Sacred Rhythms is a breath of fresh air. Ruth Haley Barton discusses several spiritual disciples that we should be intentional to incorporate into our lives out of the overflow of our desire for God not as a duty. This read was refreshing and definitely drew me in deeper in my relationship with Jesus. - Traci Crowder

Very tiimely read during social distancing to slow down and meditate on God and his word. This book walks yout through ways to reset your innner spritual life in order to live a more fulfilling and enjoyable life. WOuld very much recomend if you are dealing with burn out or consistently feeling overwhelmed. - Josh Moon

My standing critique of books on spiritual disciplines is that they are too individualized in their expression and too anthropocentric. That is, they give you a set of practices which you can apply in the privacy of your own home as a means to deepen your spiritual life (whatever that means). What often is missing is the communal practices of the church (worship, word, sacrament) and a sense that the practices commended are less about bringing you into a more satisfying religious experience and more about tuning into the reality of God's presence.

So how does Barton measure up? Pretty good. She does stress the importance of community (everyone always does) but occasionally this book does feel like what she is advocating is a deeper, privatized religious experience. But this was mediated for me by the fact that I read this book with my church. Also, where she begins more individualistic and self-centered, the book moves towards a Spirituality which is more appropriately communal and Godward.

There are some really helpful and thoughtful suggestions about how to integrate Spiritual practices into your life. But the real value of this book is its accessibility. As someone who is read a lot on the Spiritual life, I can point to books that are deeper, better framed and more comprehensive than this book. But a lot of that would be lost on most people. What Barton offers is something thoughtful and engaging that normal people without theological education and academic proclivities can get into. And she is helpful. I especially liked her thoughts on developing a rule of life. ( )