clifton's poems are unforgettable. In Wild Blessings, Hilary Holladay offers the first full-length study of Clifton's poetry, drawing on a broad knowledge of the American poetic tradition and African American poetry in particular. Holladay places Clifton's poems in multiple contexts -- personal, political, and literary -- as she explicates major themes and analyzes specific works: Clifton's poems about womanhood, a central concern throughout her career; her fertility poems, which are provocatively compared with Sylvia Plath's poems on the same subject; her relation to the Black Arts Movement and to other black female poets, such as Gwendolyn Brooks and Sonia Sanchez; her biblical poems; her elegies; and her poignant family history, Generations, an extended prose poem. In addition to a new preface written after Clifton's death in 2010, this updated edition includes an epilogue that discusses the poetry collections she published after 2004. Readers encountering Lucille Clifton's poems for the first time and those long familiar with her distinctive voice will benefit from Hilary Holladay's striking insights and her illuminating interview with the influential American poet.




Church of the Wild


Book Description

2024 Nautilus Book Awards Silver Winner in "Religion / Spirituality of Western Thought" CategoryWinner of the Living Now Book Award, Church of the Wild reminds us that once upon a time, humans lived in an intimate relationship with nature. Whether disillusioned by the dominant church or unfulfilled by traditional expressions of faith, many of us long for a deeper spirituality. Victoria Loorz certainly did. Coping with an unraveling vocation, identity, and planet, Loorz turned to the wanderings of spiritual leaders and the sanctuary of the natural world, eventually cofounding the Wild Church Network and Seminary of the Wild. With an ecospiritual lens on biblical narratives and a fresh look at a community larger than our own species, Church of the Wild uncovers the wild roots of faith and helps us deepen our commitment to a suffering earth by falling in love with it--and calling it church. Through mystical encounters with wild deer, whispers from a scrubby oak tree, wordless conversation with a cougar, and more, Loorz helps us connect to a love that literally holds the world together--a love that calls us into communion with all creatures.




Blessing the Animals


Book Description

Make a spiritual journey through this beautiful collection of blessings, prayers and meditations about the creatures, wild and tame, that inhabit our world. These moving contributions about all types of animals?playful dogs and beloved cats, giant whales and powerful elephants, tiny insects and delicate birds?are drawn from many faith traditions, including Native American, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu and Buddhist.A special section also provides animal blessing ceremonies you can use to memorialize the loss of a companion animal, offer prayers for an animal suffering illness or injury or simply recognize the spiritual connection we create when we fully appreciate another member of God?s creation.




Book of Blessings


Book Description

A collection of blessings for the people, celebrations, sadnesses, artefacts, special occasions and journeys of our lives.




The Lost Words


Book Description

From bestselling Landmarks author Robert Macfarlane and acclaimed artist and author Jackie Morris, a beautiful collection of poems and illustrations to help readers rediscover the magic of the natural world.




Moments of Our Nights and Days


Book Description

A resource book for planning baptisms, naming ceremonies, weddings and civil partnerships and marking the many other significant moments of our nights and days. There are resources that do not assume any faith commitment, as well as ones that reflect Christian belief.




Praying for the Dawn


Book Description

The ministry of healing plays a vital and central part in the life of the Iona Community. It is a ministry in which justice is as important as medicine, reverence for the earth is as vital as respect for the individual person and the health of the body politic matters as much as the health of the body personal. In addition to giving a taste of the background, context and range of this work, Praying for the Dawn offers detailed resources for those who wish to introduce the ministry of healing to their own churches or groups but are unsure of where to start.




Touring The Sierra Nevada


Book Description

The complete guide to the entire Sierra NevadaThe Sierra Nevada is one of the most scenic, biologically diverse, and historically rich mountain ranges in North America. Touring the Sierra Nevada covers the entire range and its adjacent regions, exploring the Sierra Nevada from such world-famous sites as Lake Tahoe and Yosemite to picturesque mining towns, scenic alpine lakes, lush vineyards, and colorful hidden byways. Koehler offers suggestions for long tours and exciting daytrips, as well as detailed information about the history, geology, flora and fauna, economy, and unique features of places along the way. The book is illustrated with photographs and maps of the regions she describes. Koehler includes excursions for automobile travelers as well as backcountry adventures for hikers. She provides information about attractions in the Sierra’s two “jumping-off” cities, Sacramento and Reno, as well as in some of the major towns within the range. There is practical advice about contacting parks, museums, historical sites, visitors’ bureaus, U.S. Forest Service offices, and other agencies; finding lodging, campgrounds, and restaurants along the way; preparing for weather and altitude changes; and identifying further sources of information about the region in published guides and other books, as well as on websites. Koehler offers her readers the literary companionship of an experienced, charming, and vivacious guide through one of America’s most fascinating regions.




The Power of Spoken Blessings


Book Description

This book explores how verbal blessings can change and restore difficult relationships, highlighting the great power of the living God to work in our daily lives. The spoken blessing is a powerful spiritual weapon with enduring impact. By giving spoken blessings, we can see healing brought to aching souls and restoration brought to bruised relationships. Such wonders are accomplished by the power of God’s Spirit through the agency of spoken blessings, just as Scripture affirms: "Death and life are in the power of the tongue." Our words have the power to crush or to heal, to break bones or to plant a tree of life where none has grown before. And these dynamics of the spoken blessing may be truer today than ever. Mr. Gothard’s timely message brings this awareness to us in a helpful and encouraging way. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Proverbs 18:21 What if spoken blessings could grant freedom from years of bitter hurts? What if they could break down the walls that divide husband from wife, parent from child, and friend from friend? Our words have lasting impact not only for harm, but also for great good. By speaking blessings, we can help bring healing to aching souls and restoration to bruised relationships. Let Bill Gothard share with you the secret of spoken blessings, and embark on a rich family tradition that brings harmony and closeness beyond anything you’ve previously experienced. Story Behind the Book While dealing with layer after layer of hurts, fears, and barriers that teenagers experience with their parents and God, I often heard cruel statements by a parent during a time of anger. Statements like “I wish you were never born” or “You’ll never amount to anything” were like deadly poison affecting everything in that teenager’s life. Such is the power of a verbal curse. However, more powerful have been the verbal blessings of a parent to a son or daughter. They have been like sources of refreshment and energy that have guided the goals and decisions of those who received them. With such lasting results from the life-and-death power of the tongue, it was essential to me that this book be written.