The Sacred Art of Soul Making: Second Edition

The Sacred Art of Soul Making: Second Edition
Author: Joseph Naft
Publisher:
Total Pages: 388
Release: 2011-09
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 9780978610920

"The Sacred Art of Soul Making" offers an authentic and substantive spirituality for our time, one that leads the reader toward understanding the structure of the soul and its development through meditation, prayer, presence, and other practices. This book addresses the important questions of soul and spirit with the depth and subtlety they require and with the clarity they call for. Joseph Naft presents an integrated spiritual path that begins where we are and ultimately takes us beyond consciousness, toward the abode of the sacred. That sacredness can touch and transform each of us, if we make the necessary, devoted effort. And "The Sacred Art of Soul Making" shows the way toward that potential. This Second Edition incorporates numerous significant revisions to the original, plus two entirely new chapters: "Worlds of the Spirit" and "Modes of Will."

The Sacred Art of Soul Making

The Sacred Art of Soul Making
Author: Joseph Naft
Publisher: Joseph Naft
Total Pages: 298
Release: 2006-06
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 0978610903

"Deep within each of us dwells the source of peace, purpose, and love. Yet we live in the chaotic dissonance of the superficial layers of our hearts and minds. A sea of the most precious spiritual energies surrounds us, inside and out, yet our thirst remains unquenched, our souls malnourished and unformed." (from the Introduction). Bridging East and West, "The Sacred Art of Soul Making" addresses the central questions of spiritual practice with the depth and subtlety they require and with unexpected clarity. As Westerners raised in Christianity or Judaism progress in their Eastern practices, they often find themselves drawn back toward their own religious roots and the search for the Divinity. They may rediscover their need for a personal relationship with the Divine, for the practice of prayer, openness to conscience and the understanding of will found in the monotheistic religions. Many people have not engaged Eastern meditative practices out of devotion to their own religion. Those may well find the inner work forms of presence and meditation, stripped of cultural trappings, to be important adjuncts to the practice of prayer, helping open the way to the sacred depths sought in Western religions. This authentic, substantive, and multi-faceted spirituality for our time begins where we are and ultimately takes us beyond consciousness, toward the abode of the sacred. That sacredness can touch and transform each of us, if we make the necessary, devoted effort. This book helps make that possible.

Becoming You: Cultivating Spiritual Presence

Becoming You: Cultivating Spiritual Presence
Author: Joseph Naft
Publisher:
Total Pages: 496
Release: 2009-07-01
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 9780978610913

Bridging meditation, prayer, and presence, Becoming You: Cultivating Spiritual Presence presents an extensive array of 365 week-long methods for cultivating spiritual presence and the many facets of our soul. Offering ways to plumb the extraordinary depths of meditation and prayer, to enrich our daily life through presence, to awaken new perceptions, to develop our soul, and to become fully ourselves, this book brings simplicity of heart and clarity of mind to our spiritual pursuit. Following an arc of generally increasing subtlety, Becoming You cycles through the many aspects of a complete path, carrying us steadily deeper in our quest. Joseph Naft has taught meditation and spiritual practices since 1976. His other books include The Sacred Art of Soul Making: Balance and Depth in Spiritual Practice and two novels, Agents of Peace and Restoring Our Soul.

Lectio Divina--The Sacred Art

Lectio Divina--The Sacred Art
Author: Christine Valters Paintner
Publisher: SkyLight Paths Publishing
Total Pages: 242
Release: 2011-05-27
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1594733007

Break open this ancient contemplative practice of listening deeply for God's voice in sacred texts. Drawing on her own experience as a monk in the world, Christine Valters Paintner introduces the foundations for a practice of lectio divina. She closely examines each of the four movements of lectio divina as well as the rhythm they create when practiced as a process.

Concerning the Spiritual in Art

Concerning the Spiritual in Art
Author: Wassily Kandinsky
Publisher: Courier Corporation
Total Pages: 111
Release: 2012-04-20
Genre: Art
ISBN: 048613248X

Pioneering work by the great modernist painter, considered by many to be the father of abstract art and a leader in the movement to free art from traditional bonds. 12 illustrations.

Preaching from the Soul

Preaching from the Soul
Author: Dr. J. Ellsworth Kalas
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Total Pages: 87
Release: 2010-09-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1426720807

Careful biblical interpretation; insights into contemporary life; polished delivery; humorous anecdotes; these are the building blocks of preaching that genuinely reach people. Right? Wrong, says Ellsworth Kalas. We have all encountered preachers who seem to know all the fine points of exegesis and inflection, yet whose sermons leave us surprisingly unmoved, aware that we were in the presence of good speaking, but not great preaching. The difference, Kalas reminds us, lies in that hard-to-describe, yet essential quality known as soul. Soul is the collection of those perspectives and convictions that matter most to the preacher. Soul preaching means offering one's particular ideas, attitudes, and convictions fully to the congregation. When one preaches with soul, one engages the biblical text with the core of one's values and beliefs. Soul preaching is, in other words, simply giving the whole self to the task of proclamation. While the concept may sound simple, the reality is anything but. In the clear, insightful style for which he is known, Kalas takes readers on a path of discovery, introducing them to the unique gifts that they can bring to preaching, and the best way to engage those gifts in preparing and delivering the sermon.

Practicing the Sacred Art of Listening

Practicing the Sacred Art of Listening
Author: Kay Lindahl
Publisher: SkyLight Paths Publishing
Total Pages: 169
Release: 2003
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 1893361853

Poor listening leads to misunderstandings and lost opportunities. Learning to listen well requires spiritual practice. It happens at work and at home, with strangers and close friends, in heated debates and in quiet conversations--you hear someone speaking, but often you don't truly listen. Kay Lindahl's highly respected workshops are attended by people from a broad range of backgrounds. Her first book, The Sacred Art of Listening, has been published to acclaim in North America, Europe and Asia. Now she offers practical, easy-to-follow advice and exercises to enhance your capacity to listen in a spirit-filled way. Using examples from her own life and her work as a teacher of the sacred art of listening, Lindahl explores the nature and use of silence, reflection and divine presence as foundational qualities of listening and shows you how you can apply these in your everyday life. This valuable workshop-in-a-book examines the varied ways we are called to deep listening, including: Contemplative listening Reflective listening Heart listening Listening in groups Listening in conversations ... and more You will find yourself inspired to discover how different your conversations will be when you stop just talking and start really listening.

The Radiant Mountain

The Radiant Mountain
Author: Joseph Naft
Publisher:
Total Pages: 508
Release: 2013-11
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 9780978610937

The Radiant Mountain lies buried deep within us. Fulfillment in life, for those drawn to it, means uncovering and climbing that spiritual mountain as far as we can. Because it is a hidden and unseen territory, an inner world of the spirit, our questions abound. What is the spiritual path and where does it lead? What is presence and how does it relate to spirituality and prayer? How can I develop my presence? How can I deepen my prayer? Bridging meditation, prayer, and presence, The Radiant Mountain presents sequences of week-long methods for cultivating spiritual presence and the many facets of our soul. Offering ways to plumb the extraordinary depths of meditation and prayer, to enrich our daily life through presence, to awaken new perceptions, to develop our soul, and to become fully ourselves, this book brings simplicity of heart and clarity of mind to our spiritual pursuit. Joseph Naft has taught meditation and spiritual practices since 1976. His other books include The Sacred Art of Soul Making: Balance and Depth in Spiritual Practice, Becoming You: Cultivating Spiritual Presence, and two novels, Agents of Peace and Restoring Our Soul.

The Soul's Slow Ripening

The Soul's Slow Ripening
Author: Christine Valters Paintner
Publisher: Ave Maria Press
Total Pages: 192
Release: 2018-09-07
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1932057110

What does God want for your life? Christine Valters Paintner, bestselling Catholic author and online abbess for Abbey of the Arts, uses reflections, stories, guided activities, prayer experiences, and a variety of creative arts to help you patiently and attentively listen to God’s invitation. Everyone wants to understand God’s will for their lives. Christine Valters Paintner shares one of the most ancient paths to understanding from her study of monasticism and immersion into Celtic spirituality while living in Ireland. The Celtic way, which Paintner distills into twelve practices, offers discernment that focuses on the environment rather than the intellectual focus present in other forms of discernment. It allows for what Paintner calls the “soul’s slow ripening,” coming into the fullness of our own sweetness before we pluck the fruit. Each chapter begins with a story of a particular Irish saint—some well-known like Patrick or Brigid, others less so, such as Ita and Ciaran—and then introduces a helpful practice for discernment that the saint’s life illustrates. Paintner explores the call of dreams, the importance of thresholds, the practice of peregrination (wandering for the love of God), walking the rounds, learning by heart, soul friends, blessing each moment, and the wisdom of the landscape and the seasons. Readers are invited to explore these concepts through photography and writing. She invites us to contemplative walks with specific themes along with poetic writing prompts for expression. As you explore an alternate way of discerning a spiritual path—one which honors the moment-by-moment invitations and the soul’s seasonal rhythms—you will discover that this book will help you become more aligned with creativity and wholeness.