"Abide in me," Jesus tells us, "and you will bear much fruit." Yet too often we forget that fruit needs different seasons in order to grow. We measure our spiritual maturity by how much we do rather than how we are responding to our current spiritual season.

In Spiritual Rhythm, Mark Buchanan replaces our spirituality of busyness with a spirituality of abiding. Sometimes we are busy, sometimes still, sometimes pushing with all we've got, sometimes waiting. This model of the spiritual life measures and produces growth by asking: Are we living in rhythm with the season we are in?

With the lyrical writing for which he is known, Mark invites us to respond to every season of the heart, whether we are flourishing and fruitful, stark and dismal, or cool and windy. In comparing spiritual rhythms to the seasons of the year, he shows us what to expect from each season and how embracing the seasons causes our spiritual lives to prosper. As he draws on the powerful words of Scripture, Mark explores what activities are suitable or necessary in each season--and what activities are useless or even harmful in that season.

Throughout the book, Mark weaves together stories of young and old, men and women, families, couples, and individuals who are in or have been through a particular season of the heart. As Mark writes, "I pray that this book meets you in whatever season you're in, and prepares you for whatever seasons await. I pray that it helps you find your voice, your stride, your rhythm, in season or out. Mostly, I pray that you, with or without my help, find Christ wherever you are. And that, even more, you discover that wherever you are, he's found you."

Mansions of the Heart begins with the author’s personal story of frustration and confusion and the discovery that there is more to the Christian life than building a successful church. While strengthening his relationship with God, R. Thomas Ashbrook―an engineer-turned-pastor―went on a wondrous and often challenging adventure of discovery. By revealing his story of transformation, Dr. Ashbrook offers seekers a way to move forward on their own spiritual paths. 

Written for anyone who wants to develop a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God, Mansions of the Heart offers a step-by-step guide through a spiritual formation road map based on Teresa of Avila’s Seven Mansions. This centuries-old spiritual classic reveals the various phases of spiritual transformation. Dr. Ashbrook taps into this ancient description of spiritual growth and offers a personal guide to each stage of the process that is designed to help followers of Jesus reexamine their life experiences and their relationship with God. 

Mansions of the Heart debunks commonly held myths that lead to spiritual dead ends and describes a clear pathway to a deepening love relationship with God. The author explains how hearts and spirits cooperate with God in their growth using the insights of the Seven Mansions. He begins with a description of the new believer who comes to personal faith in Christ and ends with the final phase of life in unity with the Trinity that brings forth a wonderful season of inner peace in loving God and others. 

Mansions of the Heart can help anyone discern their place on their spiritual journey and offers church leaders a process for helping church members to grow as disciples of Christ.