Wednesday, May 22, 2024

Practice the Pause: Jesus' Contemplative Practice, New Brain Science, and What It Means to Be Fully Human


Finished: April 2, 2024

I think this is my favorite book of the year, so far. I have read reviews that she needed an editor. Maybe that is true, but she was driving home a point that bears repeating that as we PAUSE - RELEASE - RETURN to the Lord in an intentional practice like Centering Prayer, our brains are trained to do that in the nitty-gritty of life. 

I loved what she said about nature too, and the example that Jesus gave us on that front. 

I think her definition of metanoia is a little shaky as we are doing a turnaround from SIN often! It is ok to say that. But some more liberal theologians don't like to talk about sin. 

It adds the spiritual direction/formation dynamic that Life Model Works doesn't address as much (Although I have seen some PowerPoint slides by Jim Wilder where he talks about lectio divina, for the most part, Life Model Works ignores that contemplative practices have been around a LONG time. They just come at it from the brain science and left-brained conservative evangelical mindset.)

So, I liked it. I think about it often. I recommend it with the caveat about metanoia and her liberal bent. 

I just looked on her website, and there is a Study Guide to this book:


No comments:

Fullfilled Freewrite Fifteen

Deep down, I have peace and will write for a fifteen-minute freewrite. I have been doing them on this blog for several years. Freewrites wer...