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Title: The Practice of the Presence of God (Christian classics)
ISBN: 0340269375
Author:
of the Resurrection, Brother Lawrence
Publicate Date: 1997-12
Publish: 1997-12
List Price: $4.99
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Format: Hardcover
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $4.98
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| Customer Review: |
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1: great read!
Extrememly inspiring words from a 17th century monk - short, quick read, but one that bears periodic re-read - for anyone who loves the Lord, or who wants to know Him better, this is a guide to keeping Him present in the every day tedium of life.
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2: Advice for any age
I have read other versions of Brother Lawrence in the past. This one is done very well. It contains the essential perspective of this holy man.The commentary is just enough to understand the teaching of Bro. Lawrence, yet not overdone such that we lose that essential teaching. I encourage you to read and ponder this "little book" with such a big influence on our lives.
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3: Worth Reading
This is definitely worth reading. It's short enough to be a quick, one-day read, or a reflective read -- at a few pages each night. It's something every Christian should read, just to familiarize ones-self with Brother Lawrence and his still-relevant conclusions about life after 40yrs of serving the Lord.
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4: For Working People Looking for a Deeper Spiritual (Everyday) Life
If you are looking for something deep, short and practical, I highly recommend this little treasure.
It encapsulates the philosphy of a man simply known as "Brother Lawrence", a lay brother who, previously a soldier, worked in a monastery kitchen. He shows the reader in his humble, direct and powerful manner, how he or she can experience God's presence in the rough-and-tumble of everyday life. He writes,
"The time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer, and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great tranquility as if I were upon my knees at the blessed sacrament."
This book will be most helpful to those immersed (or drowning) in studies and/or work and looking for something more than fleeting moments of happiness, fulfillment and connection with God.
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5: Radical...not necessarily practical
Brother Lawrence's spiritual classic can be summarized in a few short steps:
1. Have a mystical vision of the divine love of God. (Unfortunately, no hint of how this can be accomplished is given.)
2. Renounce the world and everything in it. (Larry Bro apparently had no family, career, or other extenuating circumstances, so he joined a monastery as a lay brother and cook.)
3. Pray ceaselessly, even while you're asleep. Don't worry about temptation, your neighbor, suffering, mortification, responsibility, complications, penance, formality, growth, doctrine, vocation, redemption, and anything else you can think of.
After around four to ten years of tormenting doubt and fear (by his accounts) you'll be ready to bask in the warm glow of grace!
The message of complete faith in God is indeed a great one. But the line between self-sacrifice and self-indulgence sometimes gets blurred. We are not given an account of any works of charity, love, or mercy that Brother Lawrence may have accomplished. Only that he went around happy all day. Somtimes he was so giddy with God's love that he would have to pinch himself to keep from giggling in front of other people. Then he derides normal people for not being drunk all day on spiritual consolations.
What is truly ironic is that Brother Lawrence's path was, at the time, thought to be a great shortcut. Compared to the discipline required of monks in those days, I'm sure it was. Nowadays, Deepak Chopra Winfrey would probably be unimpressed. The great Saints would probably recommend that you pick up your cross and eschew the easy path.
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