I have set thing up so you can buy "Praying the Pattern" via Paypal. I can also do international postage. I'm encouraging this way of doing it because it's cheaper for you the buyer and I get a bigger cut of the revenue.
So... go on, give it a click, you know you want to. (And of course if you did, for some reason, want to get it on Amazon, you can).
And here's a quick guide to what it's about.
It's about time we got seriously interesting when praying the Lord's prayer. It's all too often repeated word-for-word as a set prayer, which is a shame because it is a whole lot better prayed as a pattern -and arguably that was Jesus' intention. Using it as a kind of trellis or framework can let it blossom into our whole life. Making the change from thinking of it as a set prayer to using it as a living skeleton for the flesh of everyday prayer is perhaps made more difficult by us not having any 'handles' on how to do it. Well, that's where this book comes to the rescue. Here are creative ideas for individuals for prayer groups, retreats and worship: there are ways outlined for praying with the body, with organisers, scrapbooks, stones, cards, labyrinths, lifestyles and liturgies. And to help even more there is a website for further materials and methods and also the means to add your own ideas and comments. You can find it at on the book's website. There's a few pages of new ideas that have been written up since the book was published as well as some more liturgies.
Books on the Lord's prayer tend to be one of two kinds. On the one hand there are scholarly books which go into the history, theology and literary things. On the other hand there are 'devotional' books with thoughts and meditations on the the prayer. There seem to be few books that take the insights about meanings and structure of the prayer and turn them into practical strategies for praying. Praying the Pattern fills the gap between noting that the 'Our Father' is supposed to be a framework for prayer and the usual practice of recitating the prayer while using other patterns to shape everyday prayer.
2 comments:
If you can distribute it on the net why not do it for free? I do not remember any mention of Jesus saying "Look, I'm going to teach you how to pray, but first you must PayPal me a few quid." I do remember Him saying that you can't serve God and riches. I think Paul has a rather nice take on this (in One Timothy 6) that if you need more than food, shelter and clothing then you haven't had a spiritual experience. I don't know what you're charging (not stated) or whether it's for a paper or an e-book, but surely the point is to make an e-book available for free IF YOU CONSIDER THAT YOU HAVE HAD A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE. Otherwise, going on Luke 16.13 I can't see what you have to offer that is CHRISTIAN.
Well, at the time of publication it was one of my sources of income, and the workman is worthy of their hire.
What you need to recall is that to offer the physical object that is a book costs resources and therefore money. What you seem to be asking me to do is to pay those costs so that you don't. You may want to note that the price I charge is pretty close to cost compared with many books in the same range of things.
I presume that you never buy any books on prayer, or bible commentaries, then? I do and I'm happy to do so because I know that I'm helping to support the ministry of the writer and I trust them to use their revenue wisely before God, as I try to do.Even Jesus' teaching was not 'free' in the sense that people supported him and his disciple-band. This is about the means of support, not whether there is support; even your own comment admits that. You seem to hint that if I'm sufficiently modest in my lifestyle then it is okay. Well, perhaps I am. Perhaps I use the revenue to support other ministries. Until you know such things, you would be better being just a little less judgemental, I think.
Until you know my circumstances in sufficient detail, you aren't really in a position to make the kind of judgement you seem to have made.
I am considering the e-book route but haven't yet had time to reformat it for that. If you'd followed the links (including those at the side) you'd have seen what is being offered and that a number of them are actually offered freely and some of those are parts of what is in the book.
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