Amazon.com
The old Quaker adage, "Let your life speak," spoke to author Parker J. Palmer when he was in his early 30s. It summoned him to a higher purpose, so he decided that henceforth he would live a nobler life. "I lined up the most elevated ideals I could find and set out to achieve them," he writes. "The results were rarely admirable, often laughable, and sometimes grotesque.... I had simply found a 'noble' way of living a life that was not my own, a life spent imitating heroes instead of listening to my heart."
Thirty years later, Palmer now understands that learning to let his life speak means "living the life that wants to live in me." It involves creating the kind of quiet, trusting conditions that allow a soul to speak its truth. It also means tuning out the noisy preconceived ideas about what a vocation should and shouldn't be so that we can better hear the call of our wild souls. There are no how-to formulas in this extremely unpretentious and well-written book, just fireside wisdom from an elder who is willing to share his mistakes and stories as he learned to live a life worth speaking about. --Gail Hudson
Book Description
With wisdom, compassion, and gentle humor, Parker J. Palmer invites us to listen to the inner teacher and follow its leadings toward a sense of meaning and purpose. Telling stories from his own life and the lives of others who have made a difference, he shares insights gained from darkness and depression as well as fulfillment and joy, illuminating a pathway toward vocation for all who seek the true calling of their lives.
Customer Reviews:
An Excellent and Inspiring Book!.......2007-06-25
This is an excellent book for reading and reflecting on life. The words will grip your inner soul and move you to a higher state of thinking and consciousness. Along the way, the author uses poetry to awaken the spirit. This book is real and has practical applications regarding life for almost everyone. I heard the author speak at Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, regarding education and he is an excellent speaker. This is an educator who removes the secret veil, exposes what life is about, and the level of aspiration we should strive for. I highly recommend this book. Other excellent books to read are: "Trilogy Moments for the Mind, Body and Soul," "The language of Poetry Forms" by Tree Good, and "Everyday Miracles" by Okubo.
Spiritual self-reflection.......2007-03-25
Palmer's book would be ideal for a rainy day read or for taking on a private retreat. He shares much learning from his life experiences. It is not a book about doing. Rather, it is a way to be integrated in one's living. One can learn to listen to their inner voice by what goes well and by recognizing one's limitations. Much food for thought.
Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation.......2007-03-10
Parker Palmer does a wonderful job in a concise why of providing us a guide to how we can learn to value our own experiences and truly listen to our inner voice. Listen in such a way as to be guided by what we are sensing and felling to help us speak through our life work and work life in ways that are self fulfilling and enriching. A very thought provoking and touching look at his own inner journey.
Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation.......2007-02-09
A great look at who we are and should be
calling as a gift to receive not a goal to achieve.......2007-01-18
Here is a book that I wish I had read twenty years ago on that perennial Christian conundrum faced by so many: what is God's will for me in my vocational life? I hasten to add that I am not sure that at that stage of my life I could or would have understood its wisdom. For the most part Christians try to answer this question about God's vocational guidance by going "outside" of ourselves to external matters like my skills, the advice of others, perhaps some tests, and so on. But from his Quaker tradition Palmer urges us to go "inside" ourselves to matters of the heart. When we pursue the former path a "false" self often follows the expectations that others have of us and so distorts the "true" self. Vocation, in short, is not "a goal that I pursue. It means a calling that I hear" (p. 4) or "a gift to be received" (p. 10). We discover this call or gift, writes Palmer, by listening to our life, by discovering the true self God made each of us to be, rather than by soliciting the acceptance and approval of others about what we "ought" to do. Palmer is a gifted story teller and writer, and shares liberally from his own vocational pilgrimage, warts and all. Entire chapters on clinical depression and "when way closes" (a Quaker aphorism) were helpful. A final chapter uses the seasons as a metaphor for the vocational life, reminding us as we move inevitably through fall, winter, spring and summer that, contrary to all culture tells us, we do not only "manufacture" our life, but would do well to "grow" it.
Book Description
Illustrated with real-life stories, this inspiring and deeply insightful book guides you through a series of challenges that will help you uncover your God-given S.H.A.P.E.—your unique blend of Spiritual Gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, and Experiences—and apply it in ways that bring confidence, freedom, clarity, and significance.
Customer Reviews:
We're Getting SHAPE'D Up in Canton Ohio.......2007-10-01
5 Reasons why this book is a MUST read. Here's my SHAPE acrostic.
Simple: Erik does an incredible job of making this stuff easy to use.
Helpful: The Spiritual profile that every participant leaves w/ helps the reader to succinctly understand what their next step for service is.
Authentic: if you're able to go through the small group curriculum ( video ) you'll seek Erik's authenticity. It's the real deal.
Passion: As you read the book you'll sense a desire to want to do something bigger than your normal everyday routine. You'll discover or rediscover your passion to impact lives or causes on a daily basis.
Experience: You must experience SHAPE either in book form or through the small group curriculum. Both are incredible resources!!
Helps to recognize spiritual strengths...........2007-09-16
This book helped confirm the strengths I felt I had. The assessment really opened my eyes to the specific ways my spiritual strengths can be used to help others. I also appreciated the part of the book about having a board of advisors and a training partner. We can learn a lot from the people God has put in our life.
Finally a book that informs me that I can be me...........2007-09-16
What an eye opener! After reading SHAPE and applying what I learned, I discovered where I truly am in my life, what I am good at, and where to spend my energy in daily living. Based on the content of SHAPE, I have made significant changes that have improved me, my marriage, and my other relationships. This is a must read if you want to get to know yourself on a deeper level, put your true talents to work on what matters most in life, and make a difference in the world you live in....
Self Discovery for Purpose.......2007-09-13
This book was a great follow up to the Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. While Warren's book helped me understand that God created me for a purpose, SHAPE helped me discover how I am made to achieve this purpose and the practical steps to put this purpose into action!
Since reading both these books, God has revealed my purpose and shape to me and I am dedicating my life to becoming a marriage and family therapist. I am currently working in the field and going to school to get licensed as a therapist!
Guidance For Your Future.......2007-09-12
I read and worked through this book at a time when I was concerned that I was not on the right track in Seminary. (I am a mid-life career changer.) With the wonderful guidance gleamed from my journey through this book, I switched from an M. Div. to an M. Div. in Clinical Pastoral Counseling. I would never have known I was more suited to this type of ministry had I not first gone through this book.
If you want to know where God is leading you, read this book.
Book Description
The Call continues to stand as a classic, reflective work on life's purpose. Best-selling author Os Guinness goes beyond our surface understanding of God's call and addresses the fact that God has a specific calling for our individual lives.
Why am I here? What is God's call in my life? How do I fit God's call with my own individuality? How should God's calling affect my career, my plans for the future, my concepts of success? Guinness now helps the reader discover answers to these questions, and more, through a corresponding workbook - perfect for individual or group study.
According to Guinness, "No idea short of God's call can ground and fulfill the truest human desire for purpose and fulfillment." With tens of thousands of readers to date, The Call is for all who desire a purposeful, intentional life of faith.
Also availbale in audio format, narrated by Os Guinness.
Customer Reviews:
How To Decide.......2007-03-08
"The Call," by, Os Guinness, is another one of those books which offers help to people seeking meaning and purpose to their lives. It's a fairly literate survey of historical figures caught in the same position trying to answer the question, "who am I, and what shall I do with the life I have?" For all his meandering through biographical examples, Guinness provides, at the end of each chapter, one simple solution, "Listen to Jesus of Nazareth; answer his call." While that advice is invaluable, it is neither particularly startling nor creatively insightful. Os's writing is ploddingly pedestrian--more like a survey of history textbook than a compelling, engaging book to lead one out of a wilderness of confusion into clarity of thought and earnestness of purpose. Skip the chapters and employ the recipe. There really is no shortcut, and reading about "how-to" is no substitute for doing: "Listen to Jesus of Nazareth; answer His call!"
Many insights and reflections .......2007-01-20
The book is just like the title in its cover page : "Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life." It helps clarifying how Christians are to live their lives in today's confused world. Very grateful for this book.
A Deeper understanding of purpose.......2007-01-09
After reading other books on purpose, and wanting to learn more about God's calling for my life, I read this book together with a friend, and found the experience quite educational, spiritually enlightening, and at times surprising.
The distinction between the Corporate Calling, and the Specific Calling is a great help in understanding our purpose and how it relates to our profession.
Additionally, the myths of the Catholic churches, and Protestant churches are explored, and help to explain the dissatisfaction in "Religion" that seems to be growing in the world.
Many references to historic figures, and biblical figures make this a great read. Probably not appropriate for a seeker, but all believers should enjoy this book.
Powerful.......2006-12-17
This is one of the best Christian books I've read in the past 20 years. I'm afraid to say that I thought it might be boring based on the title. The concept of calling did not at first glance seem to be to be a very exciting theological topic. I'm happy to say that I was wrong. This is a very powerfully written book.
The Call.......2006-08-28
This is a great book for either a daily devotion for personal use or as material for a men's study group. For either use it gives you considerable material for thought and prayer in directing your life to Christ. As a group study using the study guide included in the back of the book as started questions, you can develop great men's ministry sessions that holds the attention of the men.
Average customer rating:
- Listen up, confused people! :)
- Life Changing!
- Very Good for Personal Mission Statements!
- Must read for all
- great book
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PATH, THE: CREATING YOUR MISSION STATEMENT FOR WORK AND FOR LIFE
Laurie Beth Jones
Manufacturer: Hyperion
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0786882417 |
Book Description
the PATH In a world in which we are daily forced to make decisions that lead us either closer to or further from our goals, no tool is as valuable in providing direction as a mission statement -- a brief, succinct, and focused statement of purpose that can be used to initiate, evaluate, and refine all of life's activities.Individuals and companies have recently been learning what history has demonstrated all along -- that people or groups with carefully defined missions have always led and surpassed those who have none. Yet the process of outlining that mission statement has been, up to now, an arduous one that all too few have committed the time, energy, and resources to undertake.In The Path, Laurie Beth Jones, author of the national bestseller Jesus CEO, provides inspiring and practical advice to lead listeners through every step of both defining and fulfilling a mission. With more than ten years' experience in assisting groups and individuals, Jones offers clear, step-by-step guidance that help you create a mission statement in a matter of hours rather than a month or years.Rich with humor, exercises, and case histories, The Path is essential listening for anyone seeking a lighter, clearer way in the world.
Customer Reviews:
Listen up, confused people! :).......2007-03-14
I am only part-way through the book, but I give it a high rating because it's quality so far. It offers both theory and practicality, and a "how to", along with plenty of examples; everything good teaching should do.
Now, I noticed that people that gave this book fewer stars did so because they approached the title of the book assuming it was to create a mission statement for their BUSINESS or CORPORATION. But, I interpret "create a mission statement for work and life" as creating your INDIVIDUAL mission statement for your INDIVIDUAL work...not necessarily your company as a whole. I'm imagining that'd be a whole 'nother book perhaps with a more global-systems take in regards to companies. I do believe Laurie Beth Jones has several workshops a year and private consulting to help with that, though, if you check out her personal website. Anyhow, for individuals, this seems to have a lot of value to me. But, the exercises in this book do not lend themselves, nor do they seem to be created for "companies". Just a clarification. Great book so far.
Life Changing!.......2006-10-06
Myself and three other friends read this book together in college and I can confidently say that it changes the entire direction of my life. Jones takes you through the necessary steps to write your mission statement. It was clear and easy. Once you know your mission statement decisions are so much easier to make, regarding the direction of your life. Does this task align with my overall mission or not? In the age of busyness and trying to constantly align our priorities, this is a very important starting point to this never-ending challenge.
Very Good for Personal Mission Statements!.......2006-04-23
For some time I struggled with the idea of developing a mission statement for my church and for my own personal life. With Jones' help, I now have a much better grasp of how to approach the subject privately and publicly. The author is easy-to-read and follow, yet offers profound insights into just what a personal mission statement is.
Laurie Beth Jones is becoming one of my favorite authors, and this title is another example of her fine work.
Must read for all.......2005-09-25
Laurie Beth Jones should be a required read for anyone that is dealing with leadership. Her insights are well worth your time and is written in a manner that all could enjoy.
great book.......2005-09-24
If you are trying to put together things in your life and career, this book ties both of these together. There is a little bit of spiritual emphasis, a little bit of career emphasis, and some over-all life emphasis. A great balance. This book helped me to see why I was un-happy in my job over the past 3 years and why I am so happy in my new job. It gave me courage to start a new venture because I could tie things to my "life mission" 5 stars for this book!
Product Description
Just in time for the release of Amazing Grace, the movie about the life of William Wilberforce, is this edition of his classic book from 1797, Real Christianity, paraphrased in modern language and made more accessible to contemporary readers. This is the book that helped abolish the slave trade in the United Kingdom, and called Christians to live a more authentic life of faith more than 200 years ago. The timeless truths it contains will speak to readers in fresh ways today. Christians who eschew cultural Christianity in favor of a real faith in Christ will find the principles here thought-provoking and applicable. The social justice orientation will appeal to readers of Jim Wallis, Os Guinness, Charles Colson, Shane Claiborne, John Perkins, Bono, and Nancy Pearcy. Readers will also find the book is a good litmus test of the authenticity of their own faith.
Customer Reviews:
The Book That Changed the Course of History.......2007-09-13
This is a gripping and challenging book, holds your attention all the way through. It was the book that saved England from destruction and resulted in turning the tide of popular opinion and abolishing slavery altogether, even though slavery had been a way of life in many countries for millennia.
This book is totally relevant for today and is a wake up call, very challenging and life changing, individually and for our country.
It really touches the deep concerns of one's heart and makes God real.
William Wilberforce .......2007-07-28
Wilberforce forces us to assess our actions with a higher standard. He wants us to conform to what God's will is for us and not our misguided sense of what is "right".
My favorite sentence is: "Our behavior is so conformed to cultural standards that if we were put on trial as a Christian, the case might be dropped for lack of evidence." pg 89.
Review: Real Christianity.......2007-06-14
William Wilberforce was one of the leading forces of slavery reform in England. He is also the subject of the recent film Amazing Grace. Wilberforce originally wrote Real Christianity in 1797. Bob Beltz, one of the producers of Amazing Grace, has released a modern paraphrase of Wilberforce's book.
Through Beltz's modern version of Real Christianity, readers are able to understand Wilberforce's challenge to Christians to think through their beliefs. Wilberforce encourages readers to look at how we live our daily lives and filter our actions through Scripture.
Readers will find Real Christianity surprisingly applicable to modern life. Just as biblical truths transcend the eras, so do Wilberforce's thoughts on the Christian life. There are obvious parts that apply directly to British customs of the time period, but overall the lessons to be learned are still relevant today.
I would encourage all Christians to read this book. It will challenge you spiritually and point you toward a more intimate relationship with Christ. Real Christianity will also cause you to think deeply about your walk with the Lord and help you to understand how your actions translate to those who do not know the Lord.
Experienced minister Bob Beltz offers a revised and updated version of Real Christianity.......2007-06-09
Revised and updated by Bob Beltz, Real Christianity is a classic text originally written by abolitionist William Wilberforce more than 200 years ago in order to denounce slavery by appealing to human belief and redefining authentic Christian life. Now, experienced minister Bob Beltz offers a revised and updated version of Real Christianity in modern English (with brief notes) for contemporary readers. Wilberforce's core messages about the true standards of Christian behavior, authentic faith, and the nature of man are unchanged and throughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds. "To live our lives and miss that great purpose we were designed to accomplish is truly a sin. It is inconceivable that we could be bored in a world with so much wrong to tackle, so much ignorance to teach and so much misery we could alleviate." Highly recommended.
Exceptional.......2007-05-14
Most definately the BEST book I have ever read on living authentic Christianity. I cannot recommend it highly enough..
Book Description
When Thomas Merton entered a Trappist monastery in December 1941, he turned his back on secular life—including a very promising literary career. He sent his journals, a novel-in-progess, and copies of all his poems to his mentor, Columbia professor Mark Van Doren, for safe keeping, fully expecting to write little, if anything, ever again. It was a relatively short-lived resolution, for Merton almost immediately found himself being assigned writing tasks by his Abbot—one of which was the autobiographical essay that blossomed into his international best-seller The Seven Storey Mountain. That book made him famous overnight, and for a time he struggled with the notion that the vocation of the monk and the vocation of the writer were incompatible. Monasticism called for complete surrender to the absolute, whereas writing demanded a tactical withdrawal from experience in order to record it. He eventually came to accept his dual vocation as two sides of the same spiritual coin and used it as a source of creative tension the rest of his life. Merton’s thoughts on writing have never been compiled into a single volume until now. Robert Inchausti has mined the vast Merton literature to discover what he had to say on a whole spectrum of literary topics, including writing as a spiritual calling, the role of the Christian writer in a secular society, the joys and mysteries of poetry, and evaluations of his own literary work. Also included are fascinating glimpses of his take on a range of other writers, including Henry David Thoreau, Flannery O’Connor, Dylan Thomas, Albert Camus, James Joyce, and even Henry Miller, along with many others.
Customer Reviews:
Moret Than Just Writing.......2007-09-12
I treasure every Thomas Merton book I read. His simple, clear language,humility,and great piety draw one instantly into an appreciation his monastic life and his relationship to the world. He shows us how to encounter God's love in our own lives,and his book on writing makes clear that writing must come from the true self, the self as created by God. And he does this right in the middle of the world. To be a saint, Merton said, a man must first become himself. This also applies to writers who, if they are to accomplish the task of communicating, must communicate God.
Merton and vocation.......2007-05-15
"Only in His silence can the truth of words be distinguished" is only one of the many aphoristic gems to be found in this collection of Merton writings edited by Robert Inchausti. Overall, it is a fine collection, but unfortunately, it is only a collection. Merton's vocation as a writer was hardly an easy calling. "Echoing Silence" does reveal those difficulties, but without some biographical narrative or explanatory notes to accompany the selections, one is left to enjoy Merton's profound insights isolated from the larger context. If you are familiar with Merton, you can appreciate the texts dealing with his difficulties in creativity and inner truth, between "writer" and "poet," contemplative monk and world famous author, but if you are new to Merton you will probably come away not fully appreciating the growth Merton went through in dealing with his internal conflicts and finding his "voice." His external conflicts are also represented here, but without some clarifications from Robert Inchausti, his difficulties with Dom Gabriel Sortais, one of Merton's censors, are lost. I do recommend the book as a good collection, but with reservations owing to its lack of background commentary or explanatory notes.
Always At Heart A Writer.......2007-05-13
Merton's vocation as a writer was at the heart of his Monastic vocation and it is wonderful to have this collection of his own reflections on this subject.
Art and Contemplative Spirituality.......2007-03-01
A poignant collection of excerpts of Thomas Merton's writing, spanning his entire monastic writing career: from his journals, personal letters, essays, and books.
Thomas Merton, of course, is an internationally acclaimed and respected writer and contemplative. If you are interested in art (writing and poetry specifically) and contemplative spirituality, or simply interested in Thomas Merton, I highly recommend this book.
Before this book, beginners in the contemplative-artistic scene had to either read about Merton second hand (which is not as enriching as reading him directly) or dive into his mass of writing (which can be disorienting).
The chapters are arranged by topic: Writing as a Spiritual Calling, Poetry, Other Writers, His Own Writing, etc. Inside each chapter, the excerpts are arranged chronologically. The later Merton is deep and balanced--his material is to be chewed by the mature--but at the same time, the thoughts of early Merton are invaluable to young, contemplative-artists. This book represents both--providing, incidentally, a cross section of his personal growth.
This book is one to read all at once to get an overview of Merton (and the development of his thoughts), and then to hold on to for years, rereading small segments.
Book Description
Wilberforce's classic work, A Practical View of Christianity, is concerned with convincing those who call themselves Christians to pursue "the real nature and principles of the religion which they profess." Christianity is not a mere morality, to be held in private. Christianity is revelation from God, bringing new rights and correspondent duties. It is an entire way of life that requires diligence and study and that should affect every aspect of the Christian's public and private life.
This addition to the Hendrickson Christian Classics series has been completely retypeset. An index, explanatory notes, scripture references, translations of Latin phrases, bibliographic information, and other helps ensure that this work will be as valuable to today's reader as it was to those readers who made A Practical View of Christianity a bestseller for fifty years.
Book Description
Whether you are a businessperson, a homemaker, a student, or a head of state, author Myles Munroe explains how you can make your dreams and hopes a living reality. Your success is not dependent on the state of the economy or what the job market is like. You do not need to be hindered by the limited perceptions of others or by a lack of resources. Discover time-tested principles that will enable you to fulfill your vision no matter who you are or where you come from. You were not meant for a mundane or mediocre life. You do not exist just to earn a paycheck. Revive your passion for living. Pursue your dream. Discover your vision--and find your true life.
Customer Reviews:
Vision and purpose understood.......2007-09-12
If you want to really, fully understand how and why one is given a Christian spiritual gift like purpose and vision you will truly enjoy reading this book....it's hard for me to put it down...and I'm only into the 3rd chapter. Myles Monroe has been given a rare gift of explaining the actual "mechanics" of various spiritual gifts in terms that are so plain and understandable....I've read his book on prayer as well "Understanding the Purpose and Power of Prayer" it was TERRIFIC!! I can't wait to order another one of his books when I get through with this one.
Great & Inspiring.......2007-02-19
I can't get enough of this book, every page is an "aha" moment. It's taking me to the next level. I think the book was written just for me, answering/addressing the questions I've had & couldn't seem to figure out the answers.
A spiritually motivational booster shot!.......2006-11-10
Myles Munroe has done it again! In his own uniquely simplistic way of informing people who are searching, of the principles in scripture which help us to move forward in the purpose that God has given each of us. Munroe shows us how to identify the talents that God has given us and to utilize them to our fullest potential. This book along with the study guide helps the reader to remain on track in regard to prioritizing what is really important in life. The fulfillment of our individual purpose for being. It's not about competition, it's about purpose!!
Excellent.......2006-10-10
I had the opportunity of taking a class on this book. The book is awesome. It made me think seriously on somethings I wanted to do in my life. One statement in this book was, "Stop procrastinating and hoping you will eventually get somewhere in life. Decide whether you're going to get a curse or a blessing." Revelation 3:15-16
I decided I would rather have a blessing and began to focus more towards my purpose in life. Knowing that God is my source and He would never give me a vision or assignment that I am not equipped for.
I also liked the Chapter Principles at the end of each chapter (ie. "If you don't have a plan, God doesn't have anything specific to direct you in.").
Life Changing.......2006-03-25
You find yourself looking at YOU & what YOU can accomplish in a totally new light.
Many revelations on LIFE & your purpose in it.
Customer Reviews:
Hearing God's Call for vocation..........2007-04-26
The popular question, "Does God speak to us or tell us what we should do?" comes to mind when I think of the book, "Listening Hearts: Discerning Call in Community," Morehouse Publishing, 1991. We do live in an era of doubt, and Christianity or belief in God is lacking. Even among believers one wonders if one is following the will of God. In this book the reader finds ways to discover what God is saying for one's life.
I came across this title as part of a one-day conference held by the Episcopal Church on discerning a call within community. The book was recommended reading by the San Francisco Bay Area organization (ECUSA). I read it gladly, and with interest. I want to know if I am doing what I should, and if I am meeting the needs of both my community and my Church--most certainly the will of God. For me, this is not an arrogant request, but a genuine one.
The book is easy to read, informative, intelligent and direct. Its premise goes like this: "A call may come as a gradual dawning of God's purpose for our lives." Some may be surprised that lay people will want to respond to a call, usually thought reserved only for ordained clergy. I think call comes to the laity, too. We are under baptismal vows. If you are a Christian, or interested in knowing about God's will for you in work, service, prayer, even marriage, this is a worthwhile book. It is a book about ministry.
Here is the rationale for ministry:
"Doing good things--volunteer work, for instance--may not be ministry if God is not the motivating force--even if the person doing them is a Christian. On the other hand, if God is the motivating force, even those who do not consciously bear the name of Christ may participate in God's work. God used Cyrus, king of Persia, to release Israel from captivity, saying, "...I call you by your name, I surname you, though you do not know me" (Isa. 45:4). One task of the Christian, then, is to recognize, affirm, and celebrate Christ's reconciling action in others, including non-Christians. A true minister is "anybody who is the channel to others of God's love, and is willing to share something of the cost of that love; and whose eyes are open to perceive God's presence everywhere and in everybody." In The Rule of St. Benedict, this same thought for monks goes: "...the work of the monk is to accept and participate in the divine saving activity in our life." The quote (Terrence G. Kardong, OSB) from another book demonstrates that this request of God and us is for all Christians the same. It is a general request that "Listening Hearts" addresses.
You can see that I like this book, and I like the fact that a group of people put it together, a team effort of its own which reflects the kind of book this is for people who may be living in a community or team setting. It is as if a whole group thought these were good things, and a way to hear what God is saying.
One needs confirmation in the subject area of discernment and acts of discernment, so there is a need for a book like "Listening Hearts." The book suggests this confirmation by community, and offers a guide to the book's use by groups. The appendix titles: "Guidelines for Discernment Groups;" "Types of Questions to Raise When Serving in Discernment Groups;" "Suggestions for Recognizing and Encouraging Ministries;" "Informal History of the Project and the Research Methods Used" by Suzanne Farnham. Authors of the book: Suzanne G. Farnham, Joseph P. Gill, R. Taylor McLean, Susan M. Ward. This edition is, "With Newly Formulated Guidelines for Discernment," and the "Newly Revised Edition."
Some chapters are shorter than others. "Supporting the Ministries of Others" is a shorter chapter, but a necessary one for a book like this. I say a book like this, because it talks of living in community: "Without support, ministry may become lost. Without support, we may become lost." It isn't the length of chapter that is important, nor the pithy nature of the text, but the direct and practical way theological matters are explained. There is a common sense to this book.
To emphasize the quest for God as subject for man and woman, the introduction quotes Soren Kierkegaard (1835): "What I really lack is to be clear in my mind what I am to do, not what I am to know...The thing is to understand myself, to see what God really wishes me to do...What good would it do me to be able to explain the meaning of Christianity if it had no deeper significance for me and for my life?" "Listening Hearts" is an aid in this journey of finding deeper significance in life. Not too long, written in a readable manner for the general reader, the book is good for group discussion and for individual reading.
I don't think the writers considered this book the end or maybe even the beginning of a book on the subject of discernment. But among those available, this is an excellent one to have on hand, to read. The intent is to help with a living a question of what God may want for us, as living the good and bad in our lives is a living in the tensions of life with God. "Thus we gain hearts to listen and respond to God's call."
--Peter Menkin, Easter 2007
Listening Hearts: Discerning Call in Community.......2006-11-10
This book was recommended by my spiritual advisor. I was struggling with my call as a deacon. This book helped me look at the whole picture, not just a call in ministry, but a call in one's life. It clarified for me many things and I was able to see clearly the path to which I have been guided. It was also very helpful in how to help others discern their call.
Do you hear what I hear?.......2004-08-11
Too many people see 'vocation' as a narrow thing, something that is designed only to ask 'should I become a priest?' or 'should I enter the ministry?' In fact, there are many ways of being God's servant and following God's call in the world, and the ordained ministries are but one narrow band of this. 'Listening Hearts' is designed to take a community approach to seeing what God's call is in the world.
The word 'vocation' comes from the Latin vocare -- to call -- and thus has a wide range of meanings, biblical and spiritual, as well as outside accumulations onto the concept. The authors here derive inspiration from the Quaker practice of silence and reflection (a clearness process) as well as other spiritual processes, many of which are elaborated in more detail in works referenced in the bibliography, a great resource for those interested in issues of vocation.
A call is different from a job -- a career can be a vocation, in the sense that it encompasses more than 'just a job'; teaching is a career and a vocation, for example. To be a teacher involves more than just being paid to be in a classroom; indeed, one can be a teacher without being employed as one in a school. The same holds true for God's call in ministry -- just as a career (again derivative of more ancient meanings, literally meaning a path one follows, like the career of the earth around the sun) can be narrowly defined or more broadly held, so too can a vocation to ministry be understood in terms of many aspects of living one's life. C.S. Lewis famously discouraged a friend from becoming a priest, fearing that it would cease to be a valid vocation and slip into the 'just a job' kind of situation.
Communities, under the ideas presented here, are less susceptible to the kinds of self-deception that some are likely to experience in seeing themselves in certain roles. Are we hearing God's call, or our own desires and petitions? Similarly, ministry is not conducted in a vacuum: ministers act for and with others, and require the support of community for their actions to have efficacy and validity.
There is a flaw in this, that is not covered in this book, but one hopes might be addressed at some point in discernment processes: the definitnion of community is never made clear. What happens when there are competing communities? What happens when the local church is at odds with the regional or national (or international) church? What happens when a discernment group at a local parish supports a particular candidate in a certain vocation, but the distant powers-that-be do not?
Another issue that is not addressed in this text, which I feel (given the experience that I and many other have had in discernment processes) needs to be addressed is this: what happens when one is not dealing with a community of integrity? What happens when the rector or a particularly powerful congregation member blocks the discernment process from even beginning? What about institutional issues -- how does the 'listening hearts' process work for a Roman Catholic woman, given that their institution will not recognise a call to priesthood, however much the listening hearts group might see that call clearly? What happens when a hierarch in a local church decides for whatever reason he doesn't like someone, and so doesn't permit a listening hearts group to be formed? It is somewhat irresponsible (but unfortunately has happened, in this reviewer's experience) that the institution will on the one hand say that discernment cannot be done alone, without community, but then will refuse to be the community in which discernment should be done.
The authors here quote an anonymously authored document on servant leadership, which said: to ignore or resist a call may fracture us further, widening the split between what we subscribe to inwardly and what we do outwardly. The authors undoubtedly meant this to mean for individuals that they should not ignore a call from God. They remain mute about what it means for a community to ignore the call, or be left in ignorance about a call. In that regard, this book has a serious flaw.
These flaws aside, in any situation where the community does come together in honesty and love to address issues of vocation, this will be a useful and helpful guide, and I have recommended it to many, and indeed used it myself with the group I formed after I left my church, and found many wonderful revelations about myself, about the world, about the nature of vocation, and about God. I truly wish this might have been done in my own 'native' Episcopal community.
This book helped me.......2003-12-13
I read this book about 10 years ago as I began to wrestle with questions of vocation. I felt called to ministry, possibly ordained ministry. I had far more questions than answers and didn't know where to begin.
Recommended by my pastor, this book gave me a vocabulary and suggested a process for listening to who God calls me to be. It also offered important advice on the benefits of listening in the context of community.
The book is accessible but rich. I found that individual chapters bear rereading at various times in my life. I attribute this to the prayerfulness of the authors, who used many of the discernment ideas they describe in the book to write the book itself.
The bibliography is a list of classics on Christian discernment and spirituality that have stood the test of time. Many of the books listed in the bibliography have become important parts of my journey as well.
I am glad I read the book and recommend it to others beginning or continuing their own discernment process.
Incredibly helpful.......2001-05-15
Six years ago, my priest used this book with a group of seniors at Gordon College to help us learn more about listening to God in the context of testing our call to ordained ministry. This book is simply incredible. God used it powerfully in my life!
Book Description
Faith in the workplace-a subject of recent interest in the secular media-is taking the nation by storm. God is using the lives of ordinary men and women to make an impact and transform their workplaces, big and small, for Jesus Christ. Readers of The 9 to 5 Window will learn about this incredible movement and what can take place when people transform their view of work from a means of paying the bills to a means of freeing people in bondage and giving those around them (and themselves) purpose and meaning in life and at work. Using Moses as an example of a person who learned to view his work from an eternal perspective, Os Hillman shows how we all can experience transformed lives, workplaces, cities and nations.
Chapters Include ¥ The Move of God Today and Why He Is Calling You ¥ The Role of Adversity in Your Call ¥ My Skill Versus His Power ¥ You Can Transform Your Workplace
Customer Reviews:
Practical advice for Christians in business.......2006-11-03
The book is an easy read, chock full of real life examples of people who have taken the Great Commission into the marketplace. Solidly backed by scripture, it's a practical guide for those of us who want to do something about what we know is right. Encouraging and challenging.
Thank you for an excellent book........2006-09-06
I have now finished this book and would like to thank Os for what he has written. I have read many Christian marketplace books and they usually follow the same theme. But in this case I was particularly impressed. And especially with the chapters on:
* Hearing God
* Receiving only from God
I have also been very blessed by Os' daily TGIF Marketplace Meditation.
Os, thank you for everything that you are doing to support and bless us who are called to serve in the marketplace.
Very encouraging words for workplace Christians.......2006-08-18
Os Hillman gives those of us who do not work in vocational ministry very encouraging words in this book. We are shown that we are not "second class Christians." Os really helps to connect Sunday to the rest of the week and to help us see our work as our ministry.
This book reaffirms the Christian worker in many ways:
* Even though we may not work in a church, we can serve God right where we are
* Our work actually has purpose and great meaning
* We ALL have a higher purpose and that can be attained through the work we do each day.
This book is a must read for any Christian worker!
If I knew then what I know now .......2006-08-10
"The 9-5 Window" clearly should be the workplace Bible. Os Hillman has weaved a tapestry of life between the covers of this book. There is not a day that goes by that someone, on some level does not mention the undercurrent of discontent as it relates their purpose in life and the challenge of blending the realities of the workplace with their personal faith. Many are unnecessarily suffering in silence. For me, it became an obsession; the high stakes search for my destiny was preoccupying my mind and disturbing my sleep. It rendered me professionally disoriented. I now know I am not the only one. I knew there were clues to be discovered and I was determined to find them. Every clue was examined and each took me to the next one. I stumbled on to Os Hillman's website and after watching the video clip, I knew I had found a major clue. He not only got it--he has devoted his life to making sure we all get it. I would have moved the universe for the information I have discovered in "The 9 to 5 Window." This book not only makes the case for how Faith can transform the workplace; it actually puts life in perspective, inclusive of finding the purpose for your life. The flagship chapters are Chapter 10, "Receiving Only What God Gives You," and chapter 11, "Do not Reach for the Power." These chapters are particularly important because when a person is hungry for something, everything looks good. Os Hillman has graphically and painfully, from his personal experience, along with the life of Joseph, put in perspective the need to listen for God's input in the face of independent actions. Had I had the power of this book years ago, it is my belief that my life's journey would be at a different level. As the workplace continues to detour to chaos and security in the workplace continues to phase into ambiguity; leaders at every level will need to ground themselves in something greater than themselves, and certainly greater than their job description. It is my contention that the grounding should start with "The 9-5 Window." Not only will it put the 9-5 Window in perspective, it will add stability and hope to the 24 hour window.
Ivory Dorsey
Atlanta, Georgia
Life Transformation Monday thru Friday.......2005-10-18
Os Hillman's book, The 9 to 5 Window, is a must-read for anyone serving in the workplace who desires to see the Almighty work in the lives of those around them. Os does a magnificent job of presenting what needs to take place in us so that we are transformed and then can be agents of God in His transformation of others. In humility, Os brings to life the Almighty's work in him and in his wife, as well many other testimonies the world over where life transformation is taking place. A great book for individual or group study.
Books:
- Letter to a Christian Nation
- Life After Death: A History of the Afterlife in Western Religion
- MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit (Exams 70-290, 70-291, 70-293, 70-294): Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Core Requirements, Second Edition
- Meeting the Needs of Multiethnic and Multiracial Children in Schools
- Monkey Girl: Evolution, Education, Religion, and the Battle for America's Soul
- Mysteries Of Isis: Her Worship & Magick (Llewellyn's World Religion & Magic Series)
- Natural Born Charmer
- Problems of Religious Diversity (Exploring the Philosophy of Religion)
- Reading Judas: The Gospel of Judas and the Shaping of Christianity
- Reasons to Live
Books Index
Books Home
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- CEO Pay and Shareholder Value: Helping the U.S. Win the Global Economic War
- Business Education Index 2000
A Hidden Wholeness: The Journey Toward an Undivided Life
To Know as We Are Known: Education as a Spiritual Journey
The Active Life: A Spirituality of Work, Creativity, and Caring
The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher's Life
The Courage to Teach: A Guide for Reflection and Renewal
