The source of our inner emptiness and restlessness is at its roots, I believe, a spiritual hunger: a longing of the heart.  There is a deep desire to be reunited again with the source of our being.  God seeks to reach us despite our feelings of alienation and encourages us to stop and listen, to ponder and to wait. This is necessary for the radical transformation, the conversion, which, I believe, is involved in learning to live the truth of Jesus Christ.  G. K. Chesterton suggested it is not Christianity that has failed but that people have failed to try Christianity. Nothing other than being reconnected to the source of power and life will satisfy our inner emptiness. Developing such a vital spiritual life requires, discipline, commitment, time, community support and most importantly God's gift of grace.  We are in need of depth and discipline.
 

There are few resources available today that are truly helpful in providing practical helps for moving gradually and significantly into greater depth and breadth in the spiritual life. Karin Johne's book on Spiritual Practices For the Everyday is one of those rare treasures.  Johne does not provide the answers nor does she minimize the pain and struggle which a serious spiritual journey will surely entail.  The fifteen week course of reflections, exercises and prayers she has developed are intended to help individuals to establish a daily spiritual discipline over a  period of time. There is nothing superficial about Johne's approach to Christianity. She demonstrates tremendous insight into daily life and into the human predicament.  Clearly Johne's purpose is  to help the individual seeker be able to relate all of the everyday situations, circumstances and experiences, large and small, to his/her own spiritual growth. It is often difficult to see and to experience the daily humdrum of ordinary life as a context for spiritual growth.  If the promises of Christianity are to give new life, hope and strength then the most ordinary and insignificant daily happening must have relevance as a possibility for growth, understanding and insight.

Johne establishes a solid foundation drawing from her own rich historical, theological and biblical background as well as from a broad understanding of spirituality and the spiritual classics.  She was introduced to Meister Eckhart by her mother at an early age.  Moreover, she had many years of practical experience in leading retreats and providing spiritual counsel.
 

She lays the groundwork carefully using Scripture extensively, preparing the reader with a foundation (she uses the rich metaphor of building a house) before she suggests actual practices.  She begins her book with an overall introduction to the task at hand of preparing ourselves for becoming receptive for personal growth. Throughout the entire fifteen weeks Johne carefully builds the "house" from foundation to furnishings to life style and gives explanatory comments and background before each individual week of exercises.  Each exercise brings the focus back to the participant with questions and reflections directed to oneself.  Spiritual development is not only acquiring academic knowledge about spiritual disciplines and practice or about theology itself.  Extensive knowledge alone does not satisfy the longing of the heart.  Knowledge must always be accompanied with doing, with actual practice, in order that it may  have power to transform, heal and touch the heart.  ("And the Word became flesh".)  It is the incarnational emphasis of these practices which gives spirituality authenticity.  Furthermore, Johne has not suggested or written about any practice or discipline which she has not used in her own life.  This book was completed only after decades of practice and living the reality in her own life. Since her teenage years the everyday social context for her and those who participated in the correspondence course out of which this book grew was the German Democratic Republic (East Germany).  This was the context in which her spiritual formation was primarily shaped and which gave birth to her four books on spirituality.  Currently she is living in retirement near Leipzig, Germany where for many years she has had a special assignment with the Lutheran Church of Saxony in the area of spiritual formation and renewal.

Repeatedly, Johne reminds the participant to select only that material which is helpful and timely for them.  Helps which do not help are no help she maintains.  The spiritual growth cannot proceed under coercion  of either style or directive.  The individual is invited to listen deeply and to ponder intentionally and intensively until moved by the Spirit to an authentic and genuine expression.  Jesus Christ is the one whom we seek to follow in our spiritual life.  Jesus Christ is the one after whom we seek to pattern our life and from whom we receive encouragement and strength.   Christ is the Way and the Truth and the Light, who encourages us to find our own personal direction.  This is a matter of vocation not imitation.  This enables us to "grow up in every way" (Eph. 4: 15) into the image of God which was imprinted into our being in creation and was revealed in Jesus Christ.  This is an important affirmation of the gifts of God that are already present within the participant helping them to move beyond the "You do it for me" to "I have the resources within me and I trust the truth given to me".  As we come to accept and respect ourselves more and more as unique, irreplaceable and gifted beings of God's creation than we will also be able to become more of that person we were created to be.  We will become a strength and gift to others and be more able to reach out in love to others.
 

Deep probing questions directed specifically to ourselves will also challenge us personally to face the evil within ourselves as well as to see the good we possess.  Our response cannot be placed on anyone else if we expect to grow into mature faith.  The way of life is the way of the Cross.  The way of death leads to new life: of dying to old patterns, habits, hurts and letting it be transformed into something new and life giving.  However, there will be pain and struggle when we honestly face our own deep and hidden darkness.  As we gradually are able to yield over our control to the intentions and will of God as opposed to our own short sighted and selfish motives, we will be  surprised with  moments of deep peace and joy.

The way of Jesus is not easy or painless or perfect.  It is also not without its joy, peace, satisfaction or comfort.  The spiritual life is to be lived in the context of the full range of emotions, struggles and joys of ordinary everyday life.  The way of Jesus does not take away pain or difficulties or promise any guaranties of that.  The spiritual life fully lived in the everyday scene is rich because it brings us home to ourselves, home to God and home to our neighbor.  I hope that you will take on the risk of entering fully into the exercises of this book discovering many rich and unexpected dimensions of the spiritual life .