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Making All Things New: An Invitation to the Spiritual Life
Making All Things New is an eloquent and simple explanation of the spiritual life from Henri J.M. Nouwen, author of Letters to Marc About Jesus and A Letter of Consolation and one of the best-loved spiritual writers of the twentieth century.
95 pages, Hardcover
First published June 3, 1981
115 people are currently reading
1464 people want to read
About the author
Henri J.M. Nouwen
450 books2,113 followersHenri Jozef Machiel Nouwen was a Dutch Catholic priest, theologian, psychologist, professor, and spiritual writer whose work profoundly shaped contemporary Christian spirituality. Born in Nijkerk, the Netherlands, in 1932, Nouwen pursued religious studies and was ordained a priest in 1957. His intellectual curiosity led him to study psychology at the Catholic University of Nijmegen and later at the Menninger Clinic in Kansas, where he explored the connection between faith and mental health. Throughout his life, Nouwen remained committed to integrating pastoral care, psychology, and spiritual theology in a way that addressed the emotional and existential needs of believers.
Nouwen held teaching positions at prestigious institutions including the University of Notre Dame, Yale Divinity School, and Harvard Divinity School. He authored over three dozen books and hundreds of articles, with notable works such as The Wounded Healer, The Return of the Prodigal Son, Life of the Beloved, and The Inner Voice of Love. His writing, often rooted in personal vulnerability and spiritual struggle, resonated with readers across denominations. Nouwen openly explored themes of loneliness, identity, intimacy, and the human desire for love and belonging, making his voice especially relatable and influential.
Though he was a gifted academic and popular speaker, Nouwen found his deepest calling later in life through his involvement with L’Arche, a network of communities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. After a transformative stay at the original L’Arche community in France, Nouwen accepted an invitation to become the pastor of L’Arche Daybreak in Richmond Hill, Ontario. There he developed a close bond with Adam Arnett, a core member with severe disabilities, which inspired the book Adam: God’s Beloved. At Daybreak, Nouwen discovered a deep spiritual home and a community that helped him embrace his humanity in profound ways.
Throughout his life, Nouwen wrestled with issues of identity, including his sexuality and his longing for connection, though he remained faithful to his vows. His openness about depression and inner conflict gave depth to his pastoral message, and his ability to turn personal struggle into shared spiritual insight made him one of the most beloved spiritual writers of the 20th century.
Henri Nouwen died in 1996 of a sudden heart attack, but his legacy endures through his writings, the Henri Nouwen Society, and the continued global reach of his message of belovedness, vulnerability, and compassionate community. His books remain bestsellers, widely read in seminaries, churches, and among individuals seeking a more intimate walk with God.
Nouwen held teaching positions at prestigious institutions including the University of Notre Dame, Yale Divinity School, and Harvard Divinity School. He authored over three dozen books and hundreds of articles, with notable works such as The Wounded Healer, The Return of the Prodigal Son, Life of the Beloved, and The Inner Voice of Love. His writing, often rooted in personal vulnerability and spiritual struggle, resonated with readers across denominations. Nouwen openly explored themes of loneliness, identity, intimacy, and the human desire for love and belonging, making his voice especially relatable and influential.
Though he was a gifted academic and popular speaker, Nouwen found his deepest calling later in life through his involvement with L’Arche, a network of communities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. After a transformative stay at the original L’Arche community in France, Nouwen accepted an invitation to become the pastor of L’Arche Daybreak in Richmond Hill, Ontario. There he developed a close bond with Adam Arnett, a core member with severe disabilities, which inspired the book Adam: God’s Beloved. At Daybreak, Nouwen discovered a deep spiritual home and a community that helped him embrace his humanity in profound ways.
Throughout his life, Nouwen wrestled with issues of identity, including his sexuality and his longing for connection, though he remained faithful to his vows. His openness about depression and inner conflict gave depth to his pastoral message, and his ability to turn personal struggle into shared spiritual insight made him one of the most beloved spiritual writers of the 20th century.
Henri Nouwen died in 1996 of a sudden heart attack, but his legacy endures through his writings, the Henri Nouwen Society, and the continued global reach of his message of belovedness, vulnerability, and compassionate community. His books remain bestsellers, widely read in seminaries, churches, and among individuals seeking a more intimate walk with God.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 181 reviews
January 11, 2023
I love the profound simplicity of the book. I have never read a Christian author who successfully (or even attempts!) to give a spiritual and practical guide with such few words.
I typically tire of “Christian authors” as they seem to be more concerned that their lofty and abundant words will emotionally move us when I really just want actionable steps with spiritual justification (I’m really not *that* much of checklister ;)).
I look forward to reading more of Nouwen’s work.
I typically tire of “Christian authors” as they seem to be more concerned that their lofty and abundant words will emotionally move us when I really just want actionable steps with spiritual justification (I’m really not *that* much of checklister ;)).
I look forward to reading more of Nouwen’s work.
July 20, 2015
This book was just what I needed at the moment. I had no idea that the feelings I have been wrestling with for years were rooted in worry. But worry is a major stumbling block to the life of the spirit. This book is not written to be a full treatment of the issue but as an invitation--a prologue-- to go deeper. He wrote this to be a concise description of how he understands the Spiritual life.
Nouwen writes with a clean, easy prose that is a pleasure to read. I really enjoyed this book and it makes me look forward to more Nouwen.
Nouwen writes with a clean, easy prose that is a pleasure to read. I really enjoyed this book and it makes me look forward to more Nouwen.
May 26, 2018
To pray is to pay attention; to listen for the voice of the Real both within oneself and as it sounds through a community of persons. “Sounding through” is a translation of the Latin word personare, from which the English word personality is derived. To be a person—to have personality—is to have ears attuned to the hearing of the ineffable, which speaks both from within and from without. But not all those who have ears are accustomed to using them. The mental noise and clutter with which we choose to fill our lives—especially in the age of social media, in which digital tools which were meant to augment our lives now extract from us a daily toll on our attention and our psychic integrity—serves, in effect, to diminish our personhood. We might say that God, the font of all relatedness, Who embraces all of creation in His sacrificial agony, is far more personal than we are; that in order to find our authentic human voices we must first listen for the voice that speaks through everything.
To live a spiritual life, then, is to learn how to cultivate one’s attentiveness to the voice of God in the midst of our everyday reality. Spirituality does not necessitate, nor does it even strictly encourage, a withdrawal from the demands of “normal” life. Like Jesus himself, the spiritual life must be born, as it were, right in the thick of things. It is a discipline which must be practiced. For Nouwen, the practice has two dimensions: solitude and community. These are two different spiritual disciplines; two ways of listening and obeying.
Jesus was concerned with one thing, and that was to do the will of His Father. His relationship with the Father is one of mutual and unlimited trust, openness, and obedience. All who would be Christians are invited to share in this relationship; to be drawn into the same level of intimacy with the Father that Jesus had. Jesus’s final prayer for His disciples in the Gospel of John is striking enough to be quoted at some length:
“Father, may they be one in us, as you are in me and I am in you. . . . I have given them the glory you gave to me, that they may be one as we are one. With me in them and you in me, may they be so completely one that the world will realize . . . that I have loved them as much as you love me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they may always see the glory you have given me. . . . I have made your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and so that I may be in them”. [John 17:21-26]
To embrace the spiritual life, to be single-minded in our obedience to God, is not to be free from the pains, worries, and disappointments of the world. It is rather to gain a new understanding of them as various ways in which God sounds through to us, both together and alone.
To live a spiritual life, then, is to learn how to cultivate one’s attentiveness to the voice of God in the midst of our everyday reality. Spirituality does not necessitate, nor does it even strictly encourage, a withdrawal from the demands of “normal” life. Like Jesus himself, the spiritual life must be born, as it were, right in the thick of things. It is a discipline which must be practiced. For Nouwen, the practice has two dimensions: solitude and community. These are two different spiritual disciplines; two ways of listening and obeying.
Jesus was concerned with one thing, and that was to do the will of His Father. His relationship with the Father is one of mutual and unlimited trust, openness, and obedience. All who would be Christians are invited to share in this relationship; to be drawn into the same level of intimacy with the Father that Jesus had. Jesus’s final prayer for His disciples in the Gospel of John is striking enough to be quoted at some length:
“Father, may they be one in us, as you are in me and I am in you. . . . I have given them the glory you gave to me, that they may be one as we are one. With me in them and you in me, may they be so completely one that the world will realize . . . that I have loved them as much as you love me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they may always see the glory you have given me. . . . I have made your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and so that I may be in them”. [John 17:21-26]
To embrace the spiritual life, to be single-minded in our obedience to God, is not to be free from the pains, worries, and disappointments of the world. It is rather to gain a new understanding of them as various ways in which God sounds through to us, both together and alone.
September 28, 2024
Nouwen's writing is like a healing salve for a restless heart
October 19, 2018
Henri Nouwen has been a treasured spiritual mentor for many of us. I first read In the Name of Jesus back in seminary and have read some of his other books over the years. It is always a win when I am perusing a used bookstore and come across a work by Nouwen. This little book makes a good weeklong devotional. The first chapter diagnoses the problem, while the second chapter talks about the kingdom. The third chapter discusses two key spiritual practices for entering into the spiritual life - solitude and community. Overall, Nouwen packs a lot of thought into this short book and it is well worth your time to probably read more than once.
January 23, 2025
A short and quick read. It didn’t offer a ton of new ideas to me, but was filled with great reminders and offered a good opportunity to reflect on my own disciplines.
A favorite quote:
“As we empty ourselves of our many worries, we come to know not only with our mind but also with our heart that we never were really alone, that God's Spirit was with us all along.”
A favorite quote:
“As we empty ourselves of our many worries, we come to know not only with our mind but also with our heart that we never were really alone, that God's Spirit was with us all along.”
December 9, 2025
read this one slowly throughout the day today (only 100 pages) & it was grounding. nouwen is one of my favorite theological writers because of how accessible he makes his writing. there are no bells and whistles - just truth, supported by lots of scripture. I appreciated his descriptions of solitude & community and the benefit of practicing them separately and concurrently; it provided a new way to consider well-known disciplines in my life.
quotes!
pg 29: “Boredom is a sentiment of disconnectedness. To be bored does not mean we have nothing to do, but that we question the value of the things we are so busy doing.”
pg 42: “Jesus in no way wants us to leave our many-faceted world. Rather, he wants us to live in it, but firmly rooted in the center of all things (him).”
pg 52: “He became like us so that we might become like him. He did not cling to equality with God, but emptied himself and became as we are.”
pg 81: “Community as discipline is the effort to create a free and empty space among people where together we can practice true obedience.”
quotes!
pg 29: “Boredom is a sentiment of disconnectedness. To be bored does not mean we have nothing to do, but that we question the value of the things we are so busy doing.”
pg 42: “Jesus in no way wants us to leave our many-faceted world. Rather, he wants us to live in it, but firmly rooted in the center of all things (him).”
pg 52: “He became like us so that we might become like him. He did not cling to equality with God, but emptied himself and became as we are.”
pg 81: “Community as discipline is the effort to create a free and empty space among people where together we can practice true obedience.”
July 26, 2024
Whew! Profoundly encouraging and convicting, this book really felt like a breath of fresh air — so expansive and comforting!
Some favorite quotes (can I just copy/paste the whole book here?)
The impact of worry and boredom on our lives: “Sometimes indeed we have to say that the only thing we remember of our recent past is that we were very busy, that everything seemed very urgent, and that we could hardly get it all done. What we were doing we have forgotten. This shows how isolated we have become. The past no longer carries us to the future. It simply leaves us worried without any promise that things will be different”
What is the spiritual life? “The active presence of God’s Spirit in the midst of a worry-filled existence”
The discipline of solitude: “But our moment of solitude is precisely a moment in which we want to be in the presence of our Lord with empty hands…naked, vulnerable, useless without much to show, prove, or defend. That is how we slowly learn to listen to God’s small voice.”
The discipline of community: “recognition of the Spirit of God in each other…heart calling to heart…a hospitable space where the recreating power of God’s Spirit can become manifest”
Some favorite quotes (can I just copy/paste the whole book here?)
The impact of worry and boredom on our lives: “Sometimes indeed we have to say that the only thing we remember of our recent past is that we were very busy, that everything seemed very urgent, and that we could hardly get it all done. What we were doing we have forgotten. This shows how isolated we have become. The past no longer carries us to the future. It simply leaves us worried without any promise that things will be different”
What is the spiritual life? “The active presence of God’s Spirit in the midst of a worry-filled existence”
The discipline of solitude: “But our moment of solitude is precisely a moment in which we want to be in the presence of our Lord with empty hands…naked, vulnerable, useless without much to show, prove, or defend. That is how we slowly learn to listen to God’s small voice.”
The discipline of community: “recognition of the Spirit of God in each other…heart calling to heart…a hospitable space where the recreating power of God’s Spirit can become manifest”
March 8, 2024
This small book is a great refresher on redirecting our minds and hearts towards God. It’s stated in simple terms and laid out in very practical ways. I particularly enjoyed the closing chapter regarding our discipline to solitude and to community, as I had not considered looking at community the way Nouwen presents its spiritual aspects and necessity. He says, “In true community we are windows constantly offering each other new views on the mystery of God’s presence in our lives.” It made me so extremely grateful for the community He’s brought together and gifted me a place within.
January 27, 2023
Very simple but worth a read. Lots of interesting ideas to meditate on
February 13, 2025
3.5- chicken soup for the soul. the spiritual life >>> worrying
April 15, 2024
Quick, encouraging read from Nouwen on the essence of the spiritual life.
January 8, 2018
Finally, finally, my first Henri Nouwen. He's been on my to-read list for many years. I hope to read many more of his books through the years.
I've shelved this with easy reads not because the subject matter is "easy" but it's a short, small book and you can get through it fast. But since it's a book about the contemplative life, this is slightly ironic. Lingering recommended :)
This book is about "the spiritual life" but it's specifically about how a spiritual life cultivates a certain resistance or resilience against worry and anxiety, because of how it brings us into closer relationship with God and others.
I like Nouwen's summary of the spiritual life:
This is exactly what the spiritual life is. Not a retreat but an invitation to be recreated, daily, moment-by-moment, by God's presence in us. And then an engagement with others, where we "create new space for God" together.
So good.
I've shelved this with easy reads not because the subject matter is "easy" but it's a short, small book and you can get through it fast. But since it's a book about the contemplative life, this is slightly ironic. Lingering recommended :)
This book is about "the spiritual life" but it's specifically about how a spiritual life cultivates a certain resistance or resilience against worry and anxiety, because of how it brings us into closer relationship with God and others.
I like Nouwen's summary of the spiritual life:
A hard struggle is required. It is the struggle to allow God's Spirit to work in us and recreate us. But this struggle is not beyond our strength. It calls for some very specific, well-planned steps. It calls for a few moments a day in the presence of God when we can listen to his voice precisely in the midst of our many concerns. It also calls for the persistent endeavor to be with others in a new way by seeing them not as people to whom we can cling in fear, but as fellow human beings with whom we can create new space for God.
This is exactly what the spiritual life is. Not a retreat but an invitation to be recreated, daily, moment-by-moment, by God's presence in us. And then an engagement with others, where we "create new space for God" together.
So good.
November 20, 2023
Reading any book by Nouwen will include unique wisdom and language around what it means to follow Jesus and as he describes it in this book the “Spiritual Life.”
This book encourages me to slow down, seek the kingdom of God first, and the path to doing those things is a life of leaning into spiritual disciplines.
I like how he described the “spiritual life” as mostly learning how to listen.
Also just like his other books he adds an emphasis on community towards the end. I like how he considers community as a spiritual discipline. I’m not sure I’ve heard it described that way before, but I like it!!
This book encourages me to slow down, seek the kingdom of God first, and the path to doing those things is a life of leaning into spiritual disciplines.
I like how he described the “spiritual life” as mostly learning how to listen.
Also just like his other books he adds an emphasis on community towards the end. I like how he considers community as a spiritual discipline. I’m not sure I’ve heard it described that way before, but I like it!!
February 25, 2025
Worth re-reading!
January 23, 2021
I always feel renewed after reading a book by Henri Nouwen. This one was short and yet most timely and much needed for me; reminding me that making time for God renews my relationship with Him and puts me on a more meaningful and purposeful path in my life. Between it being January and the necessary isolation resulting from a world wide pandemic, has left me feeling like I am simply going through the motions and that has never been how I want to live my life. I know how to have a fulfilled, purposeful life, however there are times, this being one of those times, when I need someone to point me back to the right path. Thank- you Mr. Nouwen!
February 17, 2019
Very quick! And very dear, as all Nouwen works are. I’m going to be working through his thoughts on the life of worry vs life in the spirit for a while.
February 19, 2020
My still small voice was crying, "No!!!"
Short version: Ed Clowney's Christian Meditation would be a similar length, much more faithful treatment of this topic, for those interested.
Long version warning: critical review by someone who's seen the ravages books like this leave in the lives of good, godly people who really do want to know and love the Triune God and honor Him with their lives.
I don't say this lightly, but books like this are a major source of slavery and angst for God's people. To encourage them to find solitude and pray is great, as is making sure you're loving in community with God's people, but to encourage people to try and hear some "still small voice" as God's voice to them is terribly misguided, at best, and quite often incredibly damaging in countless ways.
It pains me to try and recount the number of people I've counseled who are paralyzed bc they just don't know what God's telling them to do. They feel enslaved to trying to discern where that mysterious voice would have them hit God's secret will bullseye.
They don't need mysticism. They need the revealed word of God.
In these last days, God has spoken by His Son and in His Word. The spiritual life is found by storing God's word in our heart; abiding in Christ; and keeping His commandments by the power of the Spirit (not to mention participating in God's ordinary means of grace). Christ prays that we would be sanctified in truth; God's word is truth. John says to test the spirits, and Paul reminds Timothy that the Scriptures are the God breathed means for the man of God to be equipped for every good work, not some still small voice.
True freedom is found in Christ and in loving and loving by His Word, which the HS inspired for our good and our joy. Christ has set us free to know and love God's revealed word, not to live whatever faux spiritual life Nouwen is espousing.
Short version: Ed Clowney's Christian Meditation would be a similar length, much more faithful treatment of this topic, for those interested.
Long version warning: critical review by someone who's seen the ravages books like this leave in the lives of good, godly people who really do want to know and love the Triune God and honor Him with their lives.
I don't say this lightly, but books like this are a major source of slavery and angst for God's people. To encourage them to find solitude and pray is great, as is making sure you're loving in community with God's people, but to encourage people to try and hear some "still small voice" as God's voice to them is terribly misguided, at best, and quite often incredibly damaging in countless ways.
It pains me to try and recount the number of people I've counseled who are paralyzed bc they just don't know what God's telling them to do. They feel enslaved to trying to discern where that mysterious voice would have them hit God's secret will bullseye.
They don't need mysticism. They need the revealed word of God.
In these last days, God has spoken by His Son and in His Word. The spiritual life is found by storing God's word in our heart; abiding in Christ; and keeping His commandments by the power of the Spirit (not to mention participating in God's ordinary means of grace). Christ prays that we would be sanctified in truth; God's word is truth. John says to test the spirits, and Paul reminds Timothy that the Scriptures are the God breathed means for the man of God to be equipped for every good work, not some still small voice.
True freedom is found in Christ and in loving and loving by His Word, which the HS inspired for our good and our joy. Christ has set us free to know and love God's revealed word, not to live whatever faux spiritual life Nouwen is espousing.
February 2, 2021
A beautiful and practical little book on the disciplines of solitude and community and their value in cultivating a spiritual life.
October 2, 2023
When you get the chance, pick up any of Nouwen’s work and soak it in.
January 23, 2024
Very well done, simple overview of getting started on (or maintaining) a life with God.
May 27, 2025
Just so so good! Favorite part was on solitude - but also just motivated me to make the time for spiritual disciplines that lead to a deeper spiritual life!! Would highly recommend to everyone!
October 22, 2025
Sweet, short book on spiritual formation.
February 22, 2025
Everything you would hope for in a Nouwen book. Beautiful.
October 14, 2018
A wonderfully short book about how to live a spiritual life. Nouwen talks about the constant worries in our society and how we need to put them in perspective by focusing on Jesus and making him the center and the lens through which we see all else. He concludes his short book with two ways of practicing this: attentive listening to God in prayer and in community. Nouwen realizes how different every individual is and shares how different this can look in each person. I appreciate his un-dogmatic attitude toward how people can approach their relationship with God. As someone who struggles with this I appreciate what Nouwen has to say and look forward to reading his other books on spirituality.
March 16, 2022
Easy to get through but practical. He is very wise and his words are so rooted in scripture that the lessons are important to apply in the life of every believer.
March 15, 2023
THE ‘WOUNDED HEALER’ DISCUSSES THE SPIRITUAL LIFE
Priest and author Henri J.M. Nouwen wrote in the Acknowledgements of this 1981 book, “During the past few years, various friends have asked me, ‘What do you mean when you speak about the spiritual life?’ Every time this question has come up, I have wished I had a small and simple book which could offer the beginning of a response. Although there are many excellent books about the spiritual life, I still felt there was a place for a text which could be read within a few hours and could not only explain what the spiritual life is but also create a desire to live it. This feeling caused me to write this book. Many of the ideas have been expressed before by others as well as by myself, but I hope and pray that the way they are brought together here will be of help to those who feel ‘filled but unfulfilled.’”
He explains in the Introduction, “In this book I would like to explore what it means to live a spiritual life and how to live it. In the midst of our restless and hectic lives we sometimes wonder, ‘What is our true vocation in life?’ ‘Where can we find the peace of mind to listen to the calling voice of God?’ ‘Who can guide us through the inner labyrinth of our thoughts, emotions, and feelings?’ These and many similar questions express a deep desire to live a spiritual life, but also a great unclarity about its meaning and practice. I have written this book… for men and women who experience a persistent urge to enter more deeply into the spiritual urge to enter more deeply into the spiritual life but are confused about the direction in which to go... But I also want to speak, although indirectly, to the many for whom the Christian story is unfamiliar or strange but who experience a general desire for spiritual freedom… The authentic spiritual life finds its basis in the human condition, which all people---whether they are Christians or not---have in common.” (Pg. 13-15)
He notes, “Beneath our worrying lives… something else is going on. While our minds and hearts are filled with many things, and we wonder how we can live up to the expectations imposed upon us by ourselves and others, we have a deep sense of unfulfillment… we seldom feel truly satisfied, at peace, or at home. A gnawing sense of being unfulfilled underlies our filled lives… I can discern different sentiments. The most significant are boredom, resentment, and depression.” (Pg. 28) Later, he adds, “Jesus responds to this condition of being filled yet unfulfilled, very busy yet unconnected, all over the place yet never at home. He wants to bring us to the place where we belong. But his call to live a spiritual life can only be heard when we are willing honestly to confess our own homeless and worrying existence and recognize its fragmenting effect on our daily life. Only then can a desire for our true home develop.” (Pg. 37)
He says, “It is clear … Jesus had a very filled life and was seldom if ever left alone. He might even appear to us as a fanatic driven by a compulsion to get his message across at any cost…. On the contrary, everything we know about Jesus indicates that he was concerned with only one thing: to do the will of his Father… Jesus is not our Savior simply because of what he said to us or did to us. He is our Savor because what he said and did was done in obedience to his Father.” (Pg. 45-47)
He suggests, “‘Being in the world without being of the world.’ These words summarize well the way Jesus speaks of the spiritual life. It is a life in which we are totally transformed by the Spirit of love. Yet it is a life in which everything seems to remain the same. To live a spiritual life does not mean that we must leave our families, give up our jobs, or change our ways of working; it does not mean that we have to withdraw from social or political activities, or lose interest in literature and art; it does not require severe forms of asceticism or long hours or prayer. Changes such as these may in fact grow out of our spiritual life, and for some people radical decisions may be necessary. But the spiritual life can be lived in as many ways as there are people. What is new is that we have moved from the many things to the kingdom of God. What is new is that we are set free from the compulsions of our world and have set our hearts on the only necessary thing. What is new is that we no longer experience the many things, people, and events at endless causes for worry, but begin to experience them as the rich variety of ways in which God makes his presence known to us.” (Pg. 56-57)
He explains, “A spiritual life without discipline is impossible. Discipline is the other side of discipleship. The practice of a spiritual discipline makes us more sensitive to the small, gentle voice of God… Through the practice of a spiritual discipline we become attentive to that small voice and willing to respond when we hear it.” (Pg. 66)
Solitude is not a spontaneous response to an occupied and preoccupied life. There are too many reasons not to be alone. Therefore we must begin by carefully planning some solitude… The amount of time will vary for each person according to temperament, age, job, lifestyle, and maturity. But we do not take the spiritual life seriously if we do not set aside some time to be with God and listen to him… Once we have committed ourselves to spending time in solitude, we develop an attentiveness to God’s voice in us. In the beginning… we may have the feeling that we are simply wasting our time. At first, the many distractions keep presenting themselves. Later, as they receive less and less attention, they slowly withdraw.” (Pg. 71-73)
He states, “what finally matters is that our hearts become like quiet cells where God can dwell, wherever we go and whatever we do. The more we train ourselves to spend time with God and him alone, the more we will discover that God is with us at all times and in all places. Then we will be able to recognize him even in the midst of a busy and active life… We will be able to live the spiritual life in any place and any time. Thus the discipline of solitude enables us to live active lives in the world, while remaining always in the presence of the living God.” (Pg. 79-80)
He observes, “The mystery of community is precisely that it embraces ALL people, and allows them to live together as brothers and sisters of Christ and sons and daughters of his heavenly Father… The disciplined silence is not an embarrassing silence, but a silence in which together we pay attention to the Lord who calls us together. In this way we come to know each other not as people who cling anxiously to our self-constructed identity, but as people who are loved by the same God in a very intimate and unique way.” (Pg. 83-84)
He concludes, “In this book I have described the spiritual life as the active presence of God’s Spirit in the midst of a worry-filled existence. This life becomes a possibility when, by the disciplines of solitude and community, we slowly create some free inner space in our filled lives and so allow God’s Spirit to become manifest to us… this struggle is not beyond out strength. It calls for a few moments a day in the presence of God when we can listen to his voice precisely in the midst of our many concerns… The beginning of the spiritual life is often difficult not only because the powers which cause us to worry are so strong but also because the presence of God’s Spirit seems barely noticeable. If, however, we are faithful to our disciplines, a new hunger is the first sign of God’s presence. When we remain attentive to this divine presence, we will be led always deeper into the kingdom. There, to our joyful surprise, we will discover that al things are being made new.” (Pg. 95)
This book will be of great interest to those investigating the spiritual life.
Priest and author Henri J.M. Nouwen wrote in the Acknowledgements of this 1981 book, “During the past few years, various friends have asked me, ‘What do you mean when you speak about the spiritual life?’ Every time this question has come up, I have wished I had a small and simple book which could offer the beginning of a response. Although there are many excellent books about the spiritual life, I still felt there was a place for a text which could be read within a few hours and could not only explain what the spiritual life is but also create a desire to live it. This feeling caused me to write this book. Many of the ideas have been expressed before by others as well as by myself, but I hope and pray that the way they are brought together here will be of help to those who feel ‘filled but unfulfilled.’”
He explains in the Introduction, “In this book I would like to explore what it means to live a spiritual life and how to live it. In the midst of our restless and hectic lives we sometimes wonder, ‘What is our true vocation in life?’ ‘Where can we find the peace of mind to listen to the calling voice of God?’ ‘Who can guide us through the inner labyrinth of our thoughts, emotions, and feelings?’ These and many similar questions express a deep desire to live a spiritual life, but also a great unclarity about its meaning and practice. I have written this book… for men and women who experience a persistent urge to enter more deeply into the spiritual urge to enter more deeply into the spiritual life but are confused about the direction in which to go... But I also want to speak, although indirectly, to the many for whom the Christian story is unfamiliar or strange but who experience a general desire for spiritual freedom… The authentic spiritual life finds its basis in the human condition, which all people---whether they are Christians or not---have in common.” (Pg. 13-15)
He notes, “Beneath our worrying lives… something else is going on. While our minds and hearts are filled with many things, and we wonder how we can live up to the expectations imposed upon us by ourselves and others, we have a deep sense of unfulfillment… we seldom feel truly satisfied, at peace, or at home. A gnawing sense of being unfulfilled underlies our filled lives… I can discern different sentiments. The most significant are boredom, resentment, and depression.” (Pg. 28) Later, he adds, “Jesus responds to this condition of being filled yet unfulfilled, very busy yet unconnected, all over the place yet never at home. He wants to bring us to the place where we belong. But his call to live a spiritual life can only be heard when we are willing honestly to confess our own homeless and worrying existence and recognize its fragmenting effect on our daily life. Only then can a desire for our true home develop.” (Pg. 37)
He says, “It is clear … Jesus had a very filled life and was seldom if ever left alone. He might even appear to us as a fanatic driven by a compulsion to get his message across at any cost…. On the contrary, everything we know about Jesus indicates that he was concerned with only one thing: to do the will of his Father… Jesus is not our Savior simply because of what he said to us or did to us. He is our Savor because what he said and did was done in obedience to his Father.” (Pg. 45-47)
He suggests, “‘Being in the world without being of the world.’ These words summarize well the way Jesus speaks of the spiritual life. It is a life in which we are totally transformed by the Spirit of love. Yet it is a life in which everything seems to remain the same. To live a spiritual life does not mean that we must leave our families, give up our jobs, or change our ways of working; it does not mean that we have to withdraw from social or political activities, or lose interest in literature and art; it does not require severe forms of asceticism or long hours or prayer. Changes such as these may in fact grow out of our spiritual life, and for some people radical decisions may be necessary. But the spiritual life can be lived in as many ways as there are people. What is new is that we have moved from the many things to the kingdom of God. What is new is that we are set free from the compulsions of our world and have set our hearts on the only necessary thing. What is new is that we no longer experience the many things, people, and events at endless causes for worry, but begin to experience them as the rich variety of ways in which God makes his presence known to us.” (Pg. 56-57)
He explains, “A spiritual life without discipline is impossible. Discipline is the other side of discipleship. The practice of a spiritual discipline makes us more sensitive to the small, gentle voice of God… Through the practice of a spiritual discipline we become attentive to that small voice and willing to respond when we hear it.” (Pg. 66)
Solitude is not a spontaneous response to an occupied and preoccupied life. There are too many reasons not to be alone. Therefore we must begin by carefully planning some solitude… The amount of time will vary for each person according to temperament, age, job, lifestyle, and maturity. But we do not take the spiritual life seriously if we do not set aside some time to be with God and listen to him… Once we have committed ourselves to spending time in solitude, we develop an attentiveness to God’s voice in us. In the beginning… we may have the feeling that we are simply wasting our time. At first, the many distractions keep presenting themselves. Later, as they receive less and less attention, they slowly withdraw.” (Pg. 71-73)
He states, “what finally matters is that our hearts become like quiet cells where God can dwell, wherever we go and whatever we do. The more we train ourselves to spend time with God and him alone, the more we will discover that God is with us at all times and in all places. Then we will be able to recognize him even in the midst of a busy and active life… We will be able to live the spiritual life in any place and any time. Thus the discipline of solitude enables us to live active lives in the world, while remaining always in the presence of the living God.” (Pg. 79-80)
He observes, “The mystery of community is precisely that it embraces ALL people, and allows them to live together as brothers and sisters of Christ and sons and daughters of his heavenly Father… The disciplined silence is not an embarrassing silence, but a silence in which together we pay attention to the Lord who calls us together. In this way we come to know each other not as people who cling anxiously to our self-constructed identity, but as people who are loved by the same God in a very intimate and unique way.” (Pg. 83-84)
He concludes, “In this book I have described the spiritual life as the active presence of God’s Spirit in the midst of a worry-filled existence. This life becomes a possibility when, by the disciplines of solitude and community, we slowly create some free inner space in our filled lives and so allow God’s Spirit to become manifest to us… this struggle is not beyond out strength. It calls for a few moments a day in the presence of God when we can listen to his voice precisely in the midst of our many concerns… The beginning of the spiritual life is often difficult not only because the powers which cause us to worry are so strong but also because the presence of God’s Spirit seems barely noticeable. If, however, we are faithful to our disciplines, a new hunger is the first sign of God’s presence. When we remain attentive to this divine presence, we will be led always deeper into the kingdom. There, to our joyful surprise, we will discover that al things are being made new.” (Pg. 95)
This book will be of great interest to those investigating the spiritual life.
February 15, 2017
I have returned to this little book again and again for its simple wisdom. In an age shaped by the false compulsions of news and anxiety, Nouwen helps us locate our real enemies --vague discontent, boredom, fear, false preoccupations.
He sets aside two words for special consideration --"absurd" --from the Latin surdus, meaning deaf, and "obedience" from the Latin "audire" to hear.
We can't live on a constant diet of absurdity and anxiety. But we can listen fiercely to who Christ says we are and take our many worries to Him to find in Him a radical center and our real identity.
"Purity of heart is to will one thing" Kierkegaard.
He sets aside two words for special consideration --"absurd" --from the Latin surdus, meaning deaf, and "obedience" from the Latin "audire" to hear.
We can't live on a constant diet of absurdity and anxiety. But we can listen fiercely to who Christ says we are and take our many worries to Him to find in Him a radical center and our real identity.
"Purity of heart is to will one thing" Kierkegaard.
April 7, 2014
This is short at 96 pages and is written in three sections, all of which are easy to read. But there is such powerful insight in the words Nouwen uses.
I can read his work every day as there is such wonderful clarity around the understanding of the human condition plus he writes in this wonderfully melodic style that is non-judgemental and peaceful.
The book starts with identifying busyness as a key enemy to a spiritual life. However, he highlights the fact that busyness doesn't necessarily lead to fulfilment. He then leads us into outlining the importance of the two disciplines: solitude and community. And it is in these two disciplines where a true spiritual life begins.
I particularly appreciate how he emphasises that prayer is about entering into God's presence so we can understand His purposes. God is always talking so it is only in solitude that we are able to hear God outline His plans and purposes. Jesus was an active listener and Nouwen encourages us to develop the same habit.
Highly recommended.
I can read his work every day as there is such wonderful clarity around the understanding of the human condition plus he writes in this wonderfully melodic style that is non-judgemental and peaceful.
The book starts with identifying busyness as a key enemy to a spiritual life. However, he highlights the fact that busyness doesn't necessarily lead to fulfilment. He then leads us into outlining the importance of the two disciplines: solitude and community. And it is in these two disciplines where a true spiritual life begins.
I particularly appreciate how he emphasises that prayer is about entering into God's presence so we can understand His purposes. God is always talking so it is only in solitude that we are able to hear God outline His plans and purposes. Jesus was an active listener and Nouwen encourages us to develop the same habit.
Highly recommended.
September 8, 2022
Pg 76 "But our moment of solitude is precisely a moment in which we want to be in the presence of our Lord with empty hands, vulnerable, useless, without much to show, prove, or defend. That is how we slowly learn to listen to God's small voice"
Pg 95 "The beginning of the spiritual life is often difficult not only because the powers which cause us to worry are so strong but also because the presence of God's Spirit seems barely noticeable. If, however, we are faithful to our disciplines, a new hunger will make itself known."
Pg 95 "The beginning of the spiritual life is often difficult not only because the powers which cause us to worry are so strong but also because the presence of God's Spirit seems barely noticeable. If, however, we are faithful to our disciplines, a new hunger will make itself known."
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