For Such a Time as This: An Emergency Devotional

by Hanna Reichel

Publisher:

Eerdmans

, 2025

Overview

A guide for ordinary Christians seeking to live faithfully in extraordinary times

“This is not the first end of the world. Many worlds have ended.”

In an era of political polarization, eroding democratic norms, and rising authoritarianism, many Christians find themselves disoriented, wondering how their faith should inform myriad daily decisions. Drawing upon both scholarship and pastoral wisdom, theologian Hanna Reichel offers a timely resource for believers seeking spiritual grounding amid societal upheaval.

For Such a Time as This provides a thoughtful framework for discernment rooted in scripture, historical wisdom, and the core commitments of Christian faith. Through meditations on scripture, reflections on historical precedents including the Confessing Church’s resistance to Nazi Germany, and portraits of inspiring figures who maintained their integrity in the face of oppression, Reichel guides readers toward their own Christian response to the present moment.

Written specifically for ordinary believers, this accessible volume acknowledges that while some are called to dramatic public witness, all must face the daily challenge of living faithfully as long-established institutions and systems reveal their fragility. Neither alarmist nor complacent, Reichel reminds readers that Christians throughout history have faced the collapse of worlds they once took for granted—and have discovered unexpected liberation in the process.

For anyone troubled by current political trends and searching for ways to disentangle faith in God from misplaced trust in political systems, For Such a Time as This offers both challenge and comfort. Readers will come away with practical wisdom for navigating our uncertain times, a deeper understanding of Christianity’s resources for resistance, and renewed energy for the urgent tasks that faithful discipleship demands today.

“None of this is unprecedented; what is unprecedented is that today it is we who have to do the hard work of seeing idols smashed, grieving and picking up the pieces, holding them into the sun, and seeing new refractions of light in their edges.”

Contents

Table of Contents

How to Read This Book 

Introduction: “There Is Nothing New Under the Sun,” or We’ve Been Here Before 

Part 1: “Prepare Yourself,” or Gathering
1. “He Then Rebuked the Wind . . . ,” or Find Calm 
2. “And Jesus Wept,” or Feel Your Feelings 
3. “Deprive Them of Their Pathos,” or Test Your Feelings 
4. “Test the Spirits,” or Practice Discernment 
5. “Wait for the Lord,” or Confess and Recommit 
6. “Faith, Hope, and Love Remain,” or Find Purpose 
7. “Two Are Better Than One,” or Build with What Is There

Part 2: “Hear the Word,” or Listening and Responding
8. “In the Beginning Was the Word,” or Mind the Power of Language 
9. “Stand Where God Stands,” or Protect the Weak 
10. “Stand Firm,” or Don’t Give Up Space 
11. “For Such a Time as This,” or Use Your Privilege 
12. “Obey God More Than Humans,” or Draw Lines 
13. “Be Wise as Serpents and Innocent as Doves,” or Choose Your Battles and Avoid Traps 
14. “Do Something Brave,” or Make a Start

Part 3: “Become What You Have Received,” or Communion
15. “Rejoice Always,” or Lean into Joy 
16. “Pray Without Ceasing,” or Fortify Interiority 
17. “Break Bread,” or Nourish Community 
18. “Do This in Remembrance of Me,” or Rehearse Dangerous Memories 
19. “When Your Children Ask You . . . ,” or Be a Little Conservative 
20. “Many Members,” or Value Different Gifts 21. “One Body,” or Hold onto Unity

Part 4: “Go into the World,” or Sending
22. “Get Thee Behind Me, Satan,” or Get out of Yourself 
23. “Find Power in Weakness,” or Practice Creative Nonconformity 
24. “Prepare the Ground,” or Cultivate Relationships 
25. “Love Your Neighbor,” or Shatter Loneliness 
26. “Redeem the Time,” or Delay and Prepare 
27. “Come to Me . . . ,” or Allow People to Change 
28. “What Do You Have That You Did Not Receive?,” or Pass on the Word 

Conclusion: “Build Houses . . . ,” or Transform Your Hope 

First Aid Kit 
Study Guide 
Acknowledgments 
Notes

Praise for For Such a Time as This

Hanna Reichel’s For Such a Time as This is a small but mighty guide for Christians seeking to understand how to live faithfully in extraordinary times. It offers a clear-eyed, faithful witness to the challenge of authoritarianism and Christian nationalism we face right now and the resources our faith traditions have to meet this moment. Drawing from the courage and conviction of the Confessing Church in Nazi Germany, as well as a rich tradition of theological and scriptural reflection, Reichel equips us to engage the deep questions of our day with wisdom, courage, and conviction.

——Liz Theoharis, executive director of the Kairos Center for Religions, Rights and Social Justice, author of We Pray Freedom: Liturgies and Rituals from the Freedom Church of the Poor

Product Details

• Title: For Such a Time as This: An Emergency Devotional
• Author: Hanna Reichel
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Print Publication Date: 2025
• Logos Release Date: 2025
• Pages: 180
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Ebook
• ISBNs: 9781467470575, 9780802885920, 0802885926, 1467470570
• Resource ID: LLS:9781467470575
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2025-10-31T08:00:54Z