Christian spiritual disciplines are all the rage, and joining the legions of
"how-to" books reintroducing contemporary Christians to ancient practices is
this offering by Barton, a spiritual director and retreat leader (Invitation
to Solitude and Silence). With elegant writing and a personal touch, she
covers the basics handily-the role of desire and longing in relationship with
God, praying with scripture, and the need for solitude, self-examination,
discernment and Sabbath. She concludes with an exercise that helps one develop
a "rule of life," or commitment to "structure and space for our growing."
What makes Barton's handbook different from the rest is her personality; she
describes the practices with the gentle touch of an understanding and knowing
mystic, telling her own stories along the way. Barton recounts the time she
and her bicycle were run over by a minivan (miraculously, she was not
seriously hurt) and as she recuperated, she pondered whether this accident was
a time to reconsider her need for Sabbath: "I did not want to acknowledge the
possibility that it was that hard for God to get my attention." This book is a
wonderful starting point for Christians eager to more deeply explore the life
of the Spirit. (Mar. 30) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
