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The Seasonal Soul: A Mystic's Guide to Inner Transformation
by Lauren AlettaBrimming with mystical practices and hundreds of evocative illustrations, The Seasonal Soul is an enchanting guide to self-discovery. Spiritual teacher Lauren Aletta takes readers through the metaphorical "seasons" of personal growth and illuminates the ways your springs, summers, autumns, and winters provide opportunities for insight, healing, transformation, and rejuvenation. Organized by season, the book is packed with enriching practices and advice, including self-care rituals, crystal and chakra guides, and journaling exercises. In an eye-catching, shimmery package with black dyed edges, this book is perfect for modern mystics and the spiritually curious.
Seasoned Speech: Rhetoric in the Life of the Church
by James E. Beitler IIIThe Christian faith depends to a great degree on persuasion. In one of his letters to early Christians, the apostle Paul wrote, "Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone" (Col. 4:6). Yet rhetoric—the art of persuasion—has been largely ignored by most Christians. In this book, James Beitler seeks to renew interest in and hunger for an effective Christian rhetoric by closely considering the work of five beloved Christian communicators: C. S. Lewis, Dorothy L. Sayers, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Desmond Tutu, and Marilynne Robinson. Moreover, he situates these reflections within the Christian liturgical seasons for the essential truths they convey. These writers collectively demonstrate that being a master of rhetoric is not antithetical to authentic Christian witness. Indeed, being a faithful disciple of Christ means practicing a rhetoric that beneficially and persuasively imparts the surprising truth of the gospel. It means having seasoned speech.
Seasoned With Grace
by Nigeria LockleySentenced to probation, thirty-year-old supermodel Grace King must put her plans of transitioning into acting on hold. Desperate to keep a close eye on Grace and his job, Grace's ambitious lawyer, Ethan Summerville has her complete community service in the last place Grace wants to be--his church.Instead of God, Grace finds a "chocolate drop" of a man, Brother Horace Green. Unfortunately, Horace isn't looking for a supermodel. He wants his woman saved and sanctified, but Grace has never met a man who has been able to resist her. Will Horace compromise his faith for a taste of fortune, fame, and Grace?While Grace focuses on the pursuit of passion, Ethan finds one director willing to take a risk and cast Grace in his debut film, but this role fits Grace all too well. Will this film revive Grace's relationship with God and her career, or bring her closer to destruction?
Seasons
by Bonnie HopkinsThis wonderfully-written and compelling book looks at the life of a single woman's seasons, from the raging storms of her life's winters to the sun-drenched days of her summers and how she endures it all with God's love. After graduating from college, Jacetta Winters made the mistake of falling in love with Maxie Jackson, an older married man. But when he discovers that she's pregnant with his child, he promptly dumps her, leaving her alone to raise their child and abandoned by her family and church. When Jaci least expects it, she stumbles upon J.P. Gilmore, a man she has prayed for and who loves God as well as loving her. Now, moments before their marriage, Jaci retraces the mistakes she has made. But even though her life seems to be heading in the direction she has prayed for, Jaci is facing new challenges: Maxie has reappeared and wants to rekindle the relationship they had almost 20 years ago; her fiance is being stalked by his receptionist, Linda, who is in love with him; and Wynola, Linda's sister, wishes Jaci was dead after she lost her job to her. Add an unwanted middle-age pregnancy, and Jaci is praying to God for guidance.
The Seasons Collection: Seasons Under Heaven, Showers in Season, Times and Seasons, Season of Blessing (Seasons Series)
by Beverly Lahaye Terri BlackstockThe Seasons series from New York Times best-selling author Terri Blackstock and Beverly LaHaye—now available in one volume! Seasons Under Heaven Behind brightly lit windows and on front porches around Cedar Circle, marriages are tested and mended, hearts broken, hopes resurrected, and faith rekindled. Gently uncovering the inner struggles, stresses, and joys that surface among neighbors living on a quiet cul-de-sac, the Seasons series shows us the power of ordinary lives being knit into a strong, many-textured fabric of family and friendships. Showers in Season On the quiet cul-de-sac of Cedar Circle, where neighbors are close friends, fierce winds of circumstance threaten to sweep one couple away. Their Down’s Syndrome pregnancy is shattering news for Tory and Barry Sullivan, but the option Barry proposes is abhorrent to Tory. It will take a wisdom and strength greater than their own to carry them through. Times and Seasons When Cathy Flaherty’s teenage son, Mark, is arrested for selling drugs, more is at stake for Cathy than her son. With Mark in juvenile detention, the single mother of three finds herself struggling over whether to marry Steve Bennett, a man she truly loves. It will take strength and wisdom for Steve to see Cathy through this time of family conflict. Fortunately, he is not alone. Other lives, each with concerns of their own, weave together in a strong show of mutual care and support. And through the hands of this loving community, God moves. Season of Blessing Sylvia Bryan has been feeling weak and tired, but is shocked when her internist finds a malignant lump in her breast. She and her husband can’t understand why God is allowing cancer to attack at a time when their missionary work is going so well. As Sylvia undergoes a mastectomy and chemotherapy, the rest of the neighbors pull together to support her, even while coping with the stress in their own lives.
Seasons of a Woman's Life
by Lois EvansAre you afraid that . . you'll never reach the end of dirty diapers? You'll never be free of carpool duty? Your teenager's rebellion will never end? The empty nest is just a little too empty?Fear not, seasons change. You blink twice and find yourself in another situation. Maybe longing for the "old days" or maybe grateful for the freshness of a new season. But like it or not, the seasons will come, each in its sequence and each in its own time.Using lively examples from her own life and those of other women - including Esther - Lois Evans challenges you to to discover the purpose of your life and to depend on Him as He teaches the lessons of each season. In this book, you will find helpful priniciples, recognize familiar emotions, and take to heart encouraging promises from the pages of God's Word. In this edition a new chapter on the grandparenting season has been added. And to help you dig deeper - whether alone or with friends - chapter study questions are included.
Seasons of a Woman's Life
by Lois EvansAre you afraid that . . you'll never reach the end of dirty diapers? You'll never be free of carpool duty? Your teenager's rebellion will never end? The empty nest is just a little too empty?Fear not, seasons change. You blink twice and find yourself in another situation. Maybe longing for the "old days" or maybe grateful for the freshness of a new season. But like it or not, the seasons will come, each in its sequence and each in its own time.Using lively examples from her own life and those of other women - including Esther - Lois Evans challenges you to to discover the purpose of your life and to depend on Him as He teaches the lessons of each season. In this book, you will find helpful priniciples, recognize familiar emotions, and take to heart encouraging promises from the pages of God's Word. In this edition a new chapter on the grandparenting season has been added. And to help you dig deeper - whether alone or with friends - chapter study questions are included.
Seasons of an Amish Garden: Four Stories
by Amy ClipstonYoung Amish couples tend to a community garden and harvest friendships and love along the way in this new story collection by bestselling author Amy Clipston.Spring Is in the Air: As the young people of Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania, plant a garden in memory of their friend, Katie Ann begins to worry that her older brother, Ephraim, is dating her best friend. What if she somehow loses them both? But Christian, a new boy in the community, also works in the garden—and falling for him may be exactly the distraction, and lesson, that Katie Ann needs.Home by Summer: Clara Hertzler is surprised when Jerry Petersheim, her old friend, comes to the garden to drop off his younger sister—especially because Jerry has been gone for years, and now seems to be living as an Englisher. As the friends get to know each other again, Clara pushes Jerry to examine why he abandoned his Amish beliefs. Will Clara help Jerry renew his faith in God, and will they find love beneath the summer sun?The Fruits of Fall: Tena Speicher has come to live in Bird-in-Hand after her fiancé left her for an English woman. When a stranger comes to the fruit stand one day and asks for food, Tena is not sure how to respond—but Wayne intervenes and offers to let him stay in the barn. Afraid to trust Englishers, Tena must learn, with Wayne&’s help, that everyone is a child of God and deserving of kindness.Winter Blessings: Ephraim and Mandy have dated for some time and now have plans to marry. But after a series of unexpected events and misunderstandings, they wonder if they should go their separate ways. What will happen when their friends at the Amish garden conspire to bring them back together?Each story in this sweet, contemporary collection can be read as a standalone, but the stories are best enjoyed together. Book length: approximately 95,000 words. Also includes a reading group guide and an Amish glossary. &“One story slides into the next, woven together effortlessly with the author&’s knowledge of the Amish life. Once started, you can&’t put this book down.&” —Suzanne Woods Fisher, bestselling author of The Devoted
Seasons of Celebration: Meditations on the Cycle of Liturgical Feasts
by Thomas MertonThis work, originally inspired by the liturgical renewal brought on by Vatican II, contains Thomas Merton's meditations on the seasons of the liturgical year. He examines the words, songs, ceremonies, signs, and movements that are designed to open our hearts and minds.
The Seasons of God: How the Shifting Patterns of Your Life Reveal His Purposes for You
by Richard BlackabyWhat season of life are you in? Each of us goes through periods of life that have a certain character--a few months or a few years, good times or difficult circumstances, times of brilliant joy or periods of dark clouds. Often we say, "It's just the season of life I'm in." But did you know that just as God has purposes for the seasons of nature, he also uses seasons in your life to grow you, work with you, and talk to you? Richard Blackaby explains in The Seasons of God how understanding the principles of the seasons can offer us hope, direction, insight, and intimacy with God himself. It's a thoughtful exploration of God's patterns at work in our lives--how His will is being carried out in the best way...at the best time.Your plans, your relationships, your career, your ministry--all have their unique God-intended moment. God's Word expresses it this way: "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven." So what's your season of life? And what is God telling you through the season you're in?
Seasons of Grace: A History of the Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit (Great Lakes Books Series)
by Edmund Cardinal Szoka Leslie Woodcock TentlerSeasons of Grace is a history of the Catholic Church and community in southern lower Michigan from the 1830s through the 1950s. More than a chronicle of clerical successions and institutional expansion, the book also examines those social and cultural influences that affected the development of the Catholic community. <P><P> To document the course of institutional growth in the diocese, Tentler devotes a portion of the book to tracing the evolution of administrative structures at the Chancery and the founding of parishes, parochial schools, and social welfare organizations. Substantial attention is also given to the social history of the Catholic community, reflected in changes in religious practice, parish life and governance, and the role of women in church organizations and in devotional activities. Tentler also discusses the issue of Catholics in state and local politics and Catholic practice with regard to abortion, contraception, and intermarriage.
The Seasons of Life: A Companion for the Poetic Journey--Poems and Prose Previously Unpublished in English
by Hermann HesseA never-before-seen volume of poetry by the preeminent poet laureate Herman Hesse--a beautiful companion to Seasons of the Soul and the author's better-known prose work.Organized into four parts--spring, summer, autumn, and winter--The Seasons of Life relates the transitions in nature to the organic progressions of human life from birth through death. From the mundane to the sublime, the spiritual to the political, and private feeling to expressed opinion, Hesse touches on the range of human experience, inviting the reader to consider both the beauty and what Hesse called the "adversities of life."Beloved by readers as a wise and open friend, Hesse offers in this never-before-translated volume an honest portrayal of a whole life: its lessons and mysteries, its glories and despairs. The poet's voice--so treasured in his novels among a worldwide English-speaking audience--can now be enjoyed through this new translation in the follow-up to Seasons of the Soul.
Seasons of Our Joy: A Modern Guide to the Jewish Holidays
by Arthur I. Waskow Rose Gertz Hannah Waskow Rose Sue BersteinFrom the book Jacket: Circling the Jewish calendar from Rosh Hashanah to Tisha Bav, this lively, accessible guide leads the reader on a spiritual journey through the year. Seasons of Our Joy explores: the meaning of each holiday in relation to the history of the Jewish people and individual spirituality how the place of each holiday in the cycle of the moon and the changing seasons affects the mood of the day ritual and spiritual ways to prepare for each festival-including recipes, songs, prayers, and suggestions for new approaches to holiday observance "A wonderful blend of information and innovation that will help readers find both traditional and new meaning in the Jewish holidays." -JUDITH PLASKOW, author of Standing Again at Siitai "Arthur Waskow's unique voice, at once eloquent, musical, creative, and passionate, rings throughout Seasons of Our Joy, weaving together strands of Jewish life: the meaning of our ceremonies and celebrations; the spirituality of the individual; the essential fragility and wonder of the world entrusted to us; the mystical chains which bind together the generations; and, permeating all of that, Waskow's powerful Jewish vision of peace and justice." -RABBI DAVID SAPERSTEIN, Director, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism "Seasons of Our Joy brings reverent renewal to ancient practices. And it presents new understandings and approaches which we are invited to sanctify. This book will heighten your awareness of the eternal religious power of the Jewish calendar." -RABBI GORDON TUCKER, Dean, Jewish Theological Seminary
Seasons of Sorrow: The Pain of Loss and the Comfort of God
by Tim ChalliesAn honest look at grief and fears, faith and hope. Combining personal narrative, sound theology, and beautiful writing, this is a book for anyone who has loved and lost.On November 3, 2020, Tim and Aileen Challies received the shocking news that their son Nick had died. A twenty-year-old student at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, he had been participating in a school activity with his fiancée, sister, and friends, when he fell unconscious and collapsed to the ground.Neither students nor a passing doctor nor paramedics were able to revive him. His parents received the news at their home in Toronto and immediately departed for Louisville to be together as a family. While on the plane, Tim, an author and blogger, began to process his loss through writing. In Seasons of Sorrow, Tim shares real-time reflections from the first year of grief—through the seasons from fall to summer—introducing readers to what he describes as the &“ministry of sorrow.&”Seasons of Sorrow will benefit both those that are working through sorrow or those comforting others:• See how God is sovereign over loss and that he is good in loss • Discover how you can pass through times of grief while keeping your faith • Learn how biblical doctrine can work itself out even in life&’s most difficult situations• Understand how it is possible to love God more after loss than you loved him before
Seasons of the Day
by Stanislaus KennedyBased on the traditional Book of Hours - psalms said daily, at set times, by religious communities throughout the world - Seasons of the Day reveals the enduring relevance of this ancient practice to contemporary living.In Seasons of the Day, Sister Stan, knowing that our modern-day understanding of time pushes us to our stressed-out limits, passes on the monastic ritual to the layperson.Here, as she slows us down, she reveals the psalms through her own words, her own prayers. Using them, she also guides us tenderly through a four-week period, from the silence and mystery of pre-dawn (matins) through to the reflective conclusion of the day (compline). In a world that can often seem hostile and unfriendly, her gentle reflections help the reader find inner peace and confidence.A prayer book for today
Seasons of the Sacred: Reconnecting to the Wisdom within Nature and the Soul
by Llewellyn Vaughan-LeeIn this timely third book in his "Spiritual Ecology" series, Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee continues his exploration of the many facets of interconnection between humanity and the Earth. Deeply spiritual but not religious, "Seasons of the Sacred" weaves together narratives, poems, and images from various sources to illuminate the hope, beauty, abundance, and darkness of the Earth's cycles and humanity's place therein.Likening Spring to falling in love, Summer with abundance and spiritual awakening, Fall with fruition and wisdom, and Winter with contraction and emptiness, the collected wisdom reflects the profound resonance of humanity within nature and emphasizes the deep alignment between the Earth and human soul. Ultimately, Vaughan-Lee tells a story of connection and synchronization, illustrating how humanity and the Earth are journeying together in both obvious and mysterious ways, mutually sharing, adapting, and learning. While Vaughan-Lee is a Sufi teacher, the book offers nature-based wisdom from Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, and literary traditions from across the ages.Vaughan-Lee adeptly connects the reader to the deepest envisioning of contemporary challenges. Climate catastrophe, refugees, cultural degradation, and political divisiveness are all contextualized within natural cycles of birth, loss, and transition, and the reader is guided to listen through the fear and anxiety of our age to the deeper ground of belonging that calls from even the most destitute inner and outer landscapes.Never more relevant than now, the chapter on Winter points the reader to what is most essential even as the temporal is stripped away like autumn leaves, providing some assurance that there is meaning and even peace amidst the devastation of our present time. As with other books in this series, Vaughan-Lee places the human story within the story of the Earth and compels the examination of attitudes, beliefs, and habits in relation to the ongoing desecration, ecological devastation—and potential restoration—of our sacred home.
The Seasons of the Soul
by Andrew Harvey Hermann Hesse Ludwig Max FischerVowing at an early age "to be a poet or nothing at all," Hermann Hesse rebelled against formal education, focusing on a rigorous program of independent study that included literature, philosophy, art, and history. One result of these efforts was a series of novels that became counterculture bibles that remain widely influential today. Another was a body of evocative spiritual poetry. Published for the first time in English, these vivid, probing short works reflect deeply on the challenges of life and provide a spiritual solace that transcends specific denominational hymns, prayers, and rituals. The Seasons of the Soul offers valuable guidance in poetic form for those longing for a more meaningful life, seeking a sense of homecoming in nature, in each stage of life, in a renewed relationship with the divine. Extensive quotations from his prose introduce each theme addressed in the book: love, imagination, nature, the divine, and the passage of time. A foreword by Andrew Harvey reintroduces us to a figure about whom some may have believed everything had already been said. Thoughtful commentary throughout from translator Ludwig Max Fischer helps readers understand the poems within the context of Hesse's life.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Seasons of Tomorrow
by Cindy WoodsmallAs love restores Rhoda, a sudden tragedy is the test of faith she never saw coming.More settled in her heart than ever before, Rhoda Byler feels a newfound confidence living in the Old Order Amish settlement she helped establish in Orchard Bend, Maine. Time has helped to heal the wounds of Rhoda's recent severed relationship, and she finds that even her unusual gift of profound intuition is less of a burden as she continues to seek God's wisdom for her future. She is happy to be working alongside the King family and the love of her life as they tend and nurture the settlement's orchard.Yet when Leah King's involvement with Englischer Landon Olson becomes known outside of the Maine community, her disregard of the Ordnung could threaten all the Orchard Bend Amish are building. In the midst of addressing the discord, a shocking tragedy challenges the young settlement like never before, threatening to uproot Rhoda's peace and the future of everything she holds dear.When several members of Orchard Bend Farms are displaced, the estranged King brother is called upon to return. Can those who founded the new Amish community in Maine unite Or will the lingering pain of past hurts and present struggles result in the end of their dreams?From the Trade Paperback edition.
Seasons of Wicca: The Essential Guide to Rituals and Rites to Enhance Your Spiritual Journey
by Ambrosia HawthornStrengthen your practice, deepen your faith—Wiccan rites and rituals for every season Rooted in nature, spiritualism, and a reverence for the divine, Wicca is a religious practice focused on the balance and harmony between life and nature. Seasons of Wicca offers practical guidance and empowering rites and rituals that will bring the magic of Wicca into your daily life. Discover the origins of Wicca with an overview covering the importance of working with nature and the deities. Explore in-depth primers on the Wheel of the Year and the crucial purposes of the elements, and embark on your own spiritual path with step-by-steps for Sun Celebrations, Moon Celebrations, and Wiccan Rites. Seasons of Wicca includes: Start of the season—Begin your practice with practical advice on setting up an altar and casting a circle, as well as the tools for magical transformation, like tarot, runes, candles, and crystals. Modern Wicca—Choose the Wicca tradition that's best for you with a look at the practices and deities of popular traditions, such as Gardnerian, Celtic, and Solitary Wicca. Seasonal ceremonies—Find easy-to-follow rituals for Wiccan sabbats and full moon esbats, as well as rites for major changes, like handfasting, a Wiccan wedding ceremony, and handparting to mark the end of a relationship. Celebrate the changing of the seasons, sabbats, and deities with the life-changing rites and rituals in Seasons of Wicca.
Seasons of Wonder: Making the Ordinary Sacred Through Projects, Prayers, Reflections, and Rituals: A 52-week devotional
by Bonnie Smith WhitehouseA 52-week interactive devotional that helps families and friends discover God enfleshed in the world.&“A devotional in the most all-encompassing sense, Seasons of Wonder sets readers on a path that leads to a year filled with more hope, more sweetness, more grace, and more love.&”—Margaret Renkl, author of Late Migrations and PEN Award WinnerSeasons of Wonder is designed to allow you to gather together weekly with your loved ones and expand your understanding of divinity, specifically the radical but faithful idea that everything is sacred. This devotional is designed around weekly contemplative activities as well as interactive and transformative practices that connect us to surprise, awe, and wonder, including:• uncomplicated crafts that honor creation• simple recipes to make together• conversation guides to cultivate the gifts of storytelling, deep listening, mystery, and community• accessible introductions to liturgical observations and rituals• plus four additional weeks of activities that you can incorporate whenever they&’re appropriate, such as birthdays, sick days, or when you&’re traveling together or blessing your home In February readers might make a hiking stick to embark on a holy pilgrimage (even if it&’s just in the neighborhood) and discover the meaning of Ash Wednesday, while in the summer months they can learn how to cherish the Earth&’s seasons of holy pause by making prayer cards, bath salts, or family time capsules alongside the reading of peaceful liturgies and ancient prayers. Bonnie Smith Whitehouse invites us all to consider the life-changing idea that small, intentional moments of wonder are charged manifestations of the grand presence of Christ in me, in you, and in this dazzling, vast—and imperiled—blue planet we call our beloved home. By spending a short amount of time together with Seasons of Wonder every week this year, you can transform an ordinary meeting into a sacred gathering.
Seasons of Your Heart
by Macrina WiederkehrIn this masterpiece of simplicity, Macrina Wiederkehr offers a series of meditations to bring us closer to a "God for all seasons," revised and expanded into this new edition. Designed for daily use as well as for retreats, Seasons of Your Heart is an eloquent and lyrical invitation to journey through the spiritual seasons of wonder, hope, love, mystery, and faith. Macrina Weiderkehr shares her "seasonal struggle with God" and encourages us to reconize those same peaks and valleys in our own spiritual life. Using biblical passages, poetry, and excerpts from her journal, Wiederkehr provides meditative ideas and prayers as "postures" for realizing and approaching the holy in our daily lives. These reflections and prayers, then, have grown out of a daily listening to God in the changing seasons of my spiritual life, "writes the author. "These reflections have grown out of my conviction that our God is not some Almighty Being beyond us, but a Mystery within."
Seasons Under Heaven: Seasons Under Heaven, Showers In Season, Times And Seasons, Season Of Blessing (Seasons Series #1)
by Beverly LaHaye Terri BlackstockTory Sullivan struggles with the demands of motherhood and her desire for a career. An aspiring writer, she wonders whether she'll ever be able to develop her talent while raising two young children. But perhaps the problem isn't a matter of time, but of Tory. Cathy Flaherty is rediscovering the grins and groans of the dating game. The spunky single mother of three teenagers, she's also learning the urgency of instilling sound values in her children as they attend public school. Sylvia Bryan is an empty-nester. Now that her children are gone, she struggles with a gnawing lack of meaning. Her husband, Harry, wants to become a medical missionary. But for Sylvia, the best part of life seems like nothing but a memory. Brenda Dodd faces an uncertain future. Her nine-year-old son is getting sicker, and there seems to be nothing they can do. It is every mother's nightmare -- a child who will die unless he receives a heart transplant. As the women of Cedar Circle band together to save a dying child, they learn that each moment is precious in every season under the heaven. Taking the best and worst of human circumstances -- the tender moments, the laughter, the tragedies, and the triumphs -- Beverly LaHaye and Terri Blackstock weave from them a poignant, warmly human novel. Gently uncovering the inner struggles, stresses, and joys that surface among neighbors living in a quiet cul-de-sac, the authors show us the power of ordinary lives being knit into a strong, many-textured fabric of family and friendships. Seasons Under Heaven depicts the deepest emotions of a woman's heart, and those circumstances, both thrilling and tragic, that test and strengthen Christian faith.
Seasons With Mitch: Lessons learned along the way
by Catherine ZabelThis book is an inspiring collection of devotionals gleaned from nature walks with the author's dog. Through conversations and experiencing truths played out through daily walks with Mitch, the author writes about adventures and misadventures during the four seasons. As nature becomes a backdrop and a blackboard for lessons learned along the way, the changing of the seasons marks the passing of time in dog and master's lives. Whether it is the night of the feared dognapping of her best four-footed friend, or an encounter on the highway with a state trooper in her speed demon red car, God inevitably shows up with a reminder from scripture, or His own special kind of intervention. Sometimes the reader is treated to conversations between master and canine which point to greater truths from a greater Master. Come along and enjoy a walk from your favorite armchair or reading spot. You can read as little or as much as you like without spoiling a single adventure. Miracles, angels, and divine intervention, the author encounters them all as just another blessed day in the journey of a believer.
A Seat at the Table
by Joshua HalberstamElisha walks through Brooklyn with side curls tucked behind his ears and an over-sized black hat on his head. He is a Chassidic Orthodox Jew and the son of a revered rabbi in whose footsteps he's expected to follow. When he leaves his insular world to take classes at a secular college, he vows to remain unchanged... PRAISE FOR A SEAT AT THE TABLE: "A poignant depiction of a deeply loving father and a no less loving son desperate to find his own very different path without shattering the connection to his family, to his father." Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, Author of Jewish Literacy and a Jewish Code of Ethics. "Halberstam takes you deeply into the Chassidic community with a critical eye but a loving, understanding heart. This tender, compassionate coming-of-age story brims over with wisdom from the Jewish tradition. It's worth reading for the Chassidic tales alone." David Grubin, Documentary Filmmaker, The Jewish Americans, LBJ. "Joshua Halberstam knows the soul of Chassidic Brooklyn better than anyone without payes and a black hat. He explores that world with a unique combination of skepticism and compassion. A Seat at the Table is a lovely and deeply humane book." Melvin Jules Bukiet, Author of Strange Fire and Neurotica. "In this novel of fathers and sons, faith and doubt, Joshua Halberstam illuminates a world rich with religious tradition and Chassidic stories, and he proves himself to be a master storyteller in his own right. A Seat at the Table is unusually wise, genuine, and always affecting." Tova Mirvis, author of The Ladies Auxiliary and The Outside World.
A Seat at the Table: Huston Smith in Conversation with Native Americans on Religious Freedom
by Huston Smith Gary Rhine Phil CousineauIn this collection of illuminating conversations, renowned historian of world religions Huston Smith invites ten influential American Indian spiritual and political leaders to talk about their five-hundred-year struggle for religious freedom. Their intimate, impassioned dialogues yield profound insights into one of the most striking cases of tragic irony in history: the country that prides itself on religious freedom has resolutely denied those same rights to its own indigenous people. With remarkable erudition and curiosity―and respectfully framing his questions in light of the revelation that his discovery of Native American religion helped him round out his views of the world's religions―Smith skillfully helps reveal the depth of the speakers' knowledge and experience. <p><p> American Indian leaders Vine Deloria, Jr. (Standing Rock Sioux), Winona LaDuke (Anishshinaabeg), Walter Echo-Hawk (Pawnee), Frank Dayish, Jr. (Navajo), Charlotte Black Elk (Oglala Lakota), Douglas George-Kanentiio (Mohawk-Iroquois), Lenny Foster (Dine/Navajo), Tonya Gonnella Frichner (Onondaga), Anthony Guy Lopez (Lakota-Sioux), and Oren Lyons (Onondaga) provide an impressive overview of the critical issues facing the Native American community today. Their ideas about spirituality, politics, relations with the U.S. government, their place in American society, and the continuing vitality of their communities give voice to a population that is all too often ignored in contemporary discourse. The culture they describe is not a relic of the past, nor a historical curiosity, but a living tradition that continues to shape Native American lives.