New Year Resources For The Minister’s Soul Care - Sacred Structures by Jim Baker

Mission

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Many ministers I know wrestle with the difficulty of trying to live a life of transformation and intimacy with the God they read about in their Bibles. Most of us long for a deeper inner spiritual life yet regularly experience Dallas Willard’s observation “the greatest enemy of intimacy with God, is service for God.”

Ministry by definition is depleting. Without constant infilling we soon have nothing left to give, or worse, we implode because the pressure on the outside is greater than the spiritual infrastructure on the inside. One source of infilling are the various spiritual readings, habits, practices and disciplines that help form us spiritually and aid our pursuit of godliness. As you begin the new year consider the following books to draw from a rich heritage of Godly believers and offer practical suggestions for minister’s soul care and cultivating an intimate and growing relationship with God.

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, by Donald Whitney
The Sacred Way, by Tony Jones
Keeping the Sabbath Wholly, by Marva Dawn
Sabbath, Finding Rest, Renewal and Delight in our Busy Lives, by Wayne Muller
Sacred Pathways, Discover Your Soul’s Path to God, by Gary Thomas
Clergy Self Care, Finding a Balance for Effective Ministry, by Roy Oswald
Spiritual Rhythms in Community and Whole Life Transformation, by Keith Meyer
The Spirit of the Disciplines and Divine Conspiracy, by Dallas Willard
Fresh Encounter, by Henry Blackaby and Claude King
Building Below the Waterline, Shoring Up the Foundations of Leadership, by Gordon MacDonald
The Emotionally Healthy Leader and Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, by Peter Scazzero
Charles de Foucauld: Writings Selected with an Introduction, by Robert Ellsberg
Celebration of Discipline, by Richard Foster
The Practice of the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence
Abandonment to Divine Providence, by Jean-Pierre de Caussade
Life of the Beloved, by Henri Nouwen
The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas a Kempis
Meditation and Communion With God, by John Jefferson Davis
4 Keys To Hearing God’s Voice, by Mark and Patti Virkler
Monk Habits for Everyday People….Benedictine Spirituality for Protestants, by Dennis Okholm
Christian Meditation, Experiencing the Presence of God, by James Finley
Falling Upward, Naked Now, and Immortal Diamond, by Richard Rohr
Ordinary People as Monks and Mystics, by Marsha Sinetar
Spiritual Classics, Selected Readings on 12 Spiritual Disciplines by Richard Foster and Emilie Griffin
The Kingdom Within, The Inner Meaning of Jesus’ Sayings, by John Sanford
The Big Book of Christian Mysticism and Answering the Contemplative Call by Carl McColman
He Leadeth Me, by Walter Ciszek