Back when I was preparing my first book, Coffeehouse Contemplative, for publication, one of the members of the editorial board noted my inclusion of questions for reflection at the end of every chapter. He expressed surprise that I did so, saying that he didn’t usually see such an element in what he thought would be a more academic book. Because of that, he said that he wasn’t sure whether they were necessary at all.
I understood the concern regarding the academic component. The series that book was a part of was meant to be more intellectual in nature, and I took that seriously by using the theologian Karl Rahner as a major source for the text. However, as what I ultimately meant to be a spiritual book, I wanted it to have a practical side, a way for readers to apply the ideas. To me, spirituality isn’t meant to remain in the head, but travel down to the heart and the hands.
When I wrote Prayer in Motion, I wanted to have that same practical application. But I altered the end-of-chapter component to not only include questions but a brief spiritual exercise as well. So the chapter on food, for instance, provided a way to approach eating in a slower, more conscious way.
The Unintentional Interim will be my third book that includes this element. This time, however, I’ve altered it yet again to focus on the practice of journaling. It will encourage readers to write about their thoughts in a prayerful way. Why? Because, once again, I think that the ideas I’m trying to give to others should include some direction as to how to begin using them. And because journaling has been so meaningful and transformative for me for over 20 years now, I thought that would be a good way to frame the consideration of these questions.
Of course, I recognize that not all readers will take advantage of this component. Some might do it for some chapters and not others, skip them entirely, or make diligent use of every single one. That’s up to the individual. But I feel better about what I’m presenting if I at least try to provide a starting point for how to move beyond the book’s pages toward something that will actually begin to change the one reading it.
So that’s my hope for those who pick up The Unintentional Interim, as well as Coffeehouse Contemplative and Prayer in Motion. I want you to think, to write, and to ultimately move to the heart and the hands toward transformation.
Pre-order The Unintentional Interim: Ministry in Times of Transition on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Cokesbury, and The Pilgrim Press website.
Jeffrey A. Nelson 