Sacred Chaos: Spiritual Disciplines for the Life You Have

by Tricia McCary Rhodes, Gary Thomas (Foreword by)

Overview

Life is often chaotic. And no matter how hard you try to find space, to slow down, the chaos always seems to win.
Tricia Rhodes's life is chaotic too. But in the midst of a time of household turmoil, Tricia learned to see God and communicate with him in whole new ways—not on a spiritual retreat, but right in the midst of the chaos of life. She offers us here a fresh view of connecting to God, one that focuses on quality time and frees us from the rigidity of a devotional life that may feel stifled, grow stagnant or bring about guilt when we can't keep up.
These pages will help awaken you to the reality of God's presence in your life—just as it is—providing new ways to pray, to listen to God, to view others the way God sees them, to be guided by God. Ideas at the end of each chapter and suggestions for prayer experiments give practical suggestions for connecting with God and noticing his work throughout each day.
God is not afraid of chaos. If a chaotic life has you running, let Tricia's words offered here help you run to God in the midst of it and discover the ways he can turn even chaos into something sacred.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780830835126
Publisher:	InterVarsity Press
Publication date:	05/16/2008
Pages:	183
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Tricia McCary Rhodes is a writer and teacher whose works include The Soul at Rest, Contemplating the Cross, Intimate Intercession, Taking Up Your Cross and At the Name of Jesus. Together she and her husband, Joe, founded New Hope Church in San Diego, California, and have served there for twenty-five years.

Gary Thomas is a writer and the founder and director of the Center for Evangelical Spirituality, a writing and speaking ministry that integrates Scripture, church history and the Christian classics. He has served as a campus pastor and is currently an adjunct faculty member at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon, where he teaches on spiritual formation. He is the author of several books including Sacred Influence, Authentic Faith and Sacred Marriage.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Gary Thomas

Acknowledgments


Introduction

1. The Quiet Time Fixation

2. Redefining Prayer

3. Kairos Connections

A One-Minute Experiment in Prayer


4. As Simple as Turning

5. His Eye upon Us

6. Spiritual Sight

Experiments with Places of Prayer


7. God in the Bedlam

8. Seize the Silence

9. In Love with the Living Word

Experiments in Hiding God's Word


10. His Abiding Place

11. A Life Small in His Hands

12. Getting Soaked on the Sabbath

Experiments in Physical Prayer


13. Consolations for the Hungry Heart

14. Into the Depths

15. New Practices

Five-Minute Experiments in Prayer


16. Unholy Moments

17. The Heavens Declare

18. Immersed in a World I'm Not Of

Experiments in Creative Ways to Fast


19. Practicing the Presence of People

20. The Gospel Without Words

21. A Vision for the World

22. Seasons of the Soul


Appendix A: Extended Experiments in Prayer

A Thirty-Minute Experiment in Prayer

A One-Hour Experiment in Prayer

A Three-Hour Experiment in Prayer

A One-Day Experiment in Prayer as Community

Appendix B: Attributes of God with Scriptures

Appendix C: Names of Jesus with Scriptures

Notes

What People are Saying About This

Gary Thomas

"Sacred Chaos is a sacred gem. I have long been a fan of Tricia Rhodes's writing, but this is her best work yet, her tour de force of real-life spirituality. It is eminently practical, while grappling seriously with the demands of everyday life. It is chock-full of arresting images; Tricia makes spiritual truth seem very vivid. She has mastered the art of making the mundane serve the cause of the marvelous and even the miraculous. Your life can find room for a growing and rich relationship with God; this book will show you how."
— Gary Thomas, author of Sacred Marriage and Sacred Pathways

Calvin Miller

"Tricia Rhodes's walk of faith is a well-paced pilgrimage. You will find counsel enough in these pages to bleed the hassle from all frantic discipleship. And the soul at the center of your hurriedness will be a soul at rest, for you will have found that gentle pace that tells the world it will be good for them to be around you, for you have walked the edges of her wisdom."
— Calvin Miller, author of The Singer and The Path of Celtic Prayer

Jane Rubietta

"God is in the bedlam, and Tricia opens access to the hidden sacred moments of our jam-packed lives. With short, honest, hope-filled chapters and solid, doable application, Sacred Chaos makes it possible to live in God's presence, day after crowded day."
— Jane Rubietta, speaker and author of Resting Place and Come Closer

Editorial Reviews

"Tricia Rhodes's walk of faith is a well-paced pilgrimage. You will find counsel enough in these pages to bleed the hassle from all frantic discipleship. And the soul at the center of your hurriedness will be a soul at rest, for you will have found that gentle pace that tells the world it will be good for them to be around you, for you have walked the edges of her wisdom."

Calvin Miller

"God is in the bedlam, and Tricia opens access to the hidden sacred moments of our jam-packed lives. With short, honest, hope-filled chapters and solid, doable application, Sacred Chaos makes it possible to live in God's presence, day after crowded day."

Jane Rubietta

"Sacred Chaos is a sacred gem. I have long been a fan of Tricia Rhodes's writing, but this is her best work yet, her tour de force of real-life spirituality. It is eminently practical, while grappling seriously with the demands of everyday life. It is chock-full of arresting images; Tricia makes spiritual truth seem very vivid. She has mastered the art of making the mundane serve the cause of the marvelous and even the miraculous. Your life can find room for a growing and rich relationship with God; this book will show you how."

Gary Thomas

In Sacred Chaos the disciplines become attainable; they are not limited to superhero Christians, but available to each humble believer. The tone of Rhodes' writing is never academic or removed, but always encouraging.

Carol B. Boren

The author shows us that we are indeed spending time in prayer and God's presence in the everyday things we do. She gives practical simple advice on how to make the most of every minute to assure that you are experiencing God. This is an author who I will always look to for books that will assist me in continued spiritual development.

Rev. Barry C.

This book is [an] encouraging message for those youth workers fighting to find a little more sacred time within the incredibly chaotic demands of loving teenagers.

Luke Trouten

While I've read some books in the spiritual discplines genre that either too ethereal or too commonsense-y, Sacred Chaos is simple yet profound, practical yet deeply spiritual. Don't let one more "Sacred ___" title scare you away. This one's a keeper.

The Link Between Blog

"How can we open ourselves to God in the midst of the chaos of our lives? This book, with short chapters for busy people and a section on 'Making the Chaos Sacred' at the end of every chapter, offers valuable help."

Anita Cain

When Rhodes (The Soul at Rest) set out to write this book, she anticipated extensive time in prayer through long retreats and walks on the beach. It seems God had other plans: her grown son and his young family moved in, and solitude was suddenly quite thin on the ground. This, says Rhodes, is all too common and is in fact the point: we need to find ways to weave spiritual practice into lives already crammed with obligations. Like Denise Roy in My Monastery Is a Minivan, Rhodes uses short chapters to explore the idea that spirituality can and should be achieved within the context of the lives we actually lead, not the simpler ones we fantasize about. Can't find an hour for your daily "quiet time"? Try praying for five minutes, or even just one. Seize moments of silence amid the chaos; use the weekly Sabbath to more fully absorb God's restfulness; practice a regular fast. Rhodes capably draws on her own experiences and on Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox traditions to advocate small, realistic steps on the path to holiness. (June)

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