Sacred Attention: A Spiritual Practice For Finding God in the Moment
from SkyLight Paths Publishing
“Does God communicate through the natural world? Through the slug on the compost pile, the leaf on the lawn, the stone tumbled on the beach, the air that feeds my lungs, the dreams that fill my nights? How will I know unless I pay attention?”
— from the Introduction
In Sacred Attention, you will discover ways to develop a practice of attention as a means of talking—and listening—to God. Framed on the Christian liturgical year and paired with images of the seasons of the earth, each chapter includes an insightful narrative which illustrates the surprising richness to be found in every moment. Following each narrative is a prayer, suggested scripture readings and a specific exercise you can use to develop your own practice of attention as a means to better connect with God.
“If God is with us—within, among, and between every atom and every being—then a conversation with God is not with a remote and distant Being, but with a fellow pilgrim.”
—- from the Introduction
“A quirky but perceptive guide….McGee writes from a Christian perspective but many Buddhists will also feel at home.”
—- Publishers Weekly
“Leaps alive with insightful stories, honest reflection and practical suggestions of finding the Divine in the daily-ness of our lives.… A must for anyone seeking or struggling to create a spiritual practice.”
—- Nancy Corcoran, CSJ, author, Secrets of Prayer: A Multifaith Guide to Creating Personal Prayer in Your Life
“Attention is the great problem of our distractable age. Here’s a solution!”
-— Bill McKibben, author, Deep Economy and The End of Nature
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Slow Down — Pay Attention
About the Liturgical Calendar
and Sacred Attention
1. Season of Waiting
ADVENT
2. Leap of Faith
CHRISTMAS
3. To See with New Eyes
EPIPHANY
4. Hearty Fish Soup
LENT
5. Just Freedom
EASTER
6. When the Still, Small Voice Starts Yelling
PENTECOST
7. Where Possibilities Burn Bright
ORDINARY TIME
8. Bees in the Blackberries
ORDINARY TIME
9. Real Live Grizzly Bear Love
ORDINARY TIME
10. Lectio Divina Meets Haiku
ORDINARY TIME
11. The Newcomer and the Old-Timers
ORDINARY TIME
12. By Myself in a Cloud of Witnesses
ORDINARY TIME
Afterword: Return
Practicing Sacred Attention
Suggestions for Further Reading