This conversational resource invites reflection on different aspects of a particular spiritual journey. The seven chosen themes, presented here in booklet form, have emerged from consideration of a famous Old Testament story where we read of the prophet Elijah going through a crisis of confidence and faith. Fleeing for his life into the desert, he gradually makes his way to Horeb, the mountain of God where he hopes to find answers and gain a new sense of direction.

This conversational resource invites consideration of the joys and challenges of ageing. These seven themes of ‘Reaching for Wisdom’ are informed by a very positive view of the latter stages of life. They imply ‘living life to the full at every stage’, even as we traverse through times of adjustment and decline. Without diminishing the difficulties faced by many of the elderly, the invitation given is to seek for meaning and significance in everything we experience – assured of the continued presence of God accompanying us on our way.

Within our increasingly secular culture, many seek spiritual sustenance as we negotiate the challenges of life, looking for purpose and direction in a rapidly changing scene. In the midst of busy lives, taking time and space to find oneself remains an attractive proposition, which the relative anonymity of a pilgrim journey can provide. Whether we are seasoned pilgrims or armchair dreamers, we will find sustenance for our spiritual journey in the words, wisdom and beautiful images of these conversation packs.

In this theme we reflect on how children take us literally and metaphorically full circle, to the liminal spaces of life, to those edges where we encounter beginnings and endings, arriving and departing, life and death. How conversations with children can augment our understanding of the divine and how the presence and wisdom of children in our lives helps us to recognize the many faces of God.

Sponsored by Methodist Women in Britain, this theme explores different aspects of what it is to be or to live alone. How we find ourselves in situations of enforced isolation and how even such difficult circumstances may bring forth flowers of wisdom, love and faith. Choosing a solitary way in response to an inner call and the challenges and consolations it presents.

The title Glimpsing God has emerged from the observation that the intuitive, lived experience of the vast majority of humankind suggests there is more to life than meets the eye. Within and beyond the everyday, there are times when we recognise transcendence and catch a glimpse of the Divine. Mediated in countless ways, these moments of encounter both surprise and encourage us. Through these seven booklets we are invited to reflect on the varied forms of experience through which we commonly recognise a deeper order of meaning and significance to the universe in which we find ourselves.