Customer Reviews

Making Crosses: A Creative Connection to God (Active Prayer Series)

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A charming new book from Paraclete Press, Making Crosses: A Creative Connection to God, by award-winning Memphis writer Ellen Prewitt, can change your perspective on the way you interpret everyday things. This book is a guide for finding and using simple, sometimes discarded, perhaps once-loved, objects and pieces of your life and prayerfully incorporating them into a focal point - a cross. As Prewitt guides the reader into the process, she gently reminds us, "it is not our purpose to make a beautiful cross," but instead the purpose is to lead us into our own theology, how we think about God. When participating in one of her workshops, her statement that when we work on a cross the cross begins to work on us, struck me as absolutely true. After reading her book, I cannot go for a walk that I do not pay closer attention to objects that I pass, or things that may block my path. Items that I may have once thrown away suddenly have new value. Readers are drawn into the beauty of God's creation as we look for items to incorporate into a cross, and I am continually amazed at what God Brings. As Prewitt says, "Trust the one who knows the secrets of our hearts and whose joy it is to give them to us." Ellen Prewitt has certainly brought joy into many lives, and continues to do so, through "Making Crosses".
Making Crosses: A Creative Connection to God (Active Prayer Series)

This was an impulse buy-one of those you bought this, you might like this suggestions. Am I ever glad that this purchase was made. The book is quiet and humble in it approach, but the impression it leaves is great. It is the right amount of organization, evangelization and artistic know how. It is a good book for a foundation in teaching a class about cross making or using it to explor your personal faith.

The title of this book would lead you to believe that there are instructions for making crosses and different kinds of crosses. Indeed, the LOOK INSIDE function took me to a page that seemed to have some promise. However, the focus of this work is not on MAKING CROSSES as a craft that gives you A CREATIVE CONNECTION TO GOD. The focus of the book is A CONNECTION TO GOD by exploring your creativity with general shapes, that could be a cross. It is a lovely book for your spiritual journey. It was not at all what I expected it to be. If you are a crafter who is interested in ideas about creative crosses -- keep looking.

A delightful form of meditation is detailed in Making Crosses. The only problem is having to take time to gather the materials, but the process is worth the wait. A marvelous companion to Praying in Color.

The author began making handmade crosses from found materials as a spiritual exercise. So far, so good. While the book describes some general principals and has a number of illustrations of finished crosses, it has few clear directions and lots of white space. I would have preferred some example crosses with detailed directions, and maybe some more reflection on the spiritual process with a bit more depth. I understand that part of the goal of making a handmade cross is to accept the found materials available and work with the creative impulse of the moment as an expression of the Spirit moving within you - but most people need a bit more help getting started than this book gives. As a spiritual leader myself, I may use the book's general idea for adult or youth activities, but I will have to do a lot more work to actually set up a class or workshop to round out the book's advice, which isn't detailed enough to really help me. On the whole, a disappointing book.

The Cross is our ancient symbol of Christianity. If our life has been broken by some tragedy or illness or even an accident, we can help to mend the broken pieces simply by creating Crosses made out of broken material from many
different materials. An example would be a broken leg from a table or a twisted vine or a piece from a broken wind chime. The possibilities are endless. Through this creative process a new connection can be made to our Creator. We are working directly with God and turning our hearts to Him. He is
there beside us marvelling in the beauty of our creation. Have faith that what you are creating is exactly what you need at this time.