There has been a revival of all things Celtic in recent decades, producing everything from Irish folk music to a rise in pagan mysticism. By contrast, Tracy Balzer's book, THIN PLACES: An Evangelical Journey into Celtic Christianity is written to introduce contemporary Christians to the great spiritual legacy of the early Celts, a legacy that has remained undiscovered or inaccessible for many in the evangelical tradition. Thin Places not only reveals the deeply scriptural, sacramental faith of the Celts, but also provides ways for us to learn from this ancient faith expression, applying fresh and lively spiritual disciplines to our lives today.

Wonder, attention, journey, stillness―Tracy Balzer's book explores the very lineaments of the spiritual life. In reflecting on these themes, Balzer draws, of course, on Scripture, but also on wildlife, poetry, art, and the text of her own ordinary and extraordinary life as a minister, mother, wife, friend, and disciple of Jesus Christ. But this is not just a book about wonder and attentiveness. It is a book that cultivates wonder and attentiveness―I found myself becoming calmer, more peaceful, and more prayerful as I read. I am so thankful for A Listening Life. Quite simply, it is a book that I need.―Lauren Winner, Author of Girl Meets God and Mudhouse Sabbath

Over the last twenty years spiritual director, teacher, and pilgrim Tracy Balzer has made more than a dozen transatlantic visits to Scotland's Isle of Iona, welcoming the hallowed spaces of the island to sculpt, bend, and sustain her spiritually. It might be said that Iona has been my spiritual director, says Balzer, for with each visit she is freshly confronted by key questions of faith: Where is God? Who am I? What can I offer the world?

Set against the backdrop of Iona's deep Christian history and exquisite natural beauty, A Journey of Sea and Stone explores these questions, prompting each of us to reach for meaning in our daily lives and to consider the myriad ways God might be inviting us into something new. Tapping our innate desire to seek and find, to encounter God in creation and in the history of faithful people, Balzer guides us in our own journeys to cultivate and find sustenance and connection in sacred spaces.

Deep passages of reflection are complemented by rich illustrations reflecting the island's stunning terrain and Celtic heritage, providing spiritual seekers and armchair travelers a fresh entrée into the world of the sacred, wherever they may be.

God gives us permission to meditatively ponder, even in the midst of our fragmented existence. He invites us to listen, that you may live.