This book, Sacred Rhythms, came across my desk a couple of months ago. It grabbed my attention immediately. The subtitle offers advice for "Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation." I think like many people, I feel I lack in spiritual discipline - or at the very least, could be more disciplined. However, even with this in mind, it took me a while to finally open the book.
I have to say that I appreciate the practices and thoughts that Ruth Haley Barton pens, yet I could not connect, nor get past the emotion she shared all throughout. I was not put off by her emotion, I just do not share the same level of sensitivity, I guess. This distracted me as I read. I am fully ready to accept the blame myself for this shortcoming. Maybe I am not as in tune with the Spirit as I could or should be, or that my emotions are tapped into the wrong things. Whatever it may be, I was off during the reading.
The book offers good practices and thoughts too. From chapters on Lectio Divinia, solitude, sabbath, and self-examination, the disciplines Ms. Barton explores are well thought-out and she does a good job explaining the premise behind the disciplines as well as some ways to practice each one.
Other books you may wish to reference:
Spiritual Direction, by Henri Nouwen
Spiritual Classics, ed. by Richard Foster and Emilie Griffin
Fasting, Lynne Baab
Pursuing Spiritual Transformation Study Series, John Ortberg
Dissident Discipleship, David Augsburger
Keeping the Sabbath Wholly, Marva Dawn
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