Ultreia: Meditations for Spiritual Direction

In the long journey of spiritual life we can often feel lost, tired, unmotivated, resistant or fearful that we are on a path that leads nowhere. It is at such times that we need to hear once again the song of the ancient pilgrims: Ultreia! Ultreia! -"Go farther, go higher!" Where is the path? Which way is forward? Where do I find strength to carry on? The Scriptures provide particular encouragement to those whose first desire is to keep moving forward in the spiritual life. Like wind blowing over fading coals, the Spirit urges us to go farther and higher in the pilgrimage of faith. In the tradition of Christian contemplatives and mystics from the early centuries to the present, Rob Des Cotes brings fresh insights to many familiar biblical passages, applying them to prayer and to the transforming work of spiritual direction. The numerous images and creative metaphors of the spiritual journey found in these concise and thought-provoking meditations are both contemporary while deeply rooted in the classics of Catholic, Orthodox and Reformation contemplative traditions. Rob Des Cotes is a spiritual director, retreat leader and pastor of Imago Dei (www.imagodeicommunity.ca), a network of faith communities that encourages the practice of prayer and a transforming relationship with God. He has taught spiritual theology at Trinity Western University, Columbia Bible College and at Carey Theological College and is also associated, as a spiritual director, with a number of churches and Christian institutions including Regent College in Vancouver.