From the Bottom of the Pond – The forgotten art of experiencing God in the depths of the present moment

From the Bottom of the Pond is a profound, lucid and accessible book, full of wisdom and compassion. Timothy Freke, author of Lucid Living, (with Peter Gandy) of The Jesus Mysteries, Jesus and the Goddess; The Laughing Jesus. This is an important book. And it is coming out at the moment when it is needed. It is written in a language that we can all understand, mainly in short sentences, each of which adds something to build up a whole as we explore a mystery that is beyond words. Some good stories help us on the way. This short and profound book is a joy to read. Rt Revd Stephen Verney, former Bishop of Repton Don't just pick this book up, read it and read it again. It's the best Christian book I have read in years. This is a book that will inform, delight, and teach. It needs to be heard. It has the potential to light up Christianity. This is what happens when God is happening. It's a brave book, expressing what it feels like to feel God. It shines a light on God in the midst of life, in the detail and the dirt, and it should be on every Christian's reading list. Revd Peter Owen-Jones, Anglican Priest, author and BBC TV presenter of The Lost Gospels and The Battle for Britain's Soul. There is an important distinction between the outer, institutional, side of religion and its inner spiritual-experiential side. The latter is the living heart of religion. This book is a very helpful account of this in its Christian form, with practical advice about the art of immediate awareness of the divine presence, and of the effects of this in life as a whole. I commend it both to church people and to the large number of non-church people who are concerned about their own contact with the Ultimate. John Hick, Emeritus Professor of the Philosophy of Religion, Claremont Graduate University, California; philosopher, theologian and author of many books. Simon Small offers in a very accessible form a way into the spiritual quest that takes seriously the Christian contemplative tradition, as well as the explosion of interest in spiritualities of so many kinds in our time. His own experience is at the heart of the book, yet never imposed on the reader. It is a book by which, as you read it, you feel yourself nourished at the same time as you find yourself and your questions appearing on its pages. Rt Revd Dr Peter Selby, former Bishop of Worcester and Bishop to HM Prisons. A heart-warming and inspiring reminder of the essence of Christian spiritual development. William Bloom, author of Soulution.