Enhanced Spiritual Development
What a wonderful day today is turning out to be. No matter what happens
today, I will learn from it. Each day provides challenges, today might
be filled with victories and productivity, then, again, it could
have some setbacks and obstacles. Obstacles I have recently learned
are things that give opportunity for my creativity to flourish. These
insights are not the result of a sudden increase in brain activity on my
part; the new awareness came from a book I just read. There was a
time in my life I did not read books, nor did I think reading was
important. As I have matured in life reading has become a joy, in many
ways reading has been the vessel God has used to improve and enhance my
spiritual development.
Therefore, as the date of my retirement nears, I, would like to share a
list of some books and authors, God has brought into my life. It is my
hope that this list might encourage you to fall in love with these
spiritual masters and their guidance; I can promise you that spiritual
development will increase through their words. Mark Twain said, “The
man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read."
Here is the good news, all these books are available in our church
library and can be found in the “featured” section.
The Imitation of Christ author Thomas Ὰ Kempis.
Imitation of Christ is believed to be the second most read religious book only surpassed by the reading of the Bible. For the Protestant
reader the first sections (called books) are preferred reading, the fourth section deals with Catholicism’s view of communion
The Cost of Discipleship author Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Bonhoeffer was founding pastor of the confessing church during the evil
of Hitler and was martyred April, 9 1945.
The Essential Tozer Collection author A. W. Tozer.
Fantastic read this volume contains three of Tozer’s greatest books.
In the Name of Jesus author Henri Nouwen
Nouwen is one of my favorite spiritual masters.
Mere Christianity author C. S. Lewis
Lewis is one of the great Christian apologists of the twentieth century.
The New Pilgrams Progress author John Bunyan
The book follows the spiritual journey of Christian as he searches for
God. This book is a favorite of mine as I can see myself as Christian.
It is my prayer that these books will lead you to further reading about
spiritual formation and spiritual growth.
With you in Christ Jesus,
~ Pastor Pic