Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life

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Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life

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Overview

Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life features the wisdom that spiritual leader and counselor Henri J. M. Nouwen brought to the essential question asked by every Christian and seeker: What should I do with my life?

Nouwen emphasizes listening to the Word of God—in our hearts, in the Bible, in the community of faith, and in the voice of the poor as a way to discern God’s plan.

Although the late Henri J. M. Nouwen counseled many people during his lifetime, his principles of discernment were never collected into a single volume. Now, in association with the Nouwen Legacy Trust, Michael Christensen—one of Nouwen’s longtime students—and Rebecca Laird have taken his coursework, journals, and unpublished writings to create this and other books in the series exploring God’s will for your life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061686153
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	06/25/2013
Pages:	223
Product dimensions:	5.86(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.89(d)

About the Author

Henri J.M. Nouwen was a world-renowned spiritual guide, counselor, and bestselling author of over forty books that many today consider spiritual classics. He taught at the universities of Harvard, Yale, and Notre Dame before becoming the senior pastor of L’Arche Daybreak in Toronto, Canada, a community where men and women with intellectual disabilities and their assistants create a home for one another.

Acknowledgments vii

Preface: What This Book Is About ix

Foreword: Henri's Way of Discernment Robert A. Jonas xv

Introduction: When There Is Darkness, Light xxv

Part 1 What Is Discernment?

1 Embracing the Practice in Solitude and Community 3

2 Distinguishing Spirits of Truth and Falsehood 21

Part 2 Discerning Guidance in Books, Nature, People, and Events

3 Read the Way Forward 41

4 Read the Book of Nature 53

5 Pay Attention to People in Your Path 65

6 Discern the Signs of the Times 83

Part 3 Discerning Vocation, Presence, Identity, and Time

7 Test the Call: Discerning Vocation 97

8 Open Your Heart: Discerning Divine Presence 113

9 Remember Who You Are: Discerning Identity 131

10 Know the Time: When to Act, When to Wait, When to Be Led 145

Epilogue: Discerning the Hidden Wholeness 165

Appendix A We Drink from Our Own Wells: Discernment and Liberation Henri Nouwen 169

Appendix B Henri Nouwen on Hearing a Deeper Beat Michael J. Christensen 175

Appendix C Spiritual Friendship and Mutual Discernment Robert A. Jonas 185

Primary Sources and Notations 203

Notes 209

Credits 221

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Editorial Reviews

★
Dutch-born Catholic priest Nouwen (Wounded Healer) died in 1996, but his impact and popularity have scarcely diminished; he is arguably the most popular Catholic writer since Thomas Merton. This is the last of three volumes (the others being Spiritual Direction and Spiritual Formation) carefully constructed from unpublished writings, including his coursework and journals, left at his death. Michael Christensen, who was a student of Nouwen’s, and Rebecca Laird have created a fine book that delves into the answers to questions of what a Christian should do with his/her life. To Nouwen, discernment went far beyond Christian decision-making and had to do with a sense of profound listening to others and to oneself for God-directed cues.
Verdict Nouwen’s gifts as a writer for the spirit rarely failed, and this posthumous volume is as valuable as his other writings; it should have a wide audience among Christians and other seekers.—Graham Christian, Pelham, MA
(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Library Journal

Nouwen successfully argues that God is everywhere and in everyone. People must make the effort to read the signs of his presence. Hopefully, this book will nudge some of them to do just that.

National Catholic Reporter

Nouwen lives on for us as a spiritual friend. He takes us by the hand down that road where we’ll meet with the timeless dimension of Jesus Christ, the life that the crucified and risen Jesus shares with us now.

St. Anthony Messenger

An absolute gift to mind and soul. Christensen and Laird have seamlessly and thematically woven a luminous tapestry of both Nouwen’s published and previously unpublished work on discernment. The result is an even richer and more accessible Nouwen than most of us have ever seen before.

Phyllis Tickle

Henri Nouwen was one of the greatest spiritual masters of our time. This exciting new collection gathers together in one volume Nouwen’s wisdom about, insights on, and practice of spiritual discernment. It is, therefore, a treasure for all believers.

James Martin

Discernment uses Nouwen’s material to open up the way to deep listening that is both comfort and challenge. Using Nouwen’s insights allows the reader to hone a sensitivity to God alive in our midst.

Sister Simone Campbell

Henri Nouwen continues to inspire and enlighten. One gets the sense that Henri is talking directly to you, and touching you deeply. The book reads like a seamless piece of writing that on almost every page has something that enlightens the mind or touches the heart at a deep level.

William A. Barry

Nouwen artfully explores how nature, our neighbors, and our own hearts reveal God’s active presence all around us. Life-giving and beautiful, yet practical and wise, he invites all those who doubt, feel lost, wounded or broken to discover the beating heart of love at the center of world.

Diana Butler Bass

Henri Nouwen’s writing is mystical, heartfelt, and wonder-filled. He has helped shape a whole generation of Christianity, and his legacy is still being written. I can’t think of a better teacher on discernment. Read it, live it, and transform the world by doing small things with great love.

Shane Claiborne

For most people, the very word discernment implies something heady, private, and maybe even elitist. Henri Nouwen, as always, makes seemingly complex things personal, practical, intelligent, and very readable—all at the same time! This is a rich and helpful book.

Richard Rohr

I knew Henri Nouwen well. He possessed a unique capacity to combine genuine wisdom with winsome simplicity, and could help people look deeply into themselves. In these writings these qualities shine through, and the down-to-earth practical hints on no-nonsense spirituality will be a source of refreshment for readers.

Harvey Cox

In this volume we listen to this master spiritual teacher illustrate what it means to discern in daily life. As we “listen in” on Nouwen’s own continual discernment, we learn that we too, can listen for God in the big and little of our lives, day in, day out.

Elizabeth Liebert

I remember when I first encountered Henri Nouwen. He won my heart and became one of my mentors. In this new book, we gain insight into Henri’s own mentors, and we have the sense that Henri is sitting beside us, helping us discern the signs of God in our lives.

Brian D. McLaren

A book on discernment from the writings of Henri Nouwen—what could be better? Tender and true, Nouwen’s distinct voice brings a fresh perspective to this ancient and deeply Biblical practice. Discernment, when it is given, is always of gift. So is this book!

Ruth Haley Barton

Nouwen hits the mark with his commentary on discerning vocation, presence, identity, and time..

Spirituality & Practice

Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life

Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life

Hardcover

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Overview

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About the Author

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Overview

Product Details

About the Author

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