Sacred Journeys: A Woman's Book of Daily Prayer

by Jan L. Richardson

Written by women for women, this book includes daily meditations for an entire year, facilitating daily spiritual discipline by offering daily readings and questions as a starting point for reflection, prayer, and journaling.

Genres: Nonfiction, Womens, Spirituality, Prayer, Theology, Poetry

445 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1995

About the author

Jan is an artist, writer, and ordained minister in the United Methodist Church. She serves as director of The Wellspring Studio, LLC, and travels widely as a retreat leader and conference speaker. Known for her distinctive intertwining of word and image, Jan’s work has attracted an international audience drawn to the welcoming and imaginative spaces that she creates in her books, online blogs, and public events.

A native Floridian several generations over, Jan grew up in Evinston, a small community near the university town of Gainesville. The rural landscape, community traditions (including the annual Evinston Thanksgiving dinner in the park that has been taking place for more than fifty years), and lifelong relationships fostered a rich sense of place, imagination, and ritual that continue to shape Jan's life and infuse her work.

Jan is the Visiting Artist at First United Methodist Church of Winter Park, Florida, serves on the faculty of the Grünewald Guild in Washington State, and is part of Saint Brigid of Kildare Monastery, a community that draws from Methodist and Benedictine traditions. She makes her home in Central Florida with her husband and frequent collaborator, the singer/songwriter Garrison Doles.

Reviews

[Michele Zuniga]

This collection of daily meditations, prayers and scriptures by and for women cheers my heart. It seems to take into account my grandmothers and my granddaughter, and the new paths I am discovering.

[Rachel]

I love this book. It's a daily devotional, generally less than a page a day, that introduces you to all kinds of different women and their ideas. A great way to start or end your day.

[Kate]

Whew...after months, I finished this book. It is a walk through the liturgical year. The author, Jan Richardson, is a Methodist minister. I am not of this faith. Therefore, it was a learning opportunity. My church has a carefully curated liturgical schedule, varying in 3 year and 2 year cycles for daily and Sunday scriptures. So, IDK how much leeway a Methodist minister has in selecting sermon focus.

I found the book a mixed bag. There is a strong feminist push throughout the work. Understand that the book was copyrighted 1995 -- 30 years from my critique. The Womens' Lib movement was still a prominent focus in leadership, i.e. more of a hot button. Today's 'issues' are equally ponderous for all sexes and orientations. In addition to finding the various women contributor's stories somewhat dated, they were to me, very esoteric. Ironically, therefore, I felt distanced from the poems and essays presented. Sadly I skimmed some of these writings because I found them rather boring. The writing could have been tighter, briefer. I saw Richardson's concerns being important to all humanity.

I think Richardson has written other more recent books. I hope the I Am Woman aspect has been replaced by "I am a Truth Seeker."

[Pam]

I had this book on my bookshelf for several years. I had often dipped into it but had never read it cover to cover over the course of a year. I took it on one year ago and am so glad that I did. It is a collection of daily meditations; each one ending with thoughts and questions for reflection. It follows the liturgical calendar thus beginning with Advent and ending on Christ the King Sunday. It introduces us to a variety of women - some Biblical, some historical, some contemporary,, some well-known and others hardly known at all - with stories worth knowing and contemplating. I really enjoyed and appreciated this daily practice and look forward to reading more by Jan L. Richardson.

[Emily]

I've been in this prayer book for a year (it starts with Advent) and have really enjoyed it. Short reflections from women around the world mixed in with poetry and scripture. Would highly recommend!

[Margaret R]

This is an amazing book. I have spent the last year working my way through it week by week. Jan Richardson focuses on amazing women and I learned so much. I will keep it close by and dive into it from time to time.

[Martha]

Maybe it's me. Maybe I'm not in the right frame of mind. Whatever it is, this is not a book I'd recommend. Perhaps, I'll try reading it again in the future, but probably not.

[Linda Shaw]

I read this devotional from Advent 2020 to Advent 2021. Jan's book is so full of stories, poetry that touched my heart daily.

[Kathryn Duncan]

Richardson's book highlights women's spirituality using the Bible as well as contemporary and historical female mystics, mothers, and more. It's a great daily devotional.

[Trish]

I can't say that every entry in this tome resonated with me, but I appreciated the overall impact. Empowering for a reflective woman.

[Alia]

A wonderful book for your bedside. It has daily meditations, bible verses to contemplate and personal stories to reflect on.

[Beth Knight]

A longtime favorite !!