Book Review - Liturgy of the Ordinary by Tish Harrison Warren

Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life by Tish Harrison Warren
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5 of 5 stars)

Why you should read this: If you're looking for a beautifully-written, honest, authentic, and encouraging survey of Christian living, focused on God's grace in our every day lives.

Why you should not read this: If you're looking for practical "how-to's" and behavioral tips which are necessary but not foundational, as the contents of this book are.

Key quote: "What kind of people is our liturgy forming us to be?"

Review

Liturgy of the Ordinary deserves all the praises and accolades it's received. Beautiful in language, elegant yet ordinary, accessible yet deep. This is book provides both a refreshment for seasoned believers and a foundation for newer Christians. Rooting itself in the nature and promises of God rather than human effort, it identifies and addresses many of the fears and struggles of our specific moment - from the "addiction to stimulation" to our hypocritical pacifism to being "overstressed and overworked". Especially relevant in the midst of pandemic, seeing and experiencing God in regular "boring" life can seem unattainable, but Warren wisely shows us how God can use our everyday habits and experiences for worship and fulfillment in grace.

Books on Christian living and spiritual disciplines often fail to navigate the ridge between the chasms of moralism and antinomianism, as Richard Foster describes. Warren magically transforms what is often portrayed as a narrow ridge to a wide path of joy and freedom in living. Unlike many other books I've read, on similar topics, I did not leave feeling the guilt of "I don't pray enough" nor the discouragement of "I'll never be THAT spiritual". Rather, I left with the restful encouragement of "Wow, God loves me and life is hard but good."

This book is also great for book clubs or small groups to read through together, given the short, topical chapters and the helpful discussion questions at the end of the book. We read this book together as a church Community Group, and it was amazing to see how the chapters spoke differently but similarly to each of us, as we all struggled in some way or another to take hold of the grace God gives to us.

This book is delightfully chock-full of insightful and memorable quotes and illustrations - way too many to list out (just take a look at the quotes section). Liturgy of the Ordinary is a book I'll treasure and enthusiastically recommend.

View all my reviews