Word Made Flesh

"Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me." That children's chant indicates how much we have waived the power of words, of speaking, of naming. In our day, words have become passive. Cheap. Designed to sell.

But we long for more, for "the Word made flesh." Part of the attraction of Gandalf in Lord of the Rings and the Harry Potter series is, I think, the power of words to make things happen! We both unwittingly and intentionally cast "spells" on ourselves and others through our words. Our spiritual path is to become conscious and to cast aside "spells" when they stop our eyes and ears from sensing the life generating word of the Spirit. These books will quicken that consciousness.

The Promise Restored: Rediscovering the 10 Commandments in an Uncertain World
by T. Wyatt Watkins. New World Library, 2002; 320p. $14.95.

The 10 words of God -- the 10 commandments -- are venerated except when we want to condemn some group of "bad" people. We now spend more time talking about the 10 words than we do attempting to be informed by them. In the midst of such distraction comes this very fine book, interspersing biblical scholarship with stories of his family, friends and neighborhood, Watkins provides a discerning look at the difficulty of being informed by these words without trivializing them or dismissing their implications. Stories which in other hands could have been caricatures of "good" people and "bad" people describe instead a more subtle and complex world in which we all at times substitute our word for that of the Spirit.

Praying Like Jesus: The Lord's Prayer in a Culture of Prosperity
by James Mulholland. HarperCollins, 2001; 133p. $14.95.

I do not know if this book was written after publication of The Prayer of Jabez by Bruce Wilkinson but the introduction certainly was. The intro is a biting rejoinder in the guise of an imagined conversation between Jesus and the disciples who have been praying the prayer of Jabez because they think Jesus' ministry could use expansion of its territory. The body of Mulholland's book is a challenging look at the prayer Jesus taught his disciples when they asked how they should pray. As such, it is a book that addresses indirectly what happens when one person prays for a plane to be late and another prays for it to be on time. Vaporous other-worldly interpretations of the work of the Spirit in Jesus' prayer are quickly swept away. Our wealth and others' poverty, our power and others' servitude, our self-centeredness and others' needs are the focus here.

Play The Ball Where The Monkey Drops It: Why We Suffer & How We Can Hope
by Gregory Knox Jones. HarperCollins, 2001; 165 p. $22.00.

With that clever title and the amusing story that lies behind it, Jones explores the reality of suffering in a world while proclaiming a God of love and care. I particularly appreciate that it does not stop with the statement that suffering is not the work of the Spirit, is not God's desire for us. If we make that declaration, then the question remains how do we recognize the work of the Spirit and it is to this discernment that the latter half of the book is directed. Jones describes eight characteristics of the work of the Spirit and their opposites and helps us examine our experiences in light of them to find hope in the midst of suffering.

Blackwinged Night: Creativity in Nature & Mind
by F. David Peat. Perseus, 2001; 240p. $17.00.

Lest we become too self-centered or homo-centered in our search for traces of the Spirit at work, I have included this fine little meandering through the universe, the mind of God and the mind of earth. The Spirit is creative, is generative, though often our liturgies speak of it as "the sustainer". Indeed, I believe that there is no sustaining that is static. The work of the Spirit is always creative and evolving. Creativity (for Peat) has at least three aspects: newness or novelty; renewal or sustenance; and healing or making whole. For Peat, humans share creativity with the universe. We not only can be creative but cannot not be creative. From there he picks up the strands of cosmology, Michelangelo, Yeats, Bach, Fellini, Cage, language and many others to weave a tapestry that knits us wholly in the reaches of the universe and the creative Spirit.

Practicing Your Path: A Book of Retreats for an Intentional Life
by Holly W. Whitcomb. Innisfree Press, 2002; 125p. $15.95. (available from Faith@Work)

This is a highly usable book providing guidance in planning and executing retreats. Seven designs are given for day long (morning, lunch and afternoon) retreats centered around classic Christian disciplines (Sabbath, hospitality, prayer, etc.). The designs and activities can be used for solitary retreats, but instructions are provided for leaders of group retreats. Ideas are also provided for extending any of the retreats and for combining designs to create multi-day retreats. The author has included many helpful details such as a question to ponder during the week preceding the retreat to prepare for the Spirit's work.

David Davies is co-owner of Soul Desires bookstore in Omaha NE with his wife, the Rev. Susan Davies.