The Way to the Heart

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Nouwen writes, "It is a good discipline in each new situation if people wouldn't be better served by our silence than by our words" p. Pray always--In the final section, Nouwen addresses the pray of the heart, which he differentiates from prayers of the mind that dominate many of our prayer lives.

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Learning to enter the presence of God, to pray with our whole lives, flows from solitude and silence. On the whole, I liked this book. I think there is a lot of wisdom to glean from this book. However, though I agree that there is much benefit to the practice of solitude, I do not believe that living in complete isolation, such as St. Anthony did for decades, is as God intended. We were created to relate, so seeking long term isolation seems contrary to God's Word.

With that modest caution, reading this book is definitely worthwhile. Feb 07, Sarah M. Jul 22, Joshua Ray rated it liked it Shelves: Good insights but mostly a collection of stories about the desert fathers. Solitude, silence, and prayer are indeed important. But more emphasis on Scripture especially Christ's example in this would have drastically improved this short volume.

Oct 16, Lori Neff rated it really liked it Shelves: This was my second time reading this. I read it 15 years ago, so I read it this time with very different eyes. Loved it - it's a short, rich book. May 12, LaRae rated it really liked it Shelves: This little book packs a powerful punch as Nouwen discusses the disciplines of solitude, silence, and prayer. Solitude and silence are difficult to achieve in this world where we are continually bombarded by words, images, and noise in general. The book has given me much to ponder from its few pages, and the following quote sums its point up nicely: If solitude were primarily an escape from a busy job, and silence prim This little book packs a powerful punch as Nouwen discusses the disciplines of solitude, silence, and prayer.

If solitude were primarily an escape from a busy job, and silence primarily an escape from a noisy milieu, they could easily become very self-centered forms of asceticism. But solitude and silence are for prayer. The Desert Fathers did not think of solitude as being alone, but as being alone with God. They did not think of silence as not speaking, but as listening to God. Solitude and silence are the context within which prayer is practiced. In our milieu the word heart has become a soft word. It refers to the seat of the sentimental life.

Expressions such as "heartbroken" and "heartfelt" show that we often think of the heart as the warm place where the emotions are located in contrast to the cool intellect where our thoughts find their home. But the word heart in the Jewish-Christian tradition refers to the source of all physical, emotional, intellectual, volitional, and moral energies. Feb 15, Keith rated it really liked it. An excellent introduction into the meaning and purpose of ancient desert monasticism and the practice of solitude, silence and contemplative prayer.

Best book of prayer ever This is a great book and help us to understand the way our life and prayer life should be, it comes with great principles to apply in a busy world. Jan 06, Tricia Culp rated it really liked it Shelves: This is a short, understandable guide to the principles of contemplation- solitude, silence, and constant prayer. Oct 01, Michelle Kwon rated it really liked it.

A beautiful rendering of the process of solitude, silence, and prayer! Finding solitude and silence is a struggle, one which never seems to be adequate. I could use constant reminders at this point to practice praying without ceasing. All good and worthy ideas, but I feel a bit stymied by total inadequacy. May 01, Susie rated it it was amazing Shelves: Once again, a little 95 page book from Henri Nouwen finds a way to powerfully penetrate my heart and requires months of soaking, processing, and re-reading to reach the end.

This little quirk of Nouwen's, by the way, is not at all a bad thing. In fact, it is the mark for me of a truly amazing, insightful book. Nouwen delves deeply into each, using stories of the Desert Fathers to elucidate each quality and reveal it anew. Solitude, he says, is not simply the state of being alone, but a solitude of the heart in which a man is able to know himself completely in his suffering and through his suffering minster to his fellow man.

Silence, like solitude, is not simply "not speaking," but, as Nouwen puts it, "listening to God. Prayer itself, Nouwen writes, hesychastic prayer, moves beyond the common understanding of prayer as "talking to God" or "thinking about God," where prayer is an exercise of the mind designed to meet a human need. It is instead, the "prayer of the heart," simple, unceasing, and all-inclusive.

It is to descend to the place at which we lay ourself and our souls bare before God and come not with expectations or lofty exultations, but instead to "stand before the face of the Lord, all-seeing within us. It unmasks the many illusions about ourselves and about God and leads us into the true relationship In all, Nouwen's books always come back to one main point: This book, too, carries out that theme.

Apr 28, Jasonlylescampbell rated it really liked it. Once there was a culture so malicious, yet banal that Christians felt they were drowning. The culture embraced them, persecution ended, but the violence of propaganda and the pagan way of life constantly assailed them. Many were sinking deeper and deeper into this poison culture.

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The spirit of the age was seductive and constant with its promises of happiness and material success. The constant refrain could be summed up as: One famous story describes Christians walking through a Roman church. One comments to the other, "Have you ever seen such riches?

They ran to the desert. Without effort, Nouwen convinces us that we face much of the same tribulation today that Christians faced in 4th century Rome. And so we have much to learn from the desert fathers. Specifically we must learn the value of fleeing solitude , silence and prayer. Each of these can pull us away from the seductive spirit that speaks loud as ever This is a book on the heart. The heart is the center of every person and the seat of the will. Yet, I find it hard to really know my own heart.

These exercises that Nouwen gives to us land us face to face with what is in our heart. It is there we will find the Presence of God ready to work. Bonhoeffer once wrote that the kingdom of God is wider than the human heart, "it is as wide as the earth. And that is the story of the desert fathers as Nouwen tells it. In the desert they found life boats so they might pull the whole world after them.

You can't really reach out if your own feet are sinking Jan 30, Angel rated it really liked it Shelves: All these practices are more famous or recognized among roman catholics, more accurately among monks and nuns in monasteries, enclosed in meditation and prayer. I reccomend this book to those christians that are trying to go deeper into their relationship with God and are willing to develop or adopt spiritual disciplines and are rooted in a sound doctrine. I do not reccomend this book to new born christians, which easily will get lost or confused with teachings on meditation and contemplation.

The Way of the Heart: The Spirituality of the Desert Fathers and Mothers

I personally believe that new believers need to feed primarly on basic teachings first. Apr 08, Sher rated it liked it. Written for ministers, this book provides an argument for solitude and contemplative prayer and meditation as alternative and a more authentic route to "god Closeness" than bake sales, fund drives, volunteering, and choir service. It emphasizes the value of silence versus words, and explains beautifully how, in the West, we have become a culture of words. But words mean less and less and are spoken to convince, condemn, sell, manipulate, and entertain. For me Nouwen does an adequate job of descr Written for ministers, this book provides an argument for solitude and contemplative prayer and meditation as alternative and a more authentic route to "god Closeness" than bake sales, fund drives, volunteering, and choir service.

For me Nouwen does an adequate job of describing what Eastern sages and the Desert Fathers have always practiced, and what contemporary Eastern practitioners continue to practice -- silence and solitude as a way of being in constant awareness prayer. Oct 28, Margaretflynn rated it it was amazing Shelves: I have read this small what I will call "Modern day Classic"many times since it's first publication.

I have a few copies. I have one "dog eared" paper back which I gave to my father in the early 80's.

He read it over and over again as I will continue to do for the rest of my life. In this day and age of darkness and turmoil I encourage all Christians certainly to read Nouwen's work, "The Way of the Heart, " it will indeed assist you as you strive to make sense of your life through the lens of a I have read this small what I will call "Modern day Classic"many times since it's first publication.

In this day and age of darkness and turmoil I encourage all Christians certainly to read Nouwen's work, "The Way of the Heart, " it will indeed assist you as you strive to make sense of your life through the lens of a living, breathing, life giving faith. This is a study and a keeper. Jan 23, Mindi rated it it was amazing.

This was a life changing book for me. Nouwen discusses three of the disciplines of the Desert fathers and mothers, solitude, silence and prayer. The purpose of the book can be summed up in the following quote, "Our compulsive, wordy and mind-oriented world has a firm grip on us, and we need a very strong and persistent discipline not to be squeezed to death by it. Apr 27, Porter Sprigg rated it it was amazing Shelves: Thought-provoking and simple reflections on the value of solitude, silence, and prayer. I especially enjoyed the section on prayer and how it will change our hearts by allowing us to share in God's heart for humanity.

More and more I'm thankful for the small books, simple but profound ones--those that are just long enough to get you off the couch and motivated to do the work that needs doing, reaching the heart.

This is one of those books. It's an easy read, but best to digest it slowly. I'll keep this one on my desk and not the shelf as I'm sure I'll return to it over and over. Anyone wanting a fuller experience in solitude, silence, and prayer should read this.

The Way of the Heart

Re-read this one and I didn't get much out of it at all. This is one of those books that has come along at the right time for me. Its very short but has so much depth that it definitely needs to be meditated on. I'm going to read it again and again. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Henri Jozef Machiel Nouwen Nouen , — was a Dutch-born Catholic priest and writer who authored 40 books on the spiritual life.

Nouwen's books are widely read today by Protestants and Catholics alike. After nearly two decades of Henri Jozef Machiel Nouwen Nouen , — was a Dutch-born Catholic priest and writer who authored 40 books on the spiritual life. After a long period of declining energy, which he chronicled in his final book, Sabbatical Journey , he died in September from a sudden heart attack. His spirituality was influenced by many, notably by his friendship with Jean Vanier. At the invitation of Vanier he visited L'Arche in France, the first of over communities around the world where people with developmental disabilities live and share life together with those who care for them.

Connecting with God Through Prayer, Wisdom, and Silence

Nouwen wrote about his relationship with Adam, a core member at L'Arche Daybreak with profound developmental disabilities, in a book titled Adam: Father Nouwen was a good friend of the late Joseph Cardinal Bernardin. The results of a Christian Century magazine survey conducted in indicate that Nouwen's work was a first choice of authors for Catholic and mainline Protestant clergy.

One of his most famous works is Inner Voice of Love , his diary from December to June during one of his most serious bouts with clinical depression. There is a Father Henri J. Books by Henri J. Trivia About The Way of the He No trivia or quizzes yet. Nouwen By Henri J. Also by Henri J. See all books by Henri J. Inspired by Your Browsing History.

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