“The way I found God space—sacred moments in which we encounter the holy—was to begin to see all of my life as lived in space of God.”
This is the premise of Keri Wyatt Kent’s latest book GodSpace: that we open ourselves up for more God moments when we realize he is all around us in our daily living—and look for him there. (I received a copy of GodSpace from the publisher for review purposes, but the opinions are my own.)
Kent covers seven spiritual practices or disciplines, whatever you wish to call them. She picks some you may not have encountered in your normal spiritual discipline readings and weaves the seven together as building on one another. (Men, there is plenty of meat in this book for you; don’t let the girly cover keep you from it.)
I have always appreciated Kent’s writing and have read several of her earlier books, so I was eager to dig into this one. While not difficult to read at all, I found myself moving slowly through the book, underlining key sentences (sometimes every other one), savoring her words, mulling over the concepts and her suggestions, and tweeting like a crazy woman.
So to give you a taste, I’ll name her seven practices and give you one quote from Kent.
Sabbath: Space in My Calendar
“Sabbath invites us not just to take a day of rest but to embrace a theology of trust in God’s provision, a theology that posits we have enough resources that we can afford to stop accumulating and striving for a day.”
Hospitality: Space in My Home
“Hospitality should never be confused with entertaining … Rather than seeking to impress people, it aims to welcome Jesus, disguised as an ordinary person.”
Worship: Space in the World
“Worship recalibrates our hearts, giving us a right-sized view of ourselves, particularly in relation to God. Ideally, it removes us along with our worries, fears and ambitions, from the throne of our lives and puts God back on it.”
Simplicity: Space in My Soul
“The biggest barrier to true simplicity is not a messy desk or an overcrowded closet. According to Jesus, what keeps us from simplicity is the sin of worry.”
Generosity: Space in My Budget
“‘Enough’ is a state of mind. It’s less about how much you have and more about how you see what you have. If you fear you don’t have enough, the best thing to do is give some of it away.”
Gratitude: Space in My Relationships
“When we are grateful and give thanks, we experience grace. And that grace flows from us to the people around it who are hungry to taste more of God.”
Critical Thinking: Space for Faith and Doubt
“Certainty is not the destination of the faith journey. It is awe and awareness that there are no easy answers.”
GodSpace will help you reorient your life toward God at work in and around you. Don’t miss it. You can order it from your favorite online retailer. Here’s the link to mine: Barnes & Noble.
I reviewed it on my blog too. In our “too busy” and “distracted” age, I think many will benefit from reading it. While I did not mention it in my review, I also thought the “girly” cover was perhaps unfortunate. It will likely lead to only women reading it – that is not bad per se – But I thought Kent wrote in a general way that should appeal to men and women alike.
Thanks, Laura, for taking the time to comment. It’s good to know I wasn’t the only one who felt the cover might limit the audience.