We received the release below today from Church Publishing. It is news of a new book that collects the Rev. Martin Smith’s columns for our diocesan newspaper Washington Window. You can read some of those columns here.
NEW YORK (February, 2007) -Taking his imagery from the ancient art of navigation, noted speaker and columnist Martin Smith’s new title from Seabury Books, an imprint of Church Publishing Incorporated, Compass and Stars, presents a collection of spiritual essays about feelings of loss, confusion, and failure. In his first book since leaving the religious life, he explores the truth in his own experiences while inviting his readers to come along for the voyage.
“These short reflections arose at a time when radical changes in my life brought the images of compass and stars to the forefront of my imagination,” says Smith. “In 2001, after 28 years on the monastic path, I took my leave of it for good, and found myself for the first time facing the challenge of finding my own way. No one was shaping my life for me: now to find my bearings, in a new life and a new city, with possibilities yet unknown. Within hours of starting my job search, I was asked to join the staff of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum as a writer.”
Smith’s reflections act as a guide to readers as they strive to calculate their own spiritual bearings despite the endless sea changes and challenges of life. By deftly using humor mixed with pastoral sensitivity, his essays are like a fresh salt breeze chasing the staleness out of spiritual practices. Whether he is writing about the spirituality of social justice, vocational discernment, or channel-surfing, his thought-provoking pieces will inspire and delight.
Martin Smith, a noted speaker, retreat leader, spiritual director, and columnist, is senior associate rector at St. Columba’s Episcopal Church, Washington, DC, and former superior of the Society of St. John the Evangelist. He is the author of several other books on spirituality, including the classic Season for the Spirit, written for the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Order here.