Description

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A 52-week interactive devotional that helps families and friends discover God enfleshed in the world.

“A devotional in the most all-encompassing sense, Seasons of Wonder sets readers on a path that leads to a year filled with more hope, more sweetness, more grace, and more love.”—Margaret Renkl, author of Late Migrations and PEN Award Winner

Seasons of Wonder is designed to allow you to gather together weekly with your loved ones and expand your understanding of divinity, specifically the radical but faithful idea that everything is sacred. This devotional is designed around weekly contemplative activities as well as interactive and transformative practices that connect us to surprise, awe, and wonder, including:

• uncomplicated crafts that honor creation
• simple recipes to make together
• conversation guides to cultivate the gifts of storytelling, deep listening, mystery, and community
• accessible introductions to liturgical observations and rituals
• plus four additional weeks of activities that you can incorporate whenever they’re appropriate, such as birthdays, sick days, or when you’re traveling together or blessing your home
 
In February readers might make a hiking stick to embark on a holy pilgrimage (even if it’s just in the neighborhood) and discover the meaning of Ash Wednesday, while in the summer months they can learn how to cherish the Earth’s seasons of holy pause by making prayer cards, bath salts, or family time capsules alongside the reading of peaceful liturgies and ancient prayers.
 
Bonnie Smith Whitehouse invites us all to consider the life-changing idea that small, intentional moments of wonder are charged manifestations of the grand presence of Christ in me, in you, and in this dazzling, vast—and imperiled—blue planet we call our beloved home. By spending a short amount of time together with Seasons of Wonder every week this year, you can transform an ordinary meeting into a sacred gathering.

About the Author

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Bonnie Smith Whitehouse, PhD, is a writer and professor who studies storytelling, creativity, contemplation, and wonder. She is the author of Nautilus Award winner Afoot and Lighthearted: A Journal for Mindful Walking and Kickstart Creativity: 50 Prompted Cards to Spark Inspiration. A lifelong Episcopalian, she has spent the last twenty years as a lay leader of St. Augustine’s Episcopal Chapel at Vanderbilt University. Bonnie is professor of English and director of the honors program at Belmont University, and she lives in Nashville with her family.

Praise For…

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“Getting saved, in Professor Whitehouse's vision, is becoming more whole and less divided in our affections. She invites us to drop the psychic burden of dualistic thinking and to become more attuned to our own resources, whether it's the Bible, Alanis Morrisette, the Tao Che Ting, or an inquisitive child in Star Wars pajamas. Receive her eloquent witness. It is a gift.”—David Dark, author of Life’s Too Short To Pretend You're Not Religious

“Bonnie Smith Whitehouse is a master at metaphor, prose, and possibility.  To read her book, even if you can't always do the daily practices, is a gift that will open wonder and joy into your day. This book is remarkable in vision and in truth.”—Rev. Dr. Becca Stevens, founder and president of Thistle Farms

“In an age of disruption, we are scrambling to find meaningful ways to connect. Seasons Of Wonder is a necessary and timeless gift—a wise, big-hearted, practical invitation to carve out time for holy gatherings with the people we love.”—Ian Morgan Cron, author of The Story of You

“For all of us still trying to know God, Bonnie Smith Whitehouse has created this accessible, delightful, educational companion guide . . . Drawing from contemporary mystics, revered saints, and even pop stars, Whitehouse invites us into a year of sacredness, hope, and ultimately love.”—Heather Lanier, author of Raising a Rare Girl

“Bonnie Smith Whitehouse offers a joyful gift to Christians and seekers in this practical and poetic devotional. This handbook for prayer and life feels like a chat with your wisest friend, and includes suggestions for all ages and stages of life.”—Rev. Claire Brown, author of New Directions for Holy Questions: Progressive Christian Theology for Families

“At a time when it has been increasingly difficult to comfortably show up as a lover of the Lord and an unapologetic Black woman, I found solace in Seasons of Wonder. Bonnie Smith Whitehouse eloquently makes space for little old me to live an expansive life. By removing the oft-imagined barrier between the sacred and the secular, Whitehouse suggests that we can find faith work everywhere . . . I can’t praise it enough.”—Amber O'Neal Johnston, author of A Place to Belong: Celebrating Diversity and Kinship In the Home and Beyond

“In this lovely volume, Bonnie Smith Whitehouse amplifies the value and beauty of the liturgical calendar for families. This treasure trove of activities, crafts, recipes, and spiritual practices are tailored to each month of the year . . . each activity is simple to implement and yet rick with meaning and delight.”—Julie Bogart, author of The Brave Learner and Raising Critical Thinkers and founder of Brave Writer