Thumbprint in the Clay

Thumbprint in the Clay Divine Marks of Beauty, Order and Grace by Luci Shaw

InterVarsity Press

IVP BooksChristian, Poetry

Pub Date Apr 4, 2016

I was given a copy of Thumbprint in the Clay Divine Marks of Beauty and Grace through the Publisher and there partnership with Netgalley in exchange for my honest review:

Luci Shaw writes a beautiful testimony of life, of faith and of Creativity in Thumbprint in the Clay if you are looking for a book that is uplifting and inspirational then this book is just the ticket. 

Shaw reminds us not only of the beauty in life, bit more than that she reminds us of the beauty of worship. 

I give this book five out of five Stars

Happy Reading Friends

Luci Shaw is a gift to the literary world. Not only is she a master with words, she has a keen eye to observe ordinary things and to let them bounce of reflections of life. She reflects on the coffee mug and how it is used as a symbol of family and hospitality. From the small world of the coffee cup, she zooms out to the big wide world, anchoring her thoughts from 36000 feet in the airplane and looking at the world God had created. Meandering through "God's graphics," she leaves through photographs, observations, histories, past civilizations, and landing back on earth, having imagined catching a glimpse from God's perspective. From the Pacific Northwest, she is reminded of God's creation and natural wonder, appreciating people, acknowledging beauty, and admiring rocks! Her silent retreat at the monastery is probably one of her secrets in training her powers of observation. More importantly, it speaks of her innermost desire to be closer to God. Here, Shaw's theological engine kicks in. She integrates philosophy with spirituality. She activates the words of her literary friends like Annie Dillard, Madeleine L'Engle, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Eugene Peterson. She includes one of her favourite art journals, Image, and reflects on them equally well, showing us that one does not need to be physically present at any particular place to learn to appreciate natural beauty. For it is not the actual place alone that can trigger one's sense of wonder. It is the admiring heart that paints the world with colour. From theology, we come back to identity in which Shaw's TV watching automatically connects the TV programs with one's sense of identity. From DNA to thumbprints, forensic analysis to police investigations, we are reminded of a world larger than mere crime triggered investigations. Shaw connects the physics of the world with the creation of life. Moving in and out from the world of words to the real world, and back again, it can be a challenge to try to capture and predict where Shaw is going next. My advice: Don't bother. Just enjoy. If you can pace with her, by all means do so. Better to pace it at your own speed. This is not about getting the most out of this book. It is about allowing the best of us to appreciate the best of God's world, seen through the eyes of Shaw.

Enjoy the way that she reflects through life from the natural to the supernatural; from the mundane to the spectacular; and from prose to poetry and biography. It is impossible to rush through this book for it will be such a waste of this wonderful piece of literary art. Life is like a tussle between pragmatism and patience over the most mundane things, and the essays remind us of integration, connection, and plain admiration of God's world. A well-known poet herself, she infuses her prose with some of her own poetry, allowing them to flow as one. There are reflections on suffering. There are words of wisdom from some of the most profound spiritual writers such as Richard Rohr and Frederick Buechner. There are also pictures of frustration and failure, to remind us that in the midst of beauty, there is also the reality of brokenness in this world.

Shaw makes me pause from my daily rush. This is not a how-to book nor some fantasy-led bestseller so popular with impressionable youths just looking for a quick-fix entertainment. As I think about the title, I wonder, why "Thumbprint in the Clay?" Why not fingers? Why not sand? Like an opening and closing bracket of a mathematical equation, the "thumbprint" shows us the strongest part of our hand touching one of the most visible symbols of earth and creation: "clay." This connecting parallels a form of heaven touching earth, but made up close and personal, Shaw's style.

Rating: 5 stars of 5.

conrade This book is provided to me courtesy of InterVarsity Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

Luci Shaw is a treasure and an incredible wordsmith. Her work is luminous, and this is no exception.

Luci Shaw ponders the places where she encounters God's fingerprints. Just as each human thumbprint is unique, the Creator’s is even more so—the original thumbprints on the universe.
That sounds like a delightful book. I loved her way with words: “Dandelions, small sunbursts on every bank, wanton and innocent, without evil intent, uncanny in their abundance, feeling no need to justify their existence.” Her essay on beauty is stirring.
At times, though, I felt adrift. Where was she going with her thoughts? Hiding bread crusts under the table as a child? My mind would wander and I’d lose the point. I had expected more poetry, or maybe I didn’t recognize it in the kindle version.

This was my first encounter with Luci Shaw. She was scheduled to be at the Festival of Faith and Writing this past spring, but couldn’t make it due to illness. It would have been lovely to meet her. After reading just a few paragraphs, you know she’s a women who exudes grace and peace. The kind of woman I want to be when I grow up. She’s a poet first, and her poetry is dispersed throughout this book. The book describes how the author finds the Creator’s mark on many aspects of life. In nature, in our homes, in travel, in our callings. My favorite piece in the whole book was the first essay, “Coffee Mugs.” It’s a beautiful book and I look forward to reading more of Luci Shaw.