liturgy of the ordinary sacred practices in everyday life

There is our tendency to speak of the sanctuary as somehow of more importance to God than the workplace or the home, and those (like Tish) specially ordained to its work as somehow closer to God than those who work in the convenience store or the office complex.īut there is also the more subtle quest for a suitably radical life, a life of conspicuous sacrifice and service-a life that seems obviously set apart for something more than the mundane and (so we start to think) unimportant life.

It takes many forms in our time-some easier to recognize than others. This misreading of the human condition has taken many forms over the centuries, even though it should have been dealt a decisive blow by Jesus’ earthly, earthy life as Son of Man and Son of God. In doing so, Tish dismantles that most stubborn of Christian heresies: the idea that there is any part of our lives that is secular, untouched by and disconnected from the real sacred work of worship and prayer. But in between, with the writer’s (and indeed the poet’s) gift of slowing down and paying the best kind of attention, Tish Harrison Warren connects the moments of an ordinary day with the extraordinary pattern of classical Christian worship. It encompasses one day, from our very first moments of waking in the morning on the first page to our drifting off into sleep on the last. The structure of this book is simple, with a touch of genius.

My love, my friend-how was your day? contentsġ Waking - Baptism and Learning to Be BelovedĢ Making the Bed - Liturgy, Ritual, and What Forms a Lifeģ Brushing Teeth - Standing, Kneeling, Bowing, and Living in a BodyĤ Losing Keys - Confession and the Truth About Ourselvesĥ Eating Leftovers - Word, Sacrament, and Overlooked NourishmentĦ Fighting with My Husband - Passing the Peace and the Everyday Work of ShalomĨ Sitting in Traffic - Liturgical Time and an Unhurried Godĩ Calling a Friend - Congregation and Communityġ1 Sleeping - Sabbath, Rest, and the Work of God

Liturgy of the ordinary sacred practices in everyday life