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The Way We Pray: Prayer Practices from Around the World
The Way We Pray is the first book to explore prayer practices from the world's many religions. Author Maggie Oman Shannon presents and celebrates fifty wonderfully diverse prayer practices, creating the perfect guide for spiritual explorers everywhere. Among the powerful and colorful rituals described in the book are walking a labyrinth, speaking affirmations, writing in a gratitude journal, displaying prayer flags, dressing in ceremonial costumes, reading sacred scriptures, listening to the resonant sounds of a prayer bowl, drawing a mandala, counting prater beads, fasting, writing haiku, and chanting. For each practice described, Maggie Oman Shannon offers historical details, meanings and interpretations, and stories and anecdotes from practicioners she interviewed. She also includes suggestions for bringing these rituals into one's existing spiritual practice.
276 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2001
5 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
Maggie Oman Shannon
14 books9 followersFor more than 10 years, Rev. Maggie Oman Shannon, M.A., has explored cross-cultural forms of prayer and spiritual practice through her work as an interfaith minister, spiritual director, workshop and retreat leader, and author of five published books: Prayers for Healing; The Way We Pray: Prayer Practices from Around the World; A String and a Prayer: How to Make and Use Prayer Beads; One God, Shared Hope, Prayers for Hope and Comfort, and her latest, Crafting Calm.
Through her books, magazine articles, workshops and retreats, and blog, Oman Shannon offers creative tools, resources, and guidance for walking the modern contemplative path.
Through her books, magazine articles, workshops and retreats, and blog, Oman Shannon offers creative tools, resources, and guidance for walking the modern contemplative path.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 13, 2018
I picked this up on a whim, being interested in world sacred traditions.
The book gives a very basic introduction to fifty traditions, tools or tactics of placing attention on the Divine. There's everything from rosary beads to prayer rugs to Tantric Sex. (Don't get your interest piqued for that last one; it's about as exciting as oatmeal.)
Each chapter starts with a quote followed by a brief description of the practice or tool, a few testimonials from various people who do that particular practice, then "suggestions for beginning the exploration." Some of the descriptions were interesting (and the author adequately footnoted her sources), but really there isn't much here you can't find on any of a thousand blogs or with two minutes on Google It really reads like a series of blog posts, sort of short, pithy, and as if they came straight off some life coaching workshop handout. (Which, I guess, shouldn't have been a surprise since the author bio at the end says she owns...a life coaching business. This will teach me to read author bios first from now on.)
The suggestions for practice are very elementary. For the section on Body Payer, one of the suggestion is "Try a yoga class or dance class...." For the section on Food Meditation, she suggests "Before eating, have a moment of silence or say a prayer in appreciation of the work of others to bring food to your table." Umm...gee, those seem glaringly obvious. I suppose if the reader had absolutely no religious background or knowledge at all, it might be helpful, but I think most of us don't live in a complete spiritual vacuum: we've picked up a little just by interacting with other people.
I was hoping for cream; this is low-calorie Dream Whip. There just wasn't much here to provide sustenance or energy.
The book gives a very basic introduction to fifty traditions, tools or tactics of placing attention on the Divine. There's everything from rosary beads to prayer rugs to Tantric Sex. (Don't get your interest piqued for that last one; it's about as exciting as oatmeal.)
Each chapter starts with a quote followed by a brief description of the practice or tool, a few testimonials from various people who do that particular practice, then "suggestions for beginning the exploration." Some of the descriptions were interesting (and the author adequately footnoted her sources), but really there isn't much here you can't find on any of a thousand blogs or with two minutes on Google It really reads like a series of blog posts, sort of short, pithy, and as if they came straight off some life coaching workshop handout. (Which, I guess, shouldn't have been a surprise since the author bio at the end says she owns...a life coaching business. This will teach me to read author bios first from now on.)
The suggestions for practice are very elementary. For the section on Body Payer, one of the suggestion is "Try a yoga class or dance class...." For the section on Food Meditation, she suggests "Before eating, have a moment of silence or say a prayer in appreciation of the work of others to bring food to your table." Umm...gee, those seem glaringly obvious. I suppose if the reader had absolutely no religious background or knowledge at all, it might be helpful, but I think most of us don't live in a complete spiritual vacuum: we've picked up a little just by interacting with other people.
I was hoping for cream; this is low-calorie Dream Whip. There just wasn't much here to provide sustenance or energy.
August 30, 2013
I really wanted to like this book more than I did. Prayer, which I believe involves loving other people, can be an important part of anyone's life. And I'm not much for traditional prayer.
Maggie Shannon includes all the traditional modes and includes 50 different ways (in alphabetical order) that people pray. However in trying to be inclusive, I think there are too many ways that are not prayer, for me anyway.
There are many good chapters and it's a book well worth dipping into if you are a pray-er.
Maggie Shannon includes all the traditional modes and includes 50 different ways (in alphabetical order) that people pray. However in trying to be inclusive, I think there are too many ways that are not prayer, for me anyway.
There are many good chapters and it's a book well worth dipping into if you are a pray-er.
Want to read
February 16, 2009This book has a similar format and content to Paths to Prayer by Patricia D. Brown, and I want to explore the additional avenues Maggie Shannon explores in this work.
April 14, 2009
a beautiful and embracing reminder that ....
spirit touches spirit regardless of the vocabularly.
spirit touches spirit regardless of the vocabularly.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews