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The Flowering Wand: Rewilding the Sacred Masculine
by Sophie Strand• Reveals the restorative fungi archetype of Osiris, the Orphic mysteries as an underground mycelium linking forests and people, how Dionysus teaches us about invasive species and playful sexuality, and the ecology of Jesus as depicted in his nature-focused parables• Liberates Tristan, Merlin, and the Grail legends from the bounds of Campbell&’s hero&’s journey and invites the masculine into more nuanced, complex ways of dealing with trauma, growth, and self-knowledgeLong before the sword-wielding heroes of legend readily cut down forests, slaughtered the old deities, and vanquished their enemies, there were playful gods, animal-headed kings, mischievous lovers, trickster harpists, and vegetal magicians with flowering wands. As eco-feminist scholar Sophie Strand discovered, these wilder, more magical modes of the masculine have always been hidden in plain sight. Sharing the culmination of eight years of research into myth, folklore, and the history of religion, Strand leads us back into the forgotten landscapes and hidden secrets of familiar myths, revealing the beautiful range of the divine masculine, including expressions of male friendship, male intimacy, and male creative collaboration. In discussing Dionysus and Osiris, Strand encourages us to think like an ecosystem instead of like an individual. She connects dying, vegetal gods to the virtuous cycle of composting and decay, highlighting the ways in which mushrooms can restore soil and heal polluted landscapes. Exploring esoteric Christianity, the author celebrates the Gnostic Jesus of the Gospel of Thomas, imagining the ecology that the Rabbi Yeshua would have actually been referencing in his nature-focused parables. Strand frees Tristan, Merlin, and the Grail legends from the bounds of Campbell&’s hero&’s journey and invites the masculine into more nuanced, complex ways of dealing with trauma, growth, and self-knowledge. Strand reseeds our minds with new visions of male identity and shows how each of us, regardless of gender, can develop a matured ecological empathy and witness a blossoming of sacred masculine powers that are soft, curious, connective, and celebratory.
Flowers for Rachael: An Amish Garden Novella (Amish Garden Novellas)
by Kathleen FullerGardens are a place to rest, to draw near, and to heal.Rachael Bontrager&’s flower garden is beautiful, but at twenty-four, she&’s lonely. Gideon Beiler fell in love with Rachael almost at first sight. After her grandfather has a stroke, her days are filled with caring for him, and one day Rachael finds her garden in shambles. However, she won&’t accept Gideon&’s offers of help. Will she realize she doesn&’t have to do everything on her own and that God is in control?
Flowers In The Desert: Learning to Love the Prophets (Bible Discovery Series)
by Robert J KoesterIt isn’t always easy to read through the books of the Bible by Old Testament prophets.Laws, warnings, and God’s wrath seem to dominate the Old Testament landscape, and prophets are often channels for his righteous judgment. However, when we look closely, we see that it is through these men that the beauty of the gospel message begins to bloom.Flowers in the Desert will help you appreciate the Old Testament prophets and the messages they conveyed to God’s people. It will also provide a sense of purpose when you’re reading through the Old Testament books of the Bible. From Isaiah to Malachi, you’ll discover the gospel flowers that bloom even in the most barren landscape.This book is part of the Bible Discovery Series, which provides you with background resources to help you unearth and understand the Bible’s greater meaning for you.
Flowers in the Dark: Reclaiming Your Power to Heal from Trauma with Mindfulness
by Sister Dang NghiemLearn the accessible and deeply compassionate practices for healing trauma, known as the Five Strengths of applied Zen Buddhism. More than a philosophy, these body-based practices are backed by modern neuroscience research, and they can be applied by anyone suffering from trauma to begin experiencing relief.Mindfulness teacher Sister Dang Nghiem, MD, is an inspiration for anyone who has ever suffered from abuse, life-changing loss, severe illness, or the aftermath of war. In Flowers in the Dark, she brings together her lived experience as a survivor, certified MD, and ordained Buddhist teacher to offer a body-based, practical approach to healing from life's most difficult and painful experiences. Offering insights from Buddhist psychology and simple somatic practices for tapping into our Five Strengths--our inner faculties of self-trust, diligence, mindfulness, concentration, and insight--Sister Dang Nghiem's approach to trauma is radically accessible; it begins with awareness of our breathing. With each chapter containing a progression of guided reflections an exercises, this book can be read as an adjunct to therapy and a helpful guide for moving through trauma in the body. With the practice of mindfulness, we can access our strength as survivors and our joy in being alive.
Flowers on the Rock: Global and Local Buddhisms in Canada
by John S. Harding Alexander Soucy Victor Sōgen HoriWhen Sasaki Sokei-an founded his First Zen Institute of North America in 1930 he suggested that bringing Zen Buddhism to America was like "holding a lotus against a rock and waiting for it to set down roots." Today, Buddhism is part of the cultural and religious mainstream. Flowers on the Rock examines the dramatic growth of Buddhism in Canada and questions some of the underlying assumptions about how this tradition has changed in the West. Using historical, ethnographic, and biographical approaches, contributors illuminate local expressions of Buddhism found throughout Canada and relate the growth of Buddhism in Canada to global networks. A global perspective allows the volume to overcome the stereotype that Asia and the West are in opposition to each other and recognizes the continuities between Buddhist movements in Asia and the West that are shaped by the same influences of modernity and globalization. Flowers on the Rock studies the fascinating and ingenious changes, inflections, and adaptations that Buddhists make when they set down roots in a local culture. It is essential reading for anyone interested in Buddhism, religious life in Canada, and the broader issues of multiculturalism and immigration. Contributors include Michihiro Ama (University of Alaska), D. Mitra Barua (University of Saskatchewan), Paul Crowe (Simon Fraser University), Melissa Anne-Marie Curley (University of Iowa), Mavis Fenn (University of Waterloo), Kory Goldberg (Champlain College), Sarah F. Haynes (Western Illinois University), Jackie Larm (University of Edinburgh), Paul McIvor (independent), James Placzek (University of British Columbia), and Angela Sumegi (Carleton University).
Flowers on the Rock
by Victor Sōgen Hori Alexander Soucy John S HardingWhen Sasaki Sōkei-an founded his First Zen Institute of North America in 1930 he suggested that bringing Zen Buddhism to America was like "holding a lotus against a rock and waiting for it to set down roots." Today, Buddhism is part of the cultural and religious mainstream. Flowers on the Rock examines the dramatic growth of Buddhism in Canada and questions some of the underlying assumptions about how this tradition has changed in the West. Using historical, ethnographic, and biographical approaches, contributors illuminate local expressions of Buddhism found throughout Canada and relate the growth of Buddhism in Canada to global networks. A global perspective allows the volume to overcome the stereotype that Asia and the West are in opposition to each other and recognizes the continuities between Buddhist movements in Asia and the West that are shaped by the same influences of modernity and globalization. Flowers on the Rock studies the fascinating and ingenious changes, inflections, and adaptations that Buddhists make when they set down roots in a local culture. It is essential reading for anyone interested in Buddhism, religious life in Canada, and the broader issues of multiculturalism and immigration. Contributors include Michihiro Ama (University of Alaska), D. Mitra Barua (University of Saskatchewan), Paul Crowe (Simon Fraser University), Melissa Anne-Marie Curley (University of Iowa), Mavis Fenn (University of Waterloo), Kory Goldberg (Champlain College), Sarah F. Haynes (Western Illinois University), Jackie Larm (University of Edinburgh), Paul McIvor (independent), James Placzek (University of British Columbia), and Angela Sumegi (Carleton University).
Flowing Streams
by Stuart BriscoeA flowing stream cuts its own channel. --Major W. Ian Thomas, founder of Torchbearers International Over the past sixty years, Stuart Briscoe's life stream has cut a very deep channel. Thousands of sermons preached. Hundreds of thousands of airline miles flown. Seven continents visited. Thousands of church members added and eight churches planted. More than forty books authored. A lifetime of touching his audience with plainspoken, accessible Bible teaching. Now Briscoe looks back over his years to share his accumulated wisdom, with the point that every life matters--and everyone has a significant part to play in the grand cosmic flow of the Spirit. With a reputation built in the twentieth century, Stuart Briscoe has a fresh, vibrant message for twenty-first-century Christians. It is a vision of what one person can be and do, what God can call a single person to accomplish in his name. Flowing Streams is sage. It is poignant. It is Stuart Briscoe's legacy.
Flows of Faith
by Lenore Manderson Matt Tomlinson Wendy SmithUnique local transformations of the practice of established religions in Asia and the Pacific are juxtaposed with the emergence of new religious movements whose incidence is growing across the region. In Flows of Faith, the contributing authors take as their starting point questions of how religions manifest outside their cultural boundaries and provide the basis for new social identities, political movements and social transformations. With fresh insights into the globalization of beliefs, their local inflections, and their institutionalization, the authors explore how old and new religions work in different settings, and how their reception and membership challenge orthodox understandings of religion and culture. The chapters - set in Asia, the Pacific, Australia, and the US - illustrate the contrasts and commonalities of these belief systems, and their allegiances and networks in the region and beyond. They include new religious movements - Falun Gong, Brahma Kumaris, the Hare Krishna movement, based in East and South Asia with outreach posts in Australia and the U.S. - and established 'old' religions - Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam - that are revitalized and recreated in different settings and places. Flows of Faith describes the transnational reaches of faith. Religious practices and their local manifestations track the movement of peoples, through mission outreach, flight, migration, and pilgrimage. In each new setting, religions are shaped by and in turn shape political and cultural forces, proving that they are resilient and generative, originary and distinctive. The volume is a major contribution, providing readers with a fresh and creative approach into the living experience of religious communities in a contemporary globalised world.
Fluid Jurisdictions: Colonial Law and Arabs in Southeast Asia
by Nurfadzilah YahayaThis wide-ranging, geographically ambitious book tells the story of the Arab diaspora within the context of British and Dutch colonialism, unpacking the community's ambiguous embrace of European colonial authority in Southeast Asia. In Fluid Jurisdictions, Nurfadzilah Yahaya looks at colonial legal infrastructure and discusses how it impacted, and was impacted by, Islam and ethnicity. But more important, she follows the actors who used this framework to advance their particular interests. Yahaya explains why Arab minorities in the region helped to fuel the entrenchment of European colonial legalities: their itinerant lives made institutional records necessary. Securely stored in centralized repositories, such records could be presented as evidence in legal disputes. To ensure accountability down the line, Arab merchants valued notarial attestation land deeds, inheritance papers, and marriage certificates by recognized state officials. Colonial subjects continually played one jurisdiction against another, sometimes preferring that colonial legal authorities administer Islamic law—even against fellow Muslims.Fluid Jurisdictions draws on lively material from multiple international archives to demonstrate the interplay between colonial projections of order and their realities, Arab navigation of legally plural systems in Southeast Asia and beyond, and the fraught and deeply human struggles that played out between family, religious, contract, and commercial legal orders.
Flunking Sainthood: A Year of Breaking the Sabbath, Forgetting to Pray, and Still Loving My Neighbor
by Jana RiessThis wry memoir tackles twelve different spiritual practices in a quest to become more saintly, including fasting, fixed-hour prayer, the Jesus Prayer, gratitude, Sabbath-keeping, and generosity. Although Riess begins with great plans for success ("Really, how hard could that be?" she asks blithely at the start of her saint-making year), she finds to her growing humiliation that she is failing—not just at some of the practices, but at every single one. What emerges is a funny yet vulnerable story of the quest for spiritual perfection and the reality of spiritual failure, which turns out to be a valuable practice in and of itself. Praise for Flunking Sainthood:" Flunking Sainthood is surprising and freeing; it is fun and funny; and it is full of wisdom. It is, in fact, the best book on the practices of the spiritual life that I have read in a long, long time." - Lauren Winner, author of Girl Meets God and Mudhouse Sabbath Jana Riess reminds us that saints are different from most of us: They are special, we are barely normal. They get it right, we rarely get it. They see God, we strain to see much of anything. And, Jana is no saint. Rather than climbing to the pinnacle and sitting on a pedestal to tell us how it could be, Jana slides right next to us and reminds us that sainthood is overrated. With humor and insight she whispers to is that our lives matter just as they are. She prods us to never let our failures hold us back. She calls us to something greater than spiritual success - ordinary faithfulness. Flunking Sainthood is the book I'm giving to my friends who are seeking to make sense of their emerging faith. - Doug Pagitt, author of A Christianity Worth Believing "Jana Riess may have flunked at sainthood, but she's written a wonderful book. It's both reverent and irreverent, and it will make you want to become a better Christian -- or Jew, or Muslim, or Zoroastrian, or Jedi, or whatever you happen to be." - AJ Jacobs, author of The Year of Living Biblically"Warm, light-hearted, and laugh-out-loud funny, Jana Riess may indeed have flunked sainthood, but this memoir assures us that she is utterly and deeply human, and that is something even more wonderful. Honest and sincere, she will endear you from page one." -- Donna Freitas, author of The Possibilities of Sainthood"With a helpfully hilarious account of her own grappling with godliness, Jana Riess proves to be a standup historian well-practiced in the art of oddly revivifying self-deprecation. She loves her guides, historical and contemporary, even as she finds them alternately impractical, harsh, or "infuriatingly jolly." The book is freaking wonderful—a candid and committed tale of prayers that resists supersizing and spirituality that has no home save the glory and the muck of the everyday."--David Dark, author of The Sacredness of Questioning Everything"Jana Riess's new book is a delight—fun, funny, engaging and a powerful reminder that the greatest work in our lives is not what we'll do for God but what God is doing in us." --Margaret Feinberg, www.margaretfeinberg.com, author of Scouting the Divine and Hungry for God"Flunking Sainthood allows those of us who have attempted new spiritual practices-- and failed-- to breathe a great sigh of relief and to laugh out loud. Jana Reiss's exposÉ of her year-long and less-than-successful attempts at eleven classic spiritual practices entertains and educates us with its honesty and down-to-earthiness. In spite of Jana
Flunking Sainthood Every Day: A Daily Devotional for the Rest of Us
by Jana RiessIn her memoir, Flunking Sainthood, Riess failed twelve different spiritual practices over the course of a year but discovered to her surprise that even the ones she failed most spectacularly taught her something important. In this beautiful daily devotional, readers who want to go deeper into the twelve spiritual practices will find 365 days of guidance, arranged according to monthly practices such as gratitude, generosity, prayer, Sabbath-keeping, and hospitality. Each day includes a short scripture verse, an inspirational reading from a contemporary or classic spiritual thinker, and a brief prayer, reflection, or follow-up action related to the day’s theme. These daily devotions help readers understand that spiritual growth is a lifelong journey without a fixed destination—and that there is great compassion for all of us who are flunking sainthood.
Fly a Little Higher: How God Answered One Mom's Small Prayer in a Big Way
by Laura SobiechLaura Sobiech tells the amazing story of how God used her son's battle with cancer to touch the lives of millions. "Okay, Lord, you can have him. But if he must die, I want it to be for something big. I want someone's life to be changed forever. " This is what Laura Sobeich prayed when she found out her seventeen-year-old son had only one year to live. With this desperate prayer, she released her son to God's will. At that point, Zach Sobiech was just another teenager battling cancer. When his mother told him to think about writing good-bye letters to family and friends, he decided instead to write songs. One of them, "Clouds," captured hearts and changed not one life but millions, making him an international sensation. He produced a full-length EP, written and performed by Zach and his lifelong friend, Sammy, including a personal goodbye song to each other. The day of Zach's funeral, "Clouds" was the #1 downloaded song on iTunes, and the EP rose to #2. The music video now has more than 7 million views on YouTube, and the documentary Soul Pancake released on Zach's eighteenth birthday has more than 9 million views. But Zach's story is not just about music. It's a testament to what can happen when you live as if each day might be your last. It's a story about the human spirit. It's about how God used a dying boy from a small town in Minnesota to touch the hearts of millions-including top executives in the music industry, major music artists, news anchors, talk show hosts, actors, priests and pastors, and school children across the globe. Zach once said, "I want to be known as the kid who went down fighting, and didn't really lose. " Fly a Little Higher is about how God used Zach to do something big.
Fly Away Home
by Vanessa Del FabbroA loving husband, two beautiful adopted sons, an amiable stepdaughter and the possibility of an addition to the family--Monica Brunetti has it all. But suddenly her idyllic life in a picturesque South African village unravels. Her boys respond to the siren call of America, and her husband's daughter may be leaving as well. Change might be easier to bear if only a baby were on the way. . . . Then Monica's friend Francina, also threatened with an empty nest, sets off on what may be a fool's errand--or her household's salvation. Can Monica, too, find the faith and courage to reunite her family?
Fly Fishing in Connecticut: A Guide for Beginners (Garnet Books)
by Kevin MurphyProvides the essentials to launch a personal journey into the world of fly fishing In this book, a long-time resident and devoted fly fisherman imparts a wealth of knowledge about fly fishing in Connecticut. Kevin Murphy teaches novice anglers about the state's trout hatcheries and stocking programs, the differences between brook, brown, and rainbow trout, and offers easy-to-follow instructions on the basics of fly fishing. In this concise text, the reader finds the essentials in fly fishing gear, stream tactics, casting, and a host of related topics. In addition, would-be anglers gain a useful glimpse into the history of fishing in the state, plus important tips on stream conservation, fly fishing etiquette, regulations, and safety. Most importantly, anglers will find a veritable road map to Connecticut's best trout streams and rivers. The book even offers excellent suggestions for comfortable lodging in prime fly fishing locations and—once the day's fishing is done—a few mouth-watering recipes for cooking one's catch. Whether you're in the market for that first pair of waders, thinking of tuning up your casting technique, or just want to know where the fish are biting, this is the book to read.
Fly Fishing - The Sacred Art: Casting a Fly as Spiritual Practice (The Art of Spiritual Living)
by Chris Wood Eric Eisenkramer Micheal Attas Lori SimonDiscover the spiritual potential hidden in every cast of the fly rod. <p><p>"For us, fly-fishing is about more than catching fish. We have been skunked on the stream too many times to count, and stood shivering in our waders in 45-degree water long after sundown. Yet, every chance we get, we head back to the river in search of trout and something more." ―from Rabbi Eric's Introduction <p><p>"Early in my fly-fishing career I remember telling a friend that there is so much to learn! Some forty years later, that is still true. Every trip I learn something new about rivers, fish and the natural world. Most importantly, I learn something new about myself. Every encounter with the waters of our planet draws me deeper into who I am and who I want to become." ―from Reverend Mike's Introduction <p><p>In this unique exploration of fly-fishing as a spiritual practice, an Episcopal priest and a rabbi share what fly-fishing has to teach us about reflection, awe and the wonder of the natural world, the benefits of solitude, the blessing of community and the search for the Divine. Tapping the wisdom in the Christian and Jewish traditions and their own geographically diverse experiences on the water, they show how time spent on the stream can help you navigate the currents and eddies of your own inner journey.
Fly Into the Wind: How to Harness Faith and Fearlessness on Your Ascent to Greatness
by Lt Colonel Rooney“Lt Colonel Dan Rooney is a true patriot who serves our country with courage and honor.”—George H.W. Bush, 41st President of the United States F-16 fighter pilot, American hero, Folds of Honor founder, PGA professional, and inspirational family man Dan Rooney delivers a motivational code for living to help ordinary people ascend to their highest level in life. <P><P>Part spiritual guide and part call-to-action, Fly Into the Wind combines Lt Colonel Rooney’s fighter pilot stories with his discovery of faith and purpose in order to help each reader achieve a philosophy he calls CAVU, after the Air Force acronym that stands for “ceiling and visibility unrestricted.” CAVU describes the perfect conditions for flying a fighter jet, when steel-blue skies invite pilots to spread their wings like supersonic eagles. In today’s world of identity politics, fractured racial relations, and external turmoil, Rooney’s book will show how all of us are connected by God in more ways than we realize, and that the path to fulfillment begins with changing ourselves in order to better one another. <P><P>From the outside, Lieutenant Colonel Dan “Noonan” Rooney was living the American Dream: he was an F-16 fighter pilot, PGA Professional, husband to his college sweetheart, and father of five daughters. His position in life should have been a blessing. But a near-tragic mishap while piloting his F-16 triggered an ominous life storm that altered his trajectory and filled him with self-doubt. Realizing that a jet takes off into the wind because it requires resistance over its wings to fly, Lt Colonel Rooney’s attitude toward the resistance he encountered in his life changed from resentment to humble introspection. Hyper-focused on the precise areas that are immediately under your control, CAVU is a disciplined approach to each day that will help you reshape, motivate, prioritize, and ultimately thrive. In Fly Into the Wind, Lt. Colonel Rooney breaks down CAVU into ten unique lines of effort (LOE), with each LOE building upon the previous one to provide a positive vector toward a new way of living. Along this enlightened path, readers will discover a renewed belief in themselves and the art of the possible. The time for self-discovery and ultimate achievement begins now.
Fly Through the Bible: A Brief Introduction
by Colin S. SmithThe view from above is majestic.Have you ever experienced that thrill of looking out the window of a plane? The beauty of the mountain, the vastness of the water, the lights of the city—it all just looks so amazing from above. You might be familiar with the area, but you&’ve never seen it like this. You think to yourself: This. Is. Stunning. That&’s what it&’s like to Fly Through the Bible. With pastoral heart and insight, Colin Smith helps you find the right altitude to take in the big-picture landscape of God&’s story. In this journey, you will meet five people from the Old Testament, explore five events from the life of Jesus, and discover five gifts God gives to every Christian. Even if you&’ve never opened the Bible, this short flight will introduce you to God&’s Word and leave you marveling at how it all fits together.
Fly While You Still Have Wings: And Other Lessons My Resilient Mother Taught Me
by Joyce RuppIn this heartfelt memoir about her mother Hilda's final years, Joyce Rupp shares the lessons her mother taught her, especially to "fly while you still have wings. " As a poor farmer's wife and the mother of eight living on rented land in Maryhill, Iowa, Hilda lived a life of hard labor and constant responsibility--from milking cows and raising chickens to keeping the farm's financial ledger. Rupp shows how the difficulties of her mother's early years and family life, including the loss of a twenty-three-year-old son, forged a resilience that guided her through the illnesses and losses she faced in later years. This affectionate profile of their relationship is, at the same time, an honest self-examination, as Rupp shares the ways she sometimes failed to listen to, accept, and understand her mother in her final years. Rupp begins each chapter with a meditative poem that captures the essence of each stage in the journey. Her unfailing candor and profound faith illumine this story of a mother and daughter with a universal spirit of hope, reconciliation, and peace.
A Flying Affair
by Carla StewartEver since Mittie Humphreys agreed to join dashing barnstorming pilot Ames for a joyride in his airplane, her lifelong love of horses has been surpassed by one thing--a longing for the skies. It seems she's not the only one--with Charles Lindbergh making his victory tour in the Spirit of St. Louis, aviation fever is spreading across the country. Mittie knows flying is the perfect focus for the soaring ambition and taste for adventure within her, and whenever she can slip away from her duties on her family's prosperous Kentucky horse farm, she heads to the airfield. Considering their shared passion, it's no surprise that Ames begins to vie for Mittie's time. But when handsome British aviator Bobby York offers her flying lessons, he is equally surprised-and beguiled-by Mittie's grit and talent. Driven to succeed, Mittie will do whatever it takes to compete in the Women's National Air Derby alongside Amelia Earhart. But when Calista "Peach" Gilson, a charming Southern belle, becomes her rival both professionally and in love, Mittie must learn how to navigate her heart's romantic longings as well as the skies.
Flying by the Seat of My Pants: Flight Attendant Adventures on a Wing and a Prayer
by Marsha MarksTake a look at life from behind the beverage cart. “They asked me to be groomed, be kind, and show up on time; it was too much pressure. ” “It was like being a waitress, only I was hurtling through space and wound up in Paris. ” “I thought it would be funny to climb into the overhead bin. How did I know the President of the United States would be on the flight that day?” Where flight attendant Marsha Marks goes, funny things happen, and she tells them all in this hilarious and insightful chronicle of...
The Flying Cavalier (House of Winslow, #23)
by Gilbert MorrisWhen his wife is killed during German bombardment, RAF pilot Lance Winslow vows revenge. Logan Winslow from America comes with his friend, Revelation Brown to fight in World War I.
The Flying Drum
by Bradford KeeneyIn The Flying Drum, author and therapist, Bradford Keeney, presents evidence of real mojo--magical objects and practices from around the globe that have an authenticated history of healing, transformation, and inspiration.Whether it is a flying drum, dancing doll, vanishing pot, magical drawing, Samurai pillow, divining sticks, mystery book, or Amazonian feather, the mojo of ancient heart-medicine can appear at social service agencies, university clinics, and psychotherapy centers to help transform people's lives and heal their souls.As a modern mojo doctor and therapist, Keeney helps everyday people with real problems by working with the ancient, living mojo in sacred objects. In this book he offers specific prescriptions for taking a journey that introduces a treasure chest of magical experience capable of bringing authentic magic and wonder into everyday life.
Flying, Falling, Catching: An Unlikely Story of Finding Freedom
by Henri J. Nouwen Carolyn Whitney-BrownHenri Nouwen’s never-before-published story of his surprising friendship with a traveling trapeze troupe.During the last five years of his life, best-selling spiritual author Henri J. M. Nouwen became close to The Flying Rodleighs, a trapeze troupe in a traveling circus. Like Nouwen’s own life, a trapeze act is full of artistry, exhilarating successes, crushing failures and continual forgiveness. He wrote about his experience in a genre new to him: creative non-fiction. In Flying, Falling, Catching, Nouwen's colleague and friend Carolyn Whitney-Brown presents his unpublished trapeze writings framed by the true story of his rescue through a hotel window by paramedics during his first heart attack. Readers will meet Nouwen as a spiritual risk taker who was transformed through his engagement with these trapeze artists, as well as his participation in the Civil Rights movement, his life in community with people with intellectual disabilities, his personal growth through friendships during the 1990s AIDS pandemic, and other unexpected encounters.What will we do with our lives, and with whom will we do it? In this story of flying and catching, Nouwen invites us all to let go and fly, even when we are afraid of falling.
Flying in the Face of Tradition: Listening to the Lived Experience of the Faithful
by Louis DeThomasis FscThe current quandary that the Roman Catholic Church finds itself in right now is what Brother Louis DeThomasis calls "a crisis of confidence" in this insightful, provocative, and hopeful new book. He points to the way of unraveling the quandary by returning the church's historic belief in tradition- "the lived experience of the faithful" - as a source of ongoing revelation and renewal. This is not an attack by someone intent on bringing down the church but rather a wake-up call for the church itself to recognize and embrace globalization, diversity, and democratization and begin to rebuild what DeThomasis calls "koinonia" or "communio". He uses the issue of the ordination of women as a case study of how the institutional church has fallen out of step with its own members but could work its way back to relevance and effectiveness by listening to them. Brother Louis makes it clear that he is not just criticizing others: "I know that I am guilty as anyone of many of the sins decried in this book. I too have been insensitive, closed-minded, arrogant, self-centered, too-quick-to-defend-the-indefensible, and overly protective of myself and my fellow church-members. For this I am sorry. And for this reason I offer my book as a small token of atonement." But he does insist that the institutional church has to change quickly and fundamentally if it is to recover its creditability and authority. People like him who have dedicated their entire lives to the church have to speak up, he says: "I am a 70-year-old De LaSalle Brother, entering my well-developed understandings about the church that I feel I have not only a right but a duty to present to whomever might want to listen."