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Simply Open: A Guide to Experiencing God in the Everyday
The simplest, most transformative prayer you may ever pray—the five senses prayer.
This book invites you to a simple practice of prayer and awareness that can turn each ordinary workday into a deepening spiritual journey.
No matter where you are or how busy you get, your five senses are always “on,” your mind and heart responsive to what you perceive. These channels of awareness can take you deeper into God's great mystery if you practice the discipline of submitting them to the One who is closer than you imagine.
The beauty of such a contemplative path is that you can follow it anywhere—alone or in company, in quiet meditation or amid the bustle of your craziest day.
Moment by moment, you invite God to open you up—eyes, ears, nostrils, hands and mouth, heart and mind. And moment by moment, as you open yourself, you’ll find yourself closer to God’s grace-filled and wide-open heart. Simply Open.
This book invites you to a simple practice of prayer and awareness that can turn each ordinary workday into a deepening spiritual journey.
No matter where you are or how busy you get, your five senses are always “on,” your mind and heart responsive to what you perceive. These channels of awareness can take you deeper into God's great mystery if you practice the discipline of submitting them to the One who is closer than you imagine.
The beauty of such a contemplative path is that you can follow it anywhere—alone or in company, in quiet meditation or amid the bustle of your craziest day.
Moment by moment, you invite God to open you up—eyes, ears, nostrils, hands and mouth, heart and mind. And moment by moment, as you open yourself, you’ll find yourself closer to God’s grace-filled and wide-open heart. Simply Open.
216 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2015
6 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
Greg Paul
23 books8 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 22, 2015
The spiritual life is opening ourselves to God. Writers on prayer and contemplatives have urged us to tune our beings to God, to kneel in his presence and receive good things from him. Yet sometimes we don't sense God. Sometimes we don't open ourselves up to him because we are too busy grasping at everything else.
Pastor and author Greg Paul wrote Simply Open: A Guide to Experiencing God in the Everyday to lead us to the land of greater openness. He wrote this book after a sabbatical from his pastorate at an urban Toronto church when he had spent time in prayer at Quarr Abbey on the Isle of Wight and hiking on the coast of Cornwall (21-2). Simply Open records his reflections, insights and prayer on opening the senses, mind and heart up to God.
A prayer provides the basic outline for this book:
Open my eyes that I may relase what I have seen, and so see you, see myself through your eyes, and truly see others.
Open my ears, that I may release what I have heard, and so hear you, become a listener, and truly hear others.
Open my nostrils, that I may release what I have inhaled, and so breathe in your fragrance, be delighted by it, and breath your Spirit upon others.
Open my mouth, that I may release what I have tasted, and so taste your goodness, be made strong by the sustenance you give, and share your sustaining grace with others.
Open my hands, that I may release what I have held, and so hold what you give me, be molded by your touch, and reach out to others.
Open my mind, that I may release what I have understood, and so understand you understand myself, and understand others.
Open my heart, that I may release what I have loved, and so receive your love for me, love you more deeply, and truly love others. (17)
Each of the sections above follows a fourfold structure: releasing, receiving, becoming, doing. So in each chapter,Greg unfolds our sense experience, the unhealthy things we need to let go in order to receive from God so that we may be transformed into those who do his will. His chapter on 'opening our eyes' discusses the way our culture gives us far more than an eyeful. For example, objectification of women creates body image issues and pornography hurts both the viewer and the viewed (30-31). When we let go of our false images, then we begin seeing as God sees--people created in the image of God, fearfully and wonderfully made. Similarly, our inability to hear God is because of the cacophony that surrounds us. Receiving from God and learning to hear his voice means learning to say no to competing voices (59).
Greg offers similar reflections on the other senses. The nose (sense of smell), he ties to breath and talks about how we can open ourselves up to the Spirit (God's breath/wind). Taste has us examine the variety of fare that we feed ourselves with, those in our midst who are starving and the sacramental enjoyment of God's good things. Our touch is how we learn love and form meaningful attachments, but is also a source of wounds we need to release. Finally Greg wants us to move to having the 'mind of Christ' and hearts open to give and receive love.
In his last chapter Greg acknowledges that our spiritual senses are not as compartmentalized or linear as the above framework may suggest, "We will find that inhaling a particular fragrance, and receiving it as a gift of God's Spirit, will cause us to hear and see things differently; we may realize that we need to let go of a way of thinking, and thus find our hearts drawn to loving someone previously unnoticed (211). What Greg Paul's discussion of each of the senses, heart and mind do, is allow us to see the holistic and inclusive nature of spirituality and prayer. The abundant life is a sensual one--full of beauty and sound, tastes and wonders, smells and memory, thinking and love. By seeking to open up each facet to God, we are able to offer our whole self to Him.
I have been a 'fan' of Greg since reading God in an Alley a number of years ago. What impressed me about that book was his hospitality to and humanizing of those on the margins (he pastors a church that reaches out in some beautiful ways). This book was more like Close Enough to Hear God Breathe than God in the Alley (another book of his on prayer). But this isn't just a book about prayer and the spiritual life. Greg knows that it is as we open ourselves up to God, we experience profound change in how we relate to others. The contemplative life leads to the active life (releasing and receiving lead to becoming and doing). I give this book five stars ★★★★★
Pastor and author Greg Paul wrote Simply Open: A Guide to Experiencing God in the Everyday to lead us to the land of greater openness. He wrote this book after a sabbatical from his pastorate at an urban Toronto church when he had spent time in prayer at Quarr Abbey on the Isle of Wight and hiking on the coast of Cornwall (21-2). Simply Open records his reflections, insights and prayer on opening the senses, mind and heart up to God.
A prayer provides the basic outline for this book:
Open my eyes that I may relase what I have seen, and so see you, see myself through your eyes, and truly see others.
Open my ears, that I may release what I have heard, and so hear you, become a listener, and truly hear others.
Open my nostrils, that I may release what I have inhaled, and so breathe in your fragrance, be delighted by it, and breath your Spirit upon others.
Open my mouth, that I may release what I have tasted, and so taste your goodness, be made strong by the sustenance you give, and share your sustaining grace with others.
Open my hands, that I may release what I have held, and so hold what you give me, be molded by your touch, and reach out to others.
Open my mind, that I may release what I have understood, and so understand you understand myself, and understand others.
Open my heart, that I may release what I have loved, and so receive your love for me, love you more deeply, and truly love others. (17)
Each of the sections above follows a fourfold structure: releasing, receiving, becoming, doing. So in each chapter,Greg unfolds our sense experience, the unhealthy things we need to let go in order to receive from God so that we may be transformed into those who do his will. His chapter on 'opening our eyes' discusses the way our culture gives us far more than an eyeful. For example, objectification of women creates body image issues and pornography hurts both the viewer and the viewed (30-31). When we let go of our false images, then we begin seeing as God sees--people created in the image of God, fearfully and wonderfully made. Similarly, our inability to hear God is because of the cacophony that surrounds us. Receiving from God and learning to hear his voice means learning to say no to competing voices (59).
Greg offers similar reflections on the other senses. The nose (sense of smell), he ties to breath and talks about how we can open ourselves up to the Spirit (God's breath/wind). Taste has us examine the variety of fare that we feed ourselves with, those in our midst who are starving and the sacramental enjoyment of God's good things. Our touch is how we learn love and form meaningful attachments, but is also a source of wounds we need to release. Finally Greg wants us to move to having the 'mind of Christ' and hearts open to give and receive love.
In his last chapter Greg acknowledges that our spiritual senses are not as compartmentalized or linear as the above framework may suggest, "We will find that inhaling a particular fragrance, and receiving it as a gift of God's Spirit, will cause us to hear and see things differently; we may realize that we need to let go of a way of thinking, and thus find our hearts drawn to loving someone previously unnoticed (211). What Greg Paul's discussion of each of the senses, heart and mind do, is allow us to see the holistic and inclusive nature of spirituality and prayer. The abundant life is a sensual one--full of beauty and sound, tastes and wonders, smells and memory, thinking and love. By seeking to open up each facet to God, we are able to offer our whole self to Him.
I have been a 'fan' of Greg since reading God in an Alley a number of years ago. What impressed me about that book was his hospitality to and humanizing of those on the margins (he pastors a church that reaches out in some beautiful ways). This book was more like Close Enough to Hear God Breathe than God in the Alley (another book of his on prayer). But this isn't just a book about prayer and the spiritual life. Greg knows that it is as we open ourselves up to God, we experience profound change in how we relate to others. The contemplative life leads to the active life (releasing and receiving lead to becoming and doing). I give this book five stars ★★★★★
November 1, 2020
Greg Paul writes beautifully, compellingly, poetically. Seven prayers for openness, one for each day of the week, and invitations to release, receive, become, and do associated with each one. I found myself drawn to desire a way of being and living in which the sacred is experienced in the common and mundane, through our senses, minds, and hearts. Greg Paul, “a pastor and member of Sanctuary in Toronto, a community in which the wealthy and poor share their experiences and resources daily and care for the most hurting and excluded people in the city” so obviously lives these prayers. Most inspiring.
March 2, 2015
Greg Paul’s
Simply Open: A Guide to Experiencing God in the Everyday
begins with a seven-part prayer (open my: eyes, ears, nostrils, mouth, hands, mind, and heart), each of includes four things: releasing, receiving, becoming, and doing. Paul takes a chapter for each of these seven, beginning with a short introduction and then elaborating upon each of the four subsections. But this is not a book about prayer. The reader is viscerally drawn into Paul’s stories of wisdom and experience in becoming more open to God, ending each section with a reminder as to why we pray these things. The goal is to simply be open to God, and so also to others and ourselves as they should lead us to further and better glorify God.
We often fit our lives into closed systems we think provide predictable results if we simply follow the right steps, but this keeps us just that: closed, and often frustrated. We are too loud to hear what God is telling us, looking in the wrong places to see what is being shown to us, asking the wrong questions to understand the answer, always trying to do it our way, perhaps the way we’ve been told things work. Being open to God shoves all that aside and brings us into a posture of humility. We will continue to seek and question, among many other things, but the way in which we do them and our attitude toward a given response will be distinctly different—healthier…holier. Paul helps us make this change.
I could narrow down a particular group of people who should read this book—those who find themselves always needing an answer, struggle with humility, or hold tightly to their own plans—but I won’t. This is for everyone. I could say, “This is the best book I’ve ever read on prayer,” except that it isn’t a book about prayer. I could say many things, but what I really want to say is read it! I’ll be coming back to this one.
*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
We often fit our lives into closed systems we think provide predictable results if we simply follow the right steps, but this keeps us just that: closed, and often frustrated. We are too loud to hear what God is telling us, looking in the wrong places to see what is being shown to us, asking the wrong questions to understand the answer, always trying to do it our way, perhaps the way we’ve been told things work. Being open to God shoves all that aside and brings us into a posture of humility. We will continue to seek and question, among many other things, but the way in which we do them and our attitude toward a given response will be distinctly different—healthier…holier. Paul helps us make this change.
I could narrow down a particular group of people who should read this book—those who find themselves always needing an answer, struggle with humility, or hold tightly to their own plans—but I won’t. This is for everyone. I could say, “This is the best book I’ve ever read on prayer,” except that it isn’t a book about prayer. I could say many things, but what I really want to say is read it! I’ll be coming back to this one.
*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
March 5, 2015
“The simplest, most transformative prayer you may ever pray—the five senses prayer. This book invites you to a simple practice of prayer and awareness that can turn each ordinary workday into a deepening spiritual journey.
No matter where you are or how busy you get, your five senses are always “on,” your mind and heart responsive to what you perceive. These channels of awareness can take you deeper into God's great mystery if you practice the discipline of submitting them to the One who is closer than you imagine. The beauty of such a contemplative path is that you can follow it anywhere—alone or in company, in quiet meditation or amid the bustle of your craziest day.“
This book, Simply Open; A Guide to Experiencing God in the Everyday, was a pleasure to read. It certainly gave me pause for thought on more than one occasion. It is based on our everyday moments, the moments where we encounter God by asking Him to open us up.
A simple Prayer of Openness. Lord, open me to release that I may receive, become and do… Open my eyes, Open my ears, Open my nostrils, Open my mouth, Open my hands, Open my mind, Open my heart… In this simple prayer of asking Him to open us, He will reveal Himself to us in and through our entire being, to simply open us up to see, recognize and respond to Him. As we prayer through each of the senses, the author does a wonderful job at categorizing how God opens us up… releasing, receiving, becoming and doing. This is a great book that will take your prayer life to a new level.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
*Reviews of this book were posted at the following locations:
Amazon, Christian Book, Deeper Shopping, Goodreads, and to be featured on my blog at http://titus3.wordpress.com
No matter where you are or how busy you get, your five senses are always “on,” your mind and heart responsive to what you perceive. These channels of awareness can take you deeper into God's great mystery if you practice the discipline of submitting them to the One who is closer than you imagine. The beauty of such a contemplative path is that you can follow it anywhere—alone or in company, in quiet meditation or amid the bustle of your craziest day.“
This book, Simply Open; A Guide to Experiencing God in the Everyday, was a pleasure to read. It certainly gave me pause for thought on more than one occasion. It is based on our everyday moments, the moments where we encounter God by asking Him to open us up.
A simple Prayer of Openness. Lord, open me to release that I may receive, become and do… Open my eyes, Open my ears, Open my nostrils, Open my mouth, Open my hands, Open my mind, Open my heart… In this simple prayer of asking Him to open us, He will reveal Himself to us in and through our entire being, to simply open us up to see, recognize and respond to Him. As we prayer through each of the senses, the author does a wonderful job at categorizing how God opens us up… releasing, receiving, becoming and doing. This is a great book that will take your prayer life to a new level.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
*Reviews of this book were posted at the following locations:
Amazon, Christian Book, Deeper Shopping, Goodreads, and to be featured on my blog at http://titus3.wordpress.com
June 2, 2015
The last chapter blew my mind. The whole book is worth is simply for that last chapter.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews