Walking With the Father: Wisdom from Brother Lawrence : Selections from the Practice of the Presence of God

by Brother Lawrence (Editor), Patricia Mitchell (Editor)

For Catholics, Brother Lawrence is a little-known voice who lived and taught how to abide in Christ through everyday situations. Men and women who work in business can learn how to practice the presence of Christ. Those who stay at home can walk in the Spirit, even when they are fulfilling mundane tasks. Brother Lawrence (1611-1691) was a monk who was not especially talented in everyday affairs. He was not an intellectual. He simply was a man of faith who pleased God in simple ways. Drawing from his classic devotional on practicing the presence of God, Walking with the Father includes modernized versions of Brother Lawrence's writings, letters written about his teaching from those who knew him, and a brief biography. Join a host of Christians who throughout the ages have grown to know the Lord in a deeper way through Brother Lawrences insights into walking with God moment by moment!

143 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Brother Lawrence was born Nicolas Herman in Hériménil, near Lunéville in the region of Lorraine, located in modern day eastern France and as a young man went into the army due to his poverty. At the age of 18 he received what he felt was a revelation of the providence and power of God. He went on to fight in the Thirty Years' War and later served as a valet, but within six years joined the Discalced Carmelite Priory in Paris.

Nicolas entered the priory in Paris as a lay brother, not having the education necessary to become a cleric, and took the religious name, "Lawrence of the Resurrection." He spent almost all of the rest of his life within the walls of the priory, working in the kitchen for many of these years and as a repairer of sandals in his later years.

Despite his lowly position in the life of the priory, his character attracted many to him. He had a reputation for experiencing profound peace and visitors came to seek spiritual guidance from him. The wisdom he passed on to them in conversations and in letters would later become the basis for the book The Practice of the Presence of God.

[From Wikipedia]

Reviews

[LiterarySparrow · Rating 3 out of 5]

An adequate collection of quotes from Brother Lawrence, arranged by theme, which works fine for reading in small daily doses. It may or may not be a full representation of Brother Lawrence's approach to spirituality, depending on how carefully the excerpts were selected. I found it rather lightweight. Insofar as the excerpts represent him, Brother Lawrence appears to have made the common error of assuming that his own path of spiritual communion is the best for all people. In particular, his claim that inner adoration of God is more important than any other form of prayer or devotion is quite dangerous, especially to believers who are young in spiritual practices. The formal spiritual disciplines are essential in cultivating godliness and the habit of prayer. In maturity, some believers may find they have absorbed the disciplines so thoroughly that they appear to move beyond the need for formal times of worship and devotion, but this is rare and comes only after long effort in the spiritual life. Therefore, I would not recommend this volume as a spiritual guide to young, or even maturing, believers. It does provide an introduction to Brother Lawrence's thoughts and methods for the curious, who may then decide whether to read the original for themselves.