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As readers know, words can hurt and words can heal. Words contain a tremendous amount of power.In this beautifully written book, the author simply and eloquently breaks the book into chapters that focus on a word used in Christian religion, specifically those that tend to scare, alienate or distance.
One of them was a man she could barely stand. I have bought two copies of AMAZING GRACE through the years. The first copy I read probably fifty times. Before the ceremony in the church, she met with some members of the congregation. It is a wonderful book. It is perfect for keeping on the bedside table.
This is a command, not a suggestion. Both have been given away. She was reminded, whether inwardly or by somebody i don't remember, but she was reminded that she must LOVE this man, her new brother. One can open it anywhere and read a short essay on a thought-provoking topic about how a person who wears the name of Jesus should act. The one I always remember is about when she became a Christian. She writes about every single important topic thoughtful Christians think about and some they probably don't even know.
Marge Wood
I ordered four books for a small group study I participate in. The advantage of free shipping and fast service was a great incentive. I have always been pleased with my Amazon purchases.
I loved Kathleen Norris's earlier books, "The Cloister Walk" and "Dakota". Her prose is lyrical, and I find myself thinking about something she has said at odd moments for some time after I've put her books down. She's an odd mix--a poet, feminist, theological conservative, and country bumpkin. But I guess it's the poet I relate so strongly to. Her words resonate, and her descriptions and stories convey a vocabulary of faith. She has the courage to ponder the tough questions and deal with doubt and possibility while sharing her inspiring observations.
'I hear voices telling me what to do,' Joan says. My aunt recommended this book to me several years ago but I was involved with other things at the time and did not get it. I read it one essay at a time as a part of my daily devotional. Joan,' when she responds calmly to an inquisitor's pouncing on the word imagination, as if to spring a trap. Nevertheless it was a priceless experience.This is not a book for fundamentalist Christians. It's a great feeling when an articulate, gifted writer puts into words one's own beliefs as this one did for me.
That is how the messages of God come to us.'"Kathleen Norris's extensive study of the Christian religious history is expressed in this book and benefits the reader.It is poetic in parts which presents a difficulty for me because although I value poetry and admire poets, as an analyical person, I often don't get it. Then Amazon recommended it to me again later and that time I did get it. 'They come from God.' 'They come from your imagination.' her interrogator asks, and she replies, 'Of course. Page 310: ". Here, too, is the justification of the mystic's certainty, as in Shaw's 'St. (She says her husband is both poetic and analytical -- a wonderful gift).
It is a book for us spiritual seekers who love God with all our hearts.
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