Practicing Presence
Practicing Presence
Practicing Presence is a weekly book discussion that opens with twenty-five minutes of meditation or silent prayer. Practicing Presence meets Sunday mornings during the Formation Hour. Newcomers are always welcome.
Titles are selected by group members. Books are usually available for purchase through St. Paul’s bookstore, or you may obtain them on your own.
When & Where
Sundays at 10:00 am in the Library
Leaders
Rebecca Atwood, Grimsley Graham
Current Book Selection
From one of the most original thinkers on the role of religion in the modern world, a profound exploration of the spiritual power of nature—and an urgent call to reclaim that power in everyday life.
Since the beginning of time, humankind has looked upon nature and seen the divine. In the writings of the great thinkers across religions, the natural world inspires everything from fear, to awe, to tranquil contemplation; God, or however one defined the sublime, was present in everything. Yet today, even as we admire a tree or take in a striking landscape, we rarely see nature as sacred.
In this short but deeply powerful book, the best-selling historian of religion Karen Armstrong re-sacralizes nature for modern times. Drawing on her vast knowledge of the world’s religious traditions, she vividly describes nature’s central place in spirituality across the centuries. In bringing this age-old wisdom to life, Armstrong shows modern readers how to rediscover nature’s potency and form a connection to something greater than ourselves.
