
Honest to God Prayer
Spirituality as Awareness, Empowerment, Relinquishment and Paradox
Kent Ira Groff(Author)
SkyLight Paths Publishing,US
Published on 15. November 2012
Book
Paperback/Softback
192 pages
978-1-59473-433-5 (ISBN)
Description
In this unique and encouraging guide to prayer, Kent Ira Groff, a longtime retreat leader and inspiring writer-poet, explores how to engage in spirituality that blesses your soul-and the world. Whether you're advanced or just starting on your spiritual path, this practical prayer path breaker will lure you in with its novel combination of touching, true stories, pithy thoughts and inspiring prayer practices.
For those turned off by shopworn religious language, it offers innovative ways to pray in four metaphorical movements that parallel both Native American traditions and Ignatian spirituality:
? East-Morning / Prayer as Awareness
Waking up to reality-opening
? South-Noon / Prayer as Empowerment
Embracing your dreams and possibilities-expanding
? West-Afternoon / Prayer as Relinquishment
Letting go of attachments-emptying
? North-Night / Prayer as Paradox
Uniting the opposites of life-integrating
Prayer practices for each of the four "movements" provide for personal and group enrichment at home and work, in formal programmes and informal friendships. They interweave the author's own experience to say: "This is honest to God spirituality and I'm seeing myself."
For those turned off by shopworn religious language, it offers innovative ways to pray in four metaphorical movements that parallel both Native American traditions and Ignatian spirituality:
? East-Morning / Prayer as Awareness
Waking up to reality-opening
? South-Noon / Prayer as Empowerment
Embracing your dreams and possibilities-expanding
? West-Afternoon / Prayer as Relinquishment
Letting go of attachments-emptying
? North-Night / Prayer as Paradox
Uniting the opposites of life-integrating
Prayer practices for each of the four "movements" provide for personal and group enrichment at home and work, in formal programmes and informal friendships. They interweave the author's own experience to say: "This is honest to God spirituality and I'm seeing myself."
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Woodstock
United States
Publishing group
Jewish Lights Publishing
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 11 mm
Weight
290 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-59473-433-5 (9781594734335)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Kent Ira Groff
Honest to God Prayer
Spirituality as Awareness, Empowerment, Relinquishments and Paradox
E-Book
10/2012
1st Edition
SkyLight Paths
€16.49
Available for download
Person
Kent Ira Groff, founding mentor of Oasis Ministries in Pennsylvania, is a spiritual companion for journeyers and leaders, a retreat leader and an inspiring writer-poet. For over two decades, he has practised and taught the contemplative active life at theological seminaries and retreat centres in the US and abroad. He is author of What Would I Believe If I Didn't Believe Anything? and Facing East, Praying West, among other books. He lives in Denver, Colorado.
Content
Index of Prayer Practices
Orientation
Prologue
Integrating Native American and Ignatian Spiritual Streams
Theme I Prayer as Awareness: Opening
Chapter One. Waking Up to Reality: The Grounding for Awareness
Chapter Two. Living Awake to What Is The Process of Awareness
Practices for Cultivating Awareness
Theme II Prayer as Empowerment: Expanding
Chapter Three. Claiming Possibilities: The Grounding for Empowerment
Chapter Four. Embracing Dreams: The Process of Empowerment
Practices for Cultivating Empowerment
Theme III Prayer as Relinquishment: Emptying
Chapter Five. Negative Capability: The Grounding for Relinquishment
Chapter Six. Shedding Attachments: The Process of Relinquishment
Practices for Cultivating Relinquishment
Theme IV Prayer as Paradox: Integrating
Chapter Seven. Rediscovering Mystery: The Grounding for Paradox
Chapter Eight. The Active Contemplative Life: The Process of Paradox
Practices for Cultivating Paradox
Bring It All Together: Morning Prayer in Four Directions
Acknowledgments
Notes
Resources for Further Reading
Orientation
Prologue
Integrating Native American and Ignatian Spiritual Streams
Theme I Prayer as Awareness: Opening
Chapter One. Waking Up to Reality: The Grounding for Awareness
Chapter Two. Living Awake to What Is The Process of Awareness
Practices for Cultivating Awareness
Theme II Prayer as Empowerment: Expanding
Chapter Three. Claiming Possibilities: The Grounding for Empowerment
Chapter Four. Embracing Dreams: The Process of Empowerment
Practices for Cultivating Empowerment
Theme III Prayer as Relinquishment: Emptying
Chapter Five. Negative Capability: The Grounding for Relinquishment
Chapter Six. Shedding Attachments: The Process of Relinquishment
Practices for Cultivating Relinquishment
Theme IV Prayer as Paradox: Integrating
Chapter Seven. Rediscovering Mystery: The Grounding for Paradox
Chapter Eight. The Active Contemplative Life: The Process of Paradox
Practices for Cultivating Paradox
Bring It All Together: Morning Prayer in Four Directions
Acknowledgments
Notes
Resources for Further Reading