Read With Me

I wanted to share two books I will be reading very deeply during my time of sabbatical. I invite you to check them out and study along with me. Although I have read two of them before I am looking forward to digging in a bit more, journaling, and taking it slowly, really savoring all God says to me.

The first book I will be reading is "Emotionally Healthy Spirituality" by Peter Scazzero.  He is a Pastor in Queens, NY and this book has changed my life. I read it last July, journaled so much and God has used what I learned in my life in some very deep ways. This time I will read a little slower and do the accompanying workbook. I hope to one day lead a discussion/small group to go through this book. I think it would be fascinating to do as a group.

The second book I will be reading is another favorite, "Sacred Rhythms" by my retreat leader Ruth Haley  Barton, of The Transforming Center. This book outlines some basic spiritual disciplines that help us to live my life daily in the presence of God. I've read it, and have read some chapters twice, but I am wanting to really camp out in it and focus on adding each discipline more completely to my life during this time of sabbatical. Ruth's writings speak to me so loudly - they resonate in my heart. The first time I read one of Ruth's books, "Invitation to Solitude and Silence", I just sat and cried because it so mirrored the state of my own heart and soul. I emailed Ruth and shared my feelings and eventually - almost three years later - attended a retreat put on by The Transforming Center near Chicago, Illinois. I loved it and eventually joined a two year Retreat Community of Christian leaders and pastors that meet and go through one of these disciplines outlined in "Sacred Rhythms" in each one of our quarterly retreats. This group of friends and these retreats with others in ministry have become lifelines during these two years of pain and healing. This is another book I'd love for our church to study together or for a group of friends to explore with one another.

The third book I want to read is "Strengthening the Soul of My Leadership" also by Ruth Haley Barton. It doesn't come out until July but I've read the first chapter and it is so good. Ruth has shared some of her insights on the life of Moses in our retreats so I am really looking forward to it.

Finally, I may get around to checking Beth Moore's study out, "The Psalms of Ascent".  I've been wanting to study this and it's been highly recommended by my friend and co-worker, Alison. Hopefully I'll have time to work through that.

So, I hope you'll check out all the books that I'll be spending time in during the next three months. And when I come back if you'd like to study one of them together, let me know!