The world's religious and spiritual traditions all say, in one way or another, that the sacred can be found in the encounters, places, and activities of our daily lives. Christian monks have discovered the presence of God working in the kitchen, plowing the fields, or delivering food to the sick. Goddess religions invest nature and the body with spiritual meaning and value. Native Americans find their spiritual direction by watching for signs as they move through their days. Muslims look for the fingerprints of Allah on everything. Jews emphasize taking ordinary occurrences and making them holy through rituals. And Buddhist teachers encourage practitioners to see daily life as a spiritual exercise.
Kent Nerburn has proven through his many books that he is a master of everyday spirituality. For a review of his latest, The Hidden Beauty of Everyday Life, click here. "Spirituality is far more than religious practice," he writes. "It is a cast of mind, a leaning of the heart, a willingness to see the shadow of the divine mystery in all people and all things. It is feeling the presence of God in every encounter, and seeing the reflection of the divine in the face of every person we meet on the street." (p. 23)
We encourage you to invite some friends to a Spirituality & Health Book Group to discuss this wonderful collection of essays together. In this guide, we explore seven essential elements of everyday spirituality as Nerburn reveals them. Or, simply reflect on some of the questions in your journal as you are reading the book. Talk about them with your family and colleagues. Think about what Nerburn's stories teach you about how you can apply these seven principles to your life. (Page numbers refer to the New World Library hardcover edition.)
1. CULTIVATE LISTENING
We cultivate listening by leaning toward the world in love and realizing that everything in the universe wants to be heard, including God.
• Respond to Nerburn's idea that God whispers and moves freely like the wind. (page 17)
• What spiritual practices have helped you listen better?
• Share with others, moments in your life when you have received divine messages. What hinders you from hearing God's whispers?
2. RELISH ALL THE BEAUTY
To be a spiritual person is to walk the path of beauty and to acknowledge the radiance of all living beings.
• Nerburn salutes the singing of birds in Oxford, England (p. 22) in "The Sermon of the Birds." When was the last time you were enchanted by the beauty of animals or the natural world?
• Which of the qualities of children saluted in "Just a Kid" (p. 32 - 34) do you find most appealing?
• What do you consider to be the most beautiful thing about yourself?
3. LET LOVE BE THE MEASURE OF ALL THINGS
When we practice everyday spirituality, we fall in love over and over again — not only with those closest to us but also with strangers and difficult people and even enemies.
• Share your responses to the act of love witnessed by Nerburn in "The Boy Who Wouldn't Leave." (page 37)
• Talk about a memorable act of love you experienced or saw this week.
4. BE HOSPITABLE
Hospitality means holding an open house in your heart for every type of person and also being respectful of the beliefs of others.
• Discuss Nerburn's interpretation of the many rooms in God's mansion (page 45) in "Quiet Mothers."
• What are your hopes and dreams for the spirituality of children in our times?
5. BE REVERENT
Having reverence for life means recognizing that the sacred is in, with, and under all things in this world.
• In "My Father's Toolbox" (p. 51) Nerburn celebrates this object as a sacrament reminding him of his deceased father's touch and way of life. Share a story about an object that has similar meaning for you.
• In " Kite Dancer" (p. 59) the author experiences a heady brew of emotions watching a man fly a kite. What is awesome about this encounter in your view?
• In "Two Old Men" (p. 83) Nerburn expresses respect for two elders and the wisdom they have to pass on to the world. Who are elders you rever? Describe them and their special wisdom.
6. PRACTICE WONDER
The world is coming at you with all kinds of surprises and epiphanies. Be on the lookout.
• In "Surprised by God" (p. 67) Nerburn finds that a work of art that once held no interest for him turns out to be meaningful years later. Talk about a work of art — a painting, movie, poem — that you have revisited and found to have fresh meaning because you are a different person.
• "The Visit" (p. 75, reprinted in Spirituality & Health) recounts two times when Nerburn was faced with the challenges of giving and receiving. How good are you at receiving gifts? What do you learn from this story about the art of receiving?
7. ACCEPT THE UNKNOWN AS PART OF LIFE
We are humbled in the presence of the mysteries of death and life.
• Relate the quotation "At the edge of our emotions life approaches prayer" (p. 88) to Nerburn's encounter with a dying person in "The Conversation."
• In "The Circle" (p. 97) Nerburn describes a Native American funeral service in a hut on the Red Lake Indian Reservation. What does it say to you about love and grief and the circle?
Also by Kent Nerburn
• Calm Surrender: Walking the Path of Forgiveness
• Simple Truths: Clear & Simple Guidance on the Big Issues in Life
• Small Graces: The Quiet Gifts of Everyday Life
• Letters to My Son: A Father's Wisdom on Manhood, Women, Life and Love
• Road Angels: Searching for Home on America's Road of Dreams
• Neither Wolf nor Dog: On Forgotten Roads with an Indian Elder
• A Haunting Reverence: Meditations on a Northern Land
• Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace: Living in the Spirit of the Prayer of Saint Francis
• Chief Joseph & the Flight of the Nez Perce
• The Wisdom of the Native Americans (editor)
Copyright 2006 by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Media Editors of Spirituality & Health magazine, Directors of SpiritualityandPractice.com.
