Mindful Silence

The Heart of Christian Contemplation

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Pub Date 13 Nov 2018 | Archive Date 13 Jan 2019

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Description

Our fast-paced lives are filled with distractions, frequently leaving us disillusioned and dissatisfied—with ourselves, with others, and even with God. Spiritual practices that used to sustain us fall short when life circumstances bring us to the limits of our self. After many years leading an international humanitarian organization, Phileena Heuertz experienced the deconstruction of her identity, worldview, and faith. Centering prayer, a Christian expression of mindfulness, was a crucial remedy for her fragmented condition, offering a more peace-filled and purposeful life. The hallmarks of contemplative spirituality—solitude, silence, and stillness—have never been more important for our society: In solitude, we develop the capacity to be present. In silence, we cultivate the ability to listen. In stillness, we acquire the skill of self-control. Contemplative prayer helps us discern the voice of God, uncover our true self, and live a life of meaning and purpose. Filled with insights and wisdom from personal experiences, Phileena introduces us to themes and teachers of contemplative spirituality, as well as several prayer practices, and invites us to greater healing and wholeness by learning to practice faith through prayer. This is an opportunity to go deeper with God—to experience the Divine and be transformed.

Our fast-paced lives are filled with distractions, frequently leaving us disillusioned and dissatisfied—with ourselves, with others, and even with God. Spiritual practices that used to sustain us...


Advance Praise

"Phileena writes here with such simple clarity—and easy readability—because she knows she does not need to prove, convict, or defend anything. Mindful Silence contains not just her wisdom but the spiritual wisdom of the ages that is again standing the test of time and showing itself in the fruits of incarnational holiness. It is the great tradition of action and contemplation again showing itself."
-From the foreword by Richard Rohr

"I'm honored to have Phileena as a teacher, and thrilled you discovered this book. If you apply the practices she teaches, you will learn how to stay engaged and involved in changing the world without descending into despondency or burning out. The contemplative tradition truly is a game changer. Once you start practicing, you will be shocked by how something so simple can have such a profound effect on your life."
-From the afterword by Kirsten Powers

"In a world marked by busyness and burnout, Mindful Silence offers us both an exit strategy and an invitation. Phileena Heuertz has written a must-read for anyone desiring to live a more mindful, meaningful life. Read this book and learn from one of the great spiritual guides of our time."
-Jonathan Merritt, author of Learning to Speak God from Scratch, contributing writer for The Atlantic

"Phileena's thoughtful words and practices are like water and sunlight for the soul. As I strive to find mindful silence in my own life, this gift of a book will be my trusted guide."
-Ryan O'Neal, producer of Sleeping at Last

"Phileena's Mindful Silence is a beautiful field guide for sustainable social action through contemplation. A timely book that offers practical tools and powerful insights for a generation grasping for methods of self-care."
-George Mekhail, executive director, Church Clarity

"Phileena has provided an extraordinary service to Christians today who desire to become more deeply aware and spiritually mature in their daily walk. By providing the history and context of daily meditation and prayer practice cultivated in the first two thousand years of Christianity, she has filled a vast gap linking practicing the presence of the living God to this great lineage. She then makes this very practice come alive in its eternal power—'yesterday, today, and forever.' Furthermore, Phileena very generously reveals her vulnerabilities and discoveries of the power of daily mindful contemplation within her own life. She walks the talk, and in so doing she provides a vision for how we might encounter a profound deepening within our lives too. This is a vital and necessary book, and one that I will keep beside me in my daily practice from now on."
-Bobette Buster, professor of storytelling, Northeastern University, Boston, author of Do Story: How to Tell Your Story so the World Listens

"I can't think of a single person who wouldn't be helped by Phileena Heuertz's Mindful Silence. But people like me—who write, speak, and preach for a living—will find special gifts here because the deepest currents of awakening and discovery only begin to flow in us through the intentional, practiced silence of the contemplative way."
-Brian D. McLaren, author of The Great Spiritual Migration

"Phileena Heuertz brings together the wisdom of Christian mystics past and present with her own sage vision of contemplative spirituality. Mindful Silence penetrates the heart and mind, pointing us to return to the wellspring of life found in the still small voice that emerges when we engage solitude, silence, and stillness long enough to hear it. Phileena reminds us that to do justice in Jesus' name, we must actually be still. She taps into her own experiences on the frontlines of religious nonprofits to illustrate how our zeal for justice for the oppressed must be tethered to a contemplative spiritual practice, rooted in the life that is truly life, Jesus himself. Mindful Silence is sure to become a classic of our time."
-Larycia Hawkins, Woodrow Wilson Department of Politics, University of Virginia

"In this modern world our attention is being demanded, pulled in every direction. 'Sleepwalking,' as Phileena so eloquently defines it, is a way of life. In our culture, our sense of wonder of the natural world has been replaced by technological advancements, solitary contemplation by social media, and discernment by distractions. To break out of these habitual patterns takes self-realization and the deep desire to take a step back from this monotonous life and focus on actually living it. This is not an ambiguous feel-good self-help book to find God, but suggests practical, real, hands-on ways in which we can encounter our Maker. From contemplative and centering prayer, to practices of solitude and implementing the Enneagram, this book will entice you to be more than a reader but also a doer of its words. If life 'to the full' (John 10:10) is what you desire in your own journey, then this book will serve as the ideal road map to your destination."
-Stephen Christian, vocalist for Anberlin, worship pastor at Calvary Albuquerque

"In reading Phileena's wonderful book on mindful silence, I am reminded of Thomas Merton's words: 'To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit oneself to too many projects, to want to help everyone in everything is to succumb to violence.' We live in a society where we celebrate the violence of too much work, media, music, food, drink, and merriment. Phileena's insights sound the clarion call for the church to offer less, not more, and to offer contemplation instead of altercation. Phileena has given us a practical resource to cultivate healthy, mature faith. I'm thankful for her presence and voice found in these pages."
-Gideon Tsang, Vox Veniae

"Phileena writes here with such simple clarity—and easy readability—because she knows she does not need to prove, convict, or defend anything. Mindful Silence contains not just her wisdom but the...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9780830846498
PRICE $22.00 (USD)

Average rating from 8 members


Featured Reviews

Making time to listen to one another doesn’t happen easily in our hustle-and-bustle culture, in which, whether we realize it or not, most of us have ADHD. We are just way too busy with work, church, small groups, meals, service projects, emails and texts, pop-up media messages, favorite television shows, hobbies, and so on, and so on. Phileena Heuertz’s “Mindful Silence,” is an antidote to our dizzying dilemma and subsequent debilitating soul-symptoms of hurried sickness. Her wise prose, spiritual insights, and life-giving application can lead us to still waters and help us encounter the living God in a fresh way. Her book can also help us find our authentic selves as well. I highly recommend this book!

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A book for courageous devoted seekers of Jesus
"Mindful Silence: The Heart of Christian Contemplation" was published by InterVarsity Press and written by Phileena Heuertz. She is the founder of Gravity, a Center for Contemplative Activism, together with her husband Chris, that offers three different kinds of retreats, service of spiritual direction, and Enneagram workshops and consultations. Heuertz writes: "Contemplative spirituality is an invitation to wake up and die so you can truly live. Contemplative prayer is for courageous, devoted seekers ... Contemplative spirituality supports the way of following Jesus, which necessitates dying to self or emptying self to make room for the all-consuming presence of God." She defines contemplative spirituality as "simply a way to practice faith." According to Heuertz contemplative spirituality is for everyone. She includes that contemplative prayer allows the Spirit to flow more freely through us. According to her contemplative prayer and social action must go hand in had for effective social change. The contemplative practices at the end of each chapter are thought to be a help for the readers' application. The goal is that the exploration is not solely an intellectual one.
Heuertz provides a good introduction into some contemplative practices. She reinforces her book with personal examples and references to the lives of historical persons. The book contains a few notes, but it is necessary to note that quite a few references are missing, e.g., her quote of Father Thomas (Keating): "We know we're making progress in the spiritual journey when the things that used to drive us up the wall now drive us only halfway up the wall." does not show at all if it was in a personal talk, a lecture, or in a book that he made that statement. The book does not cover spiritual practices like fasting or writing God's Word, it emphasizes on prayer. It is nothing for hermits, but for the readers who are interested to link contemplative prayer and social action.
The complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley free of charge. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#MindfulSilence #NetGalley

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