Show: Four Guides for a Journey to Joy & Peace Through Prayer

By Will Hine

Peace and Joy are goals of all of us on our spiritual journey of the Christian faith. This workbook focuses on using the SHOW

Surrender/Suffering
Humility
Obedience
Wonder/Awe

principles along with a dedicated prayer life one can obtain peace and joy. God is always knocking and we must learn how to listen and see. Exercises are provided for the reader to deepen their understanding of the SHOW principles and different types of prayer approaches are presented.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 8, 2012
• ISBN: 9781469157061

Will Hine

Will Hine has been a dean and professor in higher education for over 25 years and his research interests are adult learning theory and continuing education. He is an Ordained Minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). He has studied the areas of spirituality and meditation and written articles on these topics. Will is an Oblate at St. Meinrad’s Benedictine Monastery in St. Meinrad, Indiana and lives in Indiana with his wife, Betsy of 43 years. He has two grown sons and five grandchildren. He serves on the Board of Trustees of the Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Book preview

S H O W:

Four Guides for a Journey to

Joy & Peace through Prayer

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Surrender/Suffering

Humility

Obedience

Wonder/Awe

W I L L H I N E

Copyright © 2012 by Will Hine.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

108162

CONTENTS

I N T R O D U C T I O N

C H A P T E R 1

C H A P T E R 2

C H A P T E R 3

C H A P T E R 4

C H A P T E R 5

C H A P T E R 6

C H A P T E R 7

C H A P T E R 8

C H A P T E R 9

C H A P T E R 10

B I B L I O G R A P H Y

A U T H O R

I N T R O D U C T I O N 

The journey of faith is a lifelong activity. Our Christian faith is based on relationships with God, ourselves, and others, and is mystical. God has granted us radical grace because God is love and all love comes from God. We have heard all our lives about God’s grace and salvation. It is the peace and joy that is beyond any understanding. In many ways we cannot relate to the term of radical grace or love because it is impossible as humans to experience totally unconditional love. This unconditional love or grace, we can never lose, and truly God’s grace is radical and liberating. God gives us free will, and we should thank God for that gift. God is always knocking. We are spiritual beings on a life journey.

We truly are at our core the reflection of God. Whether one calls that core soul, spark of the infinite, or inner light, we are a part of God. Our True Self or big self is our core essence. God, through Christ and the Holy Spirit, SHOWs us the way to peace, joy, and living in relationships. While the mind is critical to our faith development, it can take us only part of the way. Descartes and some of western philosophy are wrong. Our Christian faith tells us it is not I think, therefore I am, but I am, therefore I think.

Through study and personal experience, I know that the SHOW principles outlined in this book plus dedication to a strong prayer life are a way to peace and joy.

Finally, I want to thank Ms. Hickox for her long-suffering efforts in reading my handwriting and typing this manuscript; Sister Margaret Kern, Sisters of Providence, for her spiritual guidance; and finally, Father Eric Lies, Benedictine Monk, as a model of what a Christian is and can be.

There is nothing that can separate us from God’s love. Our faith path is always a journey to our True Self.

This book is a workbook and it is designed into three major sections.

SECTION 1: A discussion of the SHOW principles and their centrality to our Christian and spiritual journey.

Surrender/Suffering

Humility

Obedience

Wonder/Awe

SECTION 2: Based upon the SHOW principles a variety/ongoing disciplined prayers life is totally necessary to true finding Christian Peace and Joy. Different prayer forms are discussed but focusing on Contemplative prayer (prayer of quiet) and Lectio Divina readings of the Bible and other religious books.

SECTION 3: A series of reflections and exercises are provided for the reader based upon the SHOW principles and Section 2 prayer types to develop a Christian faith focused on peace and joy. Finally, a list of resources is provided to the reader for further study.

Our journey to God and in receiving Christian peace and joy is never ending. I say this in different sections of the book to strongly emphasis this important point.

In the West, one makes butter (spiritual life and growth) by churning the butter up and down, up and down. In the East, butter (spiritual life and growth) is churned back and forth, back and forth. While, it may appear that progress is slow or we have setbacks we/God are "always" making butter (spiritual life growth). To us we may see no spiritual growth, peace and joy but we are growing in our Christian faith toward peace and joy. I claim no great new insight in this workbook. Many of the ideas and perspectives presented here have been part of our Christian tradition for years and centuries. I hope the uniqueness of this book is in its organization which reflects my ongoing Christian journey.

Amen.

C H A P T E R 1 

SHOWing the Way

to Peace and Joy

Everyone wants peace and joy in life, and we all continuously struggle to achieve this important goal. In today’s fast-paced, global, and materialistic world, we are constantly pushed to be human doings rather than human beings. Society constantly