Organizations Books

It is sometimes said that there are more important things to worry about in the Church today than the Liturgy. Frankly, there are not. For, as Aidan Nichols incisively puts it:

"There can hardly be a more important topic than the Liturgy if it really is, as the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council maintained, the source from which the Church's life flows and the summit to which that life is directed."

And, he continues, "Liturgy, evidently, is too important to be left to liturgists." This explains why Nichols, one of contemporary England's most prominent Catholic theologians has published this penetrating analysis of the state of the Liturgy of the Latin ritual church in Catholicism today.

Nichols argues that the Liturgy, both in its official reform following the Council, and in the way it is celebrated at the local level, is seriously deficient and in urgent need of remedy. This argument is based on three assumptions.

The first is historical: that those "who brought about the Second Vatican Council's commitment to the `liturgical renewal', and "those who subsequently worked to give that commitment concrete form" did not pay sufficient attention "to certain ambiguities in the history of the liturgical movement". The most significant ambiguity, Nichols argues, was "that the origins of the liturgical movement lie in the eighteenth century Enlightenment". Liturgical reforms called for by those under the influence of the Enlightenment (radical simplification of the liturgy including its vernacularisation, the celebration of the liturgy `facing the people', etc.) were "imperfect" according to Nichols, as they tended to horizontalise the liturgy, rendering it "first and foremost didactic and edificatory", at the expense of the worship and adoration of God. What Nichols calls the "political phase" of twentieth century liturgical movement (that working for ritual reform after the Second World War), with the noblest of intentions, and indeed the support of many Popes, appears to have unwittingly, or perhaps uncritically, adopted this agenda. The result was that

"...Church authority gave the professionals what almost amounted to a blank cheque, enabling them to redesign the Liturgy in just that inorganic way against which...reflective commentators on the Enlightenment experience...had warned."

Nichols' second assumption is based on anthropology and sociology. He assembles a number of writers from these disciplines (David Martin, Kieran Flanagan, Mary Douglas, Victor Turner, et. al.), to demonstrate that

"liturgists, in Flanagan's words, `managed to back modernity as a winning ticket, just at the point when it became converted into post modernism.'"

In other words, by paying too much attention to what were perceived as the needs of contemporary man (in the 1960s - surely a peculiarly man-centred period of history), liturgical reformers enshrined attitudes and assumptions that contemporary man would himself soon spurn. The inebriation of those entrusted with the postconcilar reform by such anthropocentric ideologies has resulted, according to Catherine Pickstock, a Cambridge scholar cited by Nichols, in a modern Liturgy, which, when compared to the traditional rites, - a "liturgical stammer in the face of the sublime excess of God" - has but a "clear and linear purpose": to be of the (1960s-1970s) age .

The third foundation of Nichols' argument is cultural. Taking the apt dictum of Oxford's Canon Vigo Demant, "When the Church begins to proclaim the Gospel in a secular idiom she may end by proclaiming secularism in a Christian idiom", as his starting point, Nichols decries the secularization and desacralisation of preaching, liturgical Language, translations of Sacred Scripture and other liturgical texts, chants, hymns and songs, iconography and architecture, ministerial posture and gestures, etc..

A good deal of attention is devoted to the twentieth century fashion of celebrating the Eucharist facing the people (versus populum). Scholars now accept that Christian antiquity only tolerated facing the people as an exception to the norm of all facing east, which remains the posture for the celebration of the Eucharistic Prayer of the Mass. The Second Vatican Council did not change this, and, Nichols reminds us, the Holy See has acknowledged the historical priority of facing east in the Roman rite as recently as 1993. This is no merely academic problem. Drawing on the theology of Henri de Lubac, Nichols puts it plainly:

"...a shift in our focus of interest can sometimes symptomise a doctrinal debilitation and hollowness far graver than more obvious errors. I suggest that the concentration on congregation and presider in contemporary eucharistic practice is an example of such debilitation and hollowness, unfortunately encouraged by the versus populum celebration of the Eucharistic Prayer."

There is much more that Nichols could say about his thesis, and there are many further studies he could cite. However his argument is amply demonstrated and supported, and leaves the careful reader, particularly clergy charged with the celebration of the Liturgy, in a quandry: what is to be done?

Nichols suggests a number of possibilities, without perhaps the depth of discussion he affords his overall thesis. The first, "to forestall...any further dose of reform in the same direction as that of the postconciliar one". The second, to ensure "the prayerful, dignified, correct and, where appropriate, solemn celebration" of the new liturgy, including facing east for the Eucharistic Prayer. But he recognises that these are insufficient in themselves, calling for the "reappropriation" of the traditional Latin rite "in modified guise" which would include vernacular readings, an authentic enrichment of texts, and other truly beneficial elements of the postconciliar reform. Nichols suggests a curious role for the Missal of Paul VI, as a type of `source-book' for future development of liturgy. One suspects, given the flaws he has identified in its production, that this is too kind.

Nichols makes one significant error. He describes this book as "...a modest contribution to that debate on the desirability of the `reform of the reform' that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger has called for...". It is in fact a work of tremendous importance, which in spite and in some ways because of its brevity, clearly identifies issues that simply must be addressed. And his practical suggestions deserve consideration. Buy it, read it, argue about it, and act on it, because the liturgy is indeed "the source from which the Church's life flows and the summit to which that life is directed".

Catholic theologian Aidan Nichols provides an erudite but accessible critical overview of the current state of Catholic liturgy. The news is not good. Yet, with the analysis, Nichols provides practical recommendations for the renewal and restoration of Catholic liturgy. His historical analysis of the liturgical movement uncovers how the roots of much misguided liturgical "reform" lie in Enlightenment assumptions at variance with Christian and Catholic belief. In Nichols' words, the Enlightenment has bequeathed to us modern liturgists whose work is "[a]nthropocentric, moralizing, voluntaristic, didactic, subjectivist" in contrast to the authentic theocentric nature of the liturgy (pp. 28-29). Like all good analysis, this book brings order to the chaos we have experienced.

Fr. Nichols' book on the history of the liturgical reform movement is absolutely fascinating. A "must read" for anyone interested in the reform of the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church. His very insightful analysis of the similarities between the reform movement during the Enlightenment and the recent reform movement is right on target. This book will help to explain what went wrong with the recent liturgical reform without condemning the reforms as illegitimate or even improper. Fr. Nichols also covers the interwar liturgical reform movement, a mystery to most Roman Catholics. All in all, an excellent guide to understanding the current liturgy of the latin rite.

Fr. Nichols also offers excellent advice about how to improve the current liturgical situation in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church. This should be required reading for our bishops.

...a book on effective classroom teaching that mixes classroom management with a constructivist and classroom community approach.

Wonderful. Dewey would be so satisfied by this.

Everything else you could need is included from theory to practical vignettes to handling specific classroom issues (not just behavioral).

It could have used pictures--it didn't have any--,but we can't always have what we want.

The information is wonderful sans the pics. Please check it out!

This book is a comprehensive and instructive review of the major literature regarding effective classroom instructional practice. A helpful source book for all educators concerned about encouraging educators to use the research that shapes effective teaching and classroom practice.

I have used this book both as a college lecturer and as a public school principal/administrator. It ties research directly into classroom practice and provides numerous methods and ideas for having instructional conversations with teachers.

This book offers a concise lesson in organizing or re-organizing any nonprofit organization. There are many real-life examples of problems and solutions that have been developed over the years and have stood the test of time. This will eliminate many hours of soul searching for the solution to organization problems and allow you to continue the good works for which your nonprofit was founded instead of drowning in the details. This will also save many hours and dollars of consulting fees to just get your organization off to a good start or to re-vamp a failing one. Before you hire a consultant, read this book.

In the 1970s Abbott Academy was considered one of the top institutions in the country, with a reputation that a student had a passport to success in college and later life. In the 1980s the school's fortunes changed with fewer applications, fewer students enrolling, college admissions less predictable and budget deficits leading to invasion of endowment. Correct diagnosis of the problem would have included;
- identifying the school's constituencies and monitoring their changing characteristics and needs
- changing the program to meet the needs of its constituents
- determining the schools strengths and weaknesses in relation to the competition and its perceived value in the community
- developing a sensible pricing strategy
- responding to the changing environment
- developing a proper image and promoting the institution correctly

In the nonprofit sector marketing is the engineering of satisfaction among a variety of groups including users, funders, trustees, regulators and others who can influence the success of the organization such as the media and general public. A successful marketing strategy allows organizations to accomplish their missions, meet their program goals and achieve long-term financial stability by focusing on the needs of their multiple constituents and satisfying their needs. Different strategies must be developed for different groups but Abbott had not even identified all its key constituencies, addressing itself only to students while neglecting parents, alumni, support groups including potential donors, college representatives, potential students, minority representatives, faculty, and trustees; when fortunes began to wane there was no loyal group to turn to for help. Abbott was unable to meet one of the great challenges that faces many nonprofits - the challenge of identifying each of its constituent groups clearly and accurately and developing separate, appropriate and effective strategies to satisfy each one.

Image is the sum total of beliefs, ideas and impressions that people have of an organization and the programs, services and products that it offers. In the non-profit world a strong, positive image is critical to gaining broad community support and it can change rapidly. It is particularly difficult when an organization's positive image is eroding slowly and imperceptibly, particularly if trustees and staff believe it is flourishing and no one in the institution understands what is happening. Image can be flourishing in one area and deteriorating in another. Because they serve multiple constituencies, nonprofits must develop the proper image for each one. This often involves projecting different aspects of the organization and its program to different audiences.

Had Abbott asked its constituents it would have discovered that its product was no longer competitive in the secondary-school market place. It failed to promote itself, failed to realize that its price was no longer related to its perceived value, and failed to note that its future clientele was locating in different parts of the city.

A nonprofit must have all the facts on how well it stacks up against the competition, how it is perceived in the community, how its programs, activities and products are regarded and how it might command a bigger share of loyalty from its customers, clients, funders or other constituents.

If this story sounds familiar this book will be very helpful to you. It will help you understand your organization by asking searching questions such as "Has your mission statement been reviewed within the last five years?" and "Who are your constituents? Are they well represented? Are they well served?" and "Has there been a formal test for organized abandonment within the last decade or do you propose to become progressively more irrelevant to the community you set out to serve?" and "What criteria have been developed to evaluate the continued relevance and appropriateness of your organization's mission and activities?" and "How much would people suffer if you went out of business?" and "Have the trustees given some thought as to how they will recruit and train a new chief executive when the time comes?" and "Is there a process that ensures that appropriately qualified people become officers in your organization?" and " Has your board engaged in a comprehensive long-range planning process within the last five years? Does your board approve specific goals and long-range objectives each year?" and "Is the chief executive skilled in personnel work and is there a system that ensures that each job will be filled by the best possible candidate?" and "Are the tasks appropriately distributed among salaried staff, volunteers, independent contractors and outside providers?" and "Have you found effective ways to identify, recruit, orient, motivate and recognize the work of volunteers?" and "What activities does your organization do less well? Should they be dropped? If not, how can they be made more successful?"

In addition, this book helps you to understand the ten commandments of fundraising, the six levels of planning, and managing information.

If you are the least bit uneasy about how well your nonprofit is making out, you will find a great deal of wisdom to help you identify the root of the problem and the cure.

I have been using this book as a text for an undergraduate college course that I teach on Management for Non-Profits. It is a great primer offering a a beroad survey of the issues I have found to be the ones that most threaten a small non-profit organization's ability to carry out its mission and survive.

Bought the book for a class and have already given one copy as a gift and recommended the book to several others in leadership positions. Great read for leaders in any type organization. As a matter of fact, if you can motivate your people in a "for-profit" organization the way Drucker speaks of in this book, you can't help but be successful.

i was pleasantly surprised at the information i could gather from this book. Well written and very easy reading. i enjoyed it fully and look forward to ordering more from this author.

I realized a few years ago that government as we know it is a complete failure. The US Government as we know it has failed to provide for domestic or global security, has failed to spend our money wisely, and it is broken across all three branches. At the same time, the political parties, corporations, bankers and many asset managers, have also failed, along with the media, religion, and labor unions. I decided two years ago to create the Earth Intelligence Network along with 23 other co-founders, and yesterday the IRS told me they planned to approve our 501c3 letter, so I pulled this down to refresh myself, and was surprised to find that I had read it but not reviewed it.

The book was first published in 1990 and includes interviews with nine contributors as well as original material from Peter Drucker.

Two sentences stand out for me:

1) The non-profit delivers a changed human being.

2) The non-profit leader is responsible for translating glorious mission statements into executable, measureable, visible specifics.

After a year's work with many others, and aided immensely by the recent identification of the ten high-level threats to humanity in priority order, courtesy of LtGen Dr. Brent Scowcroft, USAF (Ret) and other members of the United Nations High-Level Threat Panel we not only recognized that the lines are blurring as segments of government that are honest, segments of private sector marketplaces that are moral, segments of civil society that are committed to responsible stewardship of their local communities and areas and non-plenishable natural resources; but we began to see the non-profit as central to weaving a shared understanding of the threats, the policies and budgets that can eradicate the threats, and the knowledge that needs to be transferred to Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Venezuela, and Wild Cards like the Congo, if they are to avoid our mistakes.

This book, in short, is my crutch, my reinforcement, my inspiration, and my proof positive that we can translate our mission into specifics, and do what we have set out to do.

Early on Peter Drucker emphasizes that while the non-profit is the largest employer in America, the share of money being donated to non-profits has remained relatively steady. I suspect that has changed since this was written in 1990, but his second key point in this context is that it is not enough to find donors, one much recruit contributors who wish to be active "in community" and for acommon purpose.

I confess to not being a people person, but I will also be an unpaid member of the board, so I would emphasize that in looking for our first non-profit manager, we are going to look for someone with three skills this books helps describe:

1) Ability to create logical executable specifics
2) Ability to interact effectively with high-end planned givers (humans)
3) Ability to recruit and keep happy passionate people who love life and want to pursue life-affirming, world-changing objectives.

The middle core of the book has a lot of underlining. Here are some of the highlights.

+ Strategies are the bulldozers.

+ Strategies are action-focused with measureable results.

+ Set the goals twice as high as a "normal" or business as usual organization might aspire to.

+ Tailor the message to each unique segment (e.g. one message for foundations seeking to harmonize high-end spending programs; another for individual donors seeking to find the best possible way to contribute $100 to one needy person anywhere (hint: cell phone and paid annual subscription--one per village will change the world).

+ Training matters, and not just of staff; also of donors, volunteers, everyone being helped or in any way engaged in the overall mission. [In my terms, if someone cannot recide the ten threats, twelve policies, and eight challengers form memory, or know where to find the 52 transpartisan answers to 52 tough questions, then we have failed to train them or educate them.]

+ Planning is not just about objective results, but about a vast social network of relationships that need to be nurtured for the long-term.

+ Dissent is priceless, discourtesy should never be tolerated.

+ Page 115: "The most important *do* (italicized in original) is to build the organization around information and communication instead of around hierarchy." See the image above, something I created in the 1990's. All the candidates running for President today are top down command and control freaks, with one possible exception. Epoch B leaders create a bottom up constant churn of information, and for me, this one sentence validated, reinforced, and inspired.

+ Educate up the chain and sideways, not just downwards.

+ Ensure every person is immersed the real-world (e.g. poverty at its worse in the slums of Rio de Janeiro or Caracas) so that they are refreshed as to the reality and the meaning of their mission the rest of the year.

I was very surprised to find a chapter on "How to Make the Schools Accountable," pages 131-142, an interview with Albert Shanker, at the time president of the American Federation of Teachers AFL-CIO, but it fits perfectly. Three points:

1) CEOs and Labor Leaders need to hold schools accountable.
2) Schools that pursue long-term deep learning find that short-term financial and other objectives fall into place.
3) Hold everyone accountable for giving their all, and end complacency, a sense of tenure, a lack of passion for what should be a life-affirming world-changing endeavor (those words are from other books, see list below).

The index is excellent, and the last page of the book educated me on the continuing value and offerings of The Drucker Foundation.

My take-away from this book is that any strategy that focuses on sharing information with as many parties as possible, and finding ways to optimize sense-making of the collective, and harmonization of many different programs and budgets across multinational, multiagency, multidisciplinary, multidomain boundaries, will in the end produce results that no amount of government mandate, corporate bribery, foundation give-away, or wailing calls of doom, could possibly achieve.

Peter Drucker's legacy adds a new line to an old saying; the last line below:

The men who manage men manage the men who manage things.
The men who manage money manage all.

The men who manage information not only manage the men who manage money, they create new open money, information capital that enhances, influences, and exploits all else.

Great book. The audio series is ideal for those driving back and forth from bedroom communities into big cities, and vice versa.

Other links to books I have reviewed and recommend:
The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid: Eradicating Poverty Through Profits (Wharton School Publishing Paperbacks)
How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas, Updated Edition
The Politics of Fortune: A New Agenda For Business Leaders
Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming
The Tao of Democracy: Using Co-Intelligence to Create a World That Works for All
Society's Breakthrough!: Releasing Essential Wisdom and Virtue in All the People
One from Many: VISA and the Rise of Chaordic Organization
Building a Knowledge-Driven Organization
Global Assemblages: Technology, Politics, and Ethics as Anthropological Problems
The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom

I do not list books I have written, edited, or published, but urge the reader to consider some of them as well. In early March we will be publishing COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE: Creating a Prosperous World at Peace, that is free online now and forever more, and then in May, free online from April, PEACE INTELLIGENCE: Assuring a Good Life for All. And finally, in July, free online in June, COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE: From Moral Green to Golden Peace.

I am certain that public intelligence and bottom-up self-governances are going to put an end to fraud, waste, abuse, corruption and secret earmarks, and that the non-profit, and those who share rather than hoard informationl, will in fact save the world and profit handsomely from doing so, on multiple levels, not least of which is giving seven generations of their descendants a sustainable Earth where everyone is a billionaire (Medard Gabel's vision).

I had been interested in massage therapy and considering a career change. It was difficult to find the answers to my questions until I found this book. It is written by a man with great respect and authority in the world of massage therapy. It handles both business and technical issues related to entering the world of massage.

What a great book! As a massage therapist, I find it very valuable. It gives a concise and complete view of the massage world, with ideas, resources and everything needed. I don't think there is any information missing! Any massage therapist or a person considering the possibility should read this book.

This book poses what appear to be all the proper questions. I've used it as a guide for interviewing practicing massage therapists and have been complimented on the research I've done. Since this is the only book I've read, I think that's saying alot. Great information on where to think about working once you've trained, how much setting up a business might cost, etc. and lists of other reliable resources for decision making. I'm very happy with this purchase and recommend this book to anyone considering training for a career in massage therapy .

I've known Chuck since he was my grader in Thom Rainer's "Introduction to Church Growth" class at Southern Seminary in the Fall of 1995. During my own M.Div. and Ph.D. work, he became more than a grader. Chuck became my friend.

I'm currently serving as chairman of my home church's Long-range Planning Committee. One area in which we've identified a great need for improvement is in our new member orientation and current member commitment and service. I consider it providential that in researching books to aid in our task, I came across Lawless' work on those very subjects. I read "Membership Matters" over two days, taking copious notes in the margins and underlying liberally.

Few books address membership classes and church member assimilation. Thom Rainer's "High Expectations" called churches to ask more from members as a means of increasing church health and commitment. Lawless' book moves a step further by providing a practical guide for church pastors and leaders to design and implement membership classes, not only to better incorporate new members, but also to inspire older, non-serving members to get involved in ministry service.

Buy this book. Digest it. Discuss it. But more importantly, put its suggestions into practice.

Chuck has done a marvelous piece of work evaluating the processes of successful churches. It is an easy and enjoyable read. Personally used it for a small group discussion and also enjoyed giving it to a friend that is in the process of beginning a church. kudo's Chuck!!!

This book is THE book to own for a pastor or church leader who needs a resource on new member classes. I've seen several approaches described in various places, but nothing until now that brings the numerous concepts together in one cover. In addition to sound advice in the narrative, there are 15 appendices that offer sample forms and outlines for nearly every step of the new member assimilation process.

Lawless has hit a "home run" here -- for me this title is a keeper!

I, too, read this book by Ms. Furlong some years ago in its galley proofs, no less! In my view, it is even a better intoduction to Merton's life than the Seven Storey Mountain. Read Merton's autobio, by all means, but read Furlong first. She situates Merton in his place and times, and although not a Roman Catholic, is very understanding of the monastic life,discipline and spirituality. Furlong apparently didn't have access to as many primary sources as Merton's later biographer, Michael Mott, but she does a splendid job with what documents she had in hand. She is especially compassionate, and forgiving, with Merton's love affair with his nurse. Mott goes into more detail on this interesting chapter of Merton's life, but it is easy to understand - reading both authors - why it happend and how it gives him an even greater appeal as an authentic American mystic and saint to the rest of us poor Christians. Although this will never be recognized, unfortunately, at the Vatican. Well worth reading as an introduction to the life of a great American Catholic and mystic. Read about Merton in this order: Furlong, Merton & Mott!

For anyone interested in the spiritual development of Thomas Merton, this is an excellent book. Furlong tackles her subject with sympathy and insight. Like Merton, she writes clearly, directly and truthfully. A gem.

I read this book some years ago. I feel in love with the book: from beginning to end. I strongly recommend it to the fun-loving spiritual minded.

This book clearly outlines communication strategies that can be employed by ALL nonprofit professionals, regardless of their previous communication experience or the size of the organization they work for. As a program manager at a small organization, I found this book to be an invaluable tool in understanding the demand for more effective messaging and my role in message development and delivery. I highly recommend this book to others in the nonprofit sector no matter what their role in the organization.

This book is different than anything I've seen on the market and is a "must read" for any organization. It demonstrates a simple and powerful process for creating messages that prompt target audiences to actually act.Interestingly, it emphasizes that the ability to craft effective messages is a basic leadership capacity rather than something to delegate to the communications department. The author has given us a great roadmap to reach our constituency.

You have to know WHAT you want do to before you can TELL others in a way that can help them do what YOU WANT them do to. Message Matters delivers a simple roadmap for how a business or a nonprofit can figure out what they do and explain it in a way that moves their audiences to take action. The examples really drive home the effectiveness of a good message.

If I could have one wish- it may be that all educators read Geoffry and Renate Caine's books. They are truly the authors who speak the truth about where we are and where education needs to go. The honest approach concerning the difficulties one must face when changing an institution (such as education) and the dire necessity for the change make their work a must for those who are trying to create a brain-compatible learning environment. This book is written in a "workbook" format. If you are a member or facilitator of a transition group- moving from a "traditonal" education setting to a brain-compatible environment- I would highly recommend this book to your group.

Mindshift provides a research-based model of teaching and learning based on the neuroscience of how the brain works. The authors recognize that this model is a departure from traditional methods of teaching and present strategies for professional development and activities to facilitate this transition for educators. While the book is intended for K12 educators, the ideas are also very pertinent to higher education as well.

This book provides a logical organization for the large body of complex, education-relevant data currently emerging from neuroscience. The authors introduce the book with words attributed to Einstein: "No problem can be solved from the same consciousness that created it. We must learn to see the world anew." The authors predicate their work on the assumption that Cartesian and Behaviorist thinking are too limited to allow us to fully understand the complexity of reality--a reality which, when better understood, can unleash the potential power of the learner.

This book makes philosophical, psychological, biological, and theoretical concepts palatable and interesting even for the person beginning to explore the brain's biology and its intimate relationship to education. The book models the very foundational principles about which it speaks--that learning is a mental-physical-emotional/social process. Alert educators at all levels should appreciate this work.

The authors have arrived at the same conclusions to which my current dissertation study has led me, though we have had no contact with each other. I expect this book to be a valuable asset as I continue to train teachers at the university where I teach.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was full of both interesting historical information, and interesting information for helping Protestants connect with our Catholic peers and understand them better. It encourages Christians to take the best of both worlds when growing closer to Christ and modeling your life after him. I would definitely recommend it. If you are a Protestant who appreciates some of the different practices of faith in our Catholic brethren, or you're just curious, this is a quick and easy book to read to learn about some of them them. It also encourages the reader to put into practice certain aspects of the Benedictine Rule, from which everyone can learn.

This is a little book. If you exclude things like the Foreword, the Afterword and Notes, it's only 99 pages. But it packs a spiritual wallop.

Evangelical theologian and educator Dennis Okholm offers this spiritual memoir of his pilgrimage into monastic culture in an era when a chorus of evangelical voices are crying out for changes in their branch of the church. Various evangelical writers are arguing: The movement's become stale. It's been hijacked by political operatives. It's turned Christianity into an easy-bake recipe for prosperity. And, where many of these writers wind up trying to take us is back into centuries-old Christian traditions that once were considered exclusively "Catholic." And, when evangelicals said that word in the past, they often sneered.

Don't mistake Okholm's book for one of those angry evangelical books trying to shake up the movement from its foundations, but not offering much of a pathway through the resulting rubble. No, this is a thoughtful, careful, mature memoir from a man who set out through back roads to visit his first monastery in the spring of 1987. He admits that, at the time, he suspected monastic life was a tired old "relic of the Middle Ages."

Instead, he wound up exploring this world for two decades, finding elements of Christianity that were missing in the version of the faith that had been handed down to him.

Kathleen Norris wrote the Foreword to Okholm's book and Norris fans will understand right away that this is a strong vote of confidence in Okholm's voice. He's coming to this particular conversation, in the form of this book, in the same season that Tony Campolo and Mary Albert Darling - also evangelical scholars - are offering us, "The God of Intimacy and Action: Reconnecting Ancient Spiritual Practices, Evangelism and Justice."

Don't pick up this book thinking you'll grab a few tips for a richer life of prayer. There are deeper implications to this pilgrimage, Okholm argues. At one point, he writes to those of us with roots in the evangelical world, "We have become consumers of religion rather than cultivators of a spiritual life; we have spawned an entire industry of Christian kitsch and bookstores full of spiritual junk food that leaves us sated and flabby. As if we believed the infomercial that promises great abs if we just buy the right piece of equipment for $39.95, we think that the secret to being a spiritually fit Christian can be had by finding some secret technique or buying the most recent hot-selling inspirational devotional."

This is dangerous spiritual territory. This is a truly prophetic voice guiding us inward.

And, if you like where Okholm takes you, then you'll want to read "God of Intimacy and Action." If you like that voice, then you'll want to hear more from Norris and her "Cloister Walk," as well.

This isn't a stray drop of rain. It's a refreshing spiritual shower of compelling insights.

It's rare to find find a book that does so many things so well. It is interesting, personal, and engaging. It is thoughtful and well-written. And it is full to the brim with spiritual insights. Read a bit each day, sip it alongside your morning cup of coffee, savor each insight, and you'll find your life just gets better and better. A delight.