The Heartbeat of God: Finding the Sacred in the Middle of Everything

by The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori

Insights from a pioneering leader in world religion, on the intersections of the sacred & the secular. "As Christians―indeed as people of faith of any tradition―we are called to tend to the needs of the least among us. Our response to them must be the response of faith. God gives us a new heart to do this work, and every time we gather to do it, God offers a pacemaker jolt to tweak our heart's rhythm. The challenge is will our hearts respond with a strengthened beat, in tune with God's own heartbeat, sending more life out into the world?"
―from the Introduction Explore our connections―as human beings with each other, as one nation with all other nations, as the human species with the whole of our environment―through the lens of faith. Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church, examines these connections as she looks at the intersections of faith with the major issues of our

240 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2010

Reviews

[Anne Simpson]

Mostly seemed like a rehash of the Episcopal church “line” with little recognition of the difficult issues and choices that one must make in life.

[Mike Beranek]

This 210 paged book, subtitled 'Finding the Sacred in the Middle of Everything', is packed with real practical and political relevance, especially for the Episcopalian church and the people of the USA. I have to admit a little disappointment however as I'd hoped it would be more like the theological tour de force delivered to an audience at St.Paul's Cathedral the other month. At risk of over simplifying, this is less about the nature of God and more about what humanity's practical response to God's love can be. Countless examples of mission work in the States and within the Episcopal church are furnished and the short chapters work like mini-sermons sending us out to go and get stuck in and live the Gospel. To a Brit, her frequent allusion to political battles such as health care reform just seem a bit sad as we just don't get the opposition to health care equality that is so rabid in parts of US society. Seems like she did her bit to shake up her church in her time as Primate and one hopes reforms will progress. Since she wrote this book the Church of England finally got around to appointing female bishops so there's room for progression on this side of the pond. It's seems that an up to date cogent theological articulation of an ultra-liberal anglicanism of the kind she shared clearly with her British audience at St.Paul's has yet to be written.

[Susan]

I agree with the enumeration of the problems we face but I am much less optimistic about their solution. It is true that great good is being done in many places but the odds seem to be against there being any great changes or improvement in the world. Greed reigns as does short-sightedness. I realize that the small steps being taken are important and do make a difference where they occur but overall it just seems to be hopeless. The book also made me feel inadequate in outreach in working with the heartbeat of God beyond the family level.

[Kelly]

Reading this for a Lenten book study at church.

[Hannah]

Obviously great, because KJS.

[Anya Ballinger]

We are reading this for our Lent book study at St Paul's.