"We see Divinity as an orb or a sphere with individual religions as longitudes and denominations or branches within a given religion as latitudes. So the distinctions that divide religions are primarily on the surface (though deeply felt). But if you cut a slice out of the sphere, you move away from the divisions and draw closer to what religions have in common — the Divine core," write Jane Richardson Jensen and Patricia Harris-Watkins, two chaplains of Clare's Place, a women's spirituality center in College Station, Texas. Together, they have assembled a soul-stretching interfaith resource that takes advantage of the riches and the wisdom of many religious traditions. Part One contains a seven day cycle of daily prayer with the majority of readings from the hymns of St. Ephrem, a fourth-century church father who used feminine images of God and created materials for women's choirs. Click the following button for an example of one of the prayers.

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In the Second Part consisting of season stories and collects, Patricia Harris-Watkins has written 52 collects linked to Native American meanings of creatures, plants, and minerals in the Medicine Wheel. Anyone familiar with Jamie Sams's Medicine Cards will rejoice in these earth-cherishing prayers that vividly demonstrate the ways in which all beings can be our spiritual teachers.

Part Three contains prayers for some of the hinge moments in the lives of women, including times of giving, times of broken relationships, and times of healing. Part Four unspools a multipurpose calendar with saints, mystics, events, and gifts of creation. Here you will find listings for the 12 months of the year along with various collects celebrating colors, earthforms, celestial bodies and persons such as Harriet Tubman, Zora Neale Hurston, Rachel Carson, Helen Keller.

Part Five has rites, rituals, and services for special occasions. Even more spiritual delights follow in Part Six. This is an invaluable resource for anyone on a spiritual journey but it will resonate especially with women searching for interfaith materials to incorporate into their devotional rites and celebrations.

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