The Sacred Art of Marriage

The Sacred Art of Marriage explores married life as an art studio with fifty-two tools to creatively craft your spiritual life together. Drawing upon the fourth chapter of The Rule of St. Benedict, this book offers married couples fifty-two weeks of spiritual practices and ancient wisdom to deepen your marriage. Newlywed couples planning and preparing for married life will encounter in this book a variety of creative plans and patterns to put into practice, including daily, weekly, seasonal, and annual patterns of healthy, married living. Journeying through a year of marriage, readers move seasonally through this four-part book, from Summer, into Fall, through Winter, and around to Spring. In The Sacred Art of Marriage, you''ll discover ancient wisdom and practical ways to deepen your spiritual life together across seasons as you grow together in God''s gift of marriage.""In The Sacred Art of Marriage, David has crafted something quite lovely. St. Benedict''s fourth chapter on the Tools of Good Works was intended to shape our hearts into the heart of Christ through action. In simple, short chapters he weaves a small section from RB 4 and Sacred Scripture with tales his own life experience to call couples to deepen the quality of their lives together. These are organized by the four seasons--a nice reminder that our relationships and commitments also have ''seasons.'' His simple exercises are practical. I recommend this for all, but especially for those preparing for marriage or in the early days of your lives together.""--Laura Swan, OSB, author of The Wisdom of the Beguines: The Forgotten Story of a Medieval Women''s Movement""David Robinson has a metaphorical mind and heart. His poetry combines with biblical, theological, pastoral, and marital wisdom. This book displays all of these gifts, and you will be the richer for reading it.""--Mark Labberton, President, Fuller Theological SeminaryDavid Robinson is author of Soul Mentoring: Discover the Ancient Art of Caring for Others (Cascade, 2015); Ancient Paths: Discover Christian Formation the Benedictine Way (Paraclete, 2010); and The Busy Family''s Guide to Spirituality (Crossroad, 2009). Married since 1981, David and his spouse, Trina, enjoy three married sons and one granddaughter. David has served as pastor of Cannon Beach Community Church, Cannon Beach, Oregon, since 1993. He is a Benedictine Oblate with Mount Angel Abbey.