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.
