Universal Praise
The Magic of Surprise
The heart of gratitude begins with surprise. Something grabs our attention—it bursts suddenly on to the scene like a supernova, or slowly appears in the mist as an ancient ghost galleon on a becalmed morn. Once the surprise happens we are motivated to give thanks for the unmerited gift we have received. Brother Steindl-Rast sums up the power of a grateful heart with an exhortation to shout out our praises to Creator God:
The human heart is made for universal praise…Love wholeheartedly, be surprised, give thanks and praise—then you will discover the fullness of your life. (Brother Steindl-Rast, Gratefulness)
So be sensitive to the surprise factor which will most definitely take place. And then utter your gratitude to God…to the universe…to anyone who will listen!
A place of beauty in my life sojourn has been the ruggedness (and mystery) of Vancouver Island (especially the west coast magic of Ucluelet and the strands of Tofino).
In this far away land I have experienced many a surprise. I am travelling there shortly to uplift my soul once again and seek out the surprises that the rainforest and ocean are bound to offer me. In lieu of my own spiritual thoughts I offer you a few book titles to consider during the month of August:
A new book by Earl Davey (my dear brother), The Arts and the Christian Life (Wipf & Stock, May 2022) which explores the pathway of beauty in our spiritual journey
Brother Steindl-Rast’s Gratefulness.
Evelyn Underhill’s The Spiritual Life (considered by many to be a Christian classic)
Esther de Waal’s Living With Contradiction, An Introduction to Benedictine Spirituality (not as heavy as it might sound)!
Also my own recent book, Walking the Line: Embracing the Imperatives of Jesus (2021 W&S) which was short listed in the Word Guild Awards in the Spiritual Formation category. The final results will be announced this September.
Remember: pay attention, open your eyes wide, keep listening, be surprised, and then most importantly, be grateful.
Hi Alan, thanks for book titles the Benedictine Spiritually sounds interesting and hopefully it will be on Kobo!
Thanks Lorraine—the book on Benedictine spirituality is very thoughtful and encouraging. I hope you are able to find it.