By: Mary Speedy
Enjoy this list of great Resources to learn more about spiritual practices:
Breathing under Water: Spirituality and the Twelve Steps by Richard Rohr (St. Anthony Messenger Press, 2015). Known for his Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life, Rohr believes we are all addicted to something and must identify our individual addiction before embracing our brokenness and surrendering to God.
Exploring and Engaging Spirituality for Today’s Children: A Holistic Approach by La Verne Tolbert (Wipf and Stock, 2014). This collection of research was presented at the Fourth Triennial Children’s Spirituality Conference in 2012. It is divided into four sections: theological and historical foundations, engaging parents and congregations, engaging methodologies, and exploring children at risk.
Journey with Celtic Christians by Rodney Newman (Abingdon, 2014). Readers are helped to view their faith journey through a Celtic lens of pilgrimage. This book is ideal for small groups who want to grow together in spiritual commitment. A leader’s guide is included.
Life Together in Christ: Experiencing Transformation in Community by Ruth Haley Barton (InterVarsity Press, 2014). Named 2014 Best Book of Spiritual Formation by Byron Borger of Hearts and Minds Bookstore. Through a reflection on the story of the two disciples who met Jesus on the Emmaus road, Barton designs an interactive guide to use with small groups, especially those who are ready to meet Christ in transforming ways.
Seamless Faith: Simple Practices for Daily Family Life by Traci Smith (Chalice, 2014). This book for parents includes dozens of practices to help parents bring faith into their family life. See her newsletter information below.
The Soul of Discernment: A Spiritual Practice for Communities and Institutions by Elizabeth Liebert (Westminster John Knox, 2015). Liebert provides a clear process that will help groups–from Sessions or councils to nonprofit organizations–to make important decisions. Liebert calls this process the Social Discernment Cycle; the key question is “How is God leading us, individually or together, to act in this particular moment in our organization?”
The Spiritual Child: The New Science on Parenting for Health and Lifelong Thriving by Lisa Miller (St. Martin’s Press, 2015). Miller is a professor of psychology and education and director of the Clinical Psychology Program at Columbia University Teachers College. She says that her life’s work has focused on “the study of our inborn natural spirituality as foundational to mental health and wellness, particularly as it develops in the first two decades of our lives.” Written for parents, this book has a wealth of information for anyone concerned about children and youth in the church.
ON THE INTERNET
http://martha-rockenstein.blogspot.com/ Rockenstein writes about her faith journey, tools for it, and insights from it.
http://traci-smith.com/ At Smith’s website, you can subscribe to Seamless Family + Spirit, a monthly newsletter with ideas for incorporating faith into family life.
Mary Speedy is a retired certified church educator living in Mechanicsburg, PA. We are grateful for Mary as she concludes her ministry curating resource lists for the Advocate. Look back through the archives for her resource lists on other topics like Adult Education, Family Ministry, and Forming Faith.