Conversations with Silence: Rosetta Stone of the Soul

by Sally Longley, Trevor Hudson (Foreword by)

Overview

Silence--scary, inviting, or both? What do you do with silence? And what if silence was a language we could learn to read, hear, and even speak? This book invites you to tune the eyes and ears of your heart to the cadences of silence. Enter into conversations with silence as you are taken on an odyssey. Venture into the Australian bush. Trek deep into the red desert. Encounter shadows and desert dwellers. You will also delve into the tiny houses of everyday silences and receive their gifts of hospitality. And stumbling into that other territory, where silence becomes a death threat, or survival, an orchard can show you the fruit of life beginning again. Conversations with Silence takes you to the Rosetta Stone of an ancient, forgotten language, a language some have called God, or the soul. Immerse yourself in the silent realm of mystics, musicians, poets, and pilgrims of every path. These are our companions, as we explore the nuanced vocabulary of the worlds of silences and join in the conversation with a new voice.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781725277779
Publisher:	Wipf & Stock Publishers
Publication date:	01/08/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	172
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Sally Longley is a pastor, retreat leader, spiritual director, and author based in Sydney, Australia. She is a past president of the Australian Network for Spiritual Direction.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Sally Longley reminds us of a forgotten truth: Words of substance are born of silence and bear fruit in silence. At a time when public discourse is beset by destructive polarizations and sheer emptiness, both inside religious traditions and in the marketplaces of our cities, Conversations with Silence says, gently but powerfully, ‘There is another way.’ It is a wise and healing book.”


—Michael Whelan, SM, author of A Friendly Guide to Prayer





“In Conversations with Silence form and content kiss each other in a text that is both richly profound and beautifully written. Who knew silence was so tonal and eloquent!”


—Robin Parry, Church of England priest and author





“Here is the literary treasure-trove about silence that we all have been waiting for, the trialogue between the Divine, the human soul, and the Rosetta Stone realm of stillness. This is a ‘stepping stone to what is beyond explanation . . . sublime wisdom.’ . . . Céad mile fáilte to a practical, informative meditation that awakens the spirit of the mystic in every reader, expertly guided by the erudite, imaginative writing of spiritual director and retreat leader, Sally Longley.”


—Nóirín Ní Riain, spiritual singer, author, and Interfaith Minister





“In Psalm 46, the Holy calls upon us to ‘desist and know that I am God.’ In her Conversations with Silence, Sally Longley offers us heartfelt ‘whys’ and wise ‘hows,’ as she guides us to do just that, to be still and intimately know. Born of reflection, scholarship, and deep experience, Sally introduces us to but some of the divine faces she’s encountered amid the textures of silence—the Sacred manifest in our personal shadows and distractions, in the fire, in the sky, in Scripture and in the presence of Grandmother God. Rooted in her lived Christianity, Longley’s grasp of the Abrahamic faiths, of Eastern and Indigenous traditions makes this a compelling read for people of all backgrounds.”


—Howard Avruhm Addison, Director, Jewish Spirituality Doctoral Programs, Graduate Theological Foundation





“Part memoir and part spiritual instruction guide, Conversations with Silence is a poetically powerful invitation to transform our lives and authenticate our relationship with God through the healing power of silence. Spiritual director and author Sally Longley understands firsthand what courage it takes it takes to stop living frantically, to listen deeply, and to surrender to the voice of God wherever one finds it—in the Australian bush, in the desert, or in one’s own backyard. She invites us to courageously do the same; to seize sacred opportunities and pauses, Selah, which can be found always and everywhere, . . . This book is a propitious gift to the world, and one that is sorely needed during these times of cacophonous disconnection and despair. It is a hopeful book, and I am supremely grateful for it.”


—Janice L. Lundy, co-founder, The Spiritual Guidance Training Institute, Chicago

Editorial Reviews

Sally Longley reminds us of a forgotten truth: Words of substance are born of silence and bear fruit in silence. At a time when public discourse is beset by destructive polarizations and sheer emptiness, both inside religious traditions and in the marketplaces of our cities, Conversations with Silence says, gently but powerfully, ‘There is another way.’ It is a wise and healing book.”


—Michael Whelan, SM, author of A Friendly Guide to Prayer





“In Conversations with Silence form and content kiss each other in a text that is both richly profound and beautifully written. Who knew silence was so tonal and eloquent!”


—Robin Parry, Church of England priest and author





“Here is the literary treasure-trove about silence that we all have been waiting for, the trialogue between the Divine, the human soul, and the Rosetta Stone realm of stillness. This is a ‘stepping stone to what is beyond explanation . . . sublime wisdom.’ . . . Céad mile fáilte to a practical, informative meditation that awakens the spirit of the mystic in every reader, expertly guided by the erudite, imaginative writing of spiritual director and retreat leader, Sally Longley.”


—Nóirín Ní Riain, spiritual singer, author, and Interfaith Minister





“In Psalm 46, the Holy calls upon us to ‘desist and know that I am God.’ In her Conversations with Silence, Sally Longley offers us heartfelt ‘whys’ and wise ‘hows,’ as she guides us to do just that, to be still and intimately know. Born of reflection, scholarship, and deep experience, Sally introduces us to but some of the divine faces she’s encountered amid the textures of silence—the Sacred manifest in our personal shadows and distractions, in the fire, in the sky, in Scripture and in the presence of Grandmother God. Rooted in her lived Christianity, Longley’s grasp of the Abrahamic faiths, of Eastern and Indigenous traditions makes this a compelling read for people of all backgrounds.”


—Howard Avruhm Addison, Director, Jewish Spirituality Doctoral Programs, Graduate Theological Foundation





“Part memoir and part spiritual instruction guide, Conversations with Silence is a poetically powerful invitation to transform our lives and authenticate our relationship with God through the healing power of silence. Spiritual director and author Sally Longley understands firsthand what courage it takes it takes to stop living frantically, to listen deeply, and to surrender to the voice of God wherever one finds it—in the Australian bush, in the desert, or in one’s own backyard. She invites us to courageously do the same; to seize sacred opportunities and pauses, Selah, which can be found always and everywhere, . . . This book is a propitious gift to the world, and one that is sorely needed during these times of cacophonous disconnection and despair. It is a hopeful book, and I am supremely grateful for it.”


—Janice L. Lundy, co-founder, The Spiritual Guidance Training Institute, Chicago

From the Publisher