Brother Lawrence was a simple monk who loved the Lord. His stories taught me how to find the Lord's love in my daily life.

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Product Description

For nearly 300 years this unparalleled classic has given both blessing and instruction to those who can be content with nothing less than knowing God in all His majesty and feeling His loving presence throughout each simple day.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #154765 in Books
• Published on: 1982-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 96 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780883681053
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
..."[This book] has opened up the personal interconnections within the movement as never before."

Language Notes
Text: English, French (translation)

From the Publisher
The newly translated version of the seventeenth-century spiritual classic. Beautifully rendered and divinely inspirational, this devotional masterpiece is a simple guide for all Christians aspiring to the ultimate goal of life--complete union with God.

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Customer Reviews

A Seminal and Very Influential Classic of Spirituality
I first learned about this wonderful little book through another very useful book entitled "Great Books of the Christian Tradition" by Terry Glaspey. Glaspey is a Christian booklover who's well read in Christian literature and considers this book one of the top ten that every Christian ought to read. The value of Brother Lawrence's book is seen in the fact that it is one of the favorites of some of the other authors on Glaspey's top ten list: A.W. Tozer (author of "The Pursuit of God") and Richard Foster (author of "A Celebration of Discipline"). Another popular Christian author (who is a Quaker like Foster) that was influenced by Brother Lawrence is mentioned in the introduction by Hal Helms in Paraclete Press's edition of "The Practice of the Presence of God": Hannah Whitall Smith (author of "The Christian's Secret to a Happy Life"). Mrs. Smith called Lawrence's book "one of the most helpful books I know." And still another Quaker, Thomas Kelly (author of the classic, "A Testament of Devotion"), treasured Brother Lawrence's book as well. This is just a small handful of major authors influenced by this classic that testifies to its enduring value in the broader Christian community. I've read all of the above classics and therefore can personally testify that Brother Lawrence's principles are reflected in all of them!

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection (a.k.a. Nicholas Herman) lived in the 17th century and was a monk within the Carmelite Order of the Roman Catholic Church. This was the Order of such notable Christian mystics as St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross who authored other seminal mystical texts. "The Practice of the Presence of God" is a small book of compiled documents of various literary genres. The one who compiled them was the Abbe of Beaufort who is the author of the "Eulogy" portion of the book. He was a close friend to Brother Lawrence and, at the request of others, published his eulogy along with four conversations he had with Brother Lawrence and sixteen letters from Brother Lawrence to various individuals (Reverend Mother N {for "name"}, Reverend Father N, and Madame N). Also included in the compilation are Spiritual Maxims that condense his fundamental spiritual principles and teachings. Included in The Paraclete Press's edition of this classic is a memoir from the Abbe de Beaufort entitled "Brother Lawrence's Way of Life", published around two years after his Eulogy and recorded conversations. Overall, The Paraclete Press's edition is a good compilation and translation (by Robert Edmonson) of this classic work.

The title of the book speaks volumes as to what the book is about. Brother Lawrence was a very practical man whose struggles were common ones that we can all relate to. His sincere honesty (and that of the Abbe) is apparent throughout and his spirituality is simple to understand. Application, however, may not be so simple at first, but with disciplined PRACTICE one can turn one's life into a perpetual prayer to God. Remember, prayer is more than just words on the lips (although that is important too!); it is a humble attitude of a heart that has abandoned itself to the God of grace! Whatever the task is at hand (including such a mundane task as washing dishes like Brother Lawrence), one can offer it up to God in an act of love and worship. Everything one does becomes sanctified as one lives unto God and follows the Holy Spirit's leading. Two wonderful companion volumes to this book are "Abandonment to Divine Providence" by Jean-Pierre de Caussade (one of my favorites!) and the Eastern Orthodox classic "The Way of a Pilgrim" by an anonymous Russian pilgrim. The former beautifully expounds on the same principles of Brother Lawrence's book and the latter reflects that same concern to "pray without ceasing" which is what practicing the presence of God is all about.

A Powerful Humbling Experience
I just can't believe it. Of all the thousands of books I have read, this small book has caught my heart. Sure I could have read it in an hour but the wisdom that flows from this edition just simply cooled the hurry of my life.

It is a book that I will place next to my Bible and refer to it every time I sensed that God is far away. Each section of the book stands on its own and yet such a lovely intricate meshing makes the reading more of an experience that a reading exercise.

The one section that caught my spirit reads: "The Time of business, said he, does not with me differ from the time of prayer; and in the noise and clutter of my kitchen (he was a cook) while several persons are calling at the same time for different things, I possess God in as great a tranquility as if I were upon my knees at the Blessed Sacrament".

In another section he speaks of the opportunities to be in HIS prsence when we are stricken with an ailment.

Such statements are throughout the book which will cause one to stop and meditate. I will be buying copies to give to those in my circle that hunger for a closer walk and relationship with God over anything and anyone in their lives.

Practicing the Presence of God
Brother Lawrence writes beautifully and simply of the blessing
of learning to practice God's presence, to seek God in everything,
significant and trivial. His writing makes one think about becoming
more aware that God is near, even in the most menial of tasks.Talk to
Him. He is waiting. Thank Him for every mystery of life. This small
book can make a big difference in one's life.