Guide to the art of being 'Attentive to God'

debbiethrower0
Oct 13
3 min read

It was a beautiful older lady called Grace who very kindly once gave me a copy of Brother Lawrence's book The Practice of the Presence of God (Revell, 1999), writes Debbie Thrower.

I turned to the notes at the end of Tony Horsfall's new book for BRF Attentive to God and, sure enough, there was mention of this spiritual classic based on the insights of a lay brother who lived in the seventeenth century and worked in a monastery kitchen. Hardly a place conducive to contemplation you might think? But if he could cultivate his relationship with God in the midst of the everyday hustle and bustle... there's hope for each of us!

Many of the other sources Tony Horsfall draws on in this accessible guide takes the reader down all sorts of new routes to becoming more aware of the ways God communicates with us and we can return the favour.

Tony Horsfall is a seasoned author and retreat leader, who has written a number of other books for BRF Ministries; including Deep Calls to Deep, Working from a Place of Rest and Rhythms of Grace. This is someone who clearly practises what he preaches.

He has structured the book in six parts; each relates to different figures in the Bible like Jacob, Moses, Jeremiah, Samuel, Mary and Cleopas. We learn from their examples - good and not so good- of some of the 'reasons for inattentiveness', how we may be 'missing the moment', what constitutes 'the gift of seeing' and the value of adopting 'the posture of listening.'

The concluding sections of the book flesh out the significance of responding by 'obedience', 'surrender' and of 'believing what God says.' If this is beginning to sound a little scary, don't be dismayed. All through the biblical sweep of history people very like us have put energy into avoiding God. What Horsfall has captured is the pointlessness of such evasion in the long run.

Even seeming dead ends can be important stages in our own journey towards God. He quotes the advice of Barbara Brown Taylor:

'The practice of paying attention really does take time... Reverence requires a certain pace. It requires a willingness to take detours, even side trips, which are not part of the original plan.'

Barbara Brown Taylor- An Altar in the world: Finding the sacred beneath our feet

We must be careful not to miss the moment of God's nearness, he adds.

It is likely many readers will enjoy studying these topics via group discussions. There are helpful pointers on how to do that in the final pages. It would make a good Lent Study book with plenty of suggested questions for each part so leaders may prompt conversation.

Anyone who comes to this book, as the author suggests, perhaps by offering a preparatory prayer to God focusing on - 'What do you want him to do for you as you read? will, surely, not be disappointed. Horsfall is a gentle teacher who knows from his own personal, down-to-earth, experience how:

'God is everywhere, in all places, and there is no spot where we cannot draw near to him, and hear him speaking in our heart: with a little love, just a very little, we shall not find it hard.'