Ordinary Altars by Sarah Bessey

About the Book:

Many of us were taught to look for God in the extraordinary: in big callings, dramatic transformations, affirmations of constant achievement, or in lives that inspire millions. But what if that way of seeing has left us unable to recognize that God is also present in the everyday—especially now, when headlines are overwhelming, our systems feel broken, and hope seems naïve? What does it mean to actually live a faithful, meaningful life when the world is on fire and nothing turns out as advertised?

Drawing from her own story of faith, disillusionment, motherhood, and decades of work as a spiritual guide, Sarah Bessey believes there comes a time when you decide that being earnest and sincere is better than being defeated. She names what she calls “ordinary altars”: places and people where the holy and the commonplace meet, not as an escape from our daily lives but as full-bodied engagement with the questions of our time and an encounter with the God who is with us in it all. Blending rich storytelling and compassionate spiritual insight, Ordinary Altars is a declaration of choosing stubbornly, again and again, to keep loving your small patch of the world when it would be easier to shut down or walk away or even become what you despise.

For readers who are spiritually tired but still hopeful, deconstructed but longing to rebuild, grappling with despair but determined to make room in their spirituality for the ache in their chest, Ordinary Altars offers honest field notes for a sturdy faith that can bear the weight of the world—rooted in reality, loving defiantly, and being stubbornly faithful enough to make the world feel like home again.

My Review:

This is a good book for those who have thought of doing great things for God but then found their life and belief changed. Bessey explains the changes she has made in her thinking and how she understands life and faith. She has been released from the Calvinist idea of basic depravity, for example. “...I've always believed and lived from the center of the belief that we have an essential goodness to us.” (905/3010) She leaned into the ancient paths of Celtic Christianity, finding there a place where she belonged.

This book is good for those who have lost their opportunity for formal church ministry because of changes in belief. “Whatever work you do, you get to do to the glory of God, and there are altars everywhere...” (1707/3010) An aspect of this book I really appreciated is her teaching on how to dismantle an altar, releasing it without burning it down. That is especially helpful to those who have left one faith community to go to another.

Bessey encourages us to not give up. She explores “all the ways we experience and know the love of God in our ordinary lives...” (1128/3010) For those who have felt the need to leave a ministry opportunity, this is good news.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

This book releases in January, 2027.

About the Author:

Sarah Bessey is the author or editor of six books, including the New York Times bestseller A Rhythm of Prayer.  She cofounded Evolving Faith, a conference and online community for people who are reimagining their faith with hope, and writes a weekly newsletter, Field Notes. Sarah lives in Calgary, Alberta, with her husband and their four children.

Convergent Books, 256 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)