Sacred Belonging

"Sacred Belonging: A 40-Day Devotional on the Liberating Heart of Scripture" is the newest Bible study by Kat Armas. Having followed Armas on Twitter, I was excited to read this devotional book. However, it was a bit different than I expected. First, the book is divided into five sections: body, creation, wisdom, spirit, and the feminine. Second, Armas believes in the existence of Indigenous gods and speaks quite a bit about them.

Each of the 40 days in this devotional includes a Scripture passage, personal anecdote, religious reflections, and then some questions to answer. While I think many will find this book helpful, it was not my personal preference. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I'm sitting here less than three weeks before bladder cancer will claim my bladder. After a several months long journey that began shortly before last Christmas, I will be admitted to the hospital for a few days and, if all goes well, return home cancer free yet without a bladder and wearing an ostomy that will be my companion for the rest of my life.

It's the latest physical challenge in a long life filled with them. I'm a paraplegic and double amputee with spina bifida, a 50+year-old man who has lived far longer than anyone expected yet who continues to crave more life.

As I began what I expected to be yet another "typical" reading of a devotional designed to inspire my heart and mind, I was prepared for a quick read popping with a few insights.

I received so much more.

Cuban-American writer Kat Armas has written an atypical devotional, a devotional that truly liberates the heart of Scripture and encourages readers toward a liberated faith by offering devotions centered around five different themes - creation, wisdom, spirit, the body, and the feminine.

The overarching lesson, if you will, is that we do belong. We do, we really do. We belong to God, we belong to the earth, and we belong to one another.

Armas highlights biblical passages that point toward decolonizing themes and moving away from the oppression that so many of us have felt from patriarchal, and just plain incorrect, interpretations of scripture designed more for power and control than bringing forth the sacred.

At times, "Sacred Belonging: A 40-Day Devotional on the Liberating Heart of Scripture" feels like Thich Nhat Hanh's remarkable "Living Buddha, Living Christ" with Armas's gentle ability to weave together Scripture with Indigenous spirituality and other faith journeys. It's open-hearted and faithful throughout yet will most resonate with those who long for a more liberated faith.

I expected "Sacred Belonging" to be a quick read, though as I worked my way through it I found myself stopping and starting, reflecting and praying quite often. I found myself dealing with issues brought up in each chapter and genuinely immersing myself in those times when Armas would end a chapter with questions for personal exploration.

I found myself dealing with my long history of abuse, my points of grief, my body image and, yes, my cancer journey and the experiences I'm about to face in terms of body image, physical function, intimacy, and a fear of the social isolation that already splashes over me in waves.

"Sacred Belonging," however, felt like a safe place. It felt like a belonging space where I could acknowledges these truths, some temporary and others permanent, and have them held as sacred in this difficult yet holy journey.

It's likely unsurprising that I most deeply resonated on the section centered around "the body," however every section resonated deeply and even when Armas seemed to be writing directly for women I found myself listening, learning, appreciating, respecting, and even belonging.

If you are expecting a sound byte devotional, you might want to alter your expectations as Armas shares both personal narrative and theological insights and reflections with enthusiasm, intelligence, insight, wisdom, and tenderness. Some devotions end with guiding questions, others do not. Some devotions are nearly all intellectual discourse, others radiate the richness of human experience.

As I end my time with "Sacred Belonging," at least for now, I feel a little more prepared for the challenges I will be facing in the coming 2-3 weeks. I feel greater the presence of the creation around me and the communal spirit that often feels like it's off at a distance. I feel a little more liberated from a fear of the unknown and a lot more secure in the belonging that comes whatever journeys our bodies are on.

In a world where Scripture is often used as a weapon, Armas invites us into a 40-day journey that reminds us that we are so loved and so never alone.

Amen.

I was intrigued by the description of this devotional and am glad I picked it up. It was unlike any other book I've read, looking at scripture through lenses of embodiment, feminism, and liberation. It challenged me and I'd like to read it again with a discussion group.

Kat has done it again! I’ve been privileged enough to participate in a small cohort of women who were able to read this prior to its release. And just like in Abuelita Faith, she did what she does best - encourage us to ask questions, center marginalized identities, build a decolonized faith. All our our liberation is tied up together and this devotional does a phenomenal job of expounding on that and highlighting all the “unconventional” ways we can see and connect to the divine ❤️‍🔥

This is a devotional for people who are sick of devotionals. It's for people who are wondering if there is a place for them in Christian spaces. It is for people who are disentangling all of the misogyny, racism, abelism, and xenophobia from their faith. It is good people seeking liberation and freedom. It's for people who long to connect deeply with God in a new way.

Sacred Belonging is divided into 5 sections: creation, wisdom, spirit, the body, and the feminine. Each of these sections include devotions 5-10 min in length that are thought-provoking, deeply theological, and personal. The way Kat is able to take seemingly normal or uninteresting things, and make them reflect the beauty and glory of God, is incredible. I learned so much, was encouraged, and challenged by this book. Highly recommend!

“In this forty-day devotional, Cuban American writer Kat Armas shows us that reading the Bible with fresh eyes allows us to experience God in new and liberating ways.”

I first ‘met’ this author in her pages of Abuelita Faith. She was making the podcast circuit and I was drawn in by her stunning blend of feminism, anti-racism, and deep love of Scripture. Her IG platform has been a source of joy and learning ever since.

While some readers readers might be disappointed if they came to this work hoping for a Sister Beth-type study, these daily devotions, with their scripture, heartfelt anecdotes, calls-to-action, and personal questions are exactly what I was looking for.

Also: The cover is smashing.

Thanks to NetGalley and Brazos Press for this life-giving ARC.