"Beguiled by Beauty" (Wendy Farley)

TITLE: Beguiled by Beauty: Cultivating a Life of Contemplation and Compassion
AUTHOR: Wendy Farley
PUBLISHER: Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2023, (200 pages).
 

Modern versions of Christianity have been one of activism and various spiritual practices. Some even call for greater participation in social justice. The rush to do first without adequate contemplation can become a form of short-term gain without long-term benefits. Living in a busy world is already a hectic routine. With the evangelical fervor that pushes us to do more, no wonder Christians are in need of a vacation. Some might even need more such breaks. What if we could incorporate more regular retreats and opportunities for spiritual renewal? What if we could adopt a discipline of slowing down and being more contemplative in everything? More importantly, what if we could turn our contemplative activities into opportunities to behold God's work on earth and bless the community that we interact with? Before we can do that, we need to understand what contemplation is. This is how author Wendy Farley begins, by showing us the meaning and the reasons for contemplation. Beginning with an explanation of what contemplation is, she aims to help us cultivate this discipline in our everyday lives. She helps us "cultivate habits of wonder" as we become more aware of beauty and compassion. She defines the contemplative life as "a general attitude for integrating all the aspects of one's life into a spiritual whole."

"Opening to God" (David G. Benner)

TITLE: Opening to God: Lectio Divina and Life as Prayer
AUTHOR: David G. Benner
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2021, (208 pages).

Prayer is more than conversation or communication. It is more than simply words uttered out from our mouths. Prayer is a deep relationship with God toward communion. At the heart of prayer is love and longing to be with God more. For many of us, prayer is has been reduced to merely asking for things. If prayer is a relationship of longing, surely we need to learn to listen first. For prayer is much less about doing and more about being. It is about an encounter with Love. Prayer is that journey into Love. In describing this journey, author and psychologist David Benner reminds us that listening is a big part of prayer. It is in fact a crucial part of prayer that many of us had unwittingly left out. Benner makes several poignant observations about the conventional prayer practices many of us do. 

• Seeing prayer as an obligation rather than spontaneous desire;
• Observing spiritual discipline instead of earnest devotion;
• Prayer as doing instead of being;
• One-way instead of bi-directional;
• Prayer beginning with mouth instead of from the heart;
• Monologue instead of dialogue.

"An Introduction to Christian Mysticism" (Jason M. Baxter)

TITLE: An Introduction to Christian Mysticism: Recovering the Wildness of Spiritual Life
AUTHOR: Jason M. Baxter
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2021, (208 pages).

In the evangelical tradition, many of us yearn to know God more. Whether it is through Bible study or prayer, devotional practices or spiritual disciplines, we try to know God based on our own knowledge or backgrounds. If we are willing to admit, we often do these things on our own strength rather than to wait upon the LORD. We think we can know God more by mining the Bible, forgetting that it is one thing to know the Word of God, but yet another to know the God of the Word. We think we know God's Thoughts by praying according to our needs instead of needing God regardless of our needs. We forget that prayers are less about telling God about how great our problems are, but to tell the problems of the world, how great God is. In trying to master the Bible, we end up forgetting that spirituality is about the Word mastering us in order to know God more deeply and to make God known more widely. For us to grow into this level of spirituality, we need the help of those who have traveled those paths of spirituality. Mysticism is one of these paths. In our world of Do-It-Yourself spirituality, we tend to gravitate toward how-to manuals even in the area of Christian spirituality. There are steps to do this and steps to do that. It takes mystics like Meister Eckhart to remind us a rather controversial thought: that "in created things, ...., there is no truth." It is a reminder that our own perceptions of truth is imperfect or partial at best. Even our interpretations of God's Word is fallible. That is why we need the Holy Spirit to teach and to guide us. Having said that, moving into the mystical world can be a nervous experience. Aren't Eastern religions practicing mysticism too? How do we know when we are treading to an extreme? Is there such a thing as a correct approach? Even great teachers in the past, such as BB Warfield and CS Lewis, have cautioned us on the mystic practices. Author and Professor Jason Baxter assures us that in this book, he is not trying to convince us to accept all of Christian Mysticism but to "make it easier" for readers to be willing to be patient, to listen, and to be open to it. He does this by describing mysticism like what many mystics do: apophatically. Like the classic work, "The Cloud of Unknowing" by an anonymous writer, the deep desire for God is not through our eyes but through God's eyes. It is to let God be God instead of trying to make God into our own image. Baxter asserts that society in spite of its widespread secularism, there is still a hunger for spiritual and religious thought. He seeks to offer the Christian mystical teachings as an alternative in a world of Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (MTD) and a "nice and polite God" we conjured up in our heads. He then shares snippets of spiritual wisdom throughout the centuries. People such as Plato, Plotinus, Gregory of Nyssa, Evagrius, John Cassian, etc, in the first millennium; Bernard of Clairvaux, Hildegard of Bingen, Guigo II, Bonaventure, Meister Eckhart, Julian of Norwich, Thomas Merton, etc in the second millennium. 

"John" (Brian Chung, Bryan Ye-Chung, & Jan Johnson)

TITLE: John (Alabaster Guided Meditations)
AUTHOR: Brian Chung, Bryan Ye-Chung, & Jan Johnson
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2020, (116 pages).

This is a whopping eBook with a tonne of illustrations on the gospel of John. Filled with incredibly beautiful photos and pictures of daily life, it brings to life the gospel of John by inviting us in via the spiritual practice of lectio divina. For those who don't know what that is, the authors of this book make use of the classic definition of lectio divina by St John of the Cross: "Seek in reading and you will find in meditation; knock in prayer and it will be opened to you in contemplation." The authors expand this by incorporating a 4-step process: Read; Reflect; Respond; and Rest. By pairing photos with the gospel of John, the hope is that it will not only illuminate Scripture in a unique way, but also evoke an inner response within our hearts. That as we read the gospel, the photos will prompt us to reflect on the words and to respond accordingly. This is followed by a gratitude in rest. Each guided meditation not only gives us the steps, it shows us the way to read, to reflect, to respond, and to rest. The reader is never left to figure things out alone.

"Planted" (Leah Kostamo)

TITLE: Planted: A Story of Creation, Calling, and Community
AUTHOR: Leah Kostamo
PUBLISHER: Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2013, (172 pages).

This is a beautiful book. Few books have managed to capture the essence of nature, the joys of community, and the affirmation of a simple calling like this one. Leah Kostamo, a wife, a former campus ministry worker, as well as a co-founder of the A Rocha ministry based in BC Canada, has shown us how good stories can be told with simplicity, with insight, and with humour. Combining her love for creation and conservation, her natural talent for observing details in ordinary things, her passion for community building, coupled with her eloquent use of words, this book is destined for greatness in the literary world. As a memoir, readers will be humbled at how the author and her husband Markku would give up lucrative careers, sell their house, and to pour all their assets into a non-profit ministry without guarantee that it would even survive its initial years. Yet, it did and it did so marvelously, blessing, teaching, and enabling thousands of visitors and volunteers at their farm facility. The ministry in Canada began as a seed back in 1996 at a Regent College course entitled, "Incarnational Mission" led by Peter and Miranda Harris, who had founded A Rocha in Portugal. Eight years later, the idea took root, and sprouted trunks and branches through personal investments as well as generous givers and loaners by those who expressed faith enough to walk with the Kostamos.

The book is also a mini-ecological guide. We learn about the threats of worldwide extinction of 13% of birds, 25% of mammals, and 41% of amphibians. We see how a tiny shrimp plays its microscopic role in a complex and delicate ecological environment, that benefits beavers, bears, and big trees. We read about invasive species, weeds, the birds, and even slugs. Along the way, Kostamo makes sure we do not get carried away in the natural world and forget about the technological world. With a deft touch of humour, she compares and contrasts pods of orcas with iPods! It can also be used as a primer in becoming more nature aware. We are encouraged to think about the tap water we have, to think about its source, its distribution channels, and all the resources poured into the whole system. We are challenged to think about the gardens, how the seasons impact life, the variety of birds and nature around us, and even rocks and minerals that seem so mundane for the busy individual.

It is also a guide for a deeper awareness of what eating entails. For those of us whose limited vocabulary of eating centered around restaurants, the food on our tables, or the kitchen, we get invited into a world of farming, of growing our own food, and the beauty of real food over processed stuff. Food is not just something to be consumed, but it can incorporate a work of art in itself. Beyond the feasting, we will appreciate the preparation beyond mere cook books, and to be respectful in the way we partake of God's providence for us. Slowly but surely, the book becomes a rallying point in the practice of Micah 6:8, that we learn to live justly, love mercy, and to walk humbly. Very aptly, the book closes with a relook at the biblical Sabbath, reminding us that working hard and doing good have their limits. Man can only do so much. Everything else totally depends on God alone. The keeping of the Sabbath is a powerful reminder that we by ourselves are limited. That is why Sabbath keeping enables us to be natural ourselves one day a week, as we busy ourselves with nature on the other six days.

This book is a rare find. More accurately, the book found me. When contacted to do this review, I promptly agreed because of curiosity in part, and to support a fellow Regent alum as well. Little did I know that I would be receiving a literary gem, a unique seed that germinates in me a greater appreciation of nature and creation. Most of all, I am humbled by how the Kostamos' passion-turned-reality have blessed people of all ages from all walks of life. There is a lot of material in this humble looking book. Open it up at any one page and you can easily find a point or two to learn from and to contemplate after.

I am full of praise of the quality of this book. I particularly appreciate the three points to show us the way forward, namely; 1) Practice Gratitude; 2) Practice Generosity; and 3) Practice the Sabbath Keeping. On all three counts, I say a hearty Amen! A clear best of the best so far in my 2014 stack of books.

Thank you, Leah Kostamo for letting me know that this book even existed.

 An American transplant to Canada, Leah Kostamo has a background in campus ministry and education. For the past twelve years, Leah has worked alongside her husband, Markku, to show God’s love for all of creation through the ministry of A Rocha. She lives and thrives on Kingfisher Farm near Vancouver, BC.  

Rating: 5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Answering the Contemplative Call" (Carl McColman)

TITLE: Answering the Contemplative Call: First Steps on the Mystical Path
AUTHOR: Carl McColman
PUBLISHER: Charlottesville,VA: Hampton Roads Publishing, 2013, (192 pages).

Before one can respond to any call, one must listen and recognize the call. Once the call is heard, one needs to decide what to do about it. Once the preparation is done, one needs to put it into action. This three fold process is deliberated in this book about "mystical faith." McColman summarizes spirituality as follows: "So, if life is a journey, then spirituality is an essential part of that passage." What makes the contemplative so mystical is that the goal of such a journey is to "have no goal," and the purpose of finding God is not on the outside, but finding God inside. Simply put, mystical spirituality is that deep longing for God, so much so that the material becomes immaterial. It is a call for deeper intimacy.

The first thing to note is to recognize that God loves us. The second thing is to respond to God's love by preparing for deeper communion with God. The third thing is walking this path of love. All three things are described in this book.  There are calls to pray and to seek God more deeply. There are communities that one can seek out to walk the journey together. There are opportunities to practice the journey both alone and with people. The main thing to note is that mystical spirituality is not something that necessarily locks us into any kind of a mould. It liberates us to choose to be caged in willingly, or to wander off freely. It encourages us to walk at a pace that is in tune with God and with our own creative makeup. It gives a peace that the world cannot give.

Let me offer five thoughts with regards to this book. Firstly, I like the aspect of invitation to the journey. For instance, love is not something that is forced upon, but freedom given and received in grace as gifts. Only when we are free to enter in and out, can we begin the journey of love. When we think about the "call," it is always about an invitation rather than an imperative. It is an invitation to wonder and to enjoy the entire experience. We need to see it as solving some kind of a problem, but to appreciate with thanks the privilege of embarking on a journey. Freely offered, freely accepted. It is that invitation to love God and to be loved by God.

Secondly, there is a certain mystery in this kind of journey. In our modern world of science and technology, sometimes we have become too clever for our own good. We concoct our dreams of happiness. We strategize our way to success. We calculate what makes sense with regards to personal fulfillment. If we let these things define our spirituality, we will be in trouble, just like us trying to explain the ups and downs of relationships. Psychologists or therapists will know that their prescriptions and theories can only go so far. The rest comprises of discernment and wisdom. Mystical is often an openness to the divine and for the self to learn new revelations from God. It is a journey that begins with Christ, continues with the Spirit, and ends in God the Father.

Thirdly, I appreciate McColman bringing into the book the wisdom and teachings from the classic spiritual mystics. People like Bernard of Clairvaux, Julian of Norwich, Meister Eckhart, Walter Hilton, Teresa of Avila, Evelyn Underhill, and many others have lots to teach us.  One of the common teachings is that it is God who notices us first, and not the other way round. It begins with God.

Fourthly, just like the mystics of old, McColman uses lots of metaphors and images to help readers understand the themes more. Like the image of mirrors in our lives, reflecting the need for inner purity so that we can reflect goodness to the outside. Being awake from our sleepy world is another useful metaphor. Far too often, we practice spirituality with heavy eyelids, and fail to even begin well. Spiritual awakening must happen first before the start of any spiritual journey. The spiritual life needs to be nuanced beyond our scientific mindset.

Fifthly, the use of stories gives life to the message. In fact, when explaining the mystical paths, there is no better way than stories to string together teachings and ideas. It highlights the relational aspect much better than any scientific steps or practical processes. The spiritual life is essentially about spiritual relationships. Unlike some other types of spirituality, Christian spirituality is an attempt to connect to the Person of Christ,  and not about a spiritual system or a kind of metaphysical state of being.

Highly readable, immensely practical, and richly inviting, this book is a great start for anyone desiring to learn more about contemplative spirituality.



Rating: 4.25 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me free by the publisher without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.