An Altar in the World.AN ALTAR altar, table or platform for the performance of religious sacrifice. In its simplest form the altar is a small pile, with a square or circular surface, made of stone or wood. Its features vary according to its purpose. IN THE WORLD By Barbara Brown Barbara Brown may be one of several people:
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say 'I am spiritual but not religious; then I might not be any wiser about what it means--but I would be richer," starts this book. Well, if I had a dollar for every book about spirituality in everyday life, I'd be rich, too. Just don't make me read all of them. But this one is by Barbara Brown Taylor, an Episcopal e·pis·co·pal adj. 1. Of or relating to a bishop. 2. Of, relating to, or involving church government by bishops. 3. Episcopal Of or relating to the Episcopal Church. priest once named one of the 12 best preachers in the English-speaking world and the author of Leaving Church (HarperOne, 2006), a memoir memoir History or record composed from personal observation and experience. Closely related to autobiography, a memoir differs chiefly in the degree of emphasis on external events. so honest and compelling that I bought copies for several friends who are, well, spiritual but not religious. In An Altar in the World, Taylor describes how she encounters God in simple acts like walking, carrying water, and blessing things and people. In my favorite chapter, "The Practice of Getting Lost," she admits, "I know it is a stretch to call this a spiritual practice, but perhaps that is the point. Anything can become a spiritual practice once you are willing to approach it that way--once you let it bring you to your knees and show you what is real, including who you really are, who other people are, and how near God can be when you have lost your way." But Brown's essays are not superficial superficial /su·per·fi·cial/ (-fish´al) pertaining to or situated near the surface. su·per·fi·cial adj. 1. Of, affecting, or being on or near the surface. 2. ponderings about God's presence in every little mundane (jargon) mundane - Someone outside some group that is implicit from the context, such as the computer industry or science fiction fandom. The implication is that those in the group are special and those outside are just ordinary. happening of her life. Although she has left full-time parish ministry for academia, Taylor is still a fine preacher and is able to connect her 21st-century experiences to scripture, the Desert Fathers and Mothers, and wisdom figures from other religious traditions. She brings a fresh perspective to traditional Christian practices such as prayer, fasting, and finding your vocation. Without denigrating den·i·grate tr.v. den·i·grat·ed, den·i·grat·ing, den·i·grates 1. To attack the character or reputation of; speak ill of; defame. 2. altars in churches, Brown helps us discover and honor all the "altars in the world"--the red Xs that mark the spot, but that we cannot see because we are standing on them. She does so with a depth that readers will appreciate and savor. This is no everyday "everyday spirituality" book. |
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