Everyday Contemplative: The Way of Prayerful Living

by L. Roger Owens

What does it mean to live a contemplative life? How does someone become contemplative? Does being contemplative mean sitting around thinking about God all day? Does it require living a simple or even austere life, like a monk or a nun? Roger Owens challenges readers to expand their definition of contemplative living to encompass all ways of seeking to be more open, available, and responsive to God. God may be found just as easily in an office cubicle, a donut shop, or a laundry room as in a monastic cell. In Everyday Contemplative, Owens presents seven characteristics of contemplative longing, attention, patience, playfulness, vulnerability, nonjudgment, and freedom. One ingredient he considers essential to the contemplative life is sharing it with others, and this book invites readers to discover the joys of contemplative living.

Genres: Spirituality

160 pages, Paperback

Published January 31, 2022

About the author

Co-Pastor, Duke Memorial United Methodist Church, Durham, NC

Reviews

[Paul Yanchek · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read!

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as a Lenten study. It had so many interesting thoughts, practices, and new perspectives- it also was a great reminder in just learning to “be”.

[Melissa Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Morning reading, a section or 2 a day. Did a Facebook live to process it by sharing it with others. I think it was good for someone in seminary, someone who hasn’t been through gobs of therapy. I enjoy finding how progressive Christianity, in finding its ancient roots, is finding elements in common with Buddhism, with mindfulness, with intentionality. All good things. I just found it to be repetitive of stuff I already knew.

[Harry Allagree · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author writes, "This book is not a how-to." I suppose there is room for interpretation, but I found what was suggested throughout the book was pretty close to that. i'm sure it will be a helpful book for many, but I just could get into it. I did appreciate an abundance of wise quotations from other spiritual writers with who familiar names.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written, easy to read learning experience. Contemplative!