New Year Resources For The Minister’s Soul Care
Many ministers I know wrestle with the difficulty of trying to live a life of transformation and intimacy with the God they read about in their Bibles. Most of us long for a deeper inner spiritual life yet regularly experience Dallas Willard’s observation “the greatest enemy of intimacy with God, is service for God.”
Ministry by definition is depleting. Without constant infilling we soon have nothing left to give, or worse, we implode because the pressure on the outside is greater than the spiritual infrastructure on the inside. One source of infilling are the various spiritual readings, habits, practices and disciplines that help form us spiritually and aid our pursuit of godliness. As you begin the new year consider the following books to draw from a rich heritage of Godly believers and offer practical suggestions for minister’s soul care and cultivating an intimate and growing relationship with God.
- Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, by Donald Whitney
- The Sacred Way, by Tony Jones
- Keeping the Sabbath Wholly, by Marva Dawn
- Sabbath, Finding Rest, Renewal and Delight in our Busy Lives, by Wayne Muller
- Sacred Pathways, Discover Your Soul’s Path to God, by Gary Thomas
- Clergy Self Care, Finding a Balance for Effective Ministry, by Roy Oswald
- Spiritual Rhythms in Community and Whole Life Transformation, by Keith Meyer
- The Spirit of the Disciplines and Divine Conspiracy, by Dallas Willard
- Fresh Encounter, by Henry Blackaby and Claude King
- Building Below the Waterline, Shoring Up the Foundations of Leadership, by Gordon MacDonald
- The Emotionally Healthy Leader and Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, by Peter Scazzero
- Charles de Foucauld: Writings Selected with an Introduction, by Robert Ellsberg
- Celebration of Discipline, by Richard Foster
- The Practice of the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence
- Abandonment to Divine Providence, by Jean-Pierre de Caussade
- Life of the Beloved, by Henri Nouwen
- The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas a Kempis
- Meditation and Communion With God, by John Jefferson Davis
- 4 Keys To Hearing God’s Voice, by Mark and Patti Virkler
- Monk Habits for Everyday People….Benedictine Spirituality for Protestants, by Dennis Okholm
- Christian Meditation, Experiencing the Presence of God, by James Finley
- Falling Upward, Naked Now, and Immortal Diamond, by Richard Rohr
- Ordinary People as Monks and Mystics, by Marsha Sinetar
- Spiritual Classics, Selected Readings on 12 Spiritual Disciplines by Richard Foster and Emilie Griffin
- The Kingdom Within, The Inner Meaning of Jesus’ Sayings, by John Sanford
- The Big Book of Christian Mysticism and Answering the Contemplative Call by Carl McColman
- He Leadeth Me, by Walter Ciszek
Posted on January 3, 2023
