Customer Reviews

Weeds Among the Wheat

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This book has been of great significance in my coming to know God. I have given copies to probably 10 people, and the ones who have read it all say the same.

Tom Green is a gift to all communions of the Church, Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant. *Weeds Among The Wheat* shows His deep knowledge and love of God and his profound compassion for God's people on Earth.

The best thing about this book is that it keeps the back-and-forth quality of the Christian life firmly in focus: we serve a God who is power, love, and light, but we are fallen men and women, living in a fallen world with few really black-and-white choices.

Green is writing about discernment, which is the art of hearing clearly what God is saying, and then following where He leads--hence the subtitle, "Where prayer and action meet."

The very idea of a real God, outside of us, speaking to us things we can understand and know come from Him, is ridiculed by many. Separating God's voice from all the others crowding our heads is difficult, but God wants us to know Him; with the help of the Holy Spirit, discernment is not at all impossible. *Darkness In The Marketplace* is a great place to begin learning how.

I first began to consider the "art" of discernment at a retreat last year and purchased the book to read shortly thereafter. As we week to discover or discern God's plan for us, WEEDS AMONG THE WHEAT provides an excellent discussion of the topic in clear, articulate language. Unlike many texts, this book is highly readable whether one has actual training in theology or is relatively new to spiritual exploration. As Christians and Catholics, we are called to do God's work, not just what we think is God's work. We are called to do God's work in our daily lives in the world at large, not just during solitary times of prayer or devotion.

Father Green provides a rich source of information in developing discernment in the context of a special lifelong journey. It is an excellent introduction to the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius Loyola and to "the place where prayer and action meet."

Started reading this book because of a series of seminars on spiritual discernment at an Ignatian centre. It's by far the most enlightening and useful book i've read on discernment.

Fr Green began by looking at three key concepts of God throughout history - disinterested watchmaker, manipulative puppeteer and loving Father of mature adults. Then, he explained six norms for distinguishing true prophets from false prophets in the Old Testament - often prophecies of something bad/unpopular (rather than something good so as to make the kings or the powers-that-be artificially happy), fulfilment through 'signs', obedience to God, deep faith consistent with earlier teachings in the bible, intention to convert people for the better (rather than to covert power or other material rewards), and an inaugural prophetic call.

Then a chapter followed on how Jesus discerned infallibly His identify and mission, as well as how his disciples discerned gropingly the person of Jesus and His mission, what the apostles Paul and John had taught about spiritual discernment in their letters to the faithful (e.g., Galatians 5:19-23 in the New Testament). Next, more details on the kind of disposition and 'climate' that a discerner needs to maintain to be truly open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and so on.

How i wish i've read this book much earlier! Then again, if i had read this earlier, it would not make that much sense, would it?

Father Green has provided in this book just what any true seeker needs--a lovingly written explanation of that point where prayer meets action: discernment. To truly appreciate what he has to say requires careful and thoughtful reading; the exercises he provides at the conclusion of each chapter can be challenging and enlightening. As a non-Catholic, I was happy to find that the guidance he provides is comfortably applicable in the life of any Christian.

This book was written by an experienced spiritual director who is thoughtful and genial. He really believes in God's action in people's lives. He gives real-life examples of the ways God works in lives and also of ways of responding to God. He points out pitfalls, easy mistakes as well as some of the trickier going. A lot of people wish they had a good spiritual director but can't find one. This book is a good temporary substitute. Fr. Green is well-read, an orthodox Roman Catholic priest, and again, he has had a lot of experience.

If you are looking for a book to not judge ,but to discern situations in His Way .. this is the best I have read.. I have shared it with others and they say the same..It has helped me greatly

I started reading this book and I liked the style, but as early as the second chapter I realized that not everything in it is faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church.
The second chapter of this book is titled: "Jesus discerning and discerned", and in contrast to some of what is said in this chapter, I invite you to read the Catechism of the Catholic Church, particularly CCC 473 and CCC 474 where you can find the true teaching about Jesus's human knowledge.
Because what I am most looking for in a Catholic book is faithfulness to the teachings of the Magisterium of the Church, I could not finish reading this particular book.

If you're looking for a casual read on spirituality, save your money. This text is dated and quite sexist. Although it does explain in very good detail about consolations, etc. it seemed to me to be a serious read for catechism. The casual and protestant reader can easily get lost.

*Weeds Among the Wheat* provides a good introduction to the principles of discernment, but is not without flaws. Thomas Green's attempt to make the case for Christian maturity - a relationship with God in which we, as His adult children, take responsibility for decisions - is commendable. However, it's offset by the intermittent patriarchal vein that permeates his philosophy. That's nothing to be wondered at, given his pre-Vatican II formation. But the insistence on the primacy of the voice of pope and priest, and the indispensability of the spiritual director, hardly supports his maturity thesis. There's no room here for the inward light of the Holy Spirit, "who lives in all believers so that they no longer need anyone to teach (them) what is true.. For the Spirit teaches (them) all things". His parochial bias is evident as well; not a single author cited is from outside the Catholic tradition. For a more balanced view, I recommend the excellent *Listening to God in Times of Decision* by Gordon Smith - who, by the way, is a former student of Fr. Green's, and effectively separates the "wheat from the weeds" of Fr. Green's approach.