The Heart of a Calling: A New Book Coming Very Soon!
I am happy to share that my new book will be published very soon, from Crossroad Publishing Company: The Heart of a Calling: The Practice of Christian Mindfulness in Congregational Ministry. The book takes my doctoral thesis and reframes it into a (hopefully) more readable format, and it features reflections about our shared work at Grace within the larger conversation with colleagues around the world.
In the book, I try to explore the challenges we face today in congregational ministry through the lens of the broader contemplative tradition, weaving in resources from the Eastern Orthodox, early and contemporary Christian, and even Buddhist traditions. In particular, I am interested in seeing how our cultural interest in mindfulness practice can be an ongoing lens through which we engage the pressures and challenges of parish life and ministry. Our shared life at Grace continues to show me what is possible when a community nurtures a deeper trust in the Spirit’s presence–rather than giving into anxiety and fear and “easy gimmicks” around church growth, etc.
We hope to have a community book launch event in early December, and I will let you know when the book formally “drops” online.
Stuart+
The only way this book could be better is if Stuart were sitting there while you read it, interrupting you with another story he just thought of or answering a question with a question that took you even deeper. He’s old enough to know how church can go wrong and young enough to believe things can change when people stop trying to lead the Spirit and start yielding instead. How does such a high vision become a trustworthy reality on the ground? Read this book to find out.
Barbara Brown Taylor
author of An Altar in the World and Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others
Can our parishes become places where the heart’s desire for God can be aroused, and God’s desire for us actually experienced in our common life? Can the disciplines of mindfulness, and practices grounded in the wisdom of the contemplative tradition, transform the ethos of our troubled communities? Those who hope that the answer is a Spirit-inspired YES will find encouragement in this deeply encouraging and accessible account of a vision put into realistic contemporary practice.
The Rev. Martin Smith
renowned spiritual director and author of The Word is Very Near You
A revitalized and restored contemplative spirituality is absolutely essential for the future health of Christianity — and the place where Christian spirituality must be nurtured is the local congregation or parish. Stuart Higginbotham knows both the joys and challenges of a truly contemplative ministry, and the wisdom he shares in this book will help clergy and congregational leaders to thrive as they share their contemplative heart with others.
Carl McColman
author of Eternal Heart and The Big Book of Christian Mysticism