The Book Corner
Celtic Christian Spirituality – Earle
> The Celtic Christians beheld the world around them and perceived the divine life of God upholding every aspect of the material universe. In this introduction to Celtic Christian spirituality, Mary C. Earle presents some of the essential texts from the Celtic Christian tradition. Earle's engaging facing-page commentary explores how faithful Christians and spiritual seekers use the writings of this lively tradition as ways of embodying and living the gospel. Topics include:
* Creation * Daily life and work * Incarnation
* Pilgrimage * Praise * Social justice
* Prayer
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Colorful Creation - Moore
> From a shuddering, juddering, bubbling muddle of mud, God created a colorful creation, a gift to treasure and care for. This book is a feast of sound and color, awe and wonder, with a few surprises along the way. This modern take on the classic story of Creation, is approached with creativity, joy, and wonder. Perfect reading tool for children 5 to 9, but also is an easy read-along for Sunday schools, libraries, and bedtime at home.
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How Does God Make Things Happen? – Kushner
> To young children, the world is full of things to see and touch. And by using those very examples, this enchanting book gently invites children to become aware of God's presence all around us. We read books to our children about letters, numbers, shapes, colors, and safety, but do we give their minds the early food they need to think about life's bigger questions? As spiritual development experts now tell us, each child develops an image of God by age 5, with or without religious instruction. This boardbook takes you and your child on an imaginative journey designed to help you open not only your child's mind, but your child's heart and soul as well.
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The Liturgical Year: a journey of the soul through the map of Christian Time – Chittister
> This book sets out to open what may at first seem to be simply an arbitrary arrangement of ancient holy days or liturgical seasons to their essential relationship to one another and their ongoing meaning to us today. It proposes, year after year, to immerse us over and over again into the sense and substance of the Christian life until, eventually, we become what we say we are-followers of Jesus all the way to the heart of God. It is an adventure in human growth and an exercise in spiritual ripening.
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Made for Goodness and Why This Makes All the Difference - Tutu
> Over the years the same questions get asked of Desmond Tutu, the archbishop, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and veteran of the moral movement that ended apartheid in South Africa: "How can you be so hopeful after witnessing so much evil?" "Why are you so sure goodness will triumph in the end?" This book is his answer. In it we get a glimpse into his personal spirituality—and a better understanding of the man behind a lifetime of good works. Written with his daughter, Episcopal priest Mpho Tutu, Tutu engages his reader with touching stories from his own life, as well as grisly memories from his work in the darkest corners of the world.
Sacred Breath: Forty Days of Centering Prayer –
Muyskens
> When life takes an unexpected turn that leaves you reeling, sometimes you have to remind yourself to just breathe. But God is closer than the air you breathe. Grounded in scripture and Christian tradition, Sacred Breath walks you through the practice of Centering Prayer and helps you breathe in deeply the presence of God. Learn how to present yourself to God in silence twice a day without any agenda. Forty days of practical, encouraging meditations will help you get started in the rich experience of living in the awareness of God s love. Sacred Breath includes scriptures, breathing exercises, and an outline for group meetings.
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The Three Trees – Pasquali
> A tale of hope and faith for Christmas, Easter, and always. Three trees on a hill each dream of greatness: to be made into a treasure chest, a proud ship, and to point to heaven. Their initial hopes dashed by the humble uses made of their wood (a trough, a fishing-boat, and a cross), they come to realize their essential roles in the life of a great though unnamed king. Familiar biblical images such as the manger scene, Jesus calming the storm, and the crucifixion take on new resonance when narrated from the trees' perspectives. It’s a somber and evocative rendition of the gospel story. Ages 5 to 7.
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Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life – Armstrong
> In this important and thought-provoking work, Karen Armstrong—one of the most original thinkers on the role of religion in the modern world—provides a practical and impassioned guide to helping us make the world a more compassionate place. The twelve steps she suggests begin with “Learn about Compassion,” and closes with “Love Your Enemies.” In between, she takes up self-love, mindfulness, suffering, sympathetic joy, the limits of our knowledge of others, and “concern for everybody.” Learning to become a compassionate human being is a lifelong project and a journey filled with rewards.
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What We Do in Church: an Anglican Child’s Activity Book – Kitch
> The wonderful sights, sounds, and smells of the Anglican liturgy can engage the imagination of young children and draw them into enthusiastic worship. But it can be a bit confusing as well. Through the interactive games and puzzles in this fun-filled activity book, children ages 4-7 can grow to a deeper understanding of Anglican worship life. The 40 one-page activities are followed by a four-page parent guide designed to promote parenting in the pews and offer tips for parents and other educators using these activities with children.
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A Year with Aslan: Daily Reflections – Lewis / Roller
> By pondering the world of Narnia, we can better understand our own. In the first book of its kind, A Year with Aslan offers 365 of the most thought-provoking passages from all seven of C.S. Lewis’ books, paired with reflective questions that get at the heart of what matters most. An unprecedented way to experience the magic of Narnia every day of the year, A Year with Aslan allows us all to go “Further up and further in!”
St. Aidan’s Bookstore is open most Sundays between services from 8:45 to 9:15 am & after the 10 am service until noon.
Affirmation Candle with a quote from Dame Julian of Norwich (1393 A.D.)
> Tea-light holder of Hand-crafted Pewter
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A Child’s Guide to the Holy Eucharist – Rite II (Commentary by Sarah Horton)
> Written for school age children, this guide to the Rite II Eucharistic Service presents the full text of the Service from The Book of Common Prayer alongside commentary and cartoons that clarify the meaning of the words. Horton focuses on the “hows” and “whats” of the Service itself, in the belief that participation and information are, in the long term, the keys to Christian formation.
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After the Ecstasy, the Laundry – Jack Kornfield
> Jack Kornfield, one of America's most beloved teachers of meditation, assures us that enlightenment does occur on the spiritual path but warns that it is not the end of the road. Bringing his thoughts to a personal level, Kornfield looks up many of the notable spiritual teachers of our times (Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, Sufi, etc.) and presents extended quotations of their trials and epiphanies. These anecdotes are woven together with fables and ruminations from Kornfield's own decades-long experience as a practitioner and teacher, creating an image of the spiritual life as challenging, multidimensional, rewarding, and, yes, mundane.
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Christ of the Celts – the Healing of Creation
– J. Philip Newell
> This moving book offers a reflection on the "forgotten" Jesus, the Christ of the ancient Celtic tradition. Drawing on the gospels of Thomas and the Acts of John and on the writings of Irenaeus, Eriugena, and Teilhard de Chardin, the author ignites us with the possibilities that can come from understanding this ancient spiritual tradition. The Celtic Christ offers new hope for achieving harmony, healing, and renewal for human beings and for all of creation.
Newell connects the Celtic tradition with our more conventional Christian beliefs and offers a vision of concern for healing creation and the environment—for the presence of the sacred in nature and all creatures. This was the essence of the ancient Celtic vision of Christ. Newell's Celtic Christ is interwoven with the Creation—they share the same center, the same Heartbeat. The book also explores the notion of salvation in the sense of the oneness of the universe. This is salvation that comes from the wellbeing of the whole rather than only the welfare of the individual.
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God Believes in You – Holly Bea
> Holly Bea's beloved bullmastiff, Buddy, is having a bad day. Left alone to guard the house, he is taunted by the neighbor-hood cats, who know that he can't touch them. Buddy is worried—will Holly be back soon, or is she gone for the day, or even forever? Much to Buddy's relief, Holly returns. They go to the park, but Buddy's fun is cut short by a pack of hostile squirrels and a team of Dalmatian firedogs who challenge his self-esteem. Will this day ever end? Buddy's day is a metaphor for the doubts and anxieties children face, and a soothing reminder that God will always be there for them.
Friendship of Women – the Hidden Tradition of the Bible – Joan Chittister
> Friendship colors the very air we breathe; it is everywhere around us. It binds past and present and makes bearable the uncertainty of the future. In this book, Joan Chittister explores the sacred dimension of friendship through the lens of faith, tradition, scripture, and the social sciences, and reveals the often-overlooked voices and experiences of women in the Bible. She recovers and reclaims the witness and wisdom of such women as Lydia, Prisca, Deborah, and Phoebe; of Esther, Martha, Veronica, and Elizabeth; and of Ruth, Anne, Miriam, and Mary Magdalene. Drawing a highly inspiring message from each of these women’s lives, Joan Chittister invites us to seek and embrace friendship as it is embodied between women, between God the Creator and all of creation, and between human beings.
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Life Prayers from around the World – 365 Prayers, Blessings, and Affirmations to Celebrate the Human Journey – Elizabeth Roberts and Elias Amidon
> An eloquent anthology honoring the wonders and challenges of life on earth and celebrating the seasons of our lives.
The mysteries and delights of life on earth are illuminated in this richly eclectic collection of poetry, wisdom, prayers, and blessings from thinkers and writers around the world. Here you will find the poetry of Hildegard of Bingen and Gary Snyder; the political wisdom of Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King, Jr.; a treasury of women's prayers, classical verse from China and Japan; and beautiful chants and prayers by Native Americans.
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Mornings with Henri J. M. Nouwen – Readings and Reflections – compiled by Evelyn Bence
> This is a book of morning meditations by Henri Nouwen, one of the most popular, yet profound sprititual writers of our time. The book touches upon the themes that defined his life: prayer, solitude, community, and the unlimited love of God.
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Praying in Color – Drawing a New Path to God
– Sybil MacBeth
> With paper and markers, you will draw closer to God. Thousands of people have already discovered this truly simple, transformative spiritual practice.
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Traveling with Pomegranates
– Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor
> Between 1998 and 2000, Sue and Ann travel throughout Greece and France. Sue, coming to grips with aging, caught in a creative vacuum, longing to reconnect with her grown daughter, struggles to enlarge a vision of swarming bees into a novel. Ann, just graduated from college, heartbroken and benumbed by the classic question about what to do with her life, grapples with a painful depression. As this modern-day Demeter and Persephone chronicle the richly symbolic and personal meaning of an array of inspiring figures and sites, they also each give voice to that most protean of connections: the bond of mother and daughter.
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LindaCarol McKinlay J