Tips for accessing BOOKS on Spiritual Practices: Many of the titles included on these pages are books found in Luther Seminary Library and only available to seminary students. However, you may be able to borrow these same titles from your local public library. Make note of the title, author and ISBN of the desired book and ask your local library to request the book by "Interlibrary Loan" (ILL). Otherwise, of course, you may choose to buy certain titles from your favorite bookstore or online book source.
Breath Prayer: an Ancient Practice for the Everyday Sacred (2021) by
"Breath Prayer is an insightful guide to reclaiming this practice of the heart--harmonizing the sacred rhythm of the body with words that sing to the soul--in every moment of the day." --Carl McColman, author of The New Big Book of Christian Mysticism and Eternal Heart Whether reciting the gathas in Buddhist practice, the Shema in Judaism, or the Jesus Prayer in Christianity, for centuries the practice of breath prayer has helped center people from a variety of faith traditions on the sacred in everyday life. Through brief words of prayer or petition said silently to the rhythm of one's breath, this simple, meditative act combines praise for the divine with focused intention, creating a profound spiritual connection in the quiet, and even mundane, moments of the day . In Breath Prayer, Christine Valters Paintner, online abbess of Abbey of the Arts, introduces us to this spiritual practice and offers beautiful poem-prayers for walking, working, dressing, cleaning, sitting in silence, doing the dishes, living in community--breathing the divine into our daily lives. Over time these recitations become as natural as breathing. We don't so much recite the prayers as the prayers recite us, guide us, and open our hearts to the everyday sacred. With each of the forty prayers, Paintner includes reflections on life's ordinary beauty and heartfelt advice for discovering the sacred all around. Breath Prayer concludes with guidance for creating your own breath prayers to deepen your practice.
Praying for Strangers: An Adventure of the Human Spirit (2012) by
This spiritual memoir recounts the story of one woman’s mission to pray for one stranger each day for an entire year. See what she discovered and how this practice transformed her as well as the people she prayed for. What if there was something you could do-something simple, yet so powerful-that could positively influence others and change your life in the process? Critically acclaimed author River Jordan discovered that very thing... As 2009 approached, both of River Jordan's sons were about to go off to war-one to Iraq and the other to Afghanistan-and she was planning a family reunion to see them off. All River could do was pray for her sons' safety and hope to maintain her strength, until she unexpectedly came upon the perfect New Year's resolution-one that focused on others instead of herself. She would pray for a complete stranger every single day of the year. In Praying for Strangers, Jordan tells that the discovery that she made along the journey was not simply that her prayers touched the lives of these strangers (in often astounding ways), but that the unexpected connections she made with other people would be a profound experience that would change her life forever.
Agrarian Spirit : Cultivating Faith, Community, and the Land by
This refreshing work offers a distinctly agrarian reframing of spiritual practices to address today's most pressing social and ecological concerns. For thousands of years most human beings drew their daily living from, and made sense of their lives in reference to, the land. Growing and finding food, along with the multiple practices of home maintenance and the cultivations of communities, were the abiding concerns that shaped what people understood about and expected from life. In Agrarian Spirit, Norman Wirzba demonstrates how agrarianism is of vital and continuing significance for spiritual life today. Far from being the exclusive concern of a dwindling number of farmers, this book shows how agrarian practices are an important corrective to the political and economic policies that are doing so much harm to our society and habitats. It is an invitation to the personal transformation that equips all people to live peaceably and beautifully with each other and the land. Agrarian Spirit begins with a clear and concise affirmation of creaturely life. Wirzba shows that a human life is inextricably entangled with the lives of fellow animals and plants, and that individual flourishing must always include the flourishing of the habitats that nourish and sustain our life together. The book explores how agrarian sensibilities and responsibilities transform the practices of prayer, perception, mystical union, humility, gratitude, and hope. Wirzba provides an elegant and compelling account of spiritual life that is both attuned to ancient scriptural sources and keyed to addressing the pressing social and ecological concerns of today. Scholars and students of theology, ecotheology, and spirituality, as well as readers interested in agrarian and environmental studies, will gain much from this book.
Hopeful Lament: Tending Our Grief through Spiritual Practices (2023) by
We need to rediscover lament to heal and hope again. We've lost the practice of lament. Most people don't know how to process personal or communal mourning and instead struggle to honor their tears, vulnerability, and the full weight of these disillusioning times. But tending our grief might be exactly what we need to reimagine a way forward. Tracing her difficult experiences of a catastrophic home fire, a threat to her child's well-being, and other devastating losses and upheavals, Terra McDaniel offers a clear framework for expressing heartache and burdens. McDaniel says, "Lament is surprisingly hopeful. As strange as that may sound now, I promise it's true. It's an act of trust both that we can face pain and survive, and that God cares about our anger, confusion, doubt, grief, and fear. Lament refuses to bury pain or, just as dangerous, to give in to despair." Hopeful Lament makes space for the powerful act of crying out before a loving God and offers provoking reflection questions, embodied practices, and applications for families with children. Learn how to journey gently through suffering.
Making Room, : Recovering Hospitality as a Christian Tradition, 2024 (25th Anniversary Edition by
Hospitality is the heart of Christian ministry. To the early Christians, hospitality was central to the gospel mission. This hospitality did not consist of entertaining neighbors, but welcoming the stranger, especially those who could not return the favor. Yet despite urgent need, hospitality has fallen by the wayside. Christine Pohl's classic work, Making Room, first spoke to this issue in 1999. And it is just as relevant today, with the refugee crisis, the rise in homelessness, and growing loneliness and isolation. This revitalized edition, with a new foreword and afterword by the author, introduces the theology of hospitality to a new generation. Pohl combines rich biblical and historical research with experience in contemporary Christian communities, including the Catholic Worker, L'Abri, Good Works, Inc., and others. Pragmatic and thoughtful, Pohl deals frankly with both the blessings and the boundaries of hospitality. Readers will find a wealth of wisdom to revive authentic hospitality in their ministry.
Leading Faithful Innovation : Following God into a Hopeful Future (2023) by
What might God be up to amid the seismic changes the church and our culture are undergoing? What opportunities will congregations encounter if they rediscover and follow God's leading? Leading Faithful Innovation offers a practical, hands-on approach to addressing this challenge, a process that culminates in the hope that comes from following the Spirit. Dwight Zscheile, Michael Binder, and Tessa Pinkstaff build on Scripture, theology, and the latest leadership and change theories to guide church leaders on a journey toward grassroots, participatory spiritual growth. This faithful innovation begins with a three-step process: listening to God and to each other, acting so we can learn, and sharing our stories in community. Real-life stories and supportive spiritual practices make each step toward effective change accessible and actionable. The book then examines how these steps change the culture of a church, establishing a new, biblically grounded way of being church. The authors present leadership practices that invite readers to redefine their leadership identity, accept the loss of their role as the primary driver of their congregation, and discover new hope and possibility. These topics are again fleshed out with real-life stories and undergirded by suggested practices. Throughout the book, the authors demonstrate that faithful innovation is not another program or an add-on to what readers are already doing. It is a path to a new normal. It is an ongoing way of following God that allows the Spirit of God to drive the energy among the people of the church.
Introduction to Spirituality: Cultivating a Lifestyle of Faithfulness (2023) by
This introduction explores Christian spirituality as a pursuit of the global church today. It encourages students to adopt a lifestyle spirituality, which involves relational intimacy with the triune God. Gary Tyra is well known for his work in the field of Christian spirituality and has years of experience in the classroom and in the church. In this book, Tyra encourages us to adopt a Pauline lifestyle spirituality, whereby we keep in step with the Holy Spirit so that we might experience an ongoing mentoring relationship with the Son in order to faithfully and fruitfully engage in the mission of the Father. Keeping in step with the spirit unfolds in a "lifestyle spirituality," a collection of convictions, commitments, and customs that constitute the disciple's lifelong journey with the triune God. This book is part of a new series that reflects the changing face of global Christianity. Series volumes are written by leading Pentecostal/Charismatic scholars who highlight themes of interest to Pentecostal/Charismatic students; however, the books are respectful, appreciative, and inclusive of a variety of church families and traditions. Series editors are Jerry Ireland, Paul W. Lewis, and Frank D. Macchia.
Reading for the Love of God: How to Read as a Spiritual Practice (2024) by
"A timely and accessible primer."--Christian Century What if we viewed reading as not just a personal hobby or a pleasurable indulgence but a spiritual practice that deepens our faith? In Reading for the Love of God, award-winning author Jessica Hooten Wilson does just that--and then shows readers how to reap the spiritual benefits of reading. She argues that the simple act of reading can help us learn to pray well, love our neighbor, be contemplative, practice humility, and disentangle ourselves from contemporary idols. Accessible and engaging, this guide outlines several ways Christian thinkers--including Augustine, Julian of Norwich, Frederick Douglass, and Dorothy L. Sayers--approached the act of reading. It also includes useful special features such as suggested reading lists, guided practices to approaching texts, and tips for meditating on specific texts or Bible passages. By learning to read for the love of God, readers will discover not only a renewed love of reading but also a new, vital spiritual practice to deepen their walk with God.
The Sabbath : Its Meaning for Modern Man (1951, rev.2005) by
Elegant, passionate, and filled with the love of God's creation, Abraham Joshua Heschel's The Sabbath has been hailed as a classic of Jewish spirituality ever since its original publication-and has been read by thousands of people seeking meaning in modern life. In this brief yet profound meditation on the meaning of the Seventh Day, Heschel introduced the idea of an "architecture of holiness" that appears not in space but in time Judaism, he argues, is a religion of time: it finds meaning not in space and the material things that fill it but in time and the eternity that imbues it, so that "the Sabbaths are our great cathedrals." Featuring black-and-white illustrations by Ilya Schor
Select Articles from Tessa Pinkstaff:
“Hurry Up and...Stop: Pausing for Sabbath is a Faithful Innovation,” Tessa Pinkstaff, Faith+Lead, 2023. (This article explores why taking the time for a Sabbath rest builds trust in God.)
“Love at the Margins: God’s Invitation to Truly See the People Around Us,” Tessa Pinkstaff, Faith+Lead, 2024. (This article invites us to see God’s desire for us to extend love and compassion to those on the margins. It includes a prayer practice to help us truly notice the people around us.)
“Spiritual Practices for You and Me: A Simple Introduction,” Tessa Pinkstaff, Faith+Lead, 2022. (This article offers an introductory look at spiritual practices and invites you to go deeper no matter where you are on your faith journey.)
“The Promise of Hope: Drawing Near to God Through Spiritual Practices,” Tessa Pinkstaff, Faith+Lead Stewardship, 2023. (At a time when we need hope more than ever, spiritual practices draw us into the presence of the One who is the source of all of our hope.)
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Select, Open Access Articles on Spiritual Practice from Open Access Digital Theological Library:
"Cultivating a child’s love for parents as a spiritual practice: pedagogical aspect" by Luydmyla Moskalyova, Sergiy Gurov. Svitlana Podplota
"Sabbath keeping and Sunday observance as spiritual practice" by de Villiers, Pieter and Marchinkowski, George
"Guidelines for the spiritual practice of Sabbath-keeping" by de Villiers, Pieter, and Marchinkowski, George.
"Work as a Spiritual Practice", by Patricia Dobkin, in International Journal of Whole Person Care 10.2 (2023).
"Knowing God through Spiritual Practices and Spiritual Direction," by Regina Proctor: 2020 DMin thesis for Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.
"Where ‘the unbelievable and the obvious collide’: Spiritual practices and everyday life" by George W Marchinkowski, in Verbum et Ecclesia, 43.1 (2022).
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Select Online Articles Dealing with Spiritual Practices:
"Desert Spirituality in Modern Times: How Monastics Teach Us to Read Scripture", by Lois Farag. This article demonstrates how the reading of Scripture acts as a constant reminder until the words of God are engraved in our memories, thoughts and hearts.
"Five Different Types of Spiritual Practices" from AshleyTreatment.org.
"Establishing Daily Personal Spiritual Practices", by Dana O'Driscoll, in "The Druids Garden: Spiritual journeys in tending the living earth, permaculture, and nature-inspired arts" (2022).
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Select Online Websites and Organizations Dealing with Spiritual Formation and Practices:
Virtual Labyrinth Walk, Paths of Peace: This whimsical resource is a free virtual “walk” through a digital labyrinth. Follow the moving footprints as you pray for a simple labyrinth experience.
Worldwide Labyrinth Locator, The Labyrinth Society & Veriditas, 2004: This tool lists thousands of labyrinths around the world. Search by city or state, type, accessibility, and many other categories to get started on your prayer journey.
Center for Action and Contemplation: This educational nonprofit, founded in New Mexico by Franciscan monk Richard Rohr, introduces seekers to the contemplative Christian path of transformation.
Contemplative Outreach: Based in New Jersey, this organization is a spiritual network of individuals and small faith communities committed to living according to the practices of contemplative spirituality as revealed in the Gospel.
Practicing the Way: Founded in Oregon by John Mark Comer, this growing ministry creates resources for churches and pastors to help people learn how to be with Jesus, become like him, and do as he did. They invite communities to integrate the practices and rhythms of Jesus into their lives.
Renovaré: Launched by author Richard Foster, this Christian nonprofit in Colorado helps people become more like Jesus by offering resources and community for a deeper, more transformative life with God.
Transforming Center: Founded by Ruth Haley Barton, this center is the home of one of the longest running spiritual formation experiences for pastors and spiritual leaders. It provides retreats, relationships, and resources to guide leaders in establishing sacred rhythms to sustain their life in leadership.
Check out the course that accompanies this resource guide: Taste and See: Connecting with God through Spiritual Practices
