I am a big fan of Sarah Bessey and how she makes it not only ok but a strength for us to be questioning and considering our faith and how the institutions align or don't align in meaningful ways for us. AND then so what do I do with how I'm feeling?

Her new book Field Notes for the Wilderness is a tool that you can use alone or with a spiritual director to give yourself time, space, permission, and even encouragement to ponder the questions that might be arising. The writing is accessible and I found this to be a very helpful book.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an advance copy in exchange for an honest opinion. Field Notes for the Wilderness is on sale now.

I was so excited when I go the email from the marketing team at Random house back in November saying I could read this book via @netgalley months before it came out.

I downloaded it the same day and dove in. And then realized this was a sipping book. I have been reading and pondering this book from then till now. This was not a book I was going to gulp down. I needed and wanted to take my time.

It is a balm for my heart and motivation to keep going. Keep trying. This was the book I didn’t know I needed. I will read this one again. Probably bouncing from chapter to chapter that speaks to my soul rather than from beginning to end.

Pick this one up. You won’t regret it. We went ahead and bought it in hardback to. I’ll be going back and annotating all through it. I’ll probably need the guided journal at some point too.

Sarah Bessey's book on finding God in the Wilderness is the reading I choose for Lent this year. Not that I choose this for Lent, its just that I so happened to want to read something Catholic and I got the copy to be read just in time for Lent.

This is almost an autobiography of Sarah, telling us about her evolving faith, which is similar to what I had been going through at the time I read it and it speaks to me. From being a Christian whose "prayer was a means of controlling outcomes", where " the bigger the faith, the bigger the blessing", to when she got disappointed by unanswered prayers, corruption in church. The resentment and grieve brought her to cross that threshold to the wilderness, where she find God in the cliffs and the wind, and reckon that "not all who wonder are lost", it is in fact a part on the map of our journey and even the Israelites wandered in the wilderness, eating quail and manna, for 40 years before they were led into the Promised Land by Joshua.

Sarah's book gave me a new perspective on how to pray and how to walk with God on a daily basis. How to let go of certainty and don't forget to journey forward to redemption, love and self-control. My only complain is the writing style can sometimes become lengthy with many rhetorical. But all in all it is an enjoyable read for Christians who wants a new breath of air into their faith journey.

Although I've long aimed to read authors I disagree with, Sarah Bessey is a good example of someone I would've written off as a heretic just a few years ago without even examining what she actually believes. Thank God for growth.

With that growth and curiosity has come an element of fear and grief for me. Anyone who can relate would likely find FIELD NOTES FOR THE WILDERNESS as helpful and transformative as I did. As I mentioned in a previous book review, I haven't gone through a "deconstruction" process (at least not yet), and I haven't left the Church; I've merely let my intellectual and spiritual curiosity compel me to ask bigger questions and seek good answers.

But this book is a blessing and the foremost guide for those deconstructing, reconstructing, or reconsidering their Christian faith. FIELD NOTES FOR THE WILDERNESS isn't a book of answers, though—it's a book that offers comfort, hope, belonging, acceptance, exhortation, and encouragement. It's filled with gentle nudges to be gentle with ourselves, invitations to consider what we're for now and not just what we're against, affirmations that the loving and sovereign God is with us on the journey, encouragement that faith evolutions are healthy and normal, and wisdom Bessey has gathered through her own experiences "wandering in the wilderness."

I got from this book what I thought I would get from her book OUT OF SORTS, which turned out to be more of a memoir. FIELD NOTES FOR THE WILDNERNESS is a guide, and exactly the type I needed at this time in my life. It's written with such clarity and grace. I'd recommend this to anyone who has ever struggled with the Church or wrestled with faith and anyone who'd like to understand the pain and predicament of those who have.

*This review is based on a digital ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

"Sometimes one of the greatest gifts God gives to us is losing our religion. We have to be committed to unlearning the unhelpful, broken, false, or incomplete things if we want to have space to relearn the goodness, joy, and embrace of God."

This book surprised me. I thought it would take a harsh or negative approach to faith and church. I was pleasantly surprised that it offered a gentler conversation about faith, challenging the reader to consider what they think, how they have evolved, and what that means for their faith. It felt like conversations with a friend instead of instruction from someone. There were parts that I did not connect with, but the premise of the book is that it is a guide to turn to when you need it, for what you need. Understanding that the book is a good resource. It does make certain assumptions about what to believe, but overall it offers kindness and understanding for people in hard faith journeys.

While I am a big fan of Sarah Bessey, this book didn't hit me the same way as some of her other books, and that's more because I don't think I'm the intended reader. I'm very grateful to have a faith and faith community that are very dear to me and don't currently find myself in "the wilderness". That being said, I think there are readers who will feel very "seen" in these pages and will take solace and comfort from her wise words. For anyone feeling alone and disengaged from the church, I think this book will provide a flicker of hope. I just finished the book and plan to pass it on to a friend right away. Thank you Convergent Books and Netgalley for providing me with a physical and digital copy.

I have loved ALL of Sarah’s books but this one is the best yet. So much hard won wisdom, so much

I think I first started reading Sarah’s blog back in 2011 or 2012. (But it might have been a few years before that! I’m pretty sure I found my way to her blog in the first place through Rachel Held Evans.

i felt like Rachel and Sarah were saying out loud/in writing, the many questions and doubts, anger and frustration that I had been afraid to admit. Their writings and sermons and podcasts helped me so much when I was really struggling “in the wilderness” of my own HUGE EXISTENTIAL SPIRITUAL FAITH CRISIS / DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL/ DECONSTRUCTION… whatever words you want to use to describe it. They helped me figure out how I could hold onto Jesus when so much of my theology and all of my certainty had “crumbled like sand ‘neath the waves” (yes that’s a Bible & Jennifer Knapp lyric reference.)

I finished listening to the audiobook while driving home from work today. (It is read by Sarah and I highly recommend it!) a word of caution though: if you are often moved to tears by beautiful, healing words of encouragement, blessings, and her benedictions, you probably shouldn’t be driving while listening to those parts! I had a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes so many times as I listened.

“So here, take this with you for the journey along with my love and hope. Sometimes when we don’t know what we think about anything, it’s nice to just rest in someone else’s faith for a while anyway, especially when we feel a bit out of sorts. Open your hands and receive whatever lands. Everywhere we are is already held in the love of God, even in those times when the night gathers and you are on your own.” (217)

“First, I pray for you to know, to believe, to make your home within the love of God. May you be stubbornly convinced of your own value and belovedness. May you know that you aren’t a problem to be solved, you never were.” (217)

“Receive the patience and kindness of the Spirit, offer it freely to everyone, including yourself. May that gentleness deliver you to an unforced rhythm of grace that reawakens you, recovers you, and restores you. May you receive losing your religion like the gift it will be to you in the end.” (218)

“May all of the meaning you find and create bring you comfort and peace.”(219)

I have more to say but you should really just go read her book!

10 stars out of 5 stars 😁

Sarah is the big sister who went first, and made it a little less scary. She walked into the wilderness ahead of us, so we ran into a few less brambles and took a few less spider webs to the face.

This book was a blessing that helped me feel less alone in a weird and confusing season. It didn't feel like a guidebook, and I mean that in the best way. It provided a lot of helpful tools for framing the experience of rethinking your faith. It helped put words to a lot of the feelings I didn't know how to put words to. And it was both gentle and challenging in all the right ways.

I highly recommend this book to anyone going through deconstruction, or anyone who is experiencing their faith in a new way. Sarah is a gift.

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

As a longtime fan of Sarah Bessey, I knew I wanted to pick this one up as soon as it was announced. Intended to be a "field guide" of sorts for those of us re-examining our evolving faith without being prescriptive, Sarah gently shows us how to hold our discomfort and pain even as we cling to an expansive, loving God. Although not my favorite of hers, I would still highly recommend this to anyone who feels their faith shifting.

Sarah Bessey is both a beautiful writer, and a speaker of truth. This book really met me where I'm at and I teared up multiple times with Sarah's beautifully kind writing. I cannot recommend it enough, I think everyone should read this!

I love Sarah Bessey and will read anything she publishes. This book could not have felt more timely as I'm struggling with my faith walk, and how I feel about it. This book feels so timely for me and for the world especially post Covid. As usual, Sarah seems like a friend having a conversation with me about faith and life.

Sarah Bessey guides readers through the transition of questioning and changing faith perspectives. Offering practices rooted in compassion, truth, and inclusion, Bessey's "Field Notes for the Wilderness" nurtures spiritual growth through wonder, empathy, lament, and purposeful direction. A beacon of hope for those navigating faith's evolving landscape.

If there’s one word to describe this book, it is ‘encouragement.’ No matter where you fall on the spectrum of christian belief, Sarah wants you to know you are cared for and welcome. Personally, this book was not written for me. I am not reconsidering pillars of belief or struggling to find my place amongst a variety of faith expressions. However, I was interested in learning more about Sarah’s journey because her experience is not unique. Many people are walking through seasons of deconstruction and re-evaluation, and I wanted to better understand the personal perspective of what someone encountered on the other side. Though Sarah and I have not come to the same conclusions on a few issues, her desire to ask deep questions and not settle for a surface level relationship with Jesus was meaningful.

Perfect for you if you like:
Progressive Christianity and discussions on evolving faith
Empowering guide for navigating life’s transitions and challenges
Want see first hand the emotion and journey behind someone who has deconstructed their faith

Similar to:
After Doubt by A.J. Swoboda (reconstructing evangelical faith)
Searching for Sunday by Rachel Held Evans (I have not read this)
Peace is a Practice by Morgan Harper Nichols (perspective transitions memoir)

i think i'm just not the right demographic for this book or i'm at a different point in my journey or something. but it's good writing and probably helpful for people who are just starting to question things.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Field Notes for the Wilderness
Author: Sarah Bessey
Source: NetGalley
Pub Date: Feb. 20, 2024
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“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NIV)
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Author Sarah Besey offers a guide to working through times of faithful uncertainty. I think all of us, at some point, question our faith, and it is in the questioning and discovery that we find answers. Bessey has a unique writing style, and it may not be for everyone. Also, this book is bring released close to one of my favorite Christian authors, Kate Bowler. Both present options and concepts that are worthy of consideration and study. I will reread this book because I don’t think you can hit all the high points in a first reading. I thank the author for the courage to make bold assertions and for, as she says, “not being afraid of our wandering.” I believe God meets us where we are, which is challenging to grasp when sometimes we feel far away. I also think that God will bless our broken path home. #God #spirituality #religion #wanderer #questions #faith #journey #acceptance #deliverance #love #guidance #forgiveness @Fieldnotesforthewilderness @sarahbessey @convergent_books @netgalley #nonfiction #religion #Christian
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I received a complimentary copy of this ARC. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for the opportunity to read this novel. Pub. Date: Feb. 20, 2024.
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#book #books #bookaddict #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #bookstagramer

I discovered Sarah Bessey through A Rhythm of Prayer and had no idea she was among the many former evangelicals who, thankfully, chose an evolving faith. Without being a full-on memoir, Bessey weaves her own story into notes of encouragement (bolstered by theology, philosophy, and psychology) for those maybe a little earlier on their journeys of evolving faith.

I laughed out loud reading, “Sometimes one of the greatest gifts God gives to us is losing our religion,” because there is such truth to that. I became a Christian as an adult, so mine has always been an evolving faith, finding my way from nothing to something, instead of painfully realizing what must be left behind to make room for that something. I have witnessed the struggles of friends who believed what their families believed for generations and what their churches taught without ever even thinking to question it—until they had no choice but to question it and then felt utterly lost, and often rejected as well. Field Notes feels intended to assure people they are not alone and the journey is worth it. (It is! it is!)

Because my journey has been so different, there were times when I was acutely aware I am not the intended audience. Nevertheless, Bessey’s words have a universal ring, because we will all find ourselves in the wilderness. Beyond the wilderness of an evolving faith, there are the wildernesses of grief, trauma, broken or strained relationships, unfulfilled dreams, health challenges, times of transition, national crisis, and so much more. Whatever the context, Bessey’s realization remains true, “The wilderness wasn’t something for me to fear: God was already here, making a way.” Field Notes for the Wilderness is a loving reminder others have walked this hard path, there are companions along the way, and God is always with you.

Although I thoroughly enjoyed the book, as I read, I kept feeling something was missing even though I couldn’t quite articulate what that was. When I learned later there is a guided journal available to accompany the book, I realized that is what had been missing! Despite the concept of being a “field guide” and Bessey’s promise of sharing the practices that served her in the wilderness, she only mentions practices from her life tangentially or in broad terms, and doesn’t discuss any in great detail. I initially thought this was because Bessey was trying too hard to avoid being prescriptive, but then realized that content might be in the guided journal. I also realized she might be hesitating to offer specifics to avoid claiming expertise. Her only strong suggestion is to “find a companion—a qualified companion—like a therapist or spiritual director to walk this path with you.” As a spiritual director who has a therapist and is grateful all of my clients also have therapists, I’m on board with this suggestion! So, if you are in the midst of the wilderness of evolving (or falling apart) faith right now, I’d encourage you to check out the guided journal. And maybe look into spiritual direction, too. But the book absolutely stands on its own, and can be an encouragement wherever you are on your journey.

Thank you to the author, Sarah Bessey, publisher, Convergent, and NetGalley for the privilege of reading a DRC of this book. All opinions are my own. I also pre-ordered a hard copy to arrive on publication day!

To be quite honest, I requested the review copy of this book because I thought customers of our store might be interested in it. I did not expect it to hit so close to home for myself.

Sarah Bessey doesn't give instructions, only notes from her own experiences that she believes might help others in times of questioning or doubt, a term she calls the wilderness. When I first started reading it, I couldn't stop thinking that I needed this book twenty years ago.

As I kept reading, I realized that using the term wilderness fit where I'd been for the past twenty years. And since I've spent so long here, I wasn't uncomfortable with it. But I now was giving myself permission to ask questions I'd long dismissed as answered or no longer relevant. That's the beauty of this book. It reminds you that you can say you don't know. That you can wonder. That you can take what you want from it, that real faith is never a one size fits all proposition. These short chapters match about where you want to stop and reflect.

I recommend Field Notes for the Wilderness for anyone with questions and doubts who wants to stop feeling guilty for having them, or for those of us who've long abandoned our faith but looked back in nostalgia. Because you don't have to come away from this book with answers. You can keep seeking.

Thank you for the chance to read the ARC, but also, thank you, Sarah Bessey.

Field Notes for the Wilderness by Sarah Bessey is an excellent guide for anyone in the process of disentangling from a specific faith or theological structure. I have read Sarah's previous books and found them to be so enlightening and encouraging in my own questioning how to navigate a path forward. This book is definitely for people who still want to hold on to their faith and relationship with God and offers different avenues on how to purse that in a new way. I will absolutely be recommending this book to people in this specific season of life!

As someone who has read her other books, listened to the EF podcast and listened to the last 2 online conferences I felt I did not glean much new. It was a good review and would probably read different for someone new to her work.

“The wilderness is the place where you meet God face-to-face, with nothing between you.”

I’m considering a move to Calgary, where fellow Canadian Sarah Bessey and I will become BFFs and I can sew her quilts and she can pet my head and tell me it’s going to (eventually) be okay.

This book, a collection of essays (or love letters?) is exactly what I needed. She speaks truth in love…(with anecdote and scripture and research)..but not with that ‘love the sinner hate the sin’ bullshit, but actual, dirt-under-the-fingernails, hold-your-hair-and-rub-your-back-while-you-puke love.

The Guided Journal is a fantastic companion. Asking questions like, “When was the last time you were surprised by God?” and “What is an old version of you are you glad to leave behind?” as well as breath prayers, it’s the perfect way to work out what you’ve learned.

As you walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, have no fear. Jesus (and Sarah) is with you.

Always live-giving.
Always truth-telling.
Always meaning-making.

Thanks to NetGalley and Convergent Books for this balm of an ARC.

Completely wonderful, wise, inspiring, and thought-provoking. Best yet from this author, who already has an impressive body of work.