A Time to Care

"Be silent, be silent, A whisper is heard Be silent and listen, And treasure each word"

In my part of the country everything is quiet. The tourists have departed, homes are buttoned up for the winter and even the woods and fields are silent waiting, it seems, for the hushed sounds of falling snow. Would that our lives reflected this natural rhythm that enabled us to withdraw, sit quietly and listen for that still, small Voice giving us guidance and insight.

Instead we must make sure quiet times happen. We must create spaces of silence and peace in our lives. Fortunately there is plenty of help available to do this. Many places of worship and retreat houses offer quiet days and silent retreats. And should we need guidance for these times apart or help making space in the midst of busy lives, there are any number of books available.

I've chosen a few of the newer ones to review here, but do remember all the good classic writers; Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen, Douglas Steere, Julian of Norwich among others who still have much to teach us about the contemplative life, for that is what we are really talking about, isn't it? 

MY SOUL IN SILENCE WAITS: MEDITATIONS ON PSALM 62 by Margaret Guenther. Cowley Publications, 2000. 140 pages, paper $9.95.

Margaret Guenther is a gifted spiritual director, priest, retreat leader, teacher, wife and mother. She knows how difficult it is to carve out space and time for stillness, but she also knows how important it is to do this. She writes here about how to make the time for reflection and retreat without leaving home. The eight meditations on Psalm 62 can also be used for a personal retreat away.

ORGANIC SPIRITUALITY: A SIXFOLD PATH FOR CONTEMPLATIVE LIVING by Nicki Verploegen Vandergrift. Orbis Books, 2000. 130 pages, paper $9.95.

Nicki's thesis is that we have lost our child-like organic awe in our spiritual lives. She outlines six essential "disciplines," refreshing ways to become aware of the sacred in everyday life." All six are worth considering seriously but the chapter on "Stillness" is especially relevant. There are helpful questions to help us consider how to make these disciplines a part of busy lives.

PRAYING THE HOURS by Suzanne Guthrie. Cowley Publications, 2000. 144 pages, paper $9.95. 

The ancient practice of hallowing time by marking the hours through the days is largely confined to monastic houses today. But Guthrie has outlined in her book how this practice can become a part of hectic schedules as well, and how the routine activities can then become a sanctification. Praying throughout the day at fixed hours can draw us closer to God, she says. She also explores the importance of place for our life of prayer.

THE CONTEMPLATIVE HEART by James Finley. Soren Books, 2000. 224 pages, paper $13.95.

Many will recognize James Finley's name, especially those who have explored the contemplative way. He is especially known as a student and follower of Thomas Merton, who is sometimes referred to as the father of modern contemplative practice. Finley is a clinical psychologist who is well aware of the yearning in today's world for something spiritual. Here he offers the practices of the contemplative tradition usually reserved for the monastic few and asserts these practices are "what we have been searching for all along" in our modern hectic schedules.

TRUE SELF - FALSE SELF: UNMASKING THE SPIRIT WITHIN by M. Basil Pennington, Crossroads Publishing Co. 2000. 125 pages, paper $9.95

Basil Pennington will be another familiar name for those who have tried "centering prayer." He has a number of books on the subject and in this one goes on to examine the fruits of centering prayer. (He cautions, however, that if we practice this way of prayer in order to gain these fruits, it will no longer be centering on God, but ourselves!) "When we go to the center of our being and pass through that center to the very center of God we get in immediate touch with the Divine Creating Energy." he says. And thus we can change the world, he adds, and reminds us of such Masters of prayer as Mother Teresa, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King and Gandhi.Also look for:

THE WONDERS OF SOLITUDE edited by Dale Salwak. New World Library, Novato, CA. 1998. 144 pages, paper $12.00.

A SACRED PRIMER: the Essential Guide to Quiet Time and Prayer by Elizabeth Harper Neeld. Renaissance Books. Los Angeles, CA. 1999. 200 pages, hardcover $17.00.

Ruth Butler is a retired teacher, children's literature specialist and Episcopalian from Topsfield MA.