Showing results by publisher "Sounds True" in Christianity

We often think of saints as rare individuals whose gifts far exceed our own, and St. Francis is no exception. But for Fr. Richard Rohr, a prolific author and renowned speaker, the life and teachings of this beloved figure offer an authentic spirituality we can all embody.

Is there a true seeker among us who has not endured what St. John of the Cross first called the "dark night of the soul" - a crisis, a betrayal, a sadness seeming without end? In The Way of St. John of the Cross, you will meet this towering figure - mystic, poet, healer of souls, and lover of God - and hear how this great explorer of mystical experience left an unfailing map to guide us through the dark nights of our own lives, one that promises eternal joy to all with the courage to follow it.

Dr. Brown defines spirituality as something not reliant on religion, theology, or dogma - rather, it is a belief in our interconnectedness and in a loving force greater than ourselves. Whether you access the sacred through traditional worship, solitary meditation, communion with nature, or creative pursuits, one thing is clear: Rising strong after falling is a spiritual practice that brings a sense of perspective, meaning, and purpose to our lives.

We all like the idea of forgiveness - doing it is the hard part. If you're holding an old grudge, feeling guilt, or shame from past events, or simply unhappy with the way your life is working out, then you're ready to start testing a set of tools for real change. With The Power of Radical Forgiveness, Colin Tipping invites you to learn a whole new way to acheive forgiveness.

We all sit on the edge of a mystery. We have only known this life, so dying scares us - and we are all dying. But what if dying were perfectly safe? What if you could approach dying with curiosity and love? What if dying were the ultimate spiritual practice? Walking Each Other Home: Conversations on Loving and Dying reunites lifelong friends Ram Dass and Mirabai Bush, who speak on the spiritual opportunities in the dying process. They share intimate personal experiences and timeless practices for every aspect of this journey.

This work of spiritual rediscovery casts light on six women mystics who teach us that "the experience with God is inexhaustible". Extensively researched, Enduring Grace draws from actual letters, teachings, and sacred poetry of these real historical figures to portray how God can enter the life of anyone and help create divinity in flesh and blood form. Author Carol Flinders combs rare archival sources and recently discovered documents to take us to the very heart of feminine mystical experience.

Twenty centuries have passed since Jesus first spoke of a glorious "kingdom" at hand. And yet for theologians as well as everyday seekers, the question remains: What can we do to realize the full promise of Christianity for ourselves and for our world? The answer, teaches Andrew Harvey, lies with the Christian mystics who used the life of Jesus as a spiritual template to become "like a sun, the source of abundant life, whose waves incessantly wash, infuse, and purify the cosmos".

Discover Christianity's own unique tradition for experiencing God directly through meditation with The Beginner's Guide to Contemplative Prayer. Author James Finley, who as a young monk lived and prayed with Thomas Merton for six years at the Abbey of Gethsemani, shares the fruit of this authentic approach to prayer and its role at the center of Christian life.

For over four decades, Sister Joan Chittister has inspired countless readers and listeners to expand the nature of their faith - to live wider, deeper, and more fully engaged in a world that needs us. Recorded at Mount St. Benedict Monastery, these immersive conversations speak to a wealth of topics relevant to contemplative Catholics, Christians, and anyone seeking inspiration from a wise and heartful fellow traveler on the spiritual path.

Would you consider yourself a religious person? Or a spirtual one? The religions of the world are filled with stories of mystics and saints who experienced visions, dreams, and even wondrous face-to-face encounters with the Divine.

The Beatitudes (or "blessed are" sayings) are perhaps the most recognized and most beloved passage from the Sermon on the Mount, yet they are among Jesus' most misunderstood teachings. In The Healing Breath, acclaimed teacher and author Neil Douglas-Klotz leads listeners through the Beatitudes as spoken in Jesus' native Aramaic to show how this seemingly simple set of statements reveals a profound source of divine connection.

There is a gift so simple that it requires no ribbons for wrapping yet which is so miraculous, it has the power to transform our lives. This is The Gift of Story, a tale of love and wisdom from Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés, eminent psychoanalyst and author. When an old woman flees to a hut in a lonely forest, begins Dr. Estés, she seeks safety from the savage war that has devastated her village. What sustains her is the greatest of all gifts: a story.

If the Buddha, Saint Teresa, or an enlightened shaman walked into the room today, would they find themselves in need of some serious spiritual catching up? The surprising answer, says Ken Wilber, is yes. Integral evolutionary thinkers today are seeing a burst of accelerating shifts in human consciousness: in our emotional and cognitive lines of intelligence, our creative and moral capacities, our sense of self, and more.

For those who are seeking a path of simplicity, not bound by the trappings of spiritual practice, Adyashanti brings a fresh and humble approach to Zen wisdom. "Don't think that awakening is the end," teaches Adyashanti. "Awakening is the end of seeking, the end of the seeker, but it is the beginning of a life lived from your true nature."

In 1967 Thomas Merton traveled to Thailand, seeking to further the Buddhist-Christian dialogue that was his passion. This beloved Trappist monk and explorer of the inner life died unexpectedly on that trip but not before writing a final letter to his brothers at the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky. In the letter Merton wrote that he now realized that everything he had been searching for could be found at his own hermitage, within the Christian tradition.

Many of us struggle to truly live what we believe spiritually. What if closing that gap wasn’t about trying harder, but something quite the opposite? The Way of Grace is an invitation to let go of the need for control, release our fears, and learn to be open and undefended with what is. Using teaching stories, guided meditation, self-inquiry practices, prayer, and more, Macpherson takes us step by step through the liberating process of undoing our fixed egoic patterns as we explore the four dimensions of Grace.

In this unabridged audiobook of Walking in Wonder, John O’Donohue’s friend and frequent collaborator John Quinn collects a series of talks and essays from the poet-philosopher on humanity’s relationship with the land, the ache of absence, our place in an often mysterious universe, and the great adventure of death itself.

A vocation arises, not as a response to external forces, but authentically from within your own body. Dr. Rick Jarow has helped thousands of frustrated job-seekers open to their intuition, transform their values into action, and answer their true calling - instead of settling for a paycheck. The job you were born to do will unfold in time - take the time first to listen to this advice.

Fifteen-hundred years ago, St. Benedict established a system of ora et labora prayer and work that monastics still follow today. Central to this prayerful integration of body and spirit is psalmody, or chanting the psalms. On Singing the Psalms, Episcopal priest Cynthia Bourgeault shows how the psalms can awaken rich spiritual and psychological insights accessible to you today, whatever your level of vocal skill or theological understanding.

The early Christians, teaches the Reverend Cynthia Bourgeault, were afire with the spirit of Jesus, inspired fully by his teaching of a total transformation of consciousness. How do we reclaim that fire today?In Encountering the Wisdom Jesus, this brilliant author and dynamic Episcopalian priest presents her first full-length audio course about rediscovering the Master of Wisdom.