Bücher veröffentlicht von Harding House Publishing, Inc./AnamcharaBooks

This is the story of a woman's spiritual journey: from the restrictions of growing up as Catholic female in the 1950s to her emotional and spiritual liberation as a Sufi-and to her ultimate return to a new understanding of Christianity. Building on the foundations of the Sufi and Christian mystics, Della Penna's memoir is sometimes funny, sometime heartbreaking-and always points toward more universal truths beyond the particularities of an individual life. It will resonate with anyone seeking to find life's deeper meanings. The author's discovery of her own unique "song" is truly a gift to us all!

This is the beginning of Brother Lawrence''s spiritual journey, a journey that made him stand out to the Christian community of his day (he lived c. 1614-1691), not because he was a great thinker, a gifted speaker, or a talented writer-but simply because of the way he lived his life.This way of life echoes the teachings of Zen. Surrender yourself to God and you will be equally at peace in both suffering and joy, Brother Lawrence told one of his visitors. When a person does not cling, wrote the Buddha centuries earlier, she is not agitated.

The ancient Celts found God''s presence in each ordinary moment of the day. Everything they encountered revealed to them the presence of the sacred; each day was deep with meaning. Now you too can practice the Celts'' faith, as you take a few moments to immerse yourself in their wisdom. These small daily moments of reflection and insight will open your heart to each day and all it holds.This day I call to meGod''s strength to direct me,God''s power to sustain me,God''s wisdom to guide me. . . .God''s sheild to protect me.(Saint Patrick)Celtic spirituality is luminous with poetry and prayer, stories and sagas, canticles and contemplation. In this splendid book of daily readings, Ray Simpson draws from scripture, liturgy, folklore, his knowledge of history, and the power of his own experience to weave a richly textured tapestry of insight, invocation, and invitation. Spend some time each morning with these spiritual readings, and the blessing of Celtic wisdom will be yours. -Carl McColman, author of Befriending Silence: Discovering the Gifts of Cistercian Spirituality, The Big Book of Christian Mysticism, and Answering the Contemplative Call: First Steps on the Mystical PathThis book''s spiritual insights coupled with stories and prayers from the Celtic tradition have shaped my daily life for several years now. It would be hard to imagine so much wisdom packaged between two covers-and yet Ray Simpson has skillfully distilled it into day-size portions that bless and enrich the meaning of ordinary daily life. -Kenneth McIntosh, author of Water from an Ancient Well: Celtic Spirituality for Modern Life and Magic Reversed

This prayerbook offers a Nature-focused collection based on ancient Celtic prayers, weaving together words of hope and challenge. Each prayer is an opportunity to connect personal faith with environmental concerns. The prayers also work well as an opening or closing for gatherings and meetings, to remind those present to turn their hearts to the Earth. Using these Celtic patterns of prayer, readers become rooted in an ancient tradition that has always integrated spirituality with an awareness of the Earth. This Celtic form of "green spirituality" creates a desperately needed twenty-first-century pathway to greater spiritual and practical commitment to Nature.

More than a thousand years later, the ongoing power and vitality of that legacy is impressive. These stories reveal the Celts'' ongoing conviction that the invisible world is as real as the visible one. They show us human beings living in constant, tangible friendship with God, with the supernatural, and with animals. They lead us into a world where holiness and the imagination have joined hands, a world where we can truly catch glimpses of miracles and wonders."There are other accounts of these saints'' lives, many that are far more historically accurate, but those contained here tell us as much about the people who told the stories as they do about the ancient saints. They show us those saint''s legacy lived out in people''s lives and imaginations more than a thousand years later.The power and vitality of that legacy is impressive. These stories reveal an ongoing conviction that the invisible world is as real as the visible one. They show us human beings living in constant, tangible friendship with God, with the supernatural, and with animals....They lead us into a world where holiness and the imagination have joined hands, a world where we can truly catch glimpses of miracles and wonders."-From the introduction by Meg Llewellyn

Long ago, the story goes, Brigid flung out her mantle over the world. Beneath its shelter, the Earth and its people could find healing, insight, and growth. This legend, shared by both Celtic Pagans and Celtic Christians, makes the point that a mantle is not a box, a small rigid container meant to keep some things inside while excluding others. Instead, a mantle is wide, flexible, inclusive. Using this as their central metaphor, the authors-one a Pagan healer and the other a Christian minister-engage in a dialogue that is ultimately about what it means to be spiritual, to be a person of faith. While the authors affirm that very real differences separate Paganism and Christianity, they affirm that shared points of understanding can be found under "Brigid''s Mantle." With Brigid, as both a Pagan Goddess and a Christian saint, at the center of their dialogue, the authors first provide the historical foundation for the Celtic culture, past and present. They build on this a concept of Celtic spirituality that embraces the arts, Nature, the supernatural world, compassion for those in need, and gender equality.

Celtic Spirituality for the Modern WorldThe world of the long-ago Celts appeals to many of us in the twenty-first century. Whether we are looking to find our cultural heritage or are seeking an alternative to worn and restrictive religious forms, the earth-centered, woman-friendly, inclusive faith of the Christian Celts offers us a deep-rooted alternative approach to traditional Christianity. The Celts experienced "thin places," where they sensed the supernatural world; they honored their poets, singers, and artists; and they passionately followed the Christ of the Gospels. Theirs was a church without walls, which lived naturally and comfortably within the community. Ray Simpson has spent most of his life walking in the footsteps of the Christian Celts, and now he allows us to experience for ourselves their dynamic spirituality.

The Celts were activists for justice. They persuaded kings to change their policies; they stood up for women and others who were endangered by prejudice; and they worked with tireless love on behalf of all Earth''s creatures. They resisted the injustice of their day-and they persisted throughout their entire lifetimes, until their deaths. (And some would say that they are still hard at work fighting injustice from the Otherworld.) Following in their footsteps requires a mystical experience of the Divine that expresses itself in acts of tangible justice and compassion These essays build on Celtic stories, myths, and tradition to inspire and challenge us. They remind us that we cannot consider ourselves faithful to God if we are not faithful to our entire community (a community that not only includes humans, but also animals, plants, and the entire Earth). "It is in your hands to create a better world for all who live in it."-Nelson Mandela

With his trademark earthy exuberance, author George Breed explores the deep meanings within the Gospel of Thomas, giving readers new and surprising insights into the message of Jesus."The Gospel of Thomas is emerging as a true mystical source from the earliest period of what became Christianity. Any commentary on Thomas is worth reading-but this one is a genuine gem!"-FR. RICHARD ROHR, OFM (Center for Action and Contemplation, Albuquerque, New Mexico)"In this lovely book, Dr. George Breed helps to advance the art of seeing, not what rests on surfaces but rather that which lies through and beyond exteriors and forms, and within ourselves. The writer of the Thomas Gospel quotes Jesus as saying, "The kingdom of the Father is spread out upon the earth, and men do not see it." In other words don''t merely look-see! By reading the Thomas Gospel through Dr. Breed''s eyes, we can achieve a glimpse of the divine world in which we live, as well as the mysterious beauty of our inner lives. We can begin to see!"-BRADLEY OLSON, PhD, Jungian Depth Psychologist

Nautilus Book Awards 2020 winner!"Put aside all you preconceptions about the Bible and pick up this book. Lynne Bundesen imagines what it means to breathe a women''s spirit into sacred narrative. She enriches our understanding and nourishes our souls." -Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, author of Midrash: Reading the Bible with Question Marks and many children''s books, including Noah''s Wife and But God Remembered: Stories for Women from Creation to the Promised Land"In an accessible and comprehensive way, Lynne Bundesen weaves together linguistic knowledge, insightful exegesis, history of interpretation, and feminist biblical scholarship to reveal feminine spirit-the female divine and the divine female-from Genesis to Revelation. Feminine Spirit at the Heart of the Bible is a book that Christians hungry for God the Mother will read with pleasure and share with enthusiasm." -Mary Ann Beavis, professor of Religious Studies, author of Christian Goddess Spirituality: Enchanting Christianity, editor of She Rises, and founding editor of The Journal of Religion and Popular Culture"Lynne Bundesen''s The Feminine Spirit at the Heart of the Bible is an insightful reading of the Jewish and Christian scriptures focusing on the feminine, nurturing side of the divine. It calls out misinterpretations, mistranslations, and biased readings that have held women down and back for centuries. Accessible to the general reader, it is nonetheless based on sound scholarship. It is ideal for individual study or group sessions." -Alice Ogden Bellis, Hebrew Bible professor and author of Helpmates, Harlots, and Heroes: Women''s Stories in the Hebrew Bible and Proverbs"Bundesen''s knowledge of the Bible is clear throughout, as is her agenda: to offer a new way to read the Bible with women in the limelight." -Publishers Weekly(Updated 2019 edition!-THIS IS A NEW AND GREATLY EXPANDED VERSION OF AN EARLIER TITLE BY THIS AUTHOR.)

Times of crisis test us, physically, emotionally, spiritually. But crises can also be opportunities for change, for renewed health, and new visions. Our response can make all the difference. Will we let crisis defeat us? Or will we rise to the challenge and one day emerge from these catastrophic events as better people building a better world? Change must come; it is inevitable. But the form that change takes is at least partly up to us.The prayers collected here, written in the Celtic tradition, offer us ways to spiritually meet the crises of our day. They call us to hope and to healing, to blessing others and to receiving strength and courage. They remind us that the Divine One is at work, even now, ever here.

Coloring is no longer for children only.Adult coloring books stimulate our imaginations. They can also be a form of mindfulness technique, just as yoga and meditation are. Research shows that coloring can reduce stress by helping to slow heart rate and respiration, loosen muscles, and stimulate the brain. Coloring can open up a quiet space where we are able to hear the Divine voice speaking to our hearts.The images in this coloring book were drawn from medieval bestiaries, and the descriptions of the animal are summaries compiled from actual ancient texts. Although today we may no longer believe that a panther''s breath is so sweet that it draws everyone to her . . . or that barnacle geese grow on trees . . . or that mermaids even exist, we still can learn from these fantastical bestiary creatures, just as medieval readers did. Each animal included here, from dragons to goats and unicorns to crocodiles, is a delight in its own right. Each one allows us to engage with the Divine as the ancient Celts did-and as we might have when we were children-using our imaginations, our creativity, and our hands to connect mind, heart, and body with God and Creation.Ask the animals, and they will teach you,or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,or let the fish in the sea inform you.Job 12:7-8

"Warriors of spirit" across disciplines (martial arts, healing arts, creative arts, and spiritual arts) embody certain qualities, says the author. Embodying (deeply practicing) these qualities reduces stress, increases energy, expands awareness, deepens confidence, quiets the mind, and enhances creativity. The author has applied knowledge from his PhD in psychology, his 5th-degree Karate black belt, and his own deep spiritual practice to create a practical and deeply spiritual book that spans traditions.

"The Spirit showed me a tiny thing, the size of a hazelnut," wrote the fourteenth-century mystic, Julian of Norwich. In Julian''s vision, the fragile and insignificant hazelnut contains all of Creation-and yet it endures "because God loves it."Seven hundred years before Rob Bell wrote Love Wins, Julian had already offered the world a vision of God''s all-encompassing love. These prayer-poems, based on All Shall Be Well: A Modern-Language Version of the Revelation of Julian of Norwich, are an accessible introduction to Julian''s joyous theology of love. "Take this book from my heart to yours," she wrote. "If you forget all the rest, remember this: Love is everything. Love is God."

Coloring with the Green ManMore and more people are rediscovering what they already knew when they were kids-coloring is fun. What''s more, coloring can lead us into a deeper awareness of both our inner selves and the world around us.The Green Man images in this coloring book have been paired with short quotations from two of Anamchara Books'' titles: The Green Man: Ancient Symbol for the Modern World and Celtic Nature Prayers: Prayers from an Ancient Well, both by Kenneth McIntosh. These quotations are offered for use as mental focal points as you color, with space provided for you to jot down any thoughts that may rise to the surface.As you color, you may find yourself connecting with Nature in a new way, experiencing what poet Elizabeth Browning described: "Earth is crammed with heaven and every bush aflame with God."

Using the Celtic tradition, David Cole explores the Christian theology that underpins meditation-and discovers the practical spiritual benefits of this ancient practice."Meditation is one of the great treasures of our Christian contemplative tradition, though largely forgotten by modern churches. In this delightful book, David Cole gently invites readers to rediscover this ancient path to deeper relationship with God. David writes with a spirit of ease and joy as he guides us through meditation with scripture, our breath, our bodies, and the natural world. This insightful and accessible book is a welcome addition to the contemplative renewal of our time."-Mark Kutolowski, OblSB, Salva Terra peace pilgrim and founder of New Creation Wilderness Programs