Spiritual Survival Guide: How to Find God When You are Sick

Los Angeles pastor Charles Shields died of prostate cancer before Spiritual Survival Guide, the book he coauthored with Cynthia Ferrell, was published. The fact that Shields perished from his illness in no way diminishes the importance and mystical possibilities of his Christian teachings. "I know firsthand the peace spiritual exercise can bring, a peace that crisis steals away," he wrote when he was already in the throes of cancer treatment. "My hope is to assist in the enhancement and deepening of your relationship with the God who created you and loves you--the God who desires to come to you right now."

Foremost, the book aims to help the terminally ill (as well as their loved ones) glean comfort from scripture. By showing readers the Benedictine form of "divine reading" (a meditative approach to psalms), Shields teaches readers how to listen for God's love and guidance. He also offers practical suggestions for enduring the harshness of a hospital stay (such as how to create a cozy, healing atmosphere in a hospital room) or the feelings of abandonment as one struggles with pain and the possibility of death. Throughout the elegantly packaged book, Shields offers blank pages on which to write thoughts, prayers, and reflections as well as pages filled with specific psalms that enhance healing and bring calm in the face of crisis. --Gail Hudson