A Friendship Like No Other: Experiencing God's Amazing EmbraceLive in the love of a God who desires a relationship with you. Throughout A Friendship Like No Other, renowned spiritual director William A. Barry, SJ, explores the premise that God wants to relate to us as a close friend. Barry has contemplated this idea—radical for many Christians—throughout his lifetime, and he explains that it actually traces back to the “developing revelation of God contained in the Bible.” A Friendship Like No Other offers three well-supported and practical sections: prayerful exercises to help lead you to the conviction that God wants your friendship; a close look at objections to this idea; and reflections on experiencing the presence of God and discerning those experiences. Brief, personal meditations are woven throughout. Grounded in biblical tradition and with a clear focus on Ignatian spirituality, this book offers a fresh, heart-changing approach to living joyfully in the freedom of the divine embrace. |
Contents
| 31 | |
Coming to Know Jesus as a Friend | 53 |
Gods Friends | 71 |
6 | 89 |
7 | 97 |
8 | 103 |
9 | 119 |
10 | 127 |
11 | 141 |
Does God Reveal the Divine | 153 |
Where Do We Experience God? | 161 |
How Do I Know Im Experiencing God? | 177 |
Conclusion | 193 |
Annotated Bibliography | 201 |
Other editions - View all
A Friendship Like No Other: Experiencing God's Amazing Embrace William A. Barry No preview available - 2008 |
Common terms and phrases
Abraham anger bad spirit begin Bible breath called chapter child Christians compassion contemplation created creation Creator death Denise Levertov discernment of spirits disciples divine evil experience experienced family business Father fear feel forgiveness friends Genesis give God’s God's desire God's friendship God's offer God's presence God's Spirit Gospel happened hear heart Holy Spirit hope horror human Iain Matthew Ignatius of Loyola Ignatius's imagination Israelites James Alison Jesuit Jesus of Nazareth John kind look Lord Mary move mystery offer of friendship pay attention Perhaps person Peter poem pray prayer question react realize reflect relationship response resurrection retreat reveal riences Rowan Williams Sarah scene Scripture self-revelation sins Society of Jesus someone speak spiritual director Spiritual Exercises story talk tell Teresa of Ávila thin places things tion trust trying to live vulnerability wonder words
Popular passages
Page 145 - A guest, I answer'd, worthy to be here : Love said, You shall be he. I, the unkind, ungrateful ? Ah, my dear, I cannot look on thee.
Page 194 - The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.
Page 43 - Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow.
Page 63 - I have kept all these since my youth." Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.
Page 63 - Honor your father and your mother, that you may long endure on the land which the LORD your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal.
Page 90 - When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?
Page 34 - Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine.
Page 103 - The Lord bless you, and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace, both now and evermore.
Page 62 - If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.