Book Review: Seasons of Wonder

 

Seasons of Wonder

Making the Ordinary Sacred Through Projects, Prayers, Reflections, and Rituals: A 52-week devotional

by Bonnie Smith Whitehouse

Pub Date 15 Nov 2022 

 Convergent Books 

 Christian 

A copy of Seasons of Wonder has been provided to me by Convergent Books and Netgalley for the purpose of this review;

The purpose of this 52-week interactive devotional is to help family and friends discover God enfleshed in the world around them.

With Seasons of Wonder, you are able to gather together weekly with your loved ones and explore divinity, specifically the radical but faithful idea that everything is sacred. There are weekly contemplative activities included in this devotional, as well as interactive and transformative practices that connect us to surprise, awe, and wonder, such as:

uncomplicated crafts that honor creation

•  simple recipes to make together

•  conversation guides to cultivate the gifts of storytelling, deep listening, mystery, and community

•  accessible introductions to liturgical observations and rituals

•  plus four additional weeks of activities that you can incorporate whenever they’re appropriate, such as birthdays, sick days, or when you’re traveling together or blessing your home.

To understand Ash Wednesday’s significance, readers might make a hiking stick in February to embark on a holy pilgrimage (even if it’s just in their neighborhood). In the summer, readers can make prayer cards, bath salts, and family time capsules to celebrate the Earth’s seasons of holy pause while reading peaceful liturgies and ancient prayers to learn how to cherish these seasons of holy pause.

Bonnie Smith Whitehouse’s book is based on the idea that small, intentional moments of wonder represent the grand presence of Christ in us, in our world, and on this dazzling, vast, and increasingly endangered blue planet. Seasons of Wonder can transform an ordinary meeting into a sacred experience by spending a short amount of time together each week this year.

I give Seasons of Wonder five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!