Many Hands. Many Stories. One Church.

Belmont UMC is blessed with many pastors, scholars, and church leaders who worship and serve with us. On Wednesday afternoon, I thought how wonderful it would be to glean some of our favorite suggestions for devotional practices.  I need to compile a list of our clergy and church leaders so if I did not reach out to you, please send me your email address or a gentle reminder!   Here are the responses I received in less than 2 days.  Some of these books are written by members of our Belmont UMC family.  May these books, prayers, podcasts, and devotionals that have enriched our stories enrich your prayer and devotional practices!  

Love, Peace, and Prayers,

Pastor Paul  

 

Daily Devotions

The Upper Room Daily Devotional

Books

The Holy Bible

A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants, by Bishop Rueben Job

The Divine Hours, Phyllis Tickle (4 volumes for each season)

Communion of the Saints: Prayers of the Famous, by Horton Davies

A Time to Pray: 365 Classic Prayers to Help You through the Year, by Philip Law

Sabbath as Resistance,  by Walter Brueggemann, 2 books

The Harper Collins Book of Prayers, by Robert Van de Weyer

Bread for the Journey, by Henri Nouwen

Listening to Your Life, by Frederick Buechner

A Year with C.S. Lewis: Daily Readings from his Classic Works

The Book of Offices and Services, The Order of St. Luke

A Guide to Prayer for all People, by Job and Shawchuck

Life Together, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Altar in the World, by Barbara Brown Taylor (or anything by her)

Anything by Anne Lamott

When the Well Runs Dry, by Thomas H. Green

How to Pray, by E. Stanley Jones  (Tom Albin edited the most recent edition)  

The Upper Room Disciplines

When You Pray, by Reuben Job

A Guide to Prayer for All Who Walk with God, by Reuben Job

A Wesleyan Spiritual Reader, by Reuben Job

Listen Praying in a Noisy World, by Reuben Job

A Pocket Guide to Prayer, by Steve Harper

Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Devotional Life in the Wesleyan Tradition, Steve Harper

Celebration of Discipline, by Richard Foster

A Guide to Prayer for All God’s Children, by Job and Shawchuckl

A Guide to Prayer for All God’s Servants, by Job and Shawchuckl

The Saint John’s Bible

Celtic Prayers from Iona, by J. Phillip Newall

Touched by Resurrection Love: Finding Hope beyond Our Tears, by Trevor Hudson

A Timbered Choir, by Wendell Berry

Quiet Spaces: Prayer Interludes for Women, by Patricia Wilson

Daring Greatly, by Brene Brown

Rising Strong, by Brene Brown

Big Magic, by Elizabeth Gilbert

Three Simple Rules, by Rueben Job

The Rule of Benedict: Insights for the Ages, by Joan Chittister

A Guide to Prayer for all who seek God, by Reuben Job

Seven Sacred Pauses: Living Mindfully Through the Hours of the Day, by Marina Wiederkehr

Praying with the Earth: A Prayer book for Peace, by John Phillip Newell

Open the Door, A Journey to the True Self, by Joyce Rupp

The Divine Conspiracy, by Dallas Willard

If Grace is True, by Robert Mulholland

Markings, by Dag Hammarskjold

Peculiar Treasures, by Beuchner

Living Buddha, Living Christ and Being Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh

The Active Life and Let Your Life Speak, by Parker Palmer

Put Down Your Sword and Disarming the Heart by John Dear

Journals

Any back issue of Weavings: A Journal of the Christian Spiritual Life (The Upper Room, Nashville, TN)

Seasonal Devotions

Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas

Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter

Behold! Cultivating Attentiveness in Advent, by Pam Hawkins

Simply Wait: Cultivating Stillness in the Season of Advent, by Pam Hawkins

Prepare the Way: Cultivating a Heart for God in Advent, by Pam Hawkins

The Awkward Season: Prayers for Lent, by Pam Hawkins

The Uncluttered Heart: Making Room for God during Advent and Christmas, by Beth Richardson

A Way other than Our Own (daily devotions for Lent), by Walter Brueggemann

Blessings

To Bless the Space between Us, by John O’Donohue

The Cure for Sorrow: A Book of Blessings for Times of Grief, by Jan Richardson

Circle of Grace: A Book of Blessings for the Seasons, by Jan Richardson

Poetry

Polishing the Petrosky Stone, by Luci Shaw (or anything by her)

The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver (or anything by her)

Places

Saint Meinrad Archabbey and Guesthouse (St. Meinrad, IN)

Any National Park or secluded place

Digital

Upper Room https://www.upperroom.org/devotionals

Upper Room Reflections, selections from books and lectionary texts for the week.   

Upper Room Disciplines

The Upper Room’s “Living Prayer Center”

My Quiet Spaces-Quiet Spaces with God by women for women, myquietspaces@org.

On Being (Krista Tippett on NPR)  https://onbeing.org/

Daily Meditations by Richard Rohr, https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/

The Christian Century https://www.christiancentury.org/

Living by the Word https://www.christiancentury.org/scripture

Sojourners https://sojo.net/

Journey with Jesus, (for the global church) https://www.journeywithjesus.net/index.php

All the Wonders https://betharichardson.com/

Still Speaking, Daily Devotional (UCC) http://www.ucc.org/daily_devotional

United Methodist Now umc.org/what-we-believe/united-methodist-now-inspiration-for-daily-living

Sunday’s Coming https://www.christiancentury.org/user-menu-email-signup

Steve Garness Holmes https://www.unfoldinglight.net/

Frederick Buechner Quote of the Day http://www.frederickbuechner.com/quote-of-the-day/

Get Your Spirit in Shape http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/get-your-spirit-in-shape

Northumbria Community Daily Office: northumbriacommunity.org/offices/how-to-use-daily-office/

YouVersion’s Bible app.  (I like some of their reading plan options)

“Inward Outward” from Church of the Savior.

Almost Daily Emo from the Geranium Farm

To Bless the Space between Us by John O’Donohue

“Honor Your Inner Monk” app, St. Meinrad Archabbey,

“Read Scriptures” app by Crazy Love Ministries

www.topchretien.com (daily devotions, Bible reading plans, trainings in French)

http://www.pdjenligne.com (daily devotional produced by “La Ligue pour la Lecture de la Bible”)

Google Calendar

I have a prayer calendar where I auto-schedule a monthly reminder to pray for individuals on the same day of the month every month based on that person’s birthday. (Linda Furtado)