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To Pause at the Threshold
"A threshold is a sacred thing," goes the traditional saying of ancient wisdom. In some corners of the earth, in some traditional cultures, and in monastic life, this is still remembered. But in our fast-paced modern world, this wisdom is often lost on us. It is important for us to remember the significance of the threshold. While it is certainly true that thresholds mark the end of one thing and the beginning of another, they also act as borders-the places in between, the points of transition. These can be physical, such as the geographical borders of a country; others, such as the spiritual border between the inner and outer world-between ourselves and others-are intangible.
In To Pause at the Threshold , Esther de Waal looks at what it is like to live in actual "border country," the Welsh countryside with its "slower rhythms" and "earth-linked textures," and explores the importance of opening up and being receptive to one's surroundings, whatever they may be.
In To Pause at the Threshold , Esther de Waal looks at what it is like to live in actual "border country," the Welsh countryside with its "slower rhythms" and "earth-linked textures," and explores the importance of opening up and being receptive to one's surroundings, whatever they may be.
112 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2004
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178 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 20, 2019
This was a nice little book by Esther de Waal. I enjoy reading most anything she writes. In fact, I will be leading a summer book club of her Seeking God on the Schole Sisters network.
This book looks at the borderlands of our lives. I will share my highlights:
"A ritual for letting a son or daughter go free, handing them over, under the protection of God, is not something that we naturally include as a part of growing up today in the west; yet we are here reminded of one of the most important steps of all of the transitions in life, moving from the confines of the family into freedom and maturity."
"Our God is a God who moves and he invites us to move with him. He wants to pry us away from anything that might hold us too securely: our careers, our family systems, our money making. We must be ready to disconnect. There comes a time when the things that were undoubtedly good and right in the past must be left behind, for there is always the danger that they might hinder us from moving forward and connecting with the one necessary thing, Christ himself."
"Recently when a nun in her mid-nineties sent me a note on my birthday, she quoted a line of Hegel: “The owl of wisdom flies in twilight” and then said, 'I like to think that as we get older we live in two twilights; the evening twilight of letting-go and the dawn of looking forward. In both, Christ is our Light.'"
This book looks at the borderlands of our lives. I will share my highlights:
"A ritual for letting a son or daughter go free, handing them over, under the protection of God, is not something that we naturally include as a part of growing up today in the west; yet we are here reminded of one of the most important steps of all of the transitions in life, moving from the confines of the family into freedom and maturity."
"Our God is a God who moves and he invites us to move with him. He wants to pry us away from anything that might hold us too securely: our careers, our family systems, our money making. We must be ready to disconnect. There comes a time when the things that were undoubtedly good and right in the past must be left behind, for there is always the danger that they might hinder us from moving forward and connecting with the one necessary thing, Christ himself."
"Recently when a nun in her mid-nineties sent me a note on my birthday, she quoted a line of Hegel: “The owl of wisdom flies in twilight” and then said, 'I like to think that as we get older we live in two twilights; the evening twilight of letting-go and the dawn of looking forward. In both, Christ is our Light.'"
May 15, 2019
In our current culture, we usually rush through threshold moments - those borders between past and future, life transitions. We don't pause and reflect; we don't celebrate or mark those passages. But borderlands are meant to be explored, and thresholds are meant to be encountered and processed.
This little book is a powerful punch.
Esther de Waal looks at what it is like to live in actual “border country,” the Welsh countryside with its “slower rhythms” and “earth-linked textures,” and explores the importance of opening up and being receptive to one’s surroundings, whatever they may be.
I blogged a series in summary at http://www.patloughery.com/tag/to-pau....
Here is my 1-page summary paper that I wrote for my doctoral class in Rhythms of Living:
To Pause at the Threshold
by Esther de Waal
Morehouse (2001)
Description of the Book
To Pause at the Threshold is a short exploration of the boundary spaces in our lives and our response to these thresholds. In our everyday lives, we are often so busy that we don’t pause and consider the changes we’re going through, and therefore we miss the opportunity to gain something from these threshold moments.
This idea is similar to and also refers to the monastic practice of statio, or leaving time to stand still and let go of the demands of the previous activity, and allowing oneself to prepare a space for the work of God.
Interpretation of the Book
The author begins by discussing border places, writing from her home at the border between Wales and England. She then writes an interlude based upon the role of the porter in St. Benedict’s Rule; the porter’s role is to work at the edge of the monastery and provide deep hospitality to those who come from outside the monastery inside its walls.
The book continues with a look at the transitions between nighttime and daytime, and from season to season. Next, the author describes the life transitions revolving around rites of passage and rituals of transition, encouraging us to see the Psalms as the prayer book for such real changes. The next section deals with transitions between the inner life and the outer life, and then finishes with a challenge to be open to outsiders and those different from us in order to learn from them and be changed by them.
Application
I find myself nodding and highlighting when reading this book. I am one of those whom de Waal describes, busily plowing through transition points in my day and in my life, without reflecting upon those transitions. This is perhaps why I sense the Spirit of God inviting me to practice mindfulness and attentiveness in the moment, and to also live a more contemplative and reflective life in the midst of my busy schedule.
I enjoyed the Celtic practice of celebrating the transition of the seasons; these transitions happen earlier in the year than our contemporary marking points. I am trying to find a good online calendar of these days and other holy days (especially the feast days of Celtic saints) so that I can incorporate these rhythms into my daily and yearly calendar.
I loved de Waal’s challenge to learn from the land, watching the way it changes and moves. As a renewed gardener, I am learning much about the rhythms of life from this glimpse of nature.
De Waal’s book reminded me of Kathleen Norris’ Dakota, which also balances nature and theology in a very practical way.
This little book is a powerful punch.
Esther de Waal looks at what it is like to live in actual “border country,” the Welsh countryside with its “slower rhythms” and “earth-linked textures,” and explores the importance of opening up and being receptive to one’s surroundings, whatever they may be.
I blogged a series in summary at http://www.patloughery.com/tag/to-pau....
Here is my 1-page summary paper that I wrote for my doctoral class in Rhythms of Living:
To Pause at the Threshold
by Esther de Waal
Morehouse (2001)
Description of the Book
To Pause at the Threshold is a short exploration of the boundary spaces in our lives and our response to these thresholds. In our everyday lives, we are often so busy that we don’t pause and consider the changes we’re going through, and therefore we miss the opportunity to gain something from these threshold moments.
This idea is similar to and also refers to the monastic practice of statio, or leaving time to stand still and let go of the demands of the previous activity, and allowing oneself to prepare a space for the work of God.
Interpretation of the Book
The author begins by discussing border places, writing from her home at the border between Wales and England. She then writes an interlude based upon the role of the porter in St. Benedict’s Rule; the porter’s role is to work at the edge of the monastery and provide deep hospitality to those who come from outside the monastery inside its walls.
The book continues with a look at the transitions between nighttime and daytime, and from season to season. Next, the author describes the life transitions revolving around rites of passage and rituals of transition, encouraging us to see the Psalms as the prayer book for such real changes. The next section deals with transitions between the inner life and the outer life, and then finishes with a challenge to be open to outsiders and those different from us in order to learn from them and be changed by them.
Application
I find myself nodding and highlighting when reading this book. I am one of those whom de Waal describes, busily plowing through transition points in my day and in my life, without reflecting upon those transitions. This is perhaps why I sense the Spirit of God inviting me to practice mindfulness and attentiveness in the moment, and to also live a more contemplative and reflective life in the midst of my busy schedule.
I enjoyed the Celtic practice of celebrating the transition of the seasons; these transitions happen earlier in the year than our contemporary marking points. I am trying to find a good online calendar of these days and other holy days (especially the feast days of Celtic saints) so that I can incorporate these rhythms into my daily and yearly calendar.
I loved de Waal’s challenge to learn from the land, watching the way it changes and moves. As a renewed gardener, I am learning much about the rhythms of life from this glimpse of nature.
De Waal’s book reminded me of Kathleen Norris’ Dakota, which also balances nature and theology in a very practical way.
March 27, 2024
A wonderful, spiritual journey that invites both pause and reflection.
December 4, 2012
An absolutely wonderful take on transition and rhythms of life. de Wall explores physical boundaries of locatedness, seasons, and light and dark all for the sake of creating moments of sacred in times of transition and change. She suggests we allow the natural rhythms of the land to shape our movement of personal seasons and experiencing change with the environment. In the closing chapter, de Wall encourages us to be courageous and embrace ambiguity explaining that the comfort and discomfort of our faith draws us into relationship much deeper than certainty allows.
A friend loaned this out to me from his library and I will be sure to purchase a copy for my own to lend out along the journey.
December 16, 2016
Meditations on the spiritual value of being "between" or "outside" of action, movement, progress, order, written by a woman who, as her bio says, is a scholar of both the Celtic and Benedictine traditions. It also may have noted that she is the mother of Edmund de Waal, ceramicist and author of "The Hare with Amber Eyes," which I just finished reading. I carry "Threshold" in my purse -- it's a tiny book -- and read it often. I pulled it out this morning to reset my perspective and noticed the author's name for the first time, checked "Hare/Amber" and Wikipedia for the connection, and realized she is one of the major players in his memoir (which I loved). How interesting to me, that two of my newer most-treasured books were written by mother and son.
June 17, 2024
An amazing book!
While I fought my way through some of the earlier chapters, the reward in the last two will stay with me forever. I have wrestled with the threshold of my (our) life for some time, the insights and clarity This small book did not provide answers, but through the lives of others Esther opened the window for courage and insights to flow, thus enabling me to embrace the moments withing the threshold.
While I fought my way through some of the earlier chapters, the reward in the last two will stay with me forever. I have wrestled with the threshold of my (our) life for some time, the insights and clarity This small book did not provide answers, but through the lives of others Esther opened the window for courage and insights to flow, thus enabling me to embrace the moments withing the threshold.
December 12, 2017
A beautiful little book that explores rituals, thin places, the "ragged edges", and conversation. The author is wise, with a breadth of experiences and quotes shared. A good book to read during times on transition and waiting.
November 10, 2025
This book was recommended to me as I pause at a threshold of my own life. Esther de Waal pens a rich, personal poem that calls into question certainty, and invites us into a rich landscape of mystery.
July 21, 2018
A book that must be read slowly and silently, over and over again.
January 25, 2021
A tiny book to be digested slowly, as with all of de Waal books. Wonderful supplement to devotional/prayer time with lots of beautiful insights.
July 31, 2015
This is my second time through this little book. When I first encountered it 6 years ago, I told the author that it felt like something I could have written -- not that I had her skill with prose, but that it spoke deeply to the transitional state in which I was then. Many borders and thresholds later, I find it still immensely valuable with its reflections on physical borders, seasonal changes, life transitions, and relations between opposing forces. It even has good advice for those moving between two cultures, whether those are social, political, or religious. Its thin pocket size makes it an ideal companion for anyone on pilgrimage, whether that's a physical journey or a journey solely of the heart.
September 30, 2014
A nice book of reflections about the relationship between the interior and exterior life, with examples from the landscape and history of Wales, the Rule of St. Benedict, and the author's own life. Her reflection and metaphor of "The Porter" from The Rule is especially good.
September 26, 2009
A very powerful little book for those times when we are crossing thresholds in our lives.
February 6, 2011
i think i will keep rereading this for the rest of my life. i have finished it. yes, but it has not left my bedside table. nor will it. for quite sometime.
Want to read
January 9, 2011Nan Mein
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews