Enjoy the Silence: A 30- Day Experiment in Listening to God (invert) [Paperback]

Maggie Robbins (Author), Duffy Robbins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 20, 2005 | Series: invert

* Deepen your experience with Scripture * Discover the power of God's Word * Is the Bible speaking to you? * Learning to listen to Scripture * Listen to what God's Word is saying to you People talk about the power of the Bible, but sometimes Scripture just looks like normal words. However, inside these thin, innocent-looking pages is the divine revelation of a God who wants you to hear him. Enjoy the Silenceis about the spiritual discipline of Lectio Divina. This ancient practice can help you develop an awareness of God's presence and power found in the Bible. The book's simple exercises take you through the process of reading Scripture, meditating on Scripture, listening to God through Scripture, and responding to Scripture. If you feel like you've been reading the Bible in the shallow end, it's time to start scaling the cliffs and get ready to plunge headlong into the deep experience of God's Word.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

• Deepen your experience with Scripture • Discover the power of God’s Word • Is the Bible speaking to you? • Learning to listen to Scripture • Listen to what God’s Word is saying to you People talk about the power of the Bible, but sometimes Scripture just looks like normal words. However, inside these thin, innocent-looking pages is the divine revelation of a God who wants you to hear him. Enjoy the Silenceis about the spiritual discipline of Lectio Divina. This ancient practice can help you develop an awareness of God’s presence and power found in the Bible. The book’s simple exercises take you through the process of reading Scripture, meditating on Scripture, listening to God through Scripture, and responding to Scripture. If you feel like you’ve been reading the Bible in the shallow end, it’s time to start scaling the cliffs and get ready to plunge headlong into the deep experience of God’s Word.

About the Author

Maggie Robinson likes adventure. Exploring new terrain. Especially when it involves spiritual stuff! She's a spiritual director, a discipler of young women, an avid reader and traveler, and loves to have a hot cup of tea at any time. She lives with her husband, Duffy, outside of Philadelphia, Pennsyvania.

Duffy Robbins is Professor of youth ministry at Eastern University in St. Davids, Pennsylvania. A thirty-five year veteran of youth ministry, he's the bestselling author and coauthor of Enjoy the Silence, Speaking to Teenagers, Youth Ministry Nuts and Bolts and many more. Duffy speaks around the world to teenagers and people who care about teenagers.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan/Youth Specialties (August 20, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310259916
• ISBN-13: 978-0310259916
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #229,225 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Religions > Inspirational
  • #52 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Clergy > Youth Ministry

More About the Author

Maggie Robinson likes adventure. Exploring new terrain. Especially when it involves spiritual stuff! She's a spiritual director, a discipler of young women, an avid reader and traveler, and loves to have a hot cup of tea at any time. She lives with her husband, Duffy, outside of Philadelphia, Pennsyvania.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Day 9, December 31, 2005

By 

Derrick Staten - See all my reviews

This review is from: Enjoy the Silence: A 30- Day Experiment in Listening to God (invert) (Paperback)

First off, I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding and appreciating the Bible, God's inspired message. While this book does not require you to engage in any impossible techniques of meditation or higher understanding, it does help to have a general understanding of the structure of the Bible. For anyone wondering what that is, understand that

1) The entire Bible is inspired by God (see 2 Timothy 3:16)
2) All of history, both within and outside of the Bible, focuses on God
3) The Bible records historical events, but the books are not in chronological order (Google "Bible study" for more info)

I read day 9 today from this book. The book focuses on a practice with some funny latin name, but I still find it useful. You begin by reading a short passage of Scripture multiple times (slowly, not zooming through it to "feel good"). One or two sentences in the passage are in italics, and most of the focus is placed on them. The book has a few paragraphs about the passage, and it varies from day to day, but the discussion is always practical and concise. It has a small area for journaling, but most of the time is spent focusing on the meaning of the reading. I have been encouraged by the way it reveals characteristics of God; I see plainly how He desires to work in my life (and yours, don't get me wrong).

This book mentions meditation somewhere (maybe on the cover, I can't remember). However, it is not referring to the process of "clearing your mind." Rather, it is referring to consciously focusing on just a little bit of the Bible in order to discern what it is talking about (if you've read the Bible, you know that some parts are easier to understand than others). Meditating also helps to demonstrate the depth of God's love for us in the many various books of the Bible. Again, if you are interested in actually getting something out of reading the Bible, I would recommend you spend the time (and the $10) to get this book.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Solitude and Silence Allow God's Voice to be Heard, June 30, 2006

By 

Lisa G. Bailey "Lisa" (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Enjoy the Silence: A 30- Day Experiment in Listening to God (invert) (Paperback)

The ancient meditative practice called "lectio divina" (Latin for "divine reading") is very simple and very helpful in studying scripture. The practice requires that you read a passage of scripture slowly, preferrably out loud, and then consider the words thoughtfully. After some journaling and prayer, read the same passage again, this time considering what it felt like to be there, in the event. Use all your senses and your imagination and journal on the passage. Finally, a third reading where you listen for the words or phrase that really speak to you and journal prayerfully about that consise message. This message is most likely God speaking to you personally through scripture. Studying scripture doesn't get any better than this!

Before I read this book, my prayer times had become pretty one-sided, with me listing out for God all the requests and concerns I had on my heart like a "honey-do" list for my patient husband. The practice of "lectio divina" renewed in me a love for the quiet, prayerful, listening posture that I had lost in my prayer time and reminded me Bible study and prayer is supposed to be a conversation, not a monolouge.

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed Silence, June 21, 2011

By 

Shines - See all my reviews

This review is from: Enjoy the Silence: A 30- Day Experiment in Listening to God (invert) (Paperback)

People talk about the power of the Bible, but sometimes Scripture just looks like regular, old words, doesn't it? But on those thin, innocent-looking pages is the divine revelation of a God who wnats you to hear. That's where Enjoy the Silence comes in. This book is all about a pretty cool spiritual practice called lecito divina (Latin for "divine reading") that has helped christians over the centuries develop awareness of God's presence and power found in the Bible-and it can help you, too! Simple exercises take you through the soul-opening processes of reading Scripture, meditating on Scripture, listening to God through Scripture, and responding to Scripture. If you feel like you've been reading the Bible in the shallow end, it's time to scale the high dive and get ready to plunge headlong into the deep experience of God's Word.
I loved this book!! I do daily Bible study just looking up verses, and that was all. But with this book it showed me how to meditate, what to look for, and how to listen. I wasnt raised in Church or anything close to it, never was encouraged to read my Bible, or do Bible study, so trying to get a deeper meaning from what the Scriptures were telling me very forgien. This book breaks what to do down into four steps. Lectio: reading to get focused, as a gentle form of listening. Meditatio: Meditation biblically speaking means taking time to think about what was just read, to savor it, to deeply consider the meaning. Oratio: talking to God in prayer. Comtemplatio: resting in the presence of God. This book is a 30 day study to help you learn to listen to God. It gives you daily Scriptures to read, points out certian parts (as you grow the parts that stand out will change depending on the person) helps focus your meditation, and gives an area for daily journaling.