Margaret D. McGee – författare

Paying attention is rarely easy to do. It requires focus, patience and a willingness to slow down - traits that are hard to come by in this hurry-up world. But close attention to even one small piece of creation, one object, person, routine, image, word or scripture, can become a prayer to God, opening a channel of communication between you and the Divine to allow for deep spiritual growth. In this inspiring guide, 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 and poignant narrative which illustrates the surprising richness to be found in every attention-getting 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. Accessible, humorous and meaningful, these words and practices will lead you further along your path toward discovering a deeper awareness of yourself and your relationship to all that is around you - and within you.

This book introduces haiku as a simple and effective way of tapping into the sacred moments that permeate everyday living. Starting with examples and practices that lead to writing a first haiku and then on to an overview of haiku conventions, the author invites us on a path to respond to the holiness that lives and breathes in the world around us. By capturing and writing down images of what makes us aware of holiness - particular moments of deep feeling, moments that make us feel alive and whole - writing haiku becomes a way of relating to the sacred through the "now" of this moment, just as is.Lively examples and simple guided exercises - such as haiku as prayer, haiku inspired by sacred texts and haiku that reflects religious seasons or holidays - offer a unique spiritual practice for a variety of audiences:·Spiritual seekers of any faith who may not have written haiku (or any form of verse) before but are open to exploring wordplay as a new path of spiritual practice·People curious about haiku writing who are looking for a simple and meaningful way to begin·Writers experienced in haiku writing who are looking for new approaches·Groups, teachers and religious leaders who are seeking new and effective methods for group experience and sharing (the book includes suggestions and practices for group use)·Prose writers or visual artists who want to explore spiritual imagery they can integrate into their creative work

STUMBLING TOWARD GOD traces a woman’s spiritual search with an unusual twist – from an “atheist who prays” to unorthodox membership in two contrasting churches: Unitarian and Episcopal. In the second edition of her forthright memoir, McGee shares new adventures on her spiritual quest, culminating in personal encounters with a God of love. An honest, satisfying read for anyone questioning or seeking a spiritual path. Includes Reading Group Guide.“An offbeat, engagingly written, appealingly uncertain spiritual memoir.” —PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (May) © 2002 Cahners Business Information.“With a mystic’s heart and a scientist’s precision, Margaret McGee traces the path of her journey away from religion, back again, and onward to a pilgrimage of transformation by love. This book rewards those willing to venture past comfortable boundaries into unexplored terrain. —Rev. Dr. Marlene Kropf, Professor Emerita of Spiritual Formation and Worship, Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, Indiana"This book is the real stuff. Read it carefully—carefully because the fine writing will repay your attention, and carefully because it's the kind of quietly dangerous material that just might change you." —Bill McKibben, author of THE END OF NATURE “Honest, elegant, and smart—this book is essential reading for anyone grappling with life’s big questions, inside and outside what we call church.” —Christine Hemp, author of WILD RIDE HOME: LOVE, LOSS, AND A LITTLE WHITE HORSE – A FAMILY MEMOIR and THAT FALL (poems)"STUMBLING TOWARD GOD chronicles the journey of a thinking person's inexplicable pull toward the mystery of Faith. But mostly, this is a story about love. Love of creation, of human fellowship, and the deep abiding love of God which resides at the core of all that is." —Sarah Stockton, spiritual director, poet, and author of A PEN AND A PATH: WRITING AS A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE (Church Publishing 2005)