At times this book was hard for me to read, for I tend to be more serious in matters of religion. It stresses that one must think as a child in faith and to not take everything so seriously. It has many good points, though, on living the christian life and embracing a healthy sense of wonder and humor. I received a free copy for an honest review on Netgalley.

Faith Like a Child: Embracing Our Lives as Children of God by Lacy Finn Borgo.
If I am honest this review was difficult for me to write because I did not love this book. For me there were instances in which I disagree with the examples presented from scripture and I felt that the author had a scene that she imagined which she wanted the text to fit into for the purposes of this book and even though some cases were strictly imaginative I think that it is important to be careful with how we imagine the narrative scenes in scripture especially since we are in a different culture than the Bible was written and want to remain faithful to what is being presented in the text. There are some good examples she presented that were biblical and solid but for me they were overshadowed by the ones I felt like were a really stretching the passage to reach a predetermined point. Overall, I was left questioning the hermeneutic process of the author.
I did like that there were welcoming practices to allow for reflection and discussion at the end of each chapter and a longer section at the back of the book.

Jesus taught us in the gospels to welcome the children and not to prevent them from going to Him. Is that welcome only for little kids? Not really. Are adults excluded? Surely not. For the moment we pray "Abba Father," we see ourselves as children of God. Furthermore, didn't Jesus also teach us to be like little children, for such belongs the Kingdom of God? Indeed, the way to the Kingdom is via the attitude of childlikeness. Here's the problem. Many of us who are adults no longer know the significance of childlikeness. We confuse it with childishness. We tend to segregate our understanding of children more in terms of age rather than attitude. Perhaps, the practice of reuniting our hearts with our childhood selves can bring back not only greater innocence but also spiritual wonder. How do we do that? What then does it mean to have faith like a child? Do we have to deny our adulthood in order to go back to childhood? This book is about learning how to cultivate a childlike heart as part of a maturing faith. Author Lacy Finn Borgo first takes us through the Bible to notice the frequency of the word "welcome." As far as God is concerned, He is always welcoming and invites us into His Presence. Borgo shows us the traits of a child such as the capacity for play, wonder, dependence, and a deep awareness of the bodies God had given us. She shares heartfelt gratitude even after a mastectomy, reminding us that we need to avoid splitting ourselves into body and spirit. Whether it is a broken body or a broken spirit, while the world tries to separate them, learning to accept them is a better path toward healing. A grateful heart is one powerful way to unite our restless minds with our broken selves.

One of the things often forgotten by adults is the need to play. Also forgotten is that God also plays. Using Ps 104 to show us this aspect of God, we see how God's creativity and playfulness go hand in hand. Such a posture brings about joy in creation. Borgo uses stories to show us the need for childlikeness in order to appreciate the spirituality of play. Other aspects include singing, praying, reading, humour, imagination, freedom to learn, and the need to pay attention. Each chapter ends with a few "welcoming practices."

My Thoughts
==============
Childlikeness has often been a passing thought in the minds of many adults, especially those who have been believers for many years. People being people tend to become creatures of habit over time. Thinking that they have grown up, they do a mental dichotomy that childhood and adulthood are separate from each other. Referring to Jesus' teaching about childlikeness, many tend to limit it to innocence and purity. What is missing is the bridge to help adults move away from a self-perceived sense of implied maturity just because of age and experience. The problem is this. Some adults behave in childish ways, thinking that they have the right to behave whatever they want to behave. Truth is, the key to spiritual maturity is through the path of childlikeness. This is stressed over and over throughout this excellent book. I do not remember reading a book-sized resource that centers on the need to cultivate childlikeness. Many books talked about childlikeness. Apart from a passing comment or a short reference, rarely is there one that focuses on this childlike attribute. Thankfully, in this book, we get a meaty dose of growing in this aspect of spirituality. Sometimes I wonder. Why is it so difficult for grown people to appreciate the need for childlike spirituality? Can we blame it on a declining birth rate that leads to a declining children's population? Perhaps. Are adults not spending enough time with children? Maybe. What about childless couples or people experiencing empty nests? Churches too are greying communities. That in itself makes it difficult to attract young people and children into their midst. Who wants to go to a Church where adults are stuck-up people, glum, stern, and only talk about stern stuff? Nobody enjoys a stoic environment. Children can perceive the atmosphere quickly whether it is welcoming or not. For that reason, I believe this book is a valuable resource to help us, especially adults of all ages, to rediscover the need to create a welcoming atmosphere and community.

This book reminds me of the irony of life. The way to maturity is via childlikeness. There are some adults who behave like spoilt brats. There are also young children who show graciousness in their actions. In fact, Jesus reminds us that unless we become like little children, we will not enter the kingdom of God. That is serious stuff. One famous quote (attributed to George Bernard Shaw) reminds us of the connection between aging and playing. "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stopped playing." Perhaps, the path to gracious aging is playing. Don't take life too seriously. Learn to laugh, even at ourselves. Keep learning, which is what discipleship is all about. There are many lessons in this book on what childlikeness is. Readers of all ages should be able to benefit. I find the "welcoming practices" sections particularly helpful. Not only do they provide practical things to cultivate childlikeness, but they also serve as a summary of the key concepts in the chapter.

In summary, the older one gets, the more one needs to learn about childlikeness. Let this book be the guide on not only cultivating our faith like a child but also on how to age well.

Lacy Finn Borgo teaches and provides spiritual direction with adults and children through Renovaré, Mercy Center Burlingame, and the Companioning Center. She especially loves meeting with children at Haven House, a transitional facility for families without homes. She holds a doctor of ministry degree in leadership and spiritual formation and a certificate in spiritual direction from Portland Seminary. Borgo is also the author of Spiritual Conversations with Children.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of InterVarsity Press via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

DNF

I love the concept of this book, and the general idea of having faith like a child. So I'm really disappointed that this book was so difficult to read (which almost seemed to counteract the point of the book??). It felt unnecessarily wordy, repetitive, and a bit too therapy-ish for the context. Even the activities at the end of each chapter either asked me to read another whole book, or were just a bit odd. Plus, I just don't love all the weird names the author kept using for God, just felt weird.

Firstly, it is clear that this book just oozes love, which makes it a pleasure to read. It is written from a place of realness, honesty and humility, coupled with an expertise in psychology that seems to have been gained from a combination of academic study and life experiences. At times it is poetically written by someone who seems well qualified to speak into our lives and address our relationship with the Father, with frequent references to scripture throughout.

We read that children need relationship and connection, especially from a parent. At some point in our “growing up” we decide that we need power, which in fact is a bit wide of the mark. All we ever truly need is that relationship and connection.

The author gives it a very personal touch, sharing her own deep personal journey of faith and as well as her knowing she is a child of God. It is adorned with some very personal testimonies to illustrate the points being made – the bravery in sharing them is really appreciated.

As a Foster carer I have received some training and instruction on attachment theories and practices, the psychology surrounding how people relate to each other and especially how children relate to parents and carers. So it was quite fascinating to read how these theories can also be applied, sensibly, to our relationship with Father God. It is quite helpful in assessing the depth of relationship.

The book covers some psychology, which works to highlight how God has made us thinking, emotional beings with complicated personalities and phenomenally created brains.

I especially enjoyed the chapter on play and its importance. I found myself thinking about being intentionally less serious. If we don’t spend time in “play”, alongside God, then we are missing a major part of our relationship with Him, and “play” includes activities that spark our imagination and creativity, so I will count writing in that category!

It also made me see a passage of scripture (Jesus and Peter walking on water) in an entirely new and refreshing way, which I really appreciated.

It is written in a relaxed, accessible and helpful style with good doses of humour and real life thrown in from time to time. There are some creative, practical suggestions at the end of each chapter to help you take steps into a deeper relationship, to become more child-like in outlook and attitude.

It is written by someone who knows children profoundly, who has seen how precious they are to the Father and how we can all approach Him as children to fully understand our relationship with Him. A true reflection of that immensely profound parent and child relationship.

There is a lovely pace to the book, encouraging us to take the time needed to fully understand and let the truths minister to our souls.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc. This was a great devotional read on a neglected area of our spirituality and really well written.

In this book, the author Lacy Finn Borgo invites the reader on a rich journey of remembering and rediscovering the gifts of childhood— and finding healing in the process. As a mother of young children myself, and as a teacher of young children, I found this book interesting to read, as Borgo invited me to learn from the children around me.

And as we remember our childhood, Borgo shares how our image of God is interrelated. The wounds and the wonder of our childhood years still impact us today. How we attached to our parents often impacts our perspective of God. Borgo invites the reader on a journey of healing, learning to accept ourselves, look at the world in wonder, and embrace the spirituality of play. Children teach us to not take ourselves so seriously, to celebrate and constantly learn, and to pay attention to all that is around us.

Not only does Borgo share reflections on having faith like a child, but she also interweaves scripture passages that specifically relate to children. Throughout the book, she also shares deeply and personally from her own journey— the beautiful and the hard.

This is a profound book. I highly recommend it.

Faith Like a Child
Embracing Our Lives as Children of God
by Lacy Finn Borgo
Pub Date 09 May 2023
InterVarsity Press, IVP
Christian | Nonfiction (Adult) | Religion & Spirituality


I am reviewing a copy of Faith Like A Child through Intervarsity Press, IVP and Netgalley:



Faith Like A Child encourages readers to accept and embrace the invitation to a childlike Faith. Jesus encouraged his followers to become like little children. But we often have different in remembering the natural patterns of our childhood selves that enabled us to live freely in God's wonder-filled presence. Is childlike faith simply an unquestioning faith, or is it being present with ourselves in a way that invites healing and wholeness?


In Faith Like A Child we are encouraged to consider Jesus' invitation to childlike faith and explores seven distinct ways of welcoming the child within. Offering wisdom from years of experience as a spiritual director with both adults and children, Lacy Finn Borgo explores practices to welcome and enliven your childhood self.



I give Faith Like A Child five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

The formatting for this ARC was a bit hard to navigate on an iPad. However, the content was encouraging, thoughtful, God-centered and wise! I think this book contains important messages for this particular moment in time. This was a wonderful invitation to embrace and explore a God-gifted childlike faith that inhabits each of us, an invitation I have happily received and will carry with me. I love books that give us language for the things we already know to be real and true. This book pulled a lot of goodness, wonder and joy out of some of my very muddled, heavy, and scattered thoughts. THANK YOU for writing this, for being able to witness God at work in the world and for having faith like a child and sharing it with each of us!