• India: violence in Orissa
• The Commentary
  A secular funeral
• Where are the men?
• The graciousness of a great man
  How C.S. Lewis helped Kathy Keller to find Christ
• Depression: how churches and GPs can work together
• Thoughts on the Lakeland movement
• Reflecting on the Olympics
• Women bishops - really?
• Tutu and Tearfund
  Tearfund replies to concerns
• Monthly arts and media column
  God on trial - a contentious BBC2 drama reviewed
• Monthly column for youth workers
  Developing all the time
• Letter from America
  The real McCain?
• The Music Exchange
  Hairy weddings
• How Mumbo-Jumbo conquered the world & Quirkology
  Shelf life: Looking at secular books
• Alice Compain, 1934-2008
  Obituary
• The Third Degree
  UCCF: a vision for growth

other articles

• The God who draws near - An introduction to biblical spirituality
• Songs for the cross centered life (CD)
• Miss Pettigrew lives for a day
• Opening up Zephaniah
• The grace of giving (Didasko Files)
• The Shack
• Oxford - City of saints, scholars and dreaming spires
• Father, forgive
• The day is yours - Slow spirituality in a fast-moving world
• Jesus Christ - The Prince of preachers
• A body of divinity - or, The sum and substance of Christian religion
• Licensed to hug
• Micah's challenge - The church's responsibility to the global poor
• Lloyd-Jones - Messenger of grace
• Preaching with balance
• Israelite religions
• Running the race - Eric Liddell - Olympic champion and missionary
• John Stott at Keswick - A lifetime of preaching
• I can plod - Willliam Carey and the early years of the first Baptist missionary society
• Catch the vision - Roots of the Reformed recovery
• Planetwise - Dare to care for God's world
• Young, restless, Refored - A journalist's journey with the new Calvinists
• Commentary on the New Testament use of the Old Testament

What was left unsaid?

THE DAY IS YOURS
Slow spirituality in a fast-moving world
By Ian Stackhouse
Paternoster. 158 pages
ISBN 978-1-84227-600-6

There is a resurgence of interest in spirituality, especially recapturing what may be learned from the spirituality of previous generations of Christians. This book fits into that mould. The concern expressed in it is an excellent one: how do we live a day well? That is, how do we live each day conscious of God and for God in the business of everyday life. What a great question! Stackhouse takes us to the wisdom of the ‘liturgy of the hours’ from the monastic tradition but also reflects on a variety of strands of biblical teaching, including the Sabbath, prayer, work, sleep and the Lord’s Day.

There is much that is good and insightful here. We are made to reflect on how we might bring God’s perspective to bear in daily life rather than the busy routine running our lives. For example, how God’s perspective changes the mundane in life, especially in the work place. The highlights for me were: the idea of receiving life as a gift and so having a humility rather than presumption towards our days; the idea of living gratefully and deeply rather than ‘successfully’; the challenge to live well in the here and now, rather than constantly looking on to what might be ‘better’ round the corner. And this is all written attractively and with a pastor’s heart.

There were, to my mind, a few misuses of Scripture and an over-reliance on what can be learnt from the monastic view of the rhythm of life. On occasion, despite protests to the contrary, there was a feel of retreating from real life and longing for a past golden age. These are minor issues though. My underlying concern with this book is what isn’t covered. Such as: detailing our responsibilities before God in home, work and church and how these relate to each other; what faithfulness looks like in a busy life with competing demands; and what gospel-shaped priorities mean in real life.

In summary, a stimulating book that will benefit many in living well for God, but one that should be read discerningly.

Graham Beynon,
minister, Avenue Community Church, Leicester