Framed around one ordinary day, this book explores daily life through the lens of liturgy, small practices, and habits that form us. Each chapter looks at something author Tish Harrison Warren does in a day—making the bed, brushing her teeth, losing her keys—and relates it to spiritual practice as well as to our Sunday worship.

Locates mysticism as the essential experiential center of any Christian faith “Herein lies support for your deepest self. Mark illuminates for you that in the ordinary aspects of life there is an extraordinary way to live. Drink from these reflections and prepare to be awakened and transformed.” —Phileena Nikole, author of Pilgrimage of a Soul The Holy Ordinary takes its inspiration from mystics, modern prophets, and saints, with surprising insights from Christian scriptures. “Mysticism is a stream of the experiential, flowing from the hearts of those who knew and know God,” explains Mark Longhurst, demonstrating the availability to every person of a mystical life. Through topics such as “How to be contemplative and active” and “Live green like Hildegard of Bingen,” Longhurst speaks to each person’s need for transformation. This book is both profound and practical, a reflective guide for anyone—Nones, Dones, former Christians, and Christians open to learning from people of all backgrounds—seeking a vibrant, just, and inclusive spirituality. “For years, I’ve been wishing for a book that could introduce ordinary people to the spiritual life in a healthy, honest, accessible way. Mark Longhurst has written what I’ve been waiting for.” —Brian D. McLaren, author of Faith After Doubt

Radical. Crazy. Transformative and restless. Every word we read these days seems to suggest there’s a “next-best-thing,” if only we would change our comfortable, compromising lives. In fact, the greatest fear most Christians have is boredom—the sense that they are missing out on the radical life Jesus promised. One thing is certain. No one wants to be “ordinary.” Yet pastor and author Michael Horton believes that our attempts to measure our spiritual growth by our experiences, constantly seeking after the next big breakthrough, have left many Christians disillusioned and disappointed. There’s nothing wrong with an energetic faith; the danger is that we can burn ourselves out on restless anxieties and unrealistic expectations. What’s needed is not another program or a fresh approach to spiritual growth; it’s a renewed appreciation for the commonplace. Far from a call to low expectations and passivity, Horton invites readers to recover their sense of joy in the ordinary. He provides a guide to a sustainable discipleship that happens over the long haul—not a quick fix that leaves readers empty with unfulfilled promises. Convicting and ultimately empowering, Ordinary is not a call to do less; it’s an invitation to experience the elusive joy of the ordinary Christian life.

Perfect for individual use as devotional reading or use in a small group, "The Sacred Ordinary" offers seekers a deeper level of reflection on life and God.

EVERY MOMENT HOLY, Vol. 2: DEATH, GRIEF, & HOPE, is a book of liturgies for seasons of dying and grieving--liturgies such as "A Liturgy for the Scattering of Ashes" or "A Liturgy for the Loss of a Spouse" or "A Liturgy for the Wake of a National Tragedy" or "A Liturgy for the Weighing of Last-Stage Medical Options." These are ways of reminding us that our lives are shot through with sacred purpose and eternal hopes even when, especially when, suffering and pain threaten to overwhelm us. -over 100 liturgies for seasons of dying and grieving -beautiful leather-bound hardcover -over 20 illustrations by Ned Bustard -silk bookmark -gilded edges