Ebook
A nurturing collection of practices to help an emerging generation of Christians reconnect to their faith, find inner healing and build spiritual community - from Glennon Doyle's 'favourite faith writer' and the New York Times bestselling author of Jesus Feminist and editor of A Rhythm of Prayer.
It's hard to leave a faith that has raised us. Maybe even harder to stay. But what can feel impossible is living in the tension. Living with a faith that evolves.
Sarah Bessey is an expert at faithfully stumbling forward. As a bestselling author and co-founder of Evolving Faith, the foremost community for progressive Christians, she has been trusted by thousands of people to pursue a reconstruction of faith centred on compassion, truth and inclusion. Bessey has found a deeply underserved and underestimated remnant in the wilderness of Christianity, who are still devoted to Jesus, deeply rooted in the gospel, fascinated with Scripture and committed to reimagining their faith.
Field Notes for the Wilderness guides the reader through multiple principles to live by for an evolving faith, including:
- Practicing wonder and curiosity as spiritual disciplines
- Mothering ourselves with compassion and empathy
- Making space for lament and righteous rage
- Finding good spiritual teachers
- Discovering what we are for in this life, and moving in that direction
In this groundbreaking and hopeful book, Bessey has given us a table for our questions, a shepherd for our curiosity, tools to cultivate what we crave and a blessing for what was -even as we leave it behind.
Chapter 1: Welcome to the Wilderness 3
Chapter 2: An Evolving Faith Is Another Way Through 28
Chapter 3: Make Your Peace with This Truth:
You Will Change 44
Chapter 4: Don't Be Afraid, You Can't Wander
Away from God’s Love 54
Chapter 5: Cultivate Hope on Purpose 65
Chapter 6: Tell the Truth and Learn to Lament 73
Chapter 7: Notice Your Own Sacramental Life 96
Chapter 8: Go Slowly on Purpose 111
Chapter 9: Reclaim Repentance 114
Chapter 10: Learn to Love the World Again 126
Chapter 11: Nurture Your Own Belonging 132
Chapter 12: Look for Good Teachers 143
Chapter 13: Become a New Explorer on
an Ancient Path 154
Chapter 14: Remember to Be For, Not Just Against 166
Chapter 15: Choose Peacemaking 180
Chapter 16: You Have Permission to Be Happy 193
Chapter 17: Now We're Just Getting Started 208
Benediction 217
Acknowledgments 223
Notes 227