[PDF] The Soulwork Of Clay eBook

Author : Marjory Zoet Bankson
Publisher : Turner Publishing Company
Page : 258 pages
File Size : 25,72 MB
Release : 2012-06-21
Category : Crafts & Hobbies
ISBN : 1594734577

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Let go of your pretensions—squeeze, shape, knead & play your way to spiritual growth. "I am being formed by the clay. I am reconnecting with the earth, and with the other basic elements, too—air, water, fire—and life itself. Every gesture leaves its trail in the clay. Every fingerprint, a message. My breath fills the cavity. My touch curves the wall of a bowl. And inwardly, I am being formed by the outward practice. I am learning to trust the process, to lean into the possibilities rather than striving for some predetermined goal. I am being hollowed out, stretched and constricted, trimmed and sometimes reworked entirely." —from the Prologue Drawing from her first-hand experience of working with clay, Marjory Zoet Bankson takes you through the seven-step process of making clay into a pot, drawing parallels at each stage to the process of spiritual growth: Grounding—Connecting with our core elements Kneading—Awakening to the inner realm Centering—Gathering everything together Shaping—Focusing inner and outer pressures Finishing—Trimming away the excess Decorating—Adding a playful touch Firing—Committing to transformation This simple connection with the earth has the potential to put you in touch with the whole of creation and, at the same time, your soul's longing to participate as an artist, creating something new and unique. Through reflective questions in each chapter—along with a wealth of unique clay projects that even beginners can do—Bankson invites you on a journey of spiritual discovery, a path of reconnecting with your body and spirit, and with the earth itself.

Author : Marjory Zoet Bankson
Publisher : Skylight Paths Publishing
Page : 167 pages
File Size : 12,66 MB
Release : 2008
Category : Crafts & Hobbies
ISBN : 9781594732492

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Drawing on her first-hand experience of working with clay, Bankson takes her readers through the seven-step process of making clay into a pot, drawing parallels at each stage to the process of spiritual growth: grounding, kneading, centering, shaping, finishing, decorating, and firing.

Author : Cynthia Winton-Henry
Publisher : Turner Publishing Company
Page : 228 pages
File Size : 30,5 MB
Release : 2011-05-06
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN : 1594733317

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Unlock the transformative power of movement as a life-changing spiritual practice. If youre thinking But Im not a dancer or I feel awkward, I hope to reassure you. You dont need a special talent to move. You dont need to be graceful or especially coordinated. You dont need a body thats in shape. Dancing helps us embrace all this humanity. Dance connects us to the holy of life. from the Introduction Seize the joy and healing power of dance! Drawing from her years of experience as a dance and movement teacher, and as cofounder of the international dance organization InterPlay, Cynthia Winton-Henry helps you overcome your embarrassment or anxiety and discover in dance a place of solace and restoration, as well as an energizing spiritual force. She taps into the spirit of dancing throughout history and in many world cultures to provide detailed exercises that will help you learn to trust your body and interpret its physical and spiritual intentions. For both newcomers and seasoned movers alike, she encourages you to embrace dance as a spiritual tool to: Celebrate your unique spirituality and get in touch with your emotions Unify your body and mind, and push your personal boundaries Work through trauma or crisis and restore spiritual well-being Deepen your relationships and strengthen your community Find spiritual direction ... and much more!

Author : Margaret D. McGee
Publisher : SkyLight Paths Publishing
Page : 194 pages
File Size : 15,32 MB
Release : 2009
Category : Poetry
ISBN : 1594732698

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In this encouraging guide for both beginning and experienced haiku writers, Margaret D. McGee shows how writing haiku can be a consciously spiritual practice for seekers of any faith tradition or no tradition.

Author : Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell
Publisher : Turner Publishing Company
Page : 212 pages
File Size : 39,95 MB
Release : 2010-09-01
Category : Religion
ISBN : 1594733449

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Step beyond the walls of the church and into the thick of humanity. "Joan Brown Campbell's career can be regarded as prophetic. For Joan, faith has meant engagement with the world and its pain. Her words remind us that at its best, religion should not narrow our horizons, but enable us to live more fully; should not cause us to withdraw from the world, but to do our utmost to make it a better place." —from the Foreword by Karen Armstrong Drawing on her amazing life experiences, Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell speaks out on the pressing issues that face us today: love, justice, reconciliation, forgiveness and community. With a bold, distinctive voice, this visionary minister asserts that we have the capacity to transcend the barriers that separate us from one another. She poses that "Who is my neighbor?" may be the most crucial question in our world where so many are hungry and hurting and weary of war. She calls us to live life fully—not carefully or cautiously, but wholly engaged with the world and with the messiness of humanity. She dares us to act as the people we are called and created to be—to claim our freedom to care, to risk and to step out into the unknown. Capturing the essence of her wisdom gained from years of world travel and experience, Campbell offers inspiration and challenge for all who would claim their lives as people of hope.

Author : Rev. Susan Sparks
Publisher : Turner Publishing Company
Page : 173 pages
File Size : 30,92 MB
Release : 2010-05-01
Category : Religion
ISBN : 1594733430

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Laughter—the GPS System for the Soul Laughter was honored by the ancients as a spiritual healing tool and celebrated by the world's great religions. So why aren’t we laughing along the spiritual path today? What would happen if we did? In this personal and funny look at humor as a spiritual practice, Rev. Susan Sparks—an ex-lawyer turned comedian and Baptist minister—presents a convincing case that the power of humor radiates far beyond punch lines. Laughter can help you: Remove the fearful mask of a God who doesn’t laugh Debunk the myths that you don’t deserve joy Find perspective when faced with adversity Exercise forgiveness for yourself and others Reclaim play as a spiritual practice Heal—emotionally, physically, and spiritually Keep your faith when God is silent Live with elegance, beauty, and generosity of spirit Whatever your faith tradition—or if you have none at all—join this veteran of the punch line and the pulpit in reclaiming the forgotten humor legacy found in thousands of years of human spiritual history.

Author : Linda Douty
Publisher : Turner Publishing Company
Page : 240 pages
File Size : 46,28 MB
Release : 2011-04-01
Category : Self-Help
ISBN : 1594733236

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Have the courage and curiosity to face the inner changes of aging—and learn how they can help you find meaning in your later years. "I used to think that age sixty-five was the start of a slippery downward slope to the cemetery. But inside, I felt a surge of enormous energy, with the potential to approach aging as an uncharted adventure instead of a prison sentence." —from the Introduction Unlike other authors, spiritual director Linda Douty discusses the challenges and surprises of aging by talking about how you actually feel, not what you're supposed to feel. In a warm, down-to-earth voice, she offers a spiritually grounded method to adjust to the unexpected as you grow older. There is no one-size-fits-all here, but a variety of responses to the inner and outer transformations of aging and new ways of looking at them. She looks at surprises, welcome and unwelcome, concerning: • Self-image • The physical body • Relationships • Spiritual life Questions for reflecting on who you are in this period of your life—or who you would like to be—will help you live each day more purposefully and joyfully.

Author : Dr. Nancy Copeland-Payton
Publisher : Turner Publishing Company
Page : 212 pages
File Size : 20,34 MB
Release : 2011-07-11
Category : Self-Help
ISBN : 1594733457

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Find hope and renewal in life's natural cycle of ordinary losses and new beginnings. "When we intentionally enter into our everyday walk through small losses, the terrain of larger losses, the valley of the shadow of death, is not totally unknown. It is not completely unfamiliar, alien, terrifying, for we have walked some of this way before with our lesser losses. We can journey through this valley of loss, for journey through it we must. And we can emerge markedly changed, but alive, on the other side." —from the Prologue Going beyond loss as a problem to be resolved, a grief to be worked through, Dr. Nancy Copeland-Payton, a spiritual director and ordained clergywoman, reframes loss from the perspective that our everyday losses help us learn what we need to handle the major losses. Weaving in spiritual and classical themes, personal and scriptural story, Dr. Copeland-Payton shows us that by becoming aware of what our lesser losses have to teach us, the larger losses of our lives become less terrifying. Each chapter includes a spiritual practice and questions for reflection to help you: Mine the hidden depths of painful losses of things and places Traverse the devastating loss of relationships and the heart-wrenching death of people we love. Overcome the steep, dark slopes of loss of beliefs and faith. Venture past our fear of the losses of aging and our own death.

Author : The Rev. Canon C. K. Robertson
Publisher : Turner Publishing Company
Page : 223 pages
File Size : 46,72 MB
Release : 2011-03-01
Category : Religion
ISBN : 1594733325

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Sometimes What We Need Most Is What We Fear Most "Times change and situations seem to change, but there is still a great need for prophets, for God's ambassadors, to stand up and be counted. Who will dare to be Paul the Apostle today, or Dorothy Day, or Francis of Assisi, or Dietrich Bonhoeffer? Who will dare, when God calls, to say, 'Here I am, Lord. Send me’?" —from the Foreword by Archbishop Desmond Tutu Meet twelve fascinating—at times, intimidating—Christian change agents who were unafraid to ask what God would have them do in the face of life’s realities—and unafraid to go ahead and do it. Their words and actions challenged the status quo, and in so doing they showed the face of Jesus to the Church and to the world. Whether calling us to live simply in the name of Jesus, showing the way to genuine peacemaking, or exemplifying the true meaning of courage, the legacies of these blessed troublemakers continue to inspire us today ... if we let them. Paul of Tarsus • Mary Magdalene • Origen of Alexandria • Francis of Assisi • Hildegard of Bingen • Thomas Cranmer • Sojourner Truth • Dorothy Day • Dietrich Bonhoeffer • Janani Luwum • Oscar Romero • K. H. Ting

Author : Katharine Jefferts Schori
Publisher : Turner Publishing Company
Page : 215 pages
File Size : 45,27 MB
Release : 2010-11-04
Category : Religion
ISBN : 1594733414

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Insights from a pioneering leader in world religion, on the intersections of the sacred & the secular. "As Christians—indeed as people of faith of any tradition—we are called to tend to the needs of the least among us. Our response to them must be the response of faith. God gives us a new heart to do this work, and every time we gather to do it, God offers a pacemaker jolt to tweak our heart's rhythm. The challenge is this: will our hearts respond with a strengthened beat, in tune with God’s own heartbeat, sending more life out into the world?" —from the Introduction Explore our connections—as human beings with each other, as one nation with all other nations, as the human species with the whole of our environment—through the lens of faith. Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church, examines these connections as she looks at the intersections of faith with the major issues of our day: How does faith speak to poverty, climate change, the economy, health care, and what is the faith response? How can believers from many faith traditions find common ground while honoring the Divine, serving one another, and creating deeper community? How do we best use the resources of faith to connect us to the hearts of our neighbors and to the heart of God?