Summer reading
The days are long, the nights have that refreshing coolness about them, and many of us are off on holiday! Whether you’re jet setting, cruising, staying in the UK or even planning a little ‘staycation’ at home, every booklover knows that the best thing about a holiday is the time to read!
- Grid List
{"id":2439795015780,"title":"God among the Ruins: Trust and transformation in difficult times","handle":"god-among-the-ruins-trust-and-transformation-in-difficult-times","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhere do we turn when our world is falling apart?\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eIt takes courage to hope; to stand in our confusion and grief and still to believe that 'God is not helpless among the ruins'. Guided by Habakkuk and his prophetic landmarks, we are drawn on a reflective journey through the tangled landscape of bewildered faith, through places of wrestling and waiting, and on into the growth space of deepened trust and transformation. As you read, discover for yourself the value and practice of honest prayer, of surrender, of silence and listening, and of irrepressible hoping.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eContents\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIntroduction\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt's a long and winding road\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWounded ragings\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt wasn't meant to be like this\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDon't just do something, sit there!\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOf plastic bottles, empty tin cans and trust\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrom the back door to the barn door - and beyond\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhat's in a name?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWalking with the wounded\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe wonder of this book is its searing honesty. Through the lens of her own life-changing loss and learning from Habbakuk's journey through profound pain, Mags helps us see how we might come to trust the goodness of God amidst heart-rending devastation and chaos. This is gentle, biblically-rooted, and carefully crafted wisdom that faces difficult questions and emotions of suffering head on yet persists in seeking God amongst it all. This is wisdom that has been lived. I trust that many might discover this book.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Tracy Cotterell, London Institute for Contemporary Christianity \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn 9\/11 when I saw the Twin Towers in New York, one after the other, pancake to the ground in a deafening explosion of devastation and heart-wrenching tragedy, it was hard to imagine God among those ruins. When I walked beside a couple whose only child had died at 10 months on Thanksgiving Day, they found it hard to imagine a God among their ruins. When my own hopes and dreams collapsed after trying everything imaginable to keep them alive, I too struggled with finding God in the ruins. In this beautifully written book and with a careful study of Habakkuk, Duggan unfolds the story of her own journey through haunting loss to the transforming comfort of God. So if you have struggled with believing in a loving God when your own world collapses, this book will serve you well. It certainly guided and helped me. Dr.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e MaryKate Morse, professor, author and spiritual director \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf only I had had this book when I looked for help with my own experience of deep and all-pervading disappointment with God in 1983 and could find nothing written on the subject! An interaction with the words of the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk based on Mags's own devastation, it is totally authentic in declaring the pain each of them went through and the ways in which they related to God in and through it. It is totally practical as well in offering guidance through activities that help one to recognise one's own difficulties and bring them before God. And, through it all, no matter how horrible the circumstances and the experience, Emmanuel, the God who is with us. It is wonderful to have such a resource available to those who are going through pain and anger with God.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Dr Colin Bulley, Pioneers UK, Member Care Consultant, Spiritual Director \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI was eagerly anticipating the release of 'God Among The Ruins', having sat under Mags Duggan's teaching on a number of occasions, and I was not disappointed. Although the book was birthed in the author's own journey of suffering, that does not become the main focus. Each chapter gently and compassionately brings the reader to God Himself through the faith journey of Habakkuk. Mags has not avoided the problems that suffering brings, nor has she offered trite answers where there are none. Rather she helps us learn to walk with the questions as we move towards God. The practical reflections suggested at the end of each chapter are so helpful for readers wanting to apply the truths they are encountering. So helpful. So good.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Valerie Murphy, Coordinator of Women's Bible Teaching Ministry, Crescent Church Belfast, Retreat Leader, Bible Teacher \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIncisively yet simply written, there are lessons for us all, not just those who have suffered grief or earthquake.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Revd Canon Dr Steve Davie, Principal of the Bradford Hub of the Leeds School of Ministry \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg height=\"384\" width=\"288\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/MagsinFergusFalls_480x480.jpg?v=1676493905\" alt=\"\" style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMags Duggan has worked with the Navigators for 35 years, many of these as a cross-cultural missionary in East Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan. More recently, she was on the faculty of Redcliffe College, Gloucester, where she lectured in two areas she is passionate about: Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. Currently, she is engaged in providing spiritual nurture and pastoral care to a diverse group of cross-cultural missionaries and ministry leaders, both here in the UK and around the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Reader, Winter 2018. Review by Howard Rowe\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is an honest and moving book, with a message for everyone who has struggled or suffered. It is based on the book of Habakkuk, whose short prophecy tells of the prophet's despair, questioning and wrestling with God, and emergence as a wiser, more peaceful person. Duggan tells her own story of despair, questioning, wrestling and her emergence as a wiser, more peaceful person. God Among the Ruins is honest and gently emotive. It is not intended to be a happy story, but it is a tremendously encouraging one. Duggan's chapter on 'Walking with the wounded' is particularly moving. The writing is warm and compelling. It could suit a home group as well as an individual. Each chapter contains simple but practical suggestions to help the reader put the message into practice. It is a book of hope, which nearly everyone would benefit from. I recommend it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReview by Howard Rowe\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e_____________________________________________________________________\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Baptist Times, August 2018. Reviewed by David Stuckey\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen I was a lot younger my mum gave me her copy of God in The Slums written by Hugh Redwood in the 1930s. It was not an easy read for a young lad but I have revisited it several times in the intervening years and have come to appreciate its sincerity and its poignancy. It told of finding God's presence in unlikely places, in the midst of trial and tribulation, and at times it could be an achingly poignant read.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have come across few accounts of loss and despair over the years to come close to Redwood's image of abiding faith - until now. Mags Duggan has similarly identified God's goodness and guidance in times of trial and torment. 'Trust and transformation in difficult times,' she suggests, as her opening reflection in God Among the Ruins repeats familiar words from Habakkuk: 'Even though ... even here ... Emmanuel'. At times when God seemed distant, when crops failed, when death and devastation abounded, Habakkuk was able to declare 'Yet I will rejoice'.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMags gives her readers an achingly personal reflection of coming to terms with the death of her young niece from cancer, and those words she found which resonated with her in these circumstances came from another who clung to his faith in God in harrowing circumstances. The words of Eric Liddell, the Olympic runner and missionary who died in a Japanese prisoner of war camp came to her, 'sparking the hope of healing and new life,' she writes. Liddell had declared 'Circumstances may appear to wreck our lives and God's plans, but God is not helpless among the ruins.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a book to savour, to dip into for comfort and support, to reflect on personal circumstances and to appreciate the rewards of faith and Christian support. And having unwrapped and dissected Habakkuk in many helpful and meaningful ways, the author then reveals that she too was diagnosed with breast cancer on the day she submitted the manuscript for publication.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a book to make you weep and wonder, as it gives the reader fresh insight not only into living with cancer but also submitting one's life into the caring arms of the Almighty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDavid Stuckey is a journalist and member of Maghull Baptist Church, Merseyside\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by Mike Treneer, International President Emeritus, The Navigators (8 March 2018)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are many reasons to commend Mags Duggan's beautifully written book 'God Among the Ruins'! I will mention just three:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis meditation on the Old Testament book of Habakkuk in the light of Mags' own experience of grief for her niece, powerfully brings Bible and life together in ways that help us to understand both.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMags combines profound insights into some of life's most challenging questions with simple practical suggestions for growing in our relationship with God through them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile Mags opens up her own process of grief, she helpfully illustrates and guides us in how we too can 'comfort others with the comfort we too have received from God.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReview by Mike Treneer, International President Emeritus, The Navigators.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e_____________________________________________________________________\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2019-01-18T15:23:29+00:00","created_at":"2019-01-18T15:23:31+00:00","vendor":"Mags Duggan","type":"Paperback","tags":["Anna Chaplaincy books","Feb-18","Kindle","Pastoral care","Recommended for Anna Chaplaincy","Torch Trust","Women"],"price":899,"price_min":899,"price_max":899,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":21769678848100,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857465757","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":7436832178276,"product_id":2439795015780,"position":1,"created_at":"2019-01-18T15:23:31+00:00","updated_at":"2019-02-01T17:45:39+00:00","alt":null,"width":427,"height":650,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857465757-l.jpg?v=1549043139","variant_ids":[21769678848100]},"available":true,"name":"God among the Ruins: Trust and transformation in difficult times - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":899,"weight":162,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857465757","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":3238879527051,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.657,"height":650,"width":427,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857465757-l.jpg?v=1549043139"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857465757-l.jpg?v=1549043139"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857465757-l.jpg?v=1549043139","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":3238879527051,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.657,"height":650,"width":427,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857465757-l.jpg?v=1549043139"},"aspect_ratio":0.657,"height":650,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857465757-l.jpg?v=1549043139","width":427}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhere do we turn when our world is falling apart?\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eIt takes courage to hope; to stand in our confusion and grief and still to believe that 'God is not helpless among the ruins'. Guided by Habakkuk and his prophetic landmarks, we are drawn on a reflective journey through the tangled landscape of bewildered faith, through places of wrestling and waiting, and on into the growth space of deepened trust and transformation. As you read, discover for yourself the value and practice of honest prayer, of surrender, of silence and listening, and of irrepressible hoping.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eContents\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIntroduction\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt's a long and winding road\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWounded ragings\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt wasn't meant to be like this\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDon't just do something, sit there!\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOf plastic bottles, empty tin cans and trust\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrom the back door to the barn door - and beyond\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhat's in a name?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWalking with the wounded\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe wonder of this book is its searing honesty. Through the lens of her own life-changing loss and learning from Habbakuk's journey through profound pain, Mags helps us see how we might come to trust the goodness of God amidst heart-rending devastation and chaos. This is gentle, biblically-rooted, and carefully crafted wisdom that faces difficult questions and emotions of suffering head on yet persists in seeking God amongst it all. This is wisdom that has been lived. I trust that many might discover this book.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Tracy Cotterell, London Institute for Contemporary Christianity \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn 9\/11 when I saw the Twin Towers in New York, one after the other, pancake to the ground in a deafening explosion of devastation and heart-wrenching tragedy, it was hard to imagine God among those ruins. When I walked beside a couple whose only child had died at 10 months on Thanksgiving Day, they found it hard to imagine a God among their ruins. When my own hopes and dreams collapsed after trying everything imaginable to keep them alive, I too struggled with finding God in the ruins. In this beautifully written book and with a careful study of Habakkuk, Duggan unfolds the story of her own journey through haunting loss to the transforming comfort of God. So if you have struggled with believing in a loving God when your own world collapses, this book will serve you well. It certainly guided and helped me. Dr.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e MaryKate Morse, professor, author and spiritual director \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf only I had had this book when I looked for help with my own experience of deep and all-pervading disappointment with God in 1983 and could find nothing written on the subject! An interaction with the words of the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk based on Mags's own devastation, it is totally authentic in declaring the pain each of them went through and the ways in which they related to God in and through it. It is totally practical as well in offering guidance through activities that help one to recognise one's own difficulties and bring them before God. And, through it all, no matter how horrible the circumstances and the experience, Emmanuel, the God who is with us. It is wonderful to have such a resource available to those who are going through pain and anger with God.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Dr Colin Bulley, Pioneers UK, Member Care Consultant, Spiritual Director \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI was eagerly anticipating the release of 'God Among The Ruins', having sat under Mags Duggan's teaching on a number of occasions, and I was not disappointed. Although the book was birthed in the author's own journey of suffering, that does not become the main focus. Each chapter gently and compassionately brings the reader to God Himself through the faith journey of Habakkuk. Mags has not avoided the problems that suffering brings, nor has she offered trite answers where there are none. Rather she helps us learn to walk with the questions as we move towards God. The practical reflections suggested at the end of each chapter are so helpful for readers wanting to apply the truths they are encountering. So helpful. So good.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Valerie Murphy, Coordinator of Women's Bible Teaching Ministry, Crescent Church Belfast, Retreat Leader, Bible Teacher \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIncisively yet simply written, there are lessons for us all, not just those who have suffered grief or earthquake.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Revd Canon Dr Steve Davie, Principal of the Bradford Hub of the Leeds School of Ministry \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg height=\"384\" width=\"288\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/MagsinFergusFalls_480x480.jpg?v=1676493905\" alt=\"\" style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMags Duggan has worked with the Navigators for 35 years, many of these as a cross-cultural missionary in East Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan. More recently, she was on the faculty of Redcliffe College, Gloucester, where she lectured in two areas she is passionate about: Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. Currently, she is engaged in providing spiritual nurture and pastoral care to a diverse group of cross-cultural missionaries and ministry leaders, both here in the UK and around the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Reader, Winter 2018. Review by Howard Rowe\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is an honest and moving book, with a message for everyone who has struggled or suffered. It is based on the book of Habakkuk, whose short prophecy tells of the prophet's despair, questioning and wrestling with God, and emergence as a wiser, more peaceful person. Duggan tells her own story of despair, questioning, wrestling and her emergence as a wiser, more peaceful person. God Among the Ruins is honest and gently emotive. It is not intended to be a happy story, but it is a tremendously encouraging one. Duggan's chapter on 'Walking with the wounded' is particularly moving. The writing is warm and compelling. It could suit a home group as well as an individual. Each chapter contains simple but practical suggestions to help the reader put the message into practice. It is a book of hope, which nearly everyone would benefit from. I recommend it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReview by Howard Rowe\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e_____________________________________________________________________\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Baptist Times, August 2018. Reviewed by David Stuckey\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen I was a lot younger my mum gave me her copy of God in The Slums written by Hugh Redwood in the 1930s. It was not an easy read for a young lad but I have revisited it several times in the intervening years and have come to appreciate its sincerity and its poignancy. It told of finding God's presence in unlikely places, in the midst of trial and tribulation, and at times it could be an achingly poignant read.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have come across few accounts of loss and despair over the years to come close to Redwood's image of abiding faith - until now. Mags Duggan has similarly identified God's goodness and guidance in times of trial and torment. 'Trust and transformation in difficult times,' she suggests, as her opening reflection in God Among the Ruins repeats familiar words from Habakkuk: 'Even though ... even here ... Emmanuel'. At times when God seemed distant, when crops failed, when death and devastation abounded, Habakkuk was able to declare 'Yet I will rejoice'.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMags gives her readers an achingly personal reflection of coming to terms with the death of her young niece from cancer, and those words she found which resonated with her in these circumstances came from another who clung to his faith in God in harrowing circumstances. The words of Eric Liddell, the Olympic runner and missionary who died in a Japanese prisoner of war camp came to her, 'sparking the hope of healing and new life,' she writes. Liddell had declared 'Circumstances may appear to wreck our lives and God's plans, but God is not helpless among the ruins.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a book to savour, to dip into for comfort and support, to reflect on personal circumstances and to appreciate the rewards of faith and Christian support. And having unwrapped and dissected Habakkuk in many helpful and meaningful ways, the author then reveals that she too was diagnosed with breast cancer on the day she submitted the manuscript for publication.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a book to make you weep and wonder, as it gives the reader fresh insight not only into living with cancer but also submitting one's life into the caring arms of the Almighty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDavid Stuckey is a journalist and member of Maghull Baptist Church, Merseyside\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by Mike Treneer, International President Emeritus, The Navigators (8 March 2018)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are many reasons to commend Mags Duggan's beautifully written book 'God Among the Ruins'! I will mention just three:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis meditation on the Old Testament book of Habakkuk in the light of Mags' own experience of grief for her niece, powerfully brings Bible and life together in ways that help us to understand both.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMags combines profound insights into some of life's most challenging questions with simple practical suggestions for growing in our relationship with God through them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile Mags opens up her own process of grief, she helpfully illustrates and guides us in how we too can 'comfort others with the comfort we too have received from God.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReview by Mike Treneer, International President Emeritus, The Navigators.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e_____________________________________________________________________\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e"}
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God among the Ruins: Trust and transformation in difficult times
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Where do we turn when our world is falling apart?It takes courage to hope; to stand in our confusion and...
{"id":2439813005412,"title":"Postcards of Hope: Words and pictures to breathe life into your heart","handle":"postcards-of-hope-words-and-pictures-to-breathe-life-into-your-heart","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom the author of \u003cem\u003ePostcards from Heaven\u003c\/em\u003e comes this unusual and beautiful gift. \u003cem\u003ePostcards of Hope\u003c\/em\u003e is a collection of original, beautiful watercolours by Ellie Hart, each with a short reflection aimed at helping the reader hear from God.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the tired and weary and those who want to have God breathe new life into their relationship with him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePostcards of Hope\u003c\/em\u003e is a lovely book of water colour paintings accompanied by lovely musings borne out of every day living. Ellie writes in a very engaging way, almost as if she were sitting in the room with you and having a chat over a cuppa. I especially like that she offers reflection questions. As you contemplate the water colour paintings and reflect on what she writes, together they provide a wonderful opportunity to stop and listen to God, to posture oneself with open hands to receive what God wants to give - a fresh perspective, opportunity to process what life brings our way - and to offer our own prayers to Him. I can already see me giving these as gifts for Christmas.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRobyn Johnstone \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\nEllie Hart is a writer and artist living in Nicosia, Cyprus, offering a ministry combining art and prayer. She previously served as a youth worker and retreat leader before studying for a graduate diploma in theology at St John's College, Nottingham. You can visit her blog at \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/postcardsfromheaven.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Postcards from Heaven – Ellie Hart's blog\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003ePostcards from Heaven\u003c\/a\u003e.\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e","published_at":"2019-01-18T15:24:40+00:00","created_at":"2019-01-18T15:24:41+00:00","vendor":"Ellie Hart","type":"Paperback","tags":["Gift","Sep-18","Women"],"price":899,"price_min":899,"price_max":899,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":21769965305956,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857466488","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Postcards of Hope: Words and pictures to breathe life into your heart - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":899,"weight":157,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857466488","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857466488-l.jpg?v=1549043127"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857466488-l.jpg?v=1549043127","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":3238880772235,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.409,"height":650,"width":916,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857466488-l.jpg?v=1549043127"},"aspect_ratio":1.409,"height":650,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857466488-l.jpg?v=1549043127","width":916}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003eFrom the author of \u003cem\u003ePostcards from Heaven\u003c\/em\u003e comes this unusual and beautiful gift. \u003cem\u003ePostcards of Hope\u003c\/em\u003e is a collection of original, beautiful watercolours by Ellie Hart, each with a short reflection aimed at helping the reader hear from God.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the tired and weary and those who want to have God breathe new life into their relationship with him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePostcards of Hope\u003c\/em\u003e is a lovely book of water colour paintings accompanied by lovely musings borne out of every day living. Ellie writes in a very engaging way, almost as if she were sitting in the room with you and having a chat over a cuppa. I especially like that she offers reflection questions. As you contemplate the water colour paintings and reflect on what she writes, together they provide a wonderful opportunity to stop and listen to God, to posture oneself with open hands to receive what God wants to give - a fresh perspective, opportunity to process what life brings our way - and to offer our own prayers to Him. I can already see me giving these as gifts for Christmas.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRobyn Johnstone \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\nEllie Hart is a writer and artist living in Nicosia, Cyprus, offering a ministry combining art and prayer. She previously served as a youth worker and retreat leader before studying for a graduate diploma in theology at St John's College, Nottingham. You can visit her blog at \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/postcardsfromheaven.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Postcards from Heaven – Ellie Hart's blog\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003ePostcards from Heaven\u003c\/a\u003e.\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e"}
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Postcards of Hope: Words and pictures to breathe life into your heart
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From the author of Postcards from Heaven comes this unusual and beautiful gift. Postcards of Hope is a collection of...
{"id":3228554920036,"title":"Augustine's Life of Prayer, Learning and Love: Lessons for Christian living","handle":"augustines-life-of-prayer-learning-and-love-lessons-for-christian-living","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhat can we learn from Augustine?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere are many books that tell the life story of Augustine and how he has been fundamental in shaping Western Christian theology and practice. This is not one of them. This book is about how he became a Christian – the problems he faced; the doubts he struggled with. It is about how he made sense of his belief in God, and shared it with other people. It is about how he learned to read the Bible, and to pray. And it is about the word which is at the heart of his Christian life – love. It concludes with moments of prayer from Augustine’s life, in which he glimpses visions of God, encouraging the reader to take their own next steps in discipleship.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAuthor Information\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg height=\"347\" width=\"260\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/CallyHammond_480x480.jpg?v=1676495070\" alt=\"\" style=\"margin-right: 15px; float: left;\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCally Hammond studied ancient history and literature before becoming ordained in 1998. After serving as a parish priest in Bedfordshire, she was appointed Dean of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where she teaches New Testament Greek and early Christian history. She has published a trilogy of books on prayer, and her new edition and translation of the Confessions of St Augustine was published in 2014–16. Cally was one of the judges for the Church Times 100 Best Christian Books selection.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis engaging and handy little book is a great gift to every person who is trying to give the Christian life a go. It is brilliant, sensible catechesis to guide us through the ups and downs, the joys and frustrations, of life with God (and with each other) - at times helpfully frank, at times exposing the textures of complexity. In Cally Hammond's writing we are guided by one who has clearly lived, breathed, studied, and prayed with St Augustine's words and ideas, and found in his own struggles and paradoxes windows into our contemporary condition - as humans, as Christians, as a Church in progress. This book deserves a long life indeed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Revd James Crockford, Dean of Chapel and Fellow, Jesus College, Cambridge\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; color: black;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eAn extraordinary book, beautiful in its eloquence and simplicity, it resonates at a deep level. What I admire most is the author’s ability not to look over her shoulder to the scholarly community, but to address the ordinary reader without diminishing or simplifying the depth and complexity of Augustine’s ideas. Next semester, when I teach the Confessions again, I'd like to incorporate this book in some form.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eProfessor Tarmo Toom\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI am so grateful for this delightful and accessible introduction to Augustine, one of the most fascinating figures of Christian history. Here is the wonder and challenge of the Christian faith through Augustine's most personal of writings, skilfully interpreted to show how our most human struggles and longings can bring us to the love of God.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eRevd Angela Tilby, Canon Emeritus of Christ Church, Oxford\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTransforming Ministry Spring 2020. Review by Hugh Morley\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCally Hammond has written a trilogy of books on prayer and recently published her new edition and translation of Augustine’s Confessions. She has studied ancient history and literature and now teaches New Testament Greek and early Christian history at Cambridge. The result is an intriguing book with each chapter following a similar format, analysing parts of Augustine’s life, interspersed with quotations from his works, followed by a ‘Bible passage for reflection’, questions for discussion and a prayer drawn from his writings. The nine chapters take us on a journey through Augustine’s life where the author explores issues such as his faith, conversion, teaching, prayer, his deep devotional life and the struggle he experienced in faith. This book is packed with insights into the great man’s life. Many books have been written about Augustine, but here is one which will encourage us to delve deeper into his Confessions in a new way: a book for personal interest that could well be used in small groups.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Hugh Morley\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Church Times 13.9.19. Review by John Binns\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis new book brings Augustine into the present, says John Binns \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSt Augustine was one of the Early Church’s great theologians. He left a huge collection of writings, on theology, biblical commentary, society, and politics, including hundreds of sermons. Among them was a book that has become known as the \u003cem\u003eConfessions.\u003c\/em\u003e Most of it is autobiographical, and it can be described as the first Christian autobiography. In it, he reveals his inner thoughts, struggles, and temptations as he slowly comes to faith, and then as he continues to think, pray and teach.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCally Hammond has recently published a major two-volume edition and translation of the \u003cem\u003eConfessions\u003c\/em\u003e, which addresses historical, theological and critical issues. Here she returns to the \u003cem\u003eConfessions\u003c\/em\u003e, but with a very different approach. She wants us to understand Augustine’s faith journey and to discover that the things that concerned him are the same as those which concern us. So the faith that Augustine discovers and builds can shape and support us in our journey as well.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are nine sections, each discussing a theme of faith, such as how we come to faith, how we should read the Bible, how we grow in faith after baptism, why there are conflicts and divisions within the Church, and how we can best worship in a community and pray privately.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are frequent extracts from the \u003cem\u003eConfessions\u003c\/em\u003e, in Hammond’s own lively and engaging translation; she then shows the thinking behind them and grounds them in a contemporary setting by placing her own stories and experiences alongside. She firmly avoids all academic and critical comment, not even providing references to the extracts that she chooses. Each section finishes with a Bible passage, some questions for discussion and a prayer. This locates the book very firmly within the Christian life of the reader.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book brings one of the great thinkers of the past vividly into the present. I found many thoughts and ideas that made sense to me and will form part of my own faith. It is a wonderful book, which can be used for individual study and could also be an absorbing discussion-starter for a group work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Revd Dr John Binns is Visiting Professor at the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies, Cambridge.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e_______________________________________________________________\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by Richard Frost\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you thought that all St Augustine ever talked about was ‘original sin’ then this book will enrich your mind. As the author Cally Hammond puts it, ‘In public, Augustine was bishop, a leader in the church and in society, an intellectual giant.’ Yet, like so many of us, he was, she says ‘in private, often needy of reassurance, guidance and affirmation.’ And that is key to this excellent book – amidst his greatness, Augustine of Hippo was just like so many of us.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHaving written her own translation of the 13 books of Augustine’s autobiographical \u003cem\u003eConfessions \u003c\/em\u003e(which she draws upon for much of this book), as well as being Dean of a Cambridge University college, one would be forgiven for expecting an academic treatise. But Cally Hammond’s writing is far from that. It is accessible, engaging and reflects her own response to the joy and wonder which Augustine experiences in his journey of faith. It is a compelling and uplifting read.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCally Hammond opens up many aspects of Augustine’s life and relates them not only to the context in which he lived but also to our modern day, 21\u003csup\u003est\u003c\/sup\u003e century joys and difficulties. She explains how Augustine struggled with parts of the Bible, argued with others, fought to overcome heresy and schism, and enjoyed doing something that was wrong: ‘I was loathsome and I loved it,’ he wrote at one point. As he grew older, his views changed, and his faith developed a deeper understanding of God. His life was about faith seeking understanding, as ours is to be.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCally Hammond explains how as a preacher, teacher and Bible scholar, Augustine provides a model for today’s leaders: ‘His task was to preach Christ, not himself,’ she writes. ‘And it was no good, he knew, preaching to people in a way that went over their heads.’ We also learn how Augustine developed a life of prayer both with others and by himself. One chapter includes fascinating accounts of the visions he received in which he experienced the joy and wonder of knowing God. Cally Hammond’s accounts of these are particularly compelling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a book or surprises: the most unexpected and beautiful of which is the poetry written by this great man of God.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo what of original sin? Once again, Cally Hammond explains very clearly what Augustine meant and what he didn’t: ‘Augustine would have agreed completely that life in this world exposes us to all sorts of sin. But he knew that the only reason sin affects us is our inborn inability to resist doing wrong. And that is not something we just pick up as life goes along; it is fundamental to who we are… Augustine did not shy away from teaching a doctrine just because it was hard.’\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe see painted a picture of man who was, like many people, often very different on the public-facing, outside than on the private, God-facing inside. Yet they all go to make up the man who Augustine of Hippo. But this awareness provides a valuable learning point also: ‘This is something I always encourage people to reflect on and remember,’ writes Cally Hammond, ‘that it is a mistake… to compare the outside of other people’s lives with the inside of our own life.’\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCally Hammond has given us a very accessible and easy to read book about one of the great, early church figures. She demonstrates how all of us can not only learn from him and but also experience some of what he experienced.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eRichard Frost is the author of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/products\/life-with-st-benedict-the-rule-re-imagined-for-everyday-living\"\u003eLife with St Benedict\u003c\/a\u003e and writes a blog at \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/workrestpray.com\/\"\u003eworkrestpray.com\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e______________________________________________________________\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2019-04-02T14:28:25+01:00","created_at":"2019-04-02T14:33:46+01:00","vendor":"Cally Hammond","type":"Paperback","tags":["For individuals","Jul-19","Kindle","Prayer","Spirituality"],"price":899,"price_min":899,"price_max":899,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":26306845868132,"title":"Default Title","option1":"Default Title","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857467133","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Augustine's Life of Prayer, Learning and Love: Lessons for Christian living","public_title":null,"options":["Default Title"],"price":899,"weight":200,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857467133","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857467133-l.jpg?v=1554212031"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857467133-l.jpg?v=1554212031","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":3264416841867,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.655,"height":650,"width":426,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857467133-l.jpg?v=1554212031"},"aspect_ratio":0.655,"height":650,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857467133-l.jpg?v=1554212031","width":426}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhat can we learn from Augustine?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere are many books that tell the life story of Augustine and how he has been fundamental in shaping Western Christian theology and practice. This is not one of them. This book is about how he became a Christian – the problems he faced; the doubts he struggled with. It is about how he made sense of his belief in God, and shared it with other people. It is about how he learned to read the Bible, and to pray. And it is about the word which is at the heart of his Christian life – love. It concludes with moments of prayer from Augustine’s life, in which he glimpses visions of God, encouraging the reader to take their own next steps in discipleship.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAuthor Information\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg height=\"347\" width=\"260\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/CallyHammond_480x480.jpg?v=1676495070\" alt=\"\" style=\"margin-right: 15px; float: left;\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCally Hammond studied ancient history and literature before becoming ordained in 1998. After serving as a parish priest in Bedfordshire, she was appointed Dean of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where she teaches New Testament Greek and early Christian history. She has published a trilogy of books on prayer, and her new edition and translation of the Confessions of St Augustine was published in 2014–16. Cally was one of the judges for the Church Times 100 Best Christian Books selection.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis engaging and handy little book is a great gift to every person who is trying to give the Christian life a go. It is brilliant, sensible catechesis to guide us through the ups and downs, the joys and frustrations, of life with God (and with each other) - at times helpfully frank, at times exposing the textures of complexity. In Cally Hammond's writing we are guided by one who has clearly lived, breathed, studied, and prayed with St Augustine's words and ideas, and found in his own struggles and paradoxes windows into our contemporary condition - as humans, as Christians, as a Church in progress. This book deserves a long life indeed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Revd James Crockford, Dean of Chapel and Fellow, Jesus College, Cambridge\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; color: black;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eAn extraordinary book, beautiful in its eloquence and simplicity, it resonates at a deep level. What I admire most is the author’s ability not to look over her shoulder to the scholarly community, but to address the ordinary reader without diminishing or simplifying the depth and complexity of Augustine’s ideas. Next semester, when I teach the Confessions again, I'd like to incorporate this book in some form.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eProfessor Tarmo Toom\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI am so grateful for this delightful and accessible introduction to Augustine, one of the most fascinating figures of Christian history. Here is the wonder and challenge of the Christian faith through Augustine's most personal of writings, skilfully interpreted to show how our most human struggles and longings can bring us to the love of God.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eRevd Angela Tilby, Canon Emeritus of Christ Church, Oxford\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTransforming Ministry Spring 2020. Review by Hugh Morley\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCally Hammond has written a trilogy of books on prayer and recently published her new edition and translation of Augustine’s Confessions. She has studied ancient history and literature and now teaches New Testament Greek and early Christian history at Cambridge. The result is an intriguing book with each chapter following a similar format, analysing parts of Augustine’s life, interspersed with quotations from his works, followed by a ‘Bible passage for reflection’, questions for discussion and a prayer drawn from his writings. The nine chapters take us on a journey through Augustine’s life where the author explores issues such as his faith, conversion, teaching, prayer, his deep devotional life and the struggle he experienced in faith. This book is packed with insights into the great man’s life. Many books have been written about Augustine, but here is one which will encourage us to delve deeper into his Confessions in a new way: a book for personal interest that could well be used in small groups.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Hugh Morley\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Church Times 13.9.19. Review by John Binns\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis new book brings Augustine into the present, says John Binns \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSt Augustine was one of the Early Church’s great theologians. He left a huge collection of writings, on theology, biblical commentary, society, and politics, including hundreds of sermons. Among them was a book that has become known as the \u003cem\u003eConfessions.\u003c\/em\u003e Most of it is autobiographical, and it can be described as the first Christian autobiography. In it, he reveals his inner thoughts, struggles, and temptations as he slowly comes to faith, and then as he continues to think, pray and teach.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCally Hammond has recently published a major two-volume edition and translation of the \u003cem\u003eConfessions\u003c\/em\u003e, which addresses historical, theological and critical issues. Here she returns to the \u003cem\u003eConfessions\u003c\/em\u003e, but with a very different approach. She wants us to understand Augustine’s faith journey and to discover that the things that concerned him are the same as those which concern us. So the faith that Augustine discovers and builds can shape and support us in our journey as well.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are nine sections, each discussing a theme of faith, such as how we come to faith, how we should read the Bible, how we grow in faith after baptism, why there are conflicts and divisions within the Church, and how we can best worship in a community and pray privately.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are frequent extracts from the \u003cem\u003eConfessions\u003c\/em\u003e, in Hammond’s own lively and engaging translation; she then shows the thinking behind them and grounds them in a contemporary setting by placing her own stories and experiences alongside. She firmly avoids all academic and critical comment, not even providing references to the extracts that she chooses. Each section finishes with a Bible passage, some questions for discussion and a prayer. This locates the book very firmly within the Christian life of the reader.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book brings one of the great thinkers of the past vividly into the present. I found many thoughts and ideas that made sense to me and will form part of my own faith. It is a wonderful book, which can be used for individual study and could also be an absorbing discussion-starter for a group work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Revd Dr John Binns is Visiting Professor at the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies, Cambridge.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e_______________________________________________________________\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by Richard Frost\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you thought that all St Augustine ever talked about was ‘original sin’ then this book will enrich your mind. As the author Cally Hammond puts it, ‘In public, Augustine was bishop, a leader in the church and in society, an intellectual giant.’ Yet, like so many of us, he was, she says ‘in private, often needy of reassurance, guidance and affirmation.’ And that is key to this excellent book – amidst his greatness, Augustine of Hippo was just like so many of us.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHaving written her own translation of the 13 books of Augustine’s autobiographical \u003cem\u003eConfessions \u003c\/em\u003e(which she draws upon for much of this book), as well as being Dean of a Cambridge University college, one would be forgiven for expecting an academic treatise. But Cally Hammond’s writing is far from that. It is accessible, engaging and reflects her own response to the joy and wonder which Augustine experiences in his journey of faith. It is a compelling and uplifting read.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCally Hammond opens up many aspects of Augustine’s life and relates them not only to the context in which he lived but also to our modern day, 21\u003csup\u003est\u003c\/sup\u003e century joys and difficulties. She explains how Augustine struggled with parts of the Bible, argued with others, fought to overcome heresy and schism, and enjoyed doing something that was wrong: ‘I was loathsome and I loved it,’ he wrote at one point. As he grew older, his views changed, and his faith developed a deeper understanding of God. His life was about faith seeking understanding, as ours is to be.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCally Hammond explains how as a preacher, teacher and Bible scholar, Augustine provides a model for today’s leaders: ‘His task was to preach Christ, not himself,’ she writes. ‘And it was no good, he knew, preaching to people in a way that went over their heads.’ We also learn how Augustine developed a life of prayer both with others and by himself. One chapter includes fascinating accounts of the visions he received in which he experienced the joy and wonder of knowing God. Cally Hammond’s accounts of these are particularly compelling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a book or surprises: the most unexpected and beautiful of which is the poetry written by this great man of God.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo what of original sin? Once again, Cally Hammond explains very clearly what Augustine meant and what he didn’t: ‘Augustine would have agreed completely that life in this world exposes us to all sorts of sin. But he knew that the only reason sin affects us is our inborn inability to resist doing wrong. And that is not something we just pick up as life goes along; it is fundamental to who we are… Augustine did not shy away from teaching a doctrine just because it was hard.’\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe see painted a picture of man who was, like many people, often very different on the public-facing, outside than on the private, God-facing inside. Yet they all go to make up the man who Augustine of Hippo. But this awareness provides a valuable learning point also: ‘This is something I always encourage people to reflect on and remember,’ writes Cally Hammond, ‘that it is a mistake… to compare the outside of other people’s lives with the inside of our own life.’\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCally Hammond has given us a very accessible and easy to read book about one of the great, early church figures. She demonstrates how all of us can not only learn from him and but also experience some of what he experienced.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eRichard Frost is the author of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/products\/life-with-st-benedict-the-rule-re-imagined-for-everyday-living\"\u003eLife with St Benedict\u003c\/a\u003e and writes a blog at \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/workrestpray.com\/\"\u003eworkrestpray.com\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e______________________________________________________________\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e"}
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Augustine's Life of Prayer, Learning and Love: Lessons for Christian living
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{"id":2439781122148,"title":"Pilgrim Journeys: Pilgrimage for walkers and armchair travellers","handle":"pilgrim-journeys-pilgrimage-for-walkers-and-armchair-travellers","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhy do pilgrims walk so much?\u003cbr\u003eWhat do they learn?\u003cbr\u003eWhat lasting good does it do?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn \u003cem\u003ePilgrim Journeys\u003c\/em\u003e, experienced pilgrim and writer Sally Welch explores the less-travelled pilgrim routes of the UK and beyond, through the eyes of the pilgrims who walk them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach chapter explores a different aspect of pilgrimage, offering reflections and indicating some of the spiritual lessons to be learned that may be practised at home. This absorbing book shows how insights gained on the journey can be incorporated into the spiritual life of every day, bringing new ways of relationship with God and with our fellow Christians, offering support and encouragement as we face the joys and challenges of life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eContents\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA brief history of pilgrimage\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Routes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e1 \u003cstrong\u003eBe true to your journey:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e St Columba's Way - Iona to St Andrews\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e2 \u003cstrong\u003eCarry only what is necessary:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Via Ingles - Ferrol to Santiago de Compostela\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e3 \u003cstrong\u003eBe open to Go:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Via Limovigensis - V lay to Limoges\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e4 \u003cstrong\u003eRejoice in your companions:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Pilgrim's Way - Winchester to Canterbury\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e5 \u003cstrong\u003eInhabit the moment:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e St David's Way - Holywell to Bardsey Island\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e6 \u003cstrong\u003eTread lightly upon the earth:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Sentiero Francescano della Pace - Assisi to Gubbio\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e7 \u003cstrong\u003eRelease your burdens:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The Jesus Trail - Tabgha to Capernaum\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e8 \u003cstrong\u003eTrust yourself:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e St James Way - Worcester to Bristol\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e9 \u003cstrong\u003eRespect the community:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Thames Pilgrim Way - Oxford to Binsey\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e10 \u003cstrong\u003eRejoice in the journey:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e St Olav's Way - Stiklestad to Trondheim\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA practical guide\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInformation for pilgrims\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\nSally Welch is the Vicar of Charlbury and Area Dean of Chipping Norton. An active pilgrim for over 20 years, she has lectured and led workshops on the nature and spirituality of pilgrimage and labyrinth throughout the UK. She is the editor of New Daylight and author of several books on pilgrimage. She worked with Bishop John Pritchard on the establishment of the Thames Pilgrim Way and is currently working on a Cotswold Pilgrimage Network.\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Reader, Summer 2018\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReview by Jeremy Harvey\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWelch takes the reader on an unexpected journey with this slim but thought-provoking companion to ten pilgrim routes in Europe and the Holy Land. Avoiding such practical details as can be found on the internet, she instead offers a themed meditation on the spiritual steps that lead on a walk towards holiness. The opening description of St Columba's Way, from Iona to St Andrew's, becomes an extended discussion of what it means to be called, including a heartfelt appraisal of her own sense of mission. Driven by a self-confessed feeling of restlessness, her attachment to pilgrimage has an authentic ring to it: the word pilgrim was first used to describe a type of perpetual wanderer, a self-imposed exile whose journey was far removed from the later understanding of a return trip to a holy site and back. She concludes by describing a talk about an expedition planned with almost military precision along a Norwegian pilgrimage route to Trondheim, which left the audience impressed but unmoved by its spiritual content. Instead her book offers a more reflective and profitable meander along pilgrim ways.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Julian Meetings Magazine (April 2018) Review by Anne Stamper\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSally Welch, Vicar of Charlbury and Area Dean of Chipping Norton, defines pilgrimage as 'a spiritual journey to a sacred place. For hundreds of years men and women have made these journeys, hoping for healing, revelation or spiritual insight. They go to places where it is felt the gap between heaven and earth is smaller, where the action of saints may break into the lives of ordinary people, transforming them.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn active pilgrim for over 20 years, in this book she draws on those experiences of pilgrimages at home and abroad, for distances long and short, and travelling with others or by herself. This is not a travel book but at the end she gives readers practical hints and sources of information should they wish to undertake a pilgrimage themselves.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn each section Sally takes one pilgrim route and describes an episode from her experience of it; this then leads into a reflection. In some reflections she gives the reader, as an armchair traveller, a practical task (possibly using pencil and paper) that encourages thought about their own path in life and God's call 'to be a pilgrim'.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome of her pilgrim routes are well known, such as the Via Ingles, to Santiago de Compostela, or the Pilgrims Way from Winchester to Canterbury. Others were new to me: St James Way, from Worcester to Bristol and The Thames Pilgrim Way, from Oxford to Binsey - one Sally helped to set out.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn excellent synopsis of the book is given by the chapter headings: Be true to your journey; Carry only what is necessary; Be open to God; Rejoice in your companions; Inhabit the moment; Tread lightly upon the earth; Release your burdens; Trust yourself; Respect the community; Rejoice in the journey. They are also not a bad pattern for life!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReview by Anne Stamper\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2019-01-18T15:22:32+00:00","created_at":"2019-01-18T15:22:34+00:00","vendor":"Sally Welch","type":"Paperback","tags":["For individuals","Jul-17","Kindle","Spirituality"],"price":799,"price_min":799,"price_max":799,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":21769499246692,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857465139","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Pilgrim Journeys: Pilgrimage for walkers and armchair travellers - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":799,"weight":166,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857465139","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857465139-l.jpg?v=1549043150"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857465139-l.jpg?v=1549043150","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":3238878314635,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.657,"height":650,"width":427,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857465139-l.jpg?v=1549043150"},"aspect_ratio":0.657,"height":650,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857465139-l.jpg?v=1549043150","width":427}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003eWhy do pilgrims walk so much?\u003cbr\u003eWhat do they learn?\u003cbr\u003eWhat lasting good does it do?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn \u003cem\u003ePilgrim Journeys\u003c\/em\u003e, experienced pilgrim and writer Sally Welch explores the less-travelled pilgrim routes of the UK and beyond, through the eyes of the pilgrims who walk them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach chapter explores a different aspect of pilgrimage, offering reflections and indicating some of the spiritual lessons to be learned that may be practised at home. This absorbing book shows how insights gained on the journey can be incorporated into the spiritual life of every day, bringing new ways of relationship with God and with our fellow Christians, offering support and encouragement as we face the joys and challenges of life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eContents\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA brief history of pilgrimage\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Routes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e1 \u003cstrong\u003eBe true to your journey:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e St Columba's Way - Iona to St Andrews\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e2 \u003cstrong\u003eCarry only what is necessary:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Via Ingles - Ferrol to Santiago de Compostela\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e3 \u003cstrong\u003eBe open to Go:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Via Limovigensis - V lay to Limoges\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e4 \u003cstrong\u003eRejoice in your companions:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Pilgrim's Way - Winchester to Canterbury\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e5 \u003cstrong\u003eInhabit the moment:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e St David's Way - Holywell to Bardsey Island\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e6 \u003cstrong\u003eTread lightly upon the earth:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Sentiero Francescano della Pace - Assisi to Gubbio\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e7 \u003cstrong\u003eRelease your burdens:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The Jesus Trail - Tabgha to Capernaum\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e8 \u003cstrong\u003eTrust yourself:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e St James Way - Worcester to Bristol\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e9 \u003cstrong\u003eRespect the community:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Thames Pilgrim Way - Oxford to Binsey\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e10 \u003cstrong\u003eRejoice in the journey:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e St Olav's Way - Stiklestad to Trondheim\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA practical guide\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInformation for pilgrims\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\nSally Welch is the Vicar of Charlbury and Area Dean of Chipping Norton. An active pilgrim for over 20 years, she has lectured and led workshops on the nature and spirituality of pilgrimage and labyrinth throughout the UK. She is the editor of New Daylight and author of several books on pilgrimage. She worked with Bishop John Pritchard on the establishment of the Thames Pilgrim Way and is currently working on a Cotswold Pilgrimage Network.\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Reader, Summer 2018\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReview by Jeremy Harvey\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWelch takes the reader on an unexpected journey with this slim but thought-provoking companion to ten pilgrim routes in Europe and the Holy Land. Avoiding such practical details as can be found on the internet, she instead offers a themed meditation on the spiritual steps that lead on a walk towards holiness. The opening description of St Columba's Way, from Iona to St Andrew's, becomes an extended discussion of what it means to be called, including a heartfelt appraisal of her own sense of mission. Driven by a self-confessed feeling of restlessness, her attachment to pilgrimage has an authentic ring to it: the word pilgrim was first used to describe a type of perpetual wanderer, a self-imposed exile whose journey was far removed from the later understanding of a return trip to a holy site and back. She concludes by describing a talk about an expedition planned with almost military precision along a Norwegian pilgrimage route to Trondheim, which left the audience impressed but unmoved by its spiritual content. Instead her book offers a more reflective and profitable meander along pilgrim ways.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Julian Meetings Magazine (April 2018) Review by Anne Stamper\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSally Welch, Vicar of Charlbury and Area Dean of Chipping Norton, defines pilgrimage as 'a spiritual journey to a sacred place. For hundreds of years men and women have made these journeys, hoping for healing, revelation or spiritual insight. They go to places where it is felt the gap between heaven and earth is smaller, where the action of saints may break into the lives of ordinary people, transforming them.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn active pilgrim for over 20 years, in this book she draws on those experiences of pilgrimages at home and abroad, for distances long and short, and travelling with others or by herself. This is not a travel book but at the end she gives readers practical hints and sources of information should they wish to undertake a pilgrimage themselves.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn each section Sally takes one pilgrim route and describes an episode from her experience of it; this then leads into a reflection. In some reflections she gives the reader, as an armchair traveller, a practical task (possibly using pencil and paper) that encourages thought about their own path in life and God's call 'to be a pilgrim'.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome of her pilgrim routes are well known, such as the Via Ingles, to Santiago de Compostela, or the Pilgrims Way from Winchester to Canterbury. Others were new to me: St James Way, from Worcester to Bristol and The Thames Pilgrim Way, from Oxford to Binsey - one Sally helped to set out.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn excellent synopsis of the book is given by the chapter headings: Be true to your journey; Carry only what is necessary; Be open to God; Rejoice in your companions; Inhabit the moment; Tread lightly upon the earth; Release your burdens; Trust yourself; Respect the community; Rejoice in the journey. They are also not a bad pattern for life!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReview by Anne Stamper\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e"}
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Pilgrim Journeys: Pilgrimage for walkers and armchair travellers
£7.99
Why do pilgrims walk so much?What do they learn?What lasting good does it do?In Pilgrim Journeys, experienced pilgrim and writer...
{"id":7481159221439,"title":"Working from a Place of Rest: Jesus and the key to sustaining ministry","handle":"working-from-a-place-of-rest","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eExhaustion, burnout, tiredness, even breakdown... sadly, such conditions are all too common these days, not least among those involved in some kind of Christian ministry, whether full-time, part-time or voluntary. In striving to do our utmost for God, we can easily forget that there were many times when Jesus himself was willing to rest, to do nothing except wait for the Spirit's prompting, so that he demonstrated the vital principle of 'working from a place of rest'. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDrawing on extensive experience of training and mentoring across the world, Tony Horsfall reflects on the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman to draw out practical guidance for sustainable Christian life and work. As he writes: 'Come and sit by the well for a while. Take some time out to reflect on how you are living and working. Watch Jesus and see how he does it. Listen to what the Spirit may be saying to you deep within, at the centre of your being; and maybe, just maybe, God will give you some insights that will change your life and sustain your ministry over the long haul.'\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAuthor\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg height=\"272\" width=\"181\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/TonyHorsfall_2014_480x480.png?v=1676494125\" alt=\"\" style=\"margin-right: 20px; float: left;\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePeople around the world have been inspired and refreshed by Tony Horsfall’s teaching and mentoring. As well as working as an international freelance trainer and retreat leader, he has written a number of other books for BRF, including Deep Calls to Deep, Rhythms of Grace and Mentoring for Spiritual Growth. He also contributes to BRF’s New Daylight Bible reading notes.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis book can help us discern what God wants us to say 'yes' to, and when to say 'no'; it can help us learn to build margin into our lives so that we work from a place of rest. How are you? Busy? If so, and especially if you do not have time to read books, then this is the book for you. \u003cstrong\u003eDr Debbie Hawker, InterHealth\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI am very happy to endorse the book. It came at a very timely moment for me as I was thinking about what it looks like to have a balanced life, and how we support others to avoid burnout. The new angle on the story of the Samaritan woman was of great encouragement and challenged me personally. It was good to be reminded about rhythms of life and it has provoked me to look again at how we create margin. \u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBecky Hembery, \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHead of Mission Personnel Operations, BMS World Mission\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003cspan\u003eReviews\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePreach online August 2023. Review by Ali Hull\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eTony Horsfall has been writing books to encourage Christians, particularly leaders, for many years, and this one is a revised and reissued version of a previous book. It is definitely worth a read.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eHis main thesis is that Jesus models a different way of working, that is not only counter-cultural in the sense that it goes against the way the western world works, but it also goes against the way the church tends to act in the Western world as well. Because as far as idolising hard work and over-commitment is concerned, the church and the Western world tend to be in lockstep.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eIt doesn’t have to be like this.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eTaking the John 4 story of Jesus meeting the woman at the well as his foundation, Horsfall explores what made Jesus different, his security in his identity and his ability to say ‘No’ – there is even a list in the back of occasions when he did so! He points out that we tend to believe the Protestant work ethic is God-ordained, piling pressure upon pressure, either upon ourselves or each other. Our measure of success is ‘numerical growth’ which leads, he believes, to greater pressure on those who work for the big successful churches – both to ‘keep producing results’ and through an ‘unacknowledged perfectionism’.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eBut at the well, Jesus stopped. He rested.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eHe was tired and stopping was okay. Not only was it okay, it turned out to be fruitful. Stopping, says Horsfall, is a discipline – whether we want to do it or not, we need to intentionally build it into our lives, in order for our ministry to be sustainable. ‘As Christians,’ he writes, ‘we have a strong theology of work but virtually no theology of leisure’, and he sets out to reset the balance a little here, exploring what leisure does, the different types of leisure, and why it matters. But he goes beyond that, to point to a new way of working – allowing God to work in and through us, finding our security in him, leaving the results to him, and developing the spiritual disciplines necessary to integrate resting and working.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Ali Hull, book editor for Preach magazine.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by Richard Frost, September 2023\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTony Horsfall is one of BRF’s most prolific writers and this book does not disappoint. First published in 2010, this revised version provides a thought-provoking exploration of one of the great encounters recorded in the Bible: Jesus’ meeting with the woman from Samaria.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTaking as its starting point, Jesus’ need to have a rest after tiring walk, Tony Horsfall encourages all of us to ‘sit by the well’ for a while. He argues that Jesus used this rest not only for refreshment but to be the place from which his work would continue: on this occasion in the conversation he would have with the woman who came to collect water.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt a time when burn out, exhaustion and other forms of physical and mental ill health are being experienced by many in church ministry and secular work environments, Horsfall warns against the ‘driven’ nature of many occupations and the often misjudged approaches by those who undertake them. ‘We are not machines; we are human beings,’ he writes. ‘We cannot keep producing the goods without respite. We need a break. We need to sit by the well.’\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a book for its time. It is easy to read, and Horsfall’s writing draws out numerous points for us to reflect upon. Like threads in a tapestry, they serve to support the key theme of the book: working from a place of rest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Richard Frost. A former mental health and employment specialist, Richard is the author of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/products\/life-with-st-benedict-the-rule-re-imagined-for-everyday-living\"\u003eLife with St Benedict\u003c\/a\u003e and writes a blog at \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/workrestpray.com\/\"\u003eworkrestpray.com\u003c\/a\u003e. He is also the author of \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/richardfrostauthor.com\/\"\u003ethree other books\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMedia\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA letter from a reader:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDear Tony\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI'm sure you get plenty of thank you emails. I simply wanted to add to them. Your books: Rhythms of Grace, Working from a Place of Rest, and Mentoring for Spiritual Growth are being used to redirect our ministry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn August last year, after six years of running our smallholding in Cornwall as a place of prayer and recovery from addiction, mental illness... we came very close to burnout. God stepped in, through a number of friends and supporting churches, and put us on a sabbatical break. Friends in Birmingham, who had been to one of your seminars, suggested we read your books. It's now my second time reading through them and my wife and I can feel God calling us back to his vision for this place.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThank you for helping us get back on track.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Good Bookstall\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e- May 2010\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis slim book is a precious antidote to the overload excesses that corrode the heart and soul of all who serve Jesus. Tony Horsfall writes with great wisdom and warmth navigating core truths with great faithfulness and fresh insight!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe narrative of Jesus and the Samaritan woman are central to explorations offered.... I particularly treasured the clarity the author paints of how Jesus said, 'No' to people! Additionally the journey surrounding the cycle of grace offers real help. I would have loved more application, especially surrounding margins and boundaries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGreat book offered up by a wise guide!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReviewed by Johnny Douglas\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2023-04-21T20:37:51+01:00","created_at":"2023-04-21T20:37:51+01:00","vendor":"Tony Horsfall","type":"Paperback","tags":["New Titles","Tony Horsfall","Upcoming titles"],"price":999,"price_min":999,"price_max":999,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":42327492985023,"title":"Default Title","option1":"Default Title","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781800392205","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Working from a Place of Rest: Jesus and the key to sustaining ministry","public_title":null,"options":["Default Title"],"price":999,"weight":165,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9781800392205","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/WorkingfromaPlaceofRest.jpg?v=1682105872"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/WorkingfromaPlaceofRest.jpg?v=1682105872","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":26972322201791,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.655,"height":650,"width":426,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/WorkingfromaPlaceofRest.jpg?v=1682105872"},"aspect_ratio":0.655,"height":650,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/WorkingfromaPlaceofRest.jpg?v=1682105872","width":426}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eExhaustion, burnout, tiredness, even breakdown... sadly, such conditions are all too common these days, not least among those involved in some kind of Christian ministry, whether full-time, part-time or voluntary. In striving to do our utmost for God, we can easily forget that there were many times when Jesus himself was willing to rest, to do nothing except wait for the Spirit's prompting, so that he demonstrated the vital principle of 'working from a place of rest'. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDrawing on extensive experience of training and mentoring across the world, Tony Horsfall reflects on the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman to draw out practical guidance for sustainable Christian life and work. As he writes: 'Come and sit by the well for a while. Take some time out to reflect on how you are living and working. Watch Jesus and see how he does it. Listen to what the Spirit may be saying to you deep within, at the centre of your being; and maybe, just maybe, God will give you some insights that will change your life and sustain your ministry over the long haul.'\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAuthor\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg height=\"272\" width=\"181\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/TonyHorsfall_2014_480x480.png?v=1676494125\" alt=\"\" style=\"margin-right: 20px; float: left;\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePeople around the world have been inspired and refreshed by Tony Horsfall’s teaching and mentoring. As well as working as an international freelance trainer and retreat leader, he has written a number of other books for BRF, including Deep Calls to Deep, Rhythms of Grace and Mentoring for Spiritual Growth. He also contributes to BRF’s New Daylight Bible reading notes.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis book can help us discern what God wants us to say 'yes' to, and when to say 'no'; it can help us learn to build margin into our lives so that we work from a place of rest. How are you? Busy? If so, and especially if you do not have time to read books, then this is the book for you. \u003cstrong\u003eDr Debbie Hawker, InterHealth\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI am very happy to endorse the book. It came at a very timely moment for me as I was thinking about what it looks like to have a balanced life, and how we support others to avoid burnout. The new angle on the story of the Samaritan woman was of great encouragement and challenged me personally. It was good to be reminded about rhythms of life and it has provoked me to look again at how we create margin. \u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBecky Hembery, \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHead of Mission Personnel Operations, BMS World Mission\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003cspan\u003eReviews\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePreach online August 2023. Review by Ali Hull\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eTony Horsfall has been writing books to encourage Christians, particularly leaders, for many years, and this one is a revised and reissued version of a previous book. It is definitely worth a read.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eHis main thesis is that Jesus models a different way of working, that is not only counter-cultural in the sense that it goes against the way the western world works, but it also goes against the way the church tends to act in the Western world as well. Because as far as idolising hard work and over-commitment is concerned, the church and the Western world tend to be in lockstep.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eIt doesn’t have to be like this.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eTaking the John 4 story of Jesus meeting the woman at the well as his foundation, Horsfall explores what made Jesus different, his security in his identity and his ability to say ‘No’ – there is even a list in the back of occasions when he did so! He points out that we tend to believe the Protestant work ethic is God-ordained, piling pressure upon pressure, either upon ourselves or each other. Our measure of success is ‘numerical growth’ which leads, he believes, to greater pressure on those who work for the big successful churches – both to ‘keep producing results’ and through an ‘unacknowledged perfectionism’.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eBut at the well, Jesus stopped. He rested.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eHe was tired and stopping was okay. Not only was it okay, it turned out to be fruitful. Stopping, says Horsfall, is a discipline – whether we want to do it or not, we need to intentionally build it into our lives, in order for our ministry to be sustainable. ‘As Christians,’ he writes, ‘we have a strong theology of work but virtually no theology of leisure’, and he sets out to reset the balance a little here, exploring what leisure does, the different types of leisure, and why it matters. But he goes beyond that, to point to a new way of working – allowing God to work in and through us, finding our security in him, leaving the results to him, and developing the spiritual disciplines necessary to integrate resting and working.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Ali Hull, book editor for Preach magazine.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by Richard Frost, September 2023\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTony Horsfall is one of BRF’s most prolific writers and this book does not disappoint. First published in 2010, this revised version provides a thought-provoking exploration of one of the great encounters recorded in the Bible: Jesus’ meeting with the woman from Samaria.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTaking as its starting point, Jesus’ need to have a rest after tiring walk, Tony Horsfall encourages all of us to ‘sit by the well’ for a while. He argues that Jesus used this rest not only for refreshment but to be the place from which his work would continue: on this occasion in the conversation he would have with the woman who came to collect water.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt a time when burn out, exhaustion and other forms of physical and mental ill health are being experienced by many in church ministry and secular work environments, Horsfall warns against the ‘driven’ nature of many occupations and the often misjudged approaches by those who undertake them. ‘We are not machines; we are human beings,’ he writes. ‘We cannot keep producing the goods without respite. We need a break. We need to sit by the well.’\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a book for its time. It is easy to read, and Horsfall’s writing draws out numerous points for us to reflect upon. Like threads in a tapestry, they serve to support the key theme of the book: working from a place of rest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Richard Frost. A former mental health and employment specialist, Richard is the author of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/products\/life-with-st-benedict-the-rule-re-imagined-for-everyday-living\"\u003eLife with St Benedict\u003c\/a\u003e and writes a blog at \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/workrestpray.com\/\"\u003eworkrestpray.com\u003c\/a\u003e. He is also the author of \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/richardfrostauthor.com\/\"\u003ethree other books\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMedia\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA letter from a reader:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDear Tony\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI'm sure you get plenty of thank you emails. I simply wanted to add to them. Your books: Rhythms of Grace, Working from a Place of Rest, and Mentoring for Spiritual Growth are being used to redirect our ministry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn August last year, after six years of running our smallholding in Cornwall as a place of prayer and recovery from addiction, mental illness... we came very close to burnout. God stepped in, through a number of friends and supporting churches, and put us on a sabbatical break. Friends in Birmingham, who had been to one of your seminars, suggested we read your books. It's now my second time reading through them and my wife and I can feel God calling us back to his vision for this place.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThank you for helping us get back on track.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Good Bookstall\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e- May 2010\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis slim book is a precious antidote to the overload excesses that corrode the heart and soul of all who serve Jesus. Tony Horsfall writes with great wisdom and warmth navigating core truths with great faithfulness and fresh insight!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe narrative of Jesus and the Samaritan woman are central to explorations offered.... I particularly treasured the clarity the author paints of how Jesus said, 'No' to people! Additionally the journey surrounding the cycle of grace offers real help. I would have loved more application, especially surrounding margins and boundaries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGreat book offered up by a wise guide!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReviewed by Johnny Douglas\u003c\/p\u003e"}
You may also like:
Working from a Place of Rest: Jesus and the key to sustaining ministry
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Exhaustion, burnout, tiredness, even breakdown... sadly, such conditions are all too common these days, not least among those involved in...
{"id":2439815463012,"title":"A Franciscan Way of Life: Brother Ramon's quest for holiness","handle":"a-franciscan-way-of-life-brother-ramons-quest-for-holiness","description":"\u003cp\u003eBe inspired by one man's unflinching faith in God. This is the first biography of Brother Ramon. It tells of his life's pilgrimage, his quest for holiness as a Franciscan friar, his inner journey of discovery and transformation, his love of God and his influence on others. The selection from his writings which concludes the book illustrates his spiritual journey. It will be an inspiration to readers to live lives fully for Jesus Christ.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eContents\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLife\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBy way of introduction\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEarly days\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eConversion\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePacifism\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe student\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Baptist minister\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBecoming an Anglican\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe quest for a solitary life\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Franciscan\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOn the Lleyn\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Tymawr years\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe hermitage at Glasshampton\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe great'Hullo!'\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLetters\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAnthology\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJourneying in faith: the pilgrimage\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePraying and reflecting: meditation\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlone with God: solitude\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLiving faith: in the world\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBooks by Brother Ramon\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI recently happened across your book, 'A Franciscan Way of Life' and wanted to thank you for what you wrote. I knew Ramon when we were both members of SSF... My first encounter with him was when he visited Glasshampton... and I recall talking with him in the vegetable garden where I was working. Unfortunately, I can't remember anything of the conversation! However, what you wrote and the style in which you wrote it not only brought him vividly to mind but also inspired me on that 'quest for holiness'. I find that it is stirring something in me and I can hear Ramon speaking encouraging words... So thank you for your words and for bringing that brother of Francis and Jesus, a saint in our times, to life again.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJohn-Francis Friendship\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe are all indebted to Arthur Howells for the impact of his book on Brother Ramon. His account of Brother Ramon's life is deeply moving, and the letters and anthology sections make key areas of his thought and teaching available to a wide audience. I was stirred to go and buy one of his books and I am grateful for the stimulus Arthur's book gave me to connect with Ramon's inspiring teaching on the spiritual life.He reveals him as a warm and approachable man with a great gift for teaching others and a heart filled with love for God and concern for others.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCanon George Bennett\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCongratulations to Arthur Howells and BRF for producing a book which encapsulates what I knew of Br Ramon SSF. I really appreciate the way the author has blended the story of Ramon's life with extracts from Ramon's own words. And the thematic extracts from his writings provide material for individual or group reflection. Personally, I will be using the book for my daily spiritual reading, as a 'starter' for prayer. Thanks for the publication of this book which I am sure will do a lot to help keep Ramon's teaching alive.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBr Christopher John SSF, Minister General, Society of St Francis - First Order Brothers\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJulian Meetings Magazine, April 2019. Review by Ann Morris \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis tribute to Howells’ great friend is in three parts: biography drawing on both his own memories and those of other close friends, a selection from letters and an anthology of key writings from Brother Ramon’ s books. All seek to answer the questions: Why would a gregarious person, a gifted preacher and evangelist, embrace a hermit’s solitary life? How could this exuberant, joyful personality set self aside to listen attentively to others? \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA series of short chapters charts Ramon’s outer journey, and show how the seeds of the future were sown, germinated and blossomed. He shares how key stages of Ramon’s life - as student, conscientious objector, Baptist minister - are significant in his decision to become an Anglican. The Eucharist became central to his relationship with Christ and he was finally called to join the Franciscan community, and become a hermit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowells describes the challenges and joys of Ramon’s last illness and his belief in the great mystery of the life beyond. Embracing a breadth of spiritual traditions, he softened bigotry and prejudice with tolerance and understanding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExtracts from Ramon’s letters share insights with friends. We can observe his inner journey of discovery, transformation and transfiguration in which he sets his eyes firmly on Christ. The letters capture both the big picture and the tiny details of daily life. God infused his life, whether in the ministry of hitch hiking, or in his departing: ‘The last few months yielded a spiritual journey unknown before… the dimension of love and prayer is deepening still.’\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe anthology has four themes, with questions for personal reflection or group discussion: calling, prayer, solitude and living in the world. This book deepens our knowledge of this man, prompting us to reflect on the universal possibility of his experience of living and dying in the love of God. Life stories may vary greatly, but all God’s people are called to incarnate Christ in the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReview by Ann Morris \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by Brother Nicholas Alan SSF in 'Franciscan'\u003c\/strong\u003e, published by the Society of Saint Francis (ISSN 0532\/579X). Edition: Volume 30, Number 3, September 2018\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen I was a novice at Glasshampton a highlight of my year was the opportunity, on a fairly regular basis, of going to visit the hermit resident in the huts at the bottom of the garden. Sometimes I went alone, at other times we three novices would squeeze into one of the huts as we prayed together or celebrated the Eucharist in his work hut (the chapel hut came later). These were precious times: more precious than I then knew, given the state of his health and his all too early death. Sometimes Ramon would explain volubly and with great enthusiasm the structure of his latest book; at other times he would meekly sit and listen as we or I shared our struggles with this new and strange experience of living the religious life. But he was always there: digging the garden, binding books, singing or playing his recorder, praying through the dark hours of the early morning with the wind and rain rushing through the woods and breaking over the huts likes waves on a rocky sea-shore. For a solitary, his presence was somehow ubiquitous, and for one who spent long hours in silence his voice inhabited the souls of those who talked with him; for years after his death I could hear the inflections of his voice whenever I picked up one of his books or a stray memory crossed my mind.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book by Arthur Howells is, in a way, a meditation on Ramon's life. Written by a personal friend of Ramon, it combines both biography, and a selection of Ramon's letters and quotations from his published writings. It is warmly, though not reverentially written - a gentle introduction rather than an in-depth analysis, and certainly not an expos . Much will be familiar to those who have already read some of Ramon's books, but even those who are well-used to his work will finds things that make them search the footnotes and take the originals (many here bound by Ramon) once more from the shelves. Ramon published twenty-one books, and at Glasshampton we still receive enquiries from people who come across his writings and want to visit the monastery where he spent much of his time as an SSF friar. He may not have been a saint, but, as the sub-title of this book suggests, he was certainly on a quest for holiness. May those who read this book be similarly inspired, and come to live with him a truly Franciscan way of life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReview by Bro Nicholas Alan SSF\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChurch Times 31.08.18. Review by Peta Dunstan\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrother Ramon SSF was one of the most well-known of Anglican Franciscans, not least because of his 20-or-so books. This volume gives short extracts from those writings and some letters, which illustrate his thoughtful and direct musings on prayer. These are preceded by a succinct narrative of his life. For those who have not come across Ramon before, this will serve as an excellent introduction, while for those who already know of him, this is a helpful reminder of his continued relevance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRamon's journey from his Welsh upbringing through to his death in 2000 at Glasshampton Monastery is told movingly. There are a few historical inaccuracies*, as on page 39: Anglican religious life was revived in the 1840s, not the 1880s; Hilfield Friary was founded by Giles, not Douglas; SSF went to Cambridge in 1939, not the 1960s. Yet these small slips do not undermine the power of the personal narrative of Ramon's sense of God, which led him from Baptist ministry to Anglican Franciscanism, and then his quest for the solitary life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRamon made the hermit life powerful in its witness and yet not something esoteric or exclusive. His way was about finding stillness, and not heroically conquering techniques of prayer. Indeed, the effectiveness of his quest for God was communicated precisely because his solitary life was gentle at the edges and accessible. He was disciplined, but not extreme, visiting his family each year, and being open to a few visitors. He loved conversation on the occasions when it was available.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo, he had not become a hermit to escape people, but to seek God. In that way, he spoke to many who may not follow his solitary life in general, but, encouraged by his writings, are unafraid to seek times of solitude; for, in those moments, they, like Ramon, can come closer to the God who sustains them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDr Peta Dunstan is a Fellow of St Edmund's College, Cambridge\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e*These innaccuracies have been noted and are being addressed\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProgressive Voices, June 2018. Review by Peter Varney\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis provides a comprehensive account of the life and work of the Franciscan Brother Ramon. It includes an anthology of his writings and a summary of his career. Many recent BRF publications have been by evangelical writers but this one comes closer to what interests PCN members. Ramon's career started in Welsh Baptist chapels; he had a charismatic experience, and then discovered Anglo Catholic worship and the Franciscans. This multifaceted identity is shown in his writings. Howells arranges these in sections covering pilgrimage and journey, prayer and meditation, and living in the world. All provide readers with points for further exploration. It is always my hope that spiritual writers will offer help in understanding the meaning of the cross. Ramon does not disappoint when he writes: 'the crucified Christ is also the risen Christ... the cross is the tree of life, the thorn-crowned saviour is the King of Glory reigning from his throne.' His discussion of intercessory prayer, another question for many of us, may also be found helpful: 'Prayer is communion with God; this is much wider and deeper than petition or intercession. ...Our prayer is the prayer of the cosmic Christ ... within the communion of saints it contributes to an increase of hope, light and love in the world.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book's biographical section identifies unexpected events in Ramon's search for holiness as a hermit, and his later acceptance of the cancer which forced him back into Community at Glasshampton. Here he worked for a week, in continuous pain, with Bishop Simon Barrington-Ward on a book on the Jesus prayer. After that 'week of glory' - as they called it - Ramon became much weaker. Bishop Simon returned to find him on his deathbed and reported 'I have never come away from a deathbed actually feeling exhilarated as I did then, despite the sharp sense of loss.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowells summarises Ramon's life as a journey of discovery, transformation and transfiguration. His hours spent in prayer drew him close to god. His holiness did not separate him from people but drew him to them. He saw in all a spark of the divine. This is a book that will gently challenge its readers to go deeper into their own relationship with the divine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePeter Varney\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2019-01-18T15:24:49+00:00","created_at":"2019-01-18T15:24:50+00:00","vendor":"Arthur Howells","type":"Paperback","tags":["For individuals","Kindle","Mar-18","Spirituality"],"price":899,"price_min":899,"price_max":899,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":21769987588196,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857466624","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"A Franciscan Way of Life: Brother Ramon's quest for holiness - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":899,"weight":200,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857466624","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857466624-l.jpg?v=1549043125"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857466624-l.jpg?v=1549043125","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":3238880936075,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.655,"height":650,"width":426,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857466624-l.jpg?v=1549043125"},"aspect_ratio":0.655,"height":650,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857466624-l.jpg?v=1549043125","width":426}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003eBe inspired by one man's unflinching faith in God. This is the first biography of Brother Ramon. It tells of his life's pilgrimage, his quest for holiness as a Franciscan friar, his inner journey of discovery and transformation, his love of God and his influence on others. The selection from his writings which concludes the book illustrates his spiritual journey. It will be an inspiration to readers to live lives fully for Jesus Christ.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eContents\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLife\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBy way of introduction\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEarly days\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eConversion\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePacifism\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe student\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Baptist minister\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBecoming an Anglican\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe quest for a solitary life\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Franciscan\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOn the Lleyn\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Tymawr years\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe hermitage at Glasshampton\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe great'Hullo!'\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLetters\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAnthology\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJourneying in faith: the pilgrimage\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePraying and reflecting: meditation\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlone with God: solitude\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLiving faith: in the world\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBooks by Brother Ramon\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI recently happened across your book, 'A Franciscan Way of Life' and wanted to thank you for what you wrote. I knew Ramon when we were both members of SSF... My first encounter with him was when he visited Glasshampton... and I recall talking with him in the vegetable garden where I was working. Unfortunately, I can't remember anything of the conversation! However, what you wrote and the style in which you wrote it not only brought him vividly to mind but also inspired me on that 'quest for holiness'. I find that it is stirring something in me and I can hear Ramon speaking encouraging words... So thank you for your words and for bringing that brother of Francis and Jesus, a saint in our times, to life again.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJohn-Francis Friendship\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe are all indebted to Arthur Howells for the impact of his book on Brother Ramon. His account of Brother Ramon's life is deeply moving, and the letters and anthology sections make key areas of his thought and teaching available to a wide audience. I was stirred to go and buy one of his books and I am grateful for the stimulus Arthur's book gave me to connect with Ramon's inspiring teaching on the spiritual life.He reveals him as a warm and approachable man with a great gift for teaching others and a heart filled with love for God and concern for others.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCanon George Bennett\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCongratulations to Arthur Howells and BRF for producing a book which encapsulates what I knew of Br Ramon SSF. I really appreciate the way the author has blended the story of Ramon's life with extracts from Ramon's own words. And the thematic extracts from his writings provide material for individual or group reflection. Personally, I will be using the book for my daily spiritual reading, as a 'starter' for prayer. Thanks for the publication of this book which I am sure will do a lot to help keep Ramon's teaching alive.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBr Christopher John SSF, Minister General, Society of St Francis - First Order Brothers\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJulian Meetings Magazine, April 2019. Review by Ann Morris \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis tribute to Howells’ great friend is in three parts: biography drawing on both his own memories and those of other close friends, a selection from letters and an anthology of key writings from Brother Ramon’ s books. All seek to answer the questions: Why would a gregarious person, a gifted preacher and evangelist, embrace a hermit’s solitary life? How could this exuberant, joyful personality set self aside to listen attentively to others? \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA series of short chapters charts Ramon’s outer journey, and show how the seeds of the future were sown, germinated and blossomed. He shares how key stages of Ramon’s life - as student, conscientious objector, Baptist minister - are significant in his decision to become an Anglican. The Eucharist became central to his relationship with Christ and he was finally called to join the Franciscan community, and become a hermit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowells describes the challenges and joys of Ramon’s last illness and his belief in the great mystery of the life beyond. Embracing a breadth of spiritual traditions, he softened bigotry and prejudice with tolerance and understanding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExtracts from Ramon’s letters share insights with friends. We can observe his inner journey of discovery, transformation and transfiguration in which he sets his eyes firmly on Christ. The letters capture both the big picture and the tiny details of daily life. God infused his life, whether in the ministry of hitch hiking, or in his departing: ‘The last few months yielded a spiritual journey unknown before… the dimension of love and prayer is deepening still.’\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe anthology has four themes, with questions for personal reflection or group discussion: calling, prayer, solitude and living in the world. This book deepens our knowledge of this man, prompting us to reflect on the universal possibility of his experience of living and dying in the love of God. Life stories may vary greatly, but all God’s people are called to incarnate Christ in the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReview by Ann Morris \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by Brother Nicholas Alan SSF in 'Franciscan'\u003c\/strong\u003e, published by the Society of Saint Francis (ISSN 0532\/579X). Edition: Volume 30, Number 3, September 2018\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen I was a novice at Glasshampton a highlight of my year was the opportunity, on a fairly regular basis, of going to visit the hermit resident in the huts at the bottom of the garden. Sometimes I went alone, at other times we three novices would squeeze into one of the huts as we prayed together or celebrated the Eucharist in his work hut (the chapel hut came later). These were precious times: more precious than I then knew, given the state of his health and his all too early death. Sometimes Ramon would explain volubly and with great enthusiasm the structure of his latest book; at other times he would meekly sit and listen as we or I shared our struggles with this new and strange experience of living the religious life. But he was always there: digging the garden, binding books, singing or playing his recorder, praying through the dark hours of the early morning with the wind and rain rushing through the woods and breaking over the huts likes waves on a rocky sea-shore. For a solitary, his presence was somehow ubiquitous, and for one who spent long hours in silence his voice inhabited the souls of those who talked with him; for years after his death I could hear the inflections of his voice whenever I picked up one of his books or a stray memory crossed my mind.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book by Arthur Howells is, in a way, a meditation on Ramon's life. Written by a personal friend of Ramon, it combines both biography, and a selection of Ramon's letters and quotations from his published writings. It is warmly, though not reverentially written - a gentle introduction rather than an in-depth analysis, and certainly not an expos . Much will be familiar to those who have already read some of Ramon's books, but even those who are well-used to his work will finds things that make them search the footnotes and take the originals (many here bound by Ramon) once more from the shelves. Ramon published twenty-one books, and at Glasshampton we still receive enquiries from people who come across his writings and want to visit the monastery where he spent much of his time as an SSF friar. He may not have been a saint, but, as the sub-title of this book suggests, he was certainly on a quest for holiness. May those who read this book be similarly inspired, and come to live with him a truly Franciscan way of life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReview by Bro Nicholas Alan SSF\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChurch Times 31.08.18. Review by Peta Dunstan\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrother Ramon SSF was one of the most well-known of Anglican Franciscans, not least because of his 20-or-so books. This volume gives short extracts from those writings and some letters, which illustrate his thoughtful and direct musings on prayer. These are preceded by a succinct narrative of his life. For those who have not come across Ramon before, this will serve as an excellent introduction, while for those who already know of him, this is a helpful reminder of his continued relevance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRamon's journey from his Welsh upbringing through to his death in 2000 at Glasshampton Monastery is told movingly. There are a few historical inaccuracies*, as on page 39: Anglican religious life was revived in the 1840s, not the 1880s; Hilfield Friary was founded by Giles, not Douglas; SSF went to Cambridge in 1939, not the 1960s. Yet these small slips do not undermine the power of the personal narrative of Ramon's sense of God, which led him from Baptist ministry to Anglican Franciscanism, and then his quest for the solitary life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRamon made the hermit life powerful in its witness and yet not something esoteric or exclusive. His way was about finding stillness, and not heroically conquering techniques of prayer. Indeed, the effectiveness of his quest for God was communicated precisely because his solitary life was gentle at the edges and accessible. He was disciplined, but not extreme, visiting his family each year, and being open to a few visitors. He loved conversation on the occasions when it was available.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo, he had not become a hermit to escape people, but to seek God. In that way, he spoke to many who may not follow his solitary life in general, but, encouraged by his writings, are unafraid to seek times of solitude; for, in those moments, they, like Ramon, can come closer to the God who sustains them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDr Peta Dunstan is a Fellow of St Edmund's College, Cambridge\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e*These innaccuracies have been noted and are being addressed\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProgressive Voices, June 2018. Review by Peter Varney\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis provides a comprehensive account of the life and work of the Franciscan Brother Ramon. It includes an anthology of his writings and a summary of his career. Many recent BRF publications have been by evangelical writers but this one comes closer to what interests PCN members. Ramon's career started in Welsh Baptist chapels; he had a charismatic experience, and then discovered Anglo Catholic worship and the Franciscans. This multifaceted identity is shown in his writings. Howells arranges these in sections covering pilgrimage and journey, prayer and meditation, and living in the world. All provide readers with points for further exploration. It is always my hope that spiritual writers will offer help in understanding the meaning of the cross. Ramon does not disappoint when he writes: 'the crucified Christ is also the risen Christ... the cross is the tree of life, the thorn-crowned saviour is the King of Glory reigning from his throne.' His discussion of intercessory prayer, another question for many of us, may also be found helpful: 'Prayer is communion with God; this is much wider and deeper than petition or intercession. ...Our prayer is the prayer of the cosmic Christ ... within the communion of saints it contributes to an increase of hope, light and love in the world.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book's biographical section identifies unexpected events in Ramon's search for holiness as a hermit, and his later acceptance of the cancer which forced him back into Community at Glasshampton. Here he worked for a week, in continuous pain, with Bishop Simon Barrington-Ward on a book on the Jesus prayer. After that 'week of glory' - as they called it - Ramon became much weaker. Bishop Simon returned to find him on his deathbed and reported 'I have never come away from a deathbed actually feeling exhilarated as I did then, despite the sharp sense of loss.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowells summarises Ramon's life as a journey of discovery, transformation and transfiguration. His hours spent in prayer drew him close to god. His holiness did not separate him from people but drew him to them. He saw in all a spark of the divine. This is a book that will gently challenge its readers to go deeper into their own relationship with the divine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePeter Varney\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e"}
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A Franciscan Way of Life: Brother Ramon's quest for holiness
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Be inspired by one man's unflinching faith in God. This is the first biography of Brother Ramon. It tells of...