Note of apology to readers:
To those of you who subscribe to Seeking the Spiritual Life, you may have wondered what has happened to the author and the postings? My goal has always been to post once a month but even in the good years I have posted 10 a year...but this year I'm on track to post 5 - yikes! And nothing posted since June. I have actually been in a spiritual tangle (watch for future posting on that issue) and it has interfered with my ability to write for my blog. But I believe I have untangled myself and will be back in 2016 with more to say.
Spiritual Resources
Today I sat with a group of people as we shared with each other what our spiritual resources are - what the books are that we turn to every time for spiritual nurturance, inspiration or uplift. All great religions of the world have their own sacred scriptures. But why be limited to only one source of spiritual enrichment? Many of the people in the circle shared the same thing - that they had texts they had read all the way through and found inspiring, and now kept in a place of prayer. They shared that they would open them randomly - trusting that they would be lead to just the right page, and that in fact it did feel that they were lead to just the right bit of wisdom. So I share with you here the pile of books that lives on my bed stand and a little bit about why (in no particular order). If you have not read these, then here is some 2016 inspiration for sure:
Illusions by Jonathan Bach...yes this is actually a novel. But it is a novel about a man on a spiritual journey who is given the "Messiah's handbook"...the quotes in the "handbook" are as meaningful to me now as they were in 1989 when it first came out. Pages that are not the handbook still point me to the ideas the book contains.
Emmanuel's Book I (or book II) compiled by Pat Rodegast & Judith Stanton. My best-friend sent this to me as a gift, also in the 80's, with a sort of guilty note about how she did not really believe in channeling (the whole book is channeled - the authors are simply a medium and recorder of a spirit named Emmanuel.) but that she found great spiritual truth's in the book and thus found it useful to read. I would heartily agree with this. In other words I don't really understand how channeling would work, but when I hold the words in the book before my truth meter - the words ring true and consistent. Very complicated spiritual issues are addressed since the audience got to ask questions and the answers are what are recorded. I found answers in here early in life that helped ground my spiritual journey. There were things I have not worried about because these answers worked for me.
A Testament of Devotion by Thomas Kelly. Thomas Kelly, a Quaker, wrote this book in 1945 as WWII was ending. One would think this would make it dated, but his mysticism and ecstatic expression of God is so profound as to be timeless. (The only way it is dated is somewhat gender heavy language.) A brief book with just 5 chapters...has to be read slowly, or over and over, to take in its richness. The chapter On Holy Obedience speaks profoundly to a life of leading and faithfulness. The chapter on Simplification of Life speaks to the need to slow down and to be faithful - to strip away distracts and false idols. The chapter on The Eternal Now and Social Concern probably saved my life since I read this in my 20's. Kelly states: "I dare not urge you to your cross. But He, more powerfully, speaks within you and me, to our truest selves, in our truest moments, and disquiets us with the world's needs. By inner persuasions He draws us to a few very definite tasks, our tasks, God's burdened heart particularizing His burden in us." In this passage and throughout the book Kelly helped me to know that I did not have to fight every injustice, I had to listen for what the part God wanted me to do was and simply be faithful to that. Without his words I indeed would have died on way to many crosses that were not mine.
The Power of Intention by Wayne Dyer. Over the years various Wayne Dyer books have been on my bed stand, but for me the gold standard is this one. Dyer describes Co-creation or manifesting, but in away that avoids the materialism and self-centeredness of the Secret. He also describes a helpful spiritual posture and some of the obstacles that get in our way as we try to do this.
The Prophet by Kahil Gibran This book has also been on my bed stand since my 20's. For those who came of age in the 70's or 80's this book was so commonly referenced by people as to be rather clique and therefore then disregarded. However, I have found that those currently in their 20's and 30's are not aware of this book and that is frankly a great tragedy. Again this book holds such wisdom about 27 different subjects (the key and central areas of life from love, to food, to freedom) in just 1 to 2 page chapters about each - as to inform one for a life time. My ideas about marriage and child rearing and work have all been permanently and much to the good impacted by Gibran's timeless wisdom coming to us from 1923 Syria.
Happier than God by Neale Donald Walsch. Walsch is better known for his series of books: Conversations with God (I, II and III). I have read those and several other Walsch books, but this one is my favorite. I hate its' title, and yet the book chose me. I stood in front of a shelf of books by him, closed my eyes and pointed, landing on this one. I winced and opened it to several different pages and knew that indeed I would need to purchase it. This book is also about manifesting - but mostly about manifesting a God filled life. Also Walsch, unlike all other books on manifesting that I have read, does not turn away from the fact that we live in an unjust world, or fail to mention that. The book is also supremely positive.
Previous inhabitants of the Bed stand:
I have of course over the years had to remove some to make room for others, but I thought the previous ones are worth a mention here. As noted above other titles by Dyer and Walsh.
The Bible...for obvious reasons.
The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff. Hoff quotes from Winnie the Pooh throughout this book while relating it to Toaist teachings. Both amusing and thought provoking.
Hind's Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard - this is an allegorical novel about a journey which takes place on many levels. Heavily Christian imagery. It has many allegories that speak profoundly to the spiritual journey. I eventually removed it because some of the "obedience to God" part seemed to describe a kind of God and a kind of discipline which is not how I now conceptualize God.
Happy Reading. I would love for readers to post a comment sharing their favorite spiritual source and why.
