We are pleased to offer this list of books recommended by our staff.

Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool by Dr. Lauren Artress, Riverhead Books, 1995.

Labyrinths have been around for centuries, but Artress has been one of the first to reintroduce them to the 21st century. The book was first published eight years ago and serves as an excellent resource for anyone wanting to learn about labyrinths. There has been an increasing interest in labyrinths and growing numbers appearing in a variety of places such as hospitals, prisons, public gardens, private homes and performance spaces. Labyrinths are typically 42 feet in diameter, but may be as large as 400 feet wide or small enough to fit in your lap.

Labyrinths are usually in the form of a circle with a meandering, but purposeful path. The path becomes a metaphor for life, sending us to the center of the labyrinth and then back out to the edge on the same path. The labyrinth is a spiritual tool meant to awaken us to the deep rhythm that unites us to ourselves and the Light (God) that calls from within.

To enter a labyrinth is to choose to walk a spiritual path. It engages not our thinking mind, (left brain) as would a maze with choices and dead ends, but invites our intuitive, pattern seeking, symbolic mind (right brain) to come forth. The labyrinth is a tool to quiet the mind, guide healing, deepen self knowledge and empower creativity. A labyrinth is a sacred place and can give us firsthand experiences of the Divine.

This is far more than a book about labyrinths. Artress provides much direction in the area of spiritual formation and how the use of a labyrinth helps facilitate this process. The symbolism or sacred geometry of labyrinths is described in much detail. While this is not a "how to build a labyrinth" book, it is a "how to walk a labyrinth" book. Artress comments that she is available for consultation regarding the how to of building a labyrinth and welcomes interaction with other labyrinth enthusiasts. Artress includes many descriptions of a variety of individual's personal experiences in walking the labyrinth. Her concern for the person's transforming soul is clearly expressed. Artress states, "The labyrinth adds the dimension of the mystical to the everyday human experience."

As a chaplain in a retirement services corporation, my hope is to see one or more labyrinths at our various facility sites. I am profoundly excited about the possibilities for spiritual growth and experiences of God's love and grace made possible through the use of a labyrinth for our staff, residents, and surrounding community. The ground is sitting there, waiting to be transformed.

Rabbi Harold Kushner's most recent book addresses one of the more basic questions of human life, "What makes for a life worth living?" As in previous books, Rabbi Kushner uses a biblical theme as the vehicle and focus on his work. Here, he uses the biblical character Jacob to lift up the continuing struggles of the human condition: Why do decent people violate their moral standards? How can we pursue justice without giving in to the temptation for revenge? How can we turn our relationships with family and friends into genuine sources of meaning?

As I read his book and listened to him "speak" I heard Rabbi Kushner responding as much to the questions raised by his congregants and readers as the questions that have surfaced in his won life. Drawing on his forty years as a rabbi, his own life experience, literature, and current events, Rabbi Kushner shares what he has learned about what makes life worth living. Reading and listening to Rabbi Kushner is like spending time with a wise old friend. The words of Ralph Waldo Emerson summarize Kushner's book, "To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you lived - that is to have succeeded."

The authors present a paradigm shift in how we view aging in society. In recent years there has been a welcome emphasis on .successful aging. that promises increased physical vigor, continued intellectual growth, and meaningful work during the elder years. Certainly that is better than the stereotypes of bent, shuffling, older adults consigned to a life of social isolation. But does so-called .successful aging. go far enough? That is the question entertained in this book. We all are well aware of the extended life span, but the question the good Rabbi Schachter-Shalomi wanted to answer for himself is .What do you do with the extra years?. How can I convert the extra years into a blessing rather than a curse? For all the other phases of life there were developmental models to follow, but none that satisfied for old age. Indeed, for many people old age is met with deep-seated fear and loathing. In popular imagination, old age means wrinkled skin and chronic disease, rather than the wisdom, serenity, balanced judgment, and self-knowledge that represent the fruit of a long life experience. Younger generations that are still working can view older generations as merely non-contributing members of society.

The paradigm shift the author proposes is a new model of late-life development called sage-ing, a process that enables older people to become spiritually radiant, physically vital, and socially responsible "elders of the tribe". Aging becomes the fulfillment of life, not its inevitable decline.

Using the growth techniques of modern psychology and contemplative techniques from the world.s spiritual traditions we can expand our consciousness and develop wisdom. We can become sages. The authors label this on-going process spiritual eldering, explaining, .The contemporary sage draws on three sources: models of the traditional tribal elder whose wisdom guided the social order for thousands of years; state-of-the-art breakthroughs in brain-mind and consciousness research; and the ecology movement which urges us to live in harmony with the natural world..

Having set out their proposal, the authors then go into detail regarding the steps one can use to become an elder. Chapters 4, :The Art of Life Completion", and 5, "Tools for Harvesting Life", offer practical methods of allowing readers to "harvest" their years of life experience and reclaim the traditional role of elder in society. In Chapters 6 and 7, the authors spend a good bit of space discussing "thanatos", death and eternity. Explorations include traditions from The Tibetan Book of the Dead to Native-American spirituality to Jewish and Christian traditions and teachings.

The elder, upon doing this preparation, is then encouraged to share the wisdom of his or her life experience in mentoring, in becoming active as healers of family and community. Great emphasis is placed on ecological initiatives, taking care of the earth so that other generations may share its provision. The authors propose the writing of "ethical wills" where we share with our families the values, learning and wisdom we have gleaned from our life experience.

The book is a foundational piece of the Spiritual Eldering Institute, which is located in Boulder, CO. Several Sage-ing Centers have started around the country. These centers train Certified Sage-ing Leaders who then go into their communities to spread the model of late-life development outlined here.

I found the book stimulating me to look at my own approach to aging. I have begun my own eldering work and would recommend this book to anyone, no matter how many years of life-experience she or he might have. Some parts of the book were tedious for me, especially the discussion of death traditions. All in all, the authors make their case for a new paradigm of aging as well as giving practical advice and counsel to all of us for the aging process.

In Smile and Jump High! a father and daughter relate the events following a car accident in which Shannon suffers a traumatic brain injury. The book is written in everyday language, and if medical terms are used the authors explain the terms.

For those who work in hospitals or for clergy who have congregation members who are dealing with a traumatic brain injury, this book offers the insight of what the family and patient experience, a point of view that is seldom written about.

The book opens with that phone call that all parents dread receiving. "Hello, your daughter has been in a very serious car accident." During the drive to the hospital, which is about three hours away, Donald shares with us the thoughts and conversations that occurred in the car. We are then walked through what the parents and siblings experience while Shannon is in an Intensive Care Unit. These experiences include their first glimpse of her, sitting at the bedside with the uncertainty of whether Shannon would live through the night, facial surgery, and watching her begin to wake up. Perhaps one of the most poignant moments in the book is when Donald returns to the hospital after a week of working.

He writes:

The exhausting day drew to a close just after 9 p.m. when I arrived back at the hospital. I was excited but apprehensive as I walked back into the ICU room. Sue and Kelley were smiling, Shannon's eyes were wide open and I was bursting with emotion.

"Shannon, do you know who that is?" Sue asked.

"Brian," (her brother), she answered weakly.

My heart was broken. At that moment, I realized the road ahead was going to be long and demanding... and who knew where it would end.

As Shannon progresses in her recovery, we again get to see the emotions that the family goes through; the wonderful moments when Shannon is calm and able to function on a high level and the moments when she is out of control. We are given insight into what the transition to a rehabilitation hospital is like for both the patient and the family members; what do you do with a half a head of hair that is tangled and knotted; trying to decide when to take the patient home.

Once Shannon is home, it is still not an easy journey. She is afraid of strangers and sees giant rabbits out in the yard. Shannon does make an amazing recovery. Shannon had also written in a journal during her recovery. There are a few excerpts from her journal that let the reader see what Shannon felt as she came to terms with her injury... from denial that anything is wrong with her to her acceptance of her injury. She is eventually able to return to work. There she meets a man whom she later marries.

This book has a happier ending than most stories of people who suffer a traumatic brain injury. However, it still provides good insight into the journey of a family experiencing such an injury.