October 15, 2014

 

♦ Cynthia Bourgeault's back. Starting November 3, one of our most popular e-course teachers will lead us through "Spiritual Practices from the Gurdjieff Work." Also known as the Fourth Way, these practices are an early run-up on what we now call "mindfulness training" and blend recognizable strains of Christianity, Sufism, and Buddhism. Read more about this unprecedented course and sign up here.

 

♦ 100 Best Transformational Movies. By popular demand, we've put together a list of our favorite movies about the astonishing ways human beings can be changed and set on a new path. We hope you will use it when making movie viewing selections and share it with your friends and family. (Click on the titles to read full reviews of each film.)

 

♦ How to save the planet. Our topic section on Climate Change is a 41-page (if you print it out) map to the best resources available on this global problem: quotes, E-courses, spiritual practices, films, prayers, books, book excerpts, children's books, essays, poetry, sermons and family books, teachers, organizations and memes.

 

♦ Working with the emotions. October has been designated as "Emotional Intelligence Month," a time to hone your ability to perceive, control, and evaluate emotions. We're posting a daily reading on the homepage.

 

♦ Spiritual practices for elderhood. The Grace in Aging by Kathleen Dowling Singh is a valuable and accessible resource. More books.

 

♦ The Father of Yoga in the West. Awake: The Life of Yogananda, now in theaters, is an excellent documentary that provides a rounded portrait of the founder of the Self-Realization Fellowship. More films.

 

♦ Making room for wonder and awe. In Like A Child Timothy J. Mooney shows us how to get in touch with our childhood self.

 

♦ A triumphant biopicture. Violette, now on DVD, is a thought-provoking drama about an immensely creative bisexual woman who has been called France's greatest unknown writer. More DVDs.

 

♦ A masterwork from one of America's finest writers. The Human Age: The World Shaped by Us by Diane Ackerman deals with the challenges of environment, ecology, technology, cities, climate, geology, animals, genetics, and much more.

 

♦ Forgiveness Ritual. Darren's latest post in his "Ritual Space" blog describes a ritual for forgiveness of self, forgiveness of others, and acknowledging our light. More blog posts.

 

♦ Making a museum visit a contemplative experience. In our "Spiritual Literacy Blog," we suggest four practices.

 

♦ "Music is my religion." So said Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970), the rock guitar player who is the subject of a biopicture about his life during 1966 - 1967.

 

♦ Our digital world. Virtual Unreality by Charles Seife probes the various ways digital information is changing our interaction with the world, perception of identity, social bonds, and views on public discourse.

 

♦ Altruistic links. In our "Civility & Spirituality" blog, we explain how these connections help you care about other people's children as much as your own.

 

♦ "Patience is the ornament of the brave." This Sanskrit saying is one of the quotes in our latest 12s gallery. More 12s galleries.

 

♦ Survivors of the Sudan genocide. The Good Lie, now playing in theaters, is a fictional account of a family of immigrants from Sudan and the American woman who helps them find work.

 

♦ Journalists on film. Kill the Messenger is a riveting film about a truth-telling investigative journalist. Also see our list 12 other noteworthy films about journalists.

 

♦ A heart-affecting cinematic parable. St. Vincent, now in theaters, teaches us to look for the saints among us who enable us to come alive in new ways.

 

♦ The spiritual transformation of a sports agent. Million Dollar Arm is a superb sports drama now available on DVD.

 

♦ The idea and ideal of trust. Third Person, now on DVD, is a three-part movie directed by Paul Haggis (Crash).

 

♦ A prayer for those suffering due to the Ebola virus. We first offered a prayer for Ebola victims in our "Praying the News" blog in August. Now we have updated the post and invite you to join us in prayer.

Coming Soon

 

♦ Curated content for our "Traditions" sections on Protestant and Anglican Christianity.

 

♦ In "Spiritual Practices," five practices to help you finish things.

 

♦ Reviews of movies with Oscar buzz: Birdman, The Theory of Everything, and Foxcatcher.