Presence and Process

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The North American Christian church of the early twenty-first century finds itself in a period of decline. A growing percentage of young adults are not entering the front doors of churches while at the same time older and previously dedicated Christians are leaving. Coinciding with the deflation of the Western church is the explosion in popular culture of the mindfulness movement, which emphasizes meditation practices derived from Buddhism. These concurrent phenomena—the decline of Christendom in North America and the rise of a Westernized form of Buddhism and various secularized applications of Buddhist meditative practice—form an interesting juxtaposition that warrants exploration.

In Presence and Process, Daniel Coleman has created a unique and useful synthesis—showing how a convergence of perennialism, process theology, and mysticism (Christian, Buddhist, and Quaker) could have a profound role in fostering spiritual formation in this postmodern, post-Christendom age. This is a pioneering work of practical theology.
Richard Rohr
author of Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life

After three decades in Quaker ministry, I’ve noticed how religious traditions I once believed to be separate pursuits now merge as one. Truth, as it turns out, is happy to share the road with others. Daniel Coleman’s helpful book, Presence and Process, marries Christianity and Buddhism for contemporary seekers. Both traditions are honored, both enriched, and both made better by Coleman’s thoughtful union.
Philip Gulley
author of Living the Quaker Way: Discover the Hidden Happiness in the Simple Life

In our time when people are leaving church but are as spiritual as ever, inclusive and incisive resources such as Presence and Process are deeply needed. As interest grows in mystical traditions, bridges of recognition are built in surprising places. This wise, well-researched book creatively weaves Buddhism, mystical Christianity, Quakerism, and process theology. It is just this type of sensitive boundary-crossing that will help lay groundwork for the meaning-seekers of the future.
Mark Longhurst
editor of Ordinary Mystic

Presence and Process is an amazing book. It provides the best, most compact introduction I’ve come across to key concepts like mysticism, contemplation, and process theology. It explores the productive ferment that is taking place at the intersection of Christianity and Buddhism. And it invites practitioners to imagine a new kind of church for the journey before us. I highly recommend Presence and Process.
Brian D. McLaren
author of The Great Spiritual Migration

Daniel Coleman’s book points the way to a global spirituality, joining East and West, and theology and philosophy. Intellectually solid and spiritually insightful, Coleman’s text captures the heart of the Buddhist and Christian mystical traditions in ways that respond to the needs of spiritual seekers of our time. Presence and Process is an excellent invitation to the growing global mysticism of our time in which spiritual pilgrims creatively integrate practices from diverse religious traditions and in so doing not only experience spiritual insight but transform these traditions themselves. In a time when religious institutions are struggling to survive, Coleman provides a pathway to institutional and spiritual transformation through lively global and earth-affirming spirituality.
Bruce Epperly
author of Becoming Fire: Spiritual Practices for Global Christians
and The Gospel According to Winnie the Pooh

While some long for fruitful dialogue between Christianity and Buddhism, Daniel is bringing in the first fruits of the harvest! In Presence and Process, you get a clear and insightful invitation to a place where the boundaries we have inherited between the East and West, contemplation and justice, and theory and practice are dissolved. I loved so much of this book, but can’t wait for church leaders to take the ecclesiological vision to heart.
Tripp Fuller
host of Homebrewed Christianity

Coleman works from a fertile field of thinkers in order to unpack—as much as such a thing is possible—the experiential core of Christian and Buddhist practices. His account of contemplation is a much-needed corrective to the empty moralism afflicting many religious communities. The resulting synthesis of Vipassana and apophasis has as much to offer the lay practitioner as the professional theologian.
J. R. Hustwit
author of Interreligious Hermeneutics and the Pursuit of Truth

If Karl Rahner predicted that the survival of Christianity will depend on Christians becoming mystics, Daniel Coleman shows why that is the case and how Rahner’s hopes might be realized. His review and comparison of Christian and Buddhist contemplative practices will speak to both those who are struggling with, as well as those who are looking beyond, organized religion. The book’s brevity belies its engaging richness.
Paul F. Knitter
author of Without Buddha I Could Not Be a Christian

Available from Barclay Press: http://www.barclaypressbookstore.com/Presence-and-Process.html

Available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Presence-Process-Transformative-Inclusive-Community/dp/1594980411/ref=sr_1_1

Rhythms of Grace

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There is no greater privilege in the Christian life than to serve as a spiritual leader within the body of Christ. Unfortunately, we are in the midst of a genuine crisis in the church today. Pastors and other spiritual leaders are leaving vocational ministry faster than we can replace them. This is due primarily to the crippling effects of burnout, a pastoral pathology resulting from a lethal combination of extraordinary job-related stress and woefully inadequate self-care. Most of us know someone experiencing burnout. They might be serving in your church right now, or more than likely, they may have recently left. They may be your friends; they may be part of your own family. So what is the cure? We find clues in the life of the prophet Elijah, in his practices of physical refreshment, spiritual renewal, and vocational realignment. And as you will see, when practiced on a regular basis these renewing rituals or rhythms of grace prove to be life-saving disciplines for spiritual leaders.

Rhythms of Grace speaks to the exhaustion and burn-out that many (if not most) spiritual leaders experience sooner or later. Williams cites his own story of trying so hard and ending up exhausted, disillusioned, and isolated. Then with the Old Testament prophet Elijah as a model, enormous research on the subject, and his own pastor’s heart, he takes the role of a shepherd to the wounded. He gently leads toward rest, renewal, and ministry realignment. Whether prevention or cure is needed, this is a helpful book for any Christian who feels stressed, overworked, or severely criticized.
Charles Mylander
former superintendent of Evangelical Friends Church-Southwest, former director of Evangelical Friends Mission
co-author with Neil Anderson of Setting Your Church Free

Self-care is one of the most important—yet most neglected—aspects of a sustainable, enduring pastoral ministry. So often those who dedicate their lives shepherding others toward healing and wholeness seem unsure of how to experience that same shalom in their own lives. Dave Williams’s book is a spiritual roadmap for those who have lost their way. As a pastor of pastors, Dave communicates with a shepherd’s heart as he guides leaders back to the Good Shepherd. Biblically-grounded, theologically astute, and enormously practical—I consider this book a must for any pastor looking to sustain or regain the unforced rhythms of life-giving grace.
Derek Brown, PhD
professor of pastoral ministry, Barclay College

Rhythms of Grace is a deeply personal and practical book. With raw honesty and humble transparency, David Williams offers realistic remedies for the deadly threat of burnout. To the weary, disillusioned, and lonely, I pray that this book will encourage your soul in the profound way that it has refreshed mine.
Fil Anderson
executive director, Journey Resources
author of Running on Empty and Breaking the Rules

To be human is to live rhythmically. Many of us are living painfully out of sync. It is this eternal call to rhythm that we desperately need to cure us from our ever-present sense of desperation. With Rhythms of Grace, David Williams kindly and persuasively invites us into the life that God has offered—a life of goodness and beauty; a life of rest; a rhythmic life of depth in the whirlwind of shallowness. If your life is out of sync, look no further to find the cadence that your heart has been waiting to hear.
Curt Thompson, M.D.
founding director, Being Known
author of Anatomy of the Soul and The Soul of Shame

Available from Barclay Press: http://www.barclaypressbookstore.com/Rhythms-of-Grace.html

Available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Rhythms-Grace-Life-Saving-Disciplines-Spiritual/dp/1594980403/ref=sr_1_1

A Quaker Behind the Dream

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Charlie Walker and the Civil Rights Movement

by Brenda Walker Beadenkopf

In this narrative biography of her Quaker father, Charles Walker, author Brenda Walker Beadenkopf tells the story of her father’s involvement with the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s. Walker became a key trainer and writer of training materials for the civil rights movement and a steadfast supporter of Dr. Martin Luther King’s nonviolent campaign. This book provides a unique inside view of the training and support that took place behind the headlines.

Read more about Charles Coates Walker on www.Wikipedia.com.

For more information, go to brendabeadenkopf.com, or email Brenda at brendabeaden@gmail.com.

“Mr. Charles C. Walker … has been close to developments in the struggle for racial justice ever since I first met him in Montgomery in early 1956.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

Coral Castles

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A poem she wrote has been translated into multiple languages, set to music, and featured in a best-selling book on spirituality and the twelve steps. But until recently, the author of “Breathing Underwater” has been virtually unknown, and the collection containing that famous poem has never been published. Richard Rohr calls it “stunning”; other writers and poets describe Carol Bialock’s debut collection as “brilliant and luminous”; “lighthearted and holy”; “dynamic, immediate, ecstatic”; “a book of love and God … bursting into bloom.”

Honestly, the poetry of Carol Bialock is stunning! Her ability to communicate inner states, universal truths, and spiritual depth is unparalleled. What a loss that the world did not discover her earlier! But it is not too late!

Richard Rohr, OFM, Founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation

Reading Carol Bialock’s poems, I forget to doubt and critique and meddle and complain. Here is a spiritual poetry that offers the reader vivid, dynamic, immediate, ecstatic experience on a human scale. “Dizzy with love and light,” this book is a delight.

Katie Peterson, author of A Piece of Good News

Carol Bialock’s work hums in wise praise of a world hemmed in mystery and wildness. Brilliant and luminous, each poem burns with a quiet, interior light.

Gina Ochsner, author of The Hidden Letters of Velta B.

“All you need is a little courage” Carol Bialock declares, and then takes us through image and rhythm on a “trip to the edge of the world” where we encounter sacred mysteries, the heart of the poet, and our own surprising wholeness. This work is lighthearted and holy, whimsical and profound – the fruit of a life spent watching for wonder, the gift of a soul in love with the world.

Bethany Lee, author of The Breath Between

Carol Bialock’s heart is a “huge and lovely land” filled with poems of invitation to the available communion in every moment. They affirm that God is irresistibly, mysteriously afoot. Sister Carol is not afraid of paradox or the embodied wild experience of the greatest, fierce and Sacred Adventure. She asks us to “let the true Gods out” and to know “we have been in heaven all our lives.” She is a loving companion whispering to us look, listen, touch, right here now, do you love this world? All you need is a little courage, a dash of daring.

Take the invitation, read these poems, walk this mystic’s path, join this wise woman awhile.

Peg Edera, author of Love Is Deeper than Distance

Carol Bialock’s Coral Castles is a wide and generous door into poetry and joy. These poems offer us a merging of forces that are tangible and full of delight: here we find bone meeting soul, I journeying to We, and the seen fearlessly greeting the unseen. “Go sane,” the poems tell us, “You are the whole, not part…Come home to being world / and galaxy / and universe.” This is a book of love and God in which poet and poem also fuse, bursting into bloom. I want to give it to everyone I know, saying, “Look and see!”

Annie Lighthart, author of Iron String and Lantern

 

Available from Fernwood Press: http://www.fernwoodpress.com/2019/06/19/coral-castles/

Available from Barclay Press: http://www.barclaypressbookstore.com/Coral-Castles/

Sweetness of Unity

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Sweetness of Unity: Three Hundred Years of Quaker Minuting. Judith Roads, 2019.

ISBN/Price: 978-1-5272-4085-8 (Paperback) £5.00 / €6.00. 64 pages.

This book is speaking mainly to those with some experience of Quakerism and those who understand something already about Quaker processes. Others interested in language or historical aspects of business Engish may also find snippets of new learning.

Judith Roads has dug deap into the fascinating world of Quaker minute-producing in past generations, and introduces us to the processes, topics and language used by Friends across the ages. These communities left us a rich legacy of manuscript material that for the first time has been brought into general view.

Prof. Rachel Muers (University of Leeds) writes: If you’ve ever looked at the minutes of a Quaker decision-making meeting and wondered “why is it said like that?” or “why are these different from the minutes of other meetings?”, you need to read this book. Judith Roads brings together her fascination with Quaker decision-making processes and her expertise in the close study of language to uncover the stories that minutes tell us about the history of Quaker communities.

Available from the Quaker Bookshop, Friends House, 173-177 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE. UK. https://bookshop.quaker.org.uk

or from Judith Roads (£6.40 incl. p&p within the UK) at:

roads4@me.com

Hester and Sophie

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HESTER AND SOPHIE    

a novel by John Lampen

Thirteen-year-old Hester and Sophie were best friends, but Sophie has now gone. A troubling dream and an inexplicable message start Hester on a journey of discovery—the journey from grief into new hope, and from childhood into adolescence. 

What readers of this book have said about it:

In John Lampen’s sensitive, unsentimental story, we get to know Hester, a lively and thoughtful young woman finding her way through the ordinary complications of life, school, family… and the shock of losing her best friend. There is no easy comfort on offer, but a realistic road map to the stages of loss, as she discovers the specialness not just of Sophie, and of other people round them, but also her own. The comfort when it comes lies at the edge of, just beyond the grasp of, words. .

—Philip Gross Poet and author of Turn to Stone and The Lastling

I really enjoyed reading this and I thought that it was very good. I wanted to go on reading from when it mentions Sophie communicating with Hester through her diary. I liked the fact that Hester was a similar age to me because it made it easier to relate to her and become more engaged in the book. I also liked it that she allowed herself to be motivated by God. I really wanted to carry on reading right to the very end. One of my favourite scenes was when the writing first appeared in the diary because it made me curious and got me more into the book.

—Stephanie Age 13

With illustrations by Rosie Ryder

Publisher: Independent Publishing Network https://bookisbn.org.uk/ In association with The Hope Project.

Price £7.50 or US$10 plus postage;   available from The Quaker Centre,
173 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ or
 www.hopeproject.co.uk

The Breath Between

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An Invitation to Mystery and Joy

This astonishing new collection from poet Bethany Lee weaves the thread of her keen attention around life’s joys and sorrows, draws them tightly together and offers them into our hands. With unflinching courage she extracts beauty from her journeys as seafarer and grief-tender, makes her way into the present moment, and invites us to come along.

The Breath Between offers good company for hard days, water for the thirsty spirit, and a summons to inhabit your own life more fully. You will not regret the time you spend in the chapel of these words.

“I love these poems. Weaving together the textures of light and the rhythms of breath, seeing the wonder in ordinary everyday surroundings, touching the mysteries of night and death and grief, Bethany Lee has put into words some of the deepest human experience, and given it back to us clothed in joy and hope. Her work sings like a bird.”
—Penelope Wilcock, author of The Clear Light of Day

“Let this book into your life, and it will be a generous visitor, giving you blessings and consolations, musical thoughts, and glances of spirit light to play across your troubles and your treasures. In the ebb and flow of well-being that is a given for us all, these poems will nudge you back to center, to the true point of beginning.”
—Kim Stafford, author of Wild Honey, Tough Salt

“Bethany Lee’s The Breath Between is an invitation to a moment-by-​moment unfolding of each day. It’s a quiet celebration of the elusive happenings, made worthy of our attention through a voice endearing and wise.”
—Emily Grosvenor, editor of Oregon Home magazine

“Mystical and joyful, Lee delivers clean lines of poetry with a frank and open heart. Her window to the natural world is one of whimsy and deep connection. She writes of human relationships thoughtfully and with unadorned love. There is magic in this collection.”
—Jennifer Springsteen, co-founder of PDX Writers

Available from Fernwood Press: http://www.fernwoodpress.com/2019/05/02/the-breath-between/

Available from Barclay Press: http://www.barclaypressbookstore.com/The-Breath-Between.html

Our Child of the Stars

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“A big Hollywood canvas and an intense family focus, emotionally devastating, funny and charming all at once”

 

OUR CHILD OF THE STARS is a mainstream novel with a wonderful speculative flourish. Set in 1960s America, it tells the story of Cory, a lost boy with a remarkable appearance, the lengths his adopted family will go to protect him, and the secret that refuses to stay hidden. It is a rare novel of warmth, goodness and generosity.

Molly and Gene Myers were happy, until tragedy blighted their hopes of children. During the years of darkness and despair, they each put their marriage in jeopardy, but now they are starting to rebuild their fragile bond.

This is the year of Woodstock and the moon landings; war is raging in Vietnam and the superpowers are threatening each other with annihilation.

Then the Meteor crashes into Amber Grove, devastating the small New England town – and changing their lives for ever. Molly, a nurse, caught up in the thick of the disaster, is given care of a desperately ill patient rescued from the wreckage: a sick boy with a remarkable appearance, an orphan who needs a mother.

And soon the whole world will be looking for him.

Cory’s arrival has changed everything. And the Myers will do anything to keep him safe.

A remarkable story of warmth, tenacity and generosity of spirit, set against the backdrop of a fast-changing, terrifying decade.

Click here for more information.

Quaker Roots and Branches

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Quaker Quicks is a new series from Christian Alternative focusing upon aspects of Quaker faith and theology. Beginning with Quaker Roots and Branches the series will build into a valuable resource for Quakers and others interested in this unique Christian expression. Watch out for upcoming titles on Quaker theology, faith and practice, and studies in social aspects such as economics and pacifism.

First Title: Quaker Roots and Branches  

Quaker witness in the world today, its rationale, and how it derives from the insights of earlier Quaker generations.  

Author: John Lampen

Imprint: Christian Alternative (Quaker Quicks series)

Publication Date: 27 July 2018

Description: Quaker Roots and Branches explores what Quakers call their “testimonies” – the interaction of inspiration, faith and action to bring change in the world. It looks at Quaker concerns around the sustainability of the planet, peace and war, punishment, and music and the arts in the past and today. It stresses the continuity of their witness over three hundred and sixty-five years as well as their openness to change and development.

Endorsements: Thomas Hamm, Professor of History, Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana, U.S.A. comments

John Lampen has a gift for connecting the contemporary concerns of Friends with the rich heritage of the Quaker past. In his latest collection of essays, he shows us how the experiences of Friends like George Fox, William Penn, and Elizabeth Fry offer us wisdom and guidance in confronting the problems we face today.

Gerald Hewitson, author, Journey Into Life: Inheriting the Story of Early Friends  writes:

From his insight that modern-day Quakers are the product and carriers of an inspiring tradition, John Lampen paints a compelling picture of the Quaker character: clear intellectual enquiry, resolute moral integrity, and quiet, unsung heroism. The lives he describes are led by the guidance emerging from silent worship. In describing the resonance of these Quaker lives with his personal experience, John makes these stories relevant for us today.  

Helen Rowlands, former Head of Education, Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre, Birmingham, UK, says:

This exploration of Quaker identity shows how modern Quaker ways have developed out of, but are clearly rooted in, the lives of earlier generations. It is engaging and very readable. John Lampen gives frequent examples of real
Quakers seeking to follow ‘guidance’. There are some familiar stories, and some quite tantalising glimpses into less well-known characters which left me wanting to know more. They illustrate how today’s Quaker practice is
frequently on a continuum with the past, but at other times breaks significantly with tradition – and it is helpful to be aware of which is which, and why. A worthwhile read for anyone wanting to understand early 21st century (British) Quakers!

ISBN/Price: 978-1-78535-834-0 (Paperback) £6.99 / $10.95 80 pages.

Hiking Naked – A Quaker Woman’s Search for Balance

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Hiking Naked – A Quaker Woman’s Search for Balance (Homebound Publications, 2017) is a personal narrative of what Iris Graville learned in the remote mountain village of Stehekin, WA, about work, community, and leadings of the Spirit (as well as dealing with six feet of snow in the winter, ordering groceries by mail, and living without a telephone).

Available in paperback, e-book, and audiobook. 978-1-938846-84-7

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