I am writing this blog in order to update my friends on the writing projects I have been working on, and to challenge myself to complete them.
Presence: An International Journal for Spiritual Direction
I have submitted two articles to this peer-reviewed journal. One has been accepted for publication, and I am patiently waiting for word on the second.
1. “Resting in the Presence of God: Soul Care for Busy People.” This article was based on a sermon that I gave at Lindale Mennonite Church’s summer retreat. Later I presented it as a workshop Eastern Mennonite University’s fall faculty/staff conference. Basically it outlines how stressed out we are as a culture, and gives some tips of how to remedy that with little prayer-filled oases throughout the day. It has been accepted for publication, but no date has been given me as to when it will be published.
2. “Male Spirituality: a Personal Journey Toward Wholeness.” In this article I trace my own history of a deepening relationship with God, a fuller sense of His presence and a journey away from black and white views of God. I show how Celtic spirituality, Mayan spirituality, Jungian depth psychology have all played a part in opening me up to God’s fuller manifestations, all while reaffirming my unwavering faith in Jesus as God’s son incarnate. I am really excited about this article and think it has great potential for being accepted for publication.
Book: A Mellow Heart: Balancing Our Spirituality.
This is a book I have been working on for several years with my sister Sharon Clymer Landis. We were excited to learn that Herald Press has agreed to publish it! This is a book on spirituality that tries to temper our “Type A” aggressive cultural personality with a mellowness that is at the root of Jesus’ teachings. Some of the issues we deal with are; abundance vs. scarcity, developing heightened awareness and living in the present, gratitude vs. resentfulness, love overcoming fear, joy overcoming cynicism, Jesus’ peace overcoming existential loneliness, and so forth. We have about half of the chapters written and are primed to continue since we received the good news from HP!
Future book ideas:
1. A book about the talking points between Anabaptism and Celtic theology. Co-written by a friend and fellow spiritual pilgrim.
2. A book titled “Finding home: A Spirituality for Wandering Souls.”
Books that I have been reading to feed my soul, many of them I am re-reading:
1. J. Philip Newell, A New Harmony: The Spirit, the Earth, and the Human Soul, 1st ed. (Jossey-Bass, 2011).
2. J. Philip Newell, Listening for the Heartbeat of God: a Celtic Spirituality (Paulist Press, 1998).
3. J. Philip Newell, Christ of the Celts: The Healing of Creation, 1st ed. (Jossey-Bass, 2008).
4. Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, 1ST ed. (New World Library, 2004).
5. Anthony De Mello, Song of the Bird (Doubleday Religious Publishing Group, 1984).
6. Anthony De Mello, Awareness: The Perils and Opportunities of Reality, ed. J. Francis Stroud (Image Books, 1992).
7. Richard Rohr, The Naked Now: Learning to See as the Mystics See, 1st ed. (The Crossroad Publishing Company, 2009).
8. Richard Rohr O.F.M et al., Jesus’ Plan for a New World: The Sermon on the Mount, 1st ed. (St. Anthony Messenger Press, 1996).