Threshold of Discovery: A Field Guide to Spirituality in Midlife

From the back cover:

Roger Owens, facing a “dark night of the soul” as he turned forty and entered midlife, was encouraged by his spiritual director to think of it instead as a “threshold of discovery.” Rather than go on a grand adventure like walking the Appalachian Trail or the Camino de Santiago, he decided to mark his fortieth year by taking forty walks in a nearby nature preserve. With patience and attention, he explored the concerns rising within him: the inevitability of death, his boredom with life, and the reality of his changing faith, changing images of God, and changing sense of self. The result is forty short chapters that weave together insightful stories of his walks with accessible history and practices of Christian spirituality and the lives of saints.

This field guide to the spirituality of midlife facilitates readers’ personal journeys through questions of faith, purpose, and relationships. It is not solely a memoir, but a work of wisdom literature that uses engaging first-person narratives to explore universal themes and spiritual inquiry. Wise and imaginative, and with study questions for each section, Threshold of Discovery is the companion guide for a thoughtful Christian journey.

“Reading Threshold of Discovery makes me feel like I am walking slowly down a nature trail with a thoughtful friend and theologian who is sharing rich insights about how to stay vibrant and hopeful when facing some of the daunting questions that arise in midlife. Roger Owens’s writing is attractive and inviting—deeply personal and pastorally sensitive. His insights are grounded in his own experience and illuminated by the wisdom of Christian tradition.”

Wilkie Au, Ph.D.
Author of The Enduring Heart:
Spirituality for the Long Haul

What We Need Is Here

From the back cover:

Join Owens in this captivating, sometimes humorous account of how he rediscovered seven ‘givens’ of Christian spirituality: reading the Gospels, praying with the Psalms, sitting in silence with God, finding Jesus in church, meeting Jesus in Holy Communion, receiving and responding to Jesus with the body, and spending time with the poor. Return to the heart of Christian spirituality with Roger Owens.

“Rare is the book that will change your feelings. You’re holding one such book in your hands. Roger Owens’s work is wise, gentle, funny, and holy.”
Jason Byassee, Vancouver School of Theology

“Roger Owens takes us to the heart of Christian spirituality in this affirmative, practical guide.”

Will Willimon, Retired United Methodist Bishop

Abba, Give Me a Word

From the back cover:

With a style and warmth of presentation that will remind readers of Henri Nouwen’s most popular work, Abba Give Me a Word interweaves the author’s personal stories of struggle – and transformation – with reflections on the history and purpose of spiritual direction. The result is a wise introduction to an ancient art and practice of “soul care” – directed at Christians of all backgrounds.

“This is a guide for those eager for a serious yet joyful journey from isolation to communion. It is about companionship on the greatest journey anyone can undertake. It is about kindness in the old sense of the word.”

Alan Jones, Dean Emeritus of Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, and the author of Soul Making

A New Day in the City

From the back cover:

Donna Claycomb Sokol and Roger Owens share lessons they’ve learned on the job and from other urban pastors. Along the way, they challenge clichés about church leadership and strategic planning by showing what congregational renewal can look like and how it can become a reality. Each chapter features a set of practical guidelines for leading a congregation to address the questions that matter most.

“Three things excite me most about this book: First, these two young pastors understand the strategic importance of urban ministry and are passionately committed to it. Second, they show that when you turn from tired ‘church growth’ and corporate paradigms, choosing rather to model your ministry on Jesus, new life happens. And third, they explain that transformation is about journeying faithfully with the questions rather than looking for quick-fix techniques. This book could change your ministry.”

Peter Storey, South African church leader; W. Ruth and A. Morris Williams Distinguished Professor Emeritus of the Practice of Christian Ministry, Duke Divinity School

Peter Storey, South African church leader; W. Ruth and A. Morris Williams Distinguished Professor Emeritus of the Practice of Christian Ministry, Duke Divinity School