Sacred Speech: A Practical Guide for Keeping Spirit in Your Speech

by Donna Schaper

Overview

The complete guide to spirit-filled speech and speaking with spirit

"This book is a spiritual guide to using the holy gift of speech. It is a ... how-to ... grounded in a humble way of being, expressing an attitude of gratitude toward the tongue, in the knowledge that speech is a gift from God and we have a choice to use our mouths virtuously, in the most humble and searching sense of that word."
—from the Introduction

So much of our time is spent in conversation, yet little time is devoted to thinking about the words we choose to use, or the manner in which we speak. Taking the time to make our words count—to make our speech sacred—can lead to positive changes in our lives, and improve our relationships with others.

Sacred Speech is a personal, warm-hearted approach to a complex matter—how we can use speech in holy ways. Drawing support from literary and spiritual sources, Rev. Donna Schaper offers compelling advice from her own experience as a clergyperson, teacher, partner, and parent, empowering us to:

• Acknowledge the Divine in the words we use
• Use speech to maximize the possibility of love and care
• Use speech to minimize fear
• Link, connect, and contact with others through words

A clear invitation to improve our communications with others, Sacred Speech is ideal for spiritual and religious leaders, professionals who work in multifaith settings, the politically correct and the not-so politically correct, and anyone who wants to do more than simply "watch what they say."

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781893361744
Publisher:	Turner Publishing Company
Publication date:	03/01/2003
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	2.36(w) x 3.54(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Rev. Donna Schaper is widely recognized as one of the most outstanding communicators in her generation of Protestant clergy. A minister of the United Church of Christ, she is author of several books, including Alone, but Not Lonely.

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction: Sacred Speech in the Glocal World

1. To Be Humble
2. To Forgive
3. To Praise
4. To Pray
5. To Judge
6. To Lament
7. To Love
8. Beyond the Politically Correct
9. The Sacredness of Ordinary, Plain Speech
10. The Importance of Silence

Notes
Discussion Guide

Editorial Reviews

"Donna Schaper has a gift for illuminating aspects of daily living we all take for granted. Here she gives our speech its due, inviting us to talk that connects, language that heals, and ultimately to conversation that carries the Spirit."
—Rich Heffern, National Catholic Reporter

“Sacred Speech affirms our goodness, all the while calling upon us to reach even higher. Rev. Schaper approaches the reader as a friend and colleague, as a companion on the path to learning to listen wholeheartedly and speak proactively.”
—Rabbi Dennis S. Ross, author of God in Our Relationships: Spirituality between People from the Teachings of Martin Buber

“Donna Schaper's Sacred Speech distills a lifetime of wisdom gained by living attentively to others, as a parent, as a partner, as a pastor, as a friend, as a community member. It needs to be read slowly, savoring each insight.”
—Rosemary Radford Ruether, Carpenter Professor at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California

“This practical yet profound book opens the door for a fresh look at the power of language Sacred Speech invites us to intentionally choose to acknowledge Spirit in our daily conversations, and by doing so to transform the quality of all our relationships.”
—Kay Lindahl, author of The Sacred Art of Listening: Forty Reflections for Cultivating a Spiritual Practice

From the Publisher