Product Description

The sacred meal that is part of our faith does more than connect us to the holy.  It connects us to each other.

"I think Jesus wanted his disciples and everyone who came after him to remember what they had together. What they made together. What it meant to be together. How the things he wanted them to do could not be done alone. How the things he did could not have been done without them."

In her inimitable style of memoir and personal reflection, Nora Gallagher explores the beauty and mystery of this most fascinating of topics.  Whether exploring the history of Christian Communion, taking us inside the workings of a soup kitchen or sharing times of joy and sadness with friends, the author reminds us what it means to partake of and be part of the body of Christ.

The Ancient Practices is an eight-book series with staggered releases through February 2010.  Though various books have covered some of these spiritual disciplines, there has never been an attempt at a definitive series until now.  Immensely compelling and readable, each classic book features a foreword by Phyllis Tickle, the general editor.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21662 in Books
• Published on: 2009-11-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 176 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780849900921
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

About the Author
Nora Gallagher's novel, Changing Light, received outstanding reviews in the New York Times Book Review, the Boston Globe, the San Francisco Chronicle and the Los Angeles Times. Her memoir Things Seen and Unseen: A Year Lived in Faith was a bestseller. Her second memoir Practicing Resurrection was a finalist for Beliefnet Book of the Year. She is licensed to preach by the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, a preacher-in-residence at Trinity Episcopal Church in Santa Barbara, and is on the Board of Advisors of the Yale Divinity School. She is married to novelist and poet, Vincent Stanley.

Customer Reviews

Like talking with a good friend...
I receieved this book for a book review blog that I subscribe to, and was pleasantly suprised with what an easy read it was! I am not a highly scripture based person, and the way that this book was written was easy to flow through. I found myself feeling as if Nora Gallagher and I were having a conversation over a good meal, which is a lot like what she writes in her book. The book speaks of Communion in ways that most would not think about. She speaks on soup kitchens, different religions, and personal experiences. As soon as I started reading this book, I began to tell women on the altar guild at my church that I had a book that they would love. It is a refreshing view of a highly sacred practice that has spanned through time, and is written in a way that will not scare anyone away or feel too heavy. All in all, this was an enjoyable read and nice window into the practice of Communion for the everyday person.

a trustworthy guide, a fine book

As ever, Nora Gallagher gives us a fresh take on church, one that invites us to the banquet table without demanding that we dress for dinner.
In the manner of a true wisdom teacher, Gallagher SHOWS us communion rather than TELLING us about it, (just as Jesus showed that young lawyer the meaning of the command to love his neighbor).
She writes with true authority, the authority of one who practices her Christian faith in the world with keen attention to both ancient roots and current needs. This is not just another author quoting scripture or explaning doctrine, but rather a trustworthy guide who has tasted the presence of God in the bread and wine and shows us a way to delve more deeply into the mystery incarnate in the sacrament. With Gallagher as our guide, we too, can taste and see.

The Sacred Meal...Interesting
As a review for Thomas Nelson, we are able to choose our next book to read...and I will be honest that it was the cover art that first caught my eye. Simple and yet with so much meaning, the cup and the bread made me stop...and when I read the cover info on the book, I was hooked as I am ever trying to understand more about Christ and the gifts He provided for us as we try to get closer to Him.

While I would have to say that there are a few areas in which Mrs. Gallagher and I would differ (in regard to spiritual practices and beliefs), I can honestly say that this book is one that was well-written and can be very gripping for any heart that loves God and knows the purpose of Holy Communion. There were areas in the book in which I wrinkled my forehead in question to her thoughts, such as when she said that communion was "devised cleverly by and for human beings, to help us get in touch with the Holy". Communion was established by Christ Himself as a reminder of Him, His love and His sacrifice.

There were many areas, tho, in which I found myself pausing to pray, worship and even cry as I tried to wrap my mind around all that God is and designed this practice to be. Two things she said in this book made me mark them, as they really made me stop and ponder the simple truth found in them.
The first is a quote by Heda Kovaly regarding life after being liberated from Concentration Camps:

"Two months after liberation, people had stopped cheering and embracing. They had stopped giving away food and had started selling it on the black market. Those who had compromised their integrity during the Occupation, now began to calculate and plan, to watch and spy on each other, to cover their tracks... It was becoming evident to many that while evil grows all by itself, good can be achieved only through hard struggle and maintained only thru tireless effort."

The second was a line written by the author:

"I remember thinking as I worked in the soup kitchen that I didn't want to know what I was learning. Because then my life couldn't go in the same way... What we learn, we cannot unlearn. What we see, we cannot unsee. (But) Jesus doesn't call us to live in soft cocoon, distracted and undisturbed, allowing others to pay the cost of our comfort."

I would like to thank Thomas Nelson for the chance to read this book, as it provided me many things to ponder, question and reason within my own heart before my Creator. I would warn that this should only be read by those confident in what they believe, as there are many areas in which you could find yourself confused, but I did find that I enjoyed it overall.