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Spirituality of Gratitude: The Unexpected Blessings of Thankfulness
"Deep gratitude springs up from within," writes pastor and bestselling Korean author Joshua Choonmin Kang. "To become truly grateful is incredibly difficult, but the difficulty of the process makes the results all the more lovely." God invites us to enter into this world of thankfulness at every moment in our lives, even in the hard times―perhaps especially then. Pastor Kang "Gratitude heals us and holds us, tethering us to one another, offering us joy and strength." As with Deep-Rooted in Christ , this book has fifty-two short chapters that can be read in weekly sabbath reflection or daily devotional use. So come and discover a spirituality of gratitude.
160 pages, Paperback
First published July 5, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 12, 2023
This one was a pretty easy read and the chapters were basically 2-3 pages each, BUT it was filled with a lot of really good nuggets! Definitely a book to read slowly and just take a chapter or 2 a day to think on throughout the day! Kang really spoke to my need in this season for humility and seeking beauty in the little things and in the mundane, and in seeing all the reasons to thank God for the blessing of brokenness and hardships, too. A worthy read! Only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars was for the structure of how short the chapters were and that made the book seem longer and a little choppier to read, but that’s also a personal preference!
September 24, 2015
The Language of Thanksgiving
Two weeks into the Beatitudes with my Sunday School class, and my ear is finally becoming accustomed to the cadence of another Kingdom, one in which those who are meek and mournful are pronounced fortunate — even happy. All of this is a fitting backdrop for reading Joshua Choonmin Kang’s Spirituality of Gratitude. His collection of fifty-two essays have been gleaned from his personal journal over the course of a season of suffering. In that long, dark tunnel of a year, thanksgiving overflowed in the face of his isolation and endurance, in the wake of brokenness and vulnerability, and in the midst of thorny problems and the crumbling of dreams.
My response to Pastor Kang’s words was surprisingly visceral. I needed to stop, to close my eyes, to agree in prayer with the words, and then to re-read the sentence before moving on. I finished the book over the course of several days, but, truly, that is no way to read it. Onto my nightstand it will go for another round of pondering, one essay at a time, one thought per week as a lexicon for the language of gratitude. I need time to process this wisdom:
•“True gratitude is being thankful for the situation we can’t be thankful for by our own strength.”
•“Gratitude has the ability to connect people to God and to one another. In fact, it has the power to build new bridges and to repair broken relationships, even those that seem irreparably damaged.”
•“Gratitude is an expression of appreciation, an articulation of what we have received. Like a receipt, our gratitude is evidence of the transaction of grace from God.”
•“Let us remember that miracles can happen when we value little talents and exercise them faithfully. With gratitude, let us live out the sublimity of the mundane.”
I have been challenged by Pastor Keng’s words to treasure and give thanks for the small things, for the ordinary miracles of cold drinking water and a chair in the sunshine. I want to slow down for prayer and to stake out moments for pondering the latitude of suffering and the longitude of glory that exist in my every day. A spirituality that is founded in gratitude is anchored securely by roots that have been sent deep into God’s love and will result in a life that reflects God’s “image with ever-increasing glory.” (II Corinthians 3:18).
This book was provided by IVP Books, an imprint of InterVarsity Press, in exchange for my review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Two weeks into the Beatitudes with my Sunday School class, and my ear is finally becoming accustomed to the cadence of another Kingdom, one in which those who are meek and mournful are pronounced fortunate — even happy. All of this is a fitting backdrop for reading Joshua Choonmin Kang’s Spirituality of Gratitude. His collection of fifty-two essays have been gleaned from his personal journal over the course of a season of suffering. In that long, dark tunnel of a year, thanksgiving overflowed in the face of his isolation and endurance, in the wake of brokenness and vulnerability, and in the midst of thorny problems and the crumbling of dreams.
My response to Pastor Kang’s words was surprisingly visceral. I needed to stop, to close my eyes, to agree in prayer with the words, and then to re-read the sentence before moving on. I finished the book over the course of several days, but, truly, that is no way to read it. Onto my nightstand it will go for another round of pondering, one essay at a time, one thought per week as a lexicon for the language of gratitude. I need time to process this wisdom:
•“True gratitude is being thankful for the situation we can’t be thankful for by our own strength.”
•“Gratitude has the ability to connect people to God and to one another. In fact, it has the power to build new bridges and to repair broken relationships, even those that seem irreparably damaged.”
•“Gratitude is an expression of appreciation, an articulation of what we have received. Like a receipt, our gratitude is evidence of the transaction of grace from God.”
•“Let us remember that miracles can happen when we value little talents and exercise them faithfully. With gratitude, let us live out the sublimity of the mundane.”
I have been challenged by Pastor Keng’s words to treasure and give thanks for the small things, for the ordinary miracles of cold drinking water and a chair in the sunshine. I want to slow down for prayer and to stake out moments for pondering the latitude of suffering and the longitude of glory that exist in my every day. A spirituality that is founded in gratitude is anchored securely by roots that have been sent deep into God’s love and will result in a life that reflects God’s “image with ever-increasing glory.” (II Corinthians 3:18).
This book was provided by IVP Books, an imprint of InterVarsity Press, in exchange for my review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
July 21, 2015
The Bible tells us to always be thankful at all times(Ephesians 5:20). God always gives good gifts but some gifts sting a little. We suffer. Thanks. We get demoted. Thanks bunches. We feel isolated and alone. Yay. We are humbled. Thank you Lord. Our hearts and spirits are broken. Muchas Gracious.
Christians can give thanks in all things because we live with the conviction that all things work together for good for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:28). If that is true than grace hides in hard places. Joshua Choonmin Kang, pastor of New Life Vision Church in Koreatown, Los Angeles and author of Deep-Rooted in Christ explores the spirituality of gratitude, in (the aptly titled) Spirituality of Gratitude. Kang explores the grace of difficult circumstances, the benefits of gratitude and how to cultivate it. There are fifty-two pithy chapters divided into five sections. Kang is a perceptive writer on the spiritual life, and each chapter offers an incisive look at experience of gratitude, often in difficult circumstances. There is a flow to the book's organization, but each chapter can be read on its own. The short chapters work as devotional reading.
In part one, Kang explores the grace of endurance, downward-mobility, isolation, humility and brokenness. Part two examines where we can be grateful for problems, thorn, vulnerability, deficiency, 'being crumbled', having the 'freedom to see the good.' and slowness. Part three and four looks at the benefits and spiritual gifts of gratitude. Part five explores the 'path to gratitude' and growing in a thankful orientation.
While this is a book about cultivating an 'attitude of gratitude,' this isn't a hallmark-y, sentimental book. I appreciated the theological thoughtfulness behind each of these meditations. Kang has a gift for exploring the various circumstances of life and showcasing God's grace there. We have a lot to be thankful for, whatever our circumstances if only we had eyes to see. Kang has eyes that see the gifts of God for us, and he helps us all to see and understand all that God has for us.
This is not a personally revelatory book. Kang will talk about the experience of aging but this isn't a book that describes his own struggle to be grateful in difficult circumstances. If Kang has had personal struggles in learning thankfulness he doesn't really share them. However Kang writes graciously and to read this book is to be invited to see the gifts of God in all of life. I give this book four stars and recommend it as devotional reading.
Notice of material connection: I received this book from InterVarsity Press in exchange for my honest review
Christians can give thanks in all things because we live with the conviction that all things work together for good for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:28). If that is true than grace hides in hard places. Joshua Choonmin Kang, pastor of New Life Vision Church in Koreatown, Los Angeles and author of Deep-Rooted in Christ explores the spirituality of gratitude, in (the aptly titled) Spirituality of Gratitude. Kang explores the grace of difficult circumstances, the benefits of gratitude and how to cultivate it. There are fifty-two pithy chapters divided into five sections. Kang is a perceptive writer on the spiritual life, and each chapter offers an incisive look at experience of gratitude, often in difficult circumstances. There is a flow to the book's organization, but each chapter can be read on its own. The short chapters work as devotional reading.
In part one, Kang explores the grace of endurance, downward-mobility, isolation, humility and brokenness. Part two examines where we can be grateful for problems, thorn, vulnerability, deficiency, 'being crumbled', having the 'freedom to see the good.' and slowness. Part three and four looks at the benefits and spiritual gifts of gratitude. Part five explores the 'path to gratitude' and growing in a thankful orientation.
While this is a book about cultivating an 'attitude of gratitude,' this isn't a hallmark-y, sentimental book. I appreciated the theological thoughtfulness behind each of these meditations. Kang has a gift for exploring the various circumstances of life and showcasing God's grace there. We have a lot to be thankful for, whatever our circumstances if only we had eyes to see. Kang has eyes that see the gifts of God for us, and he helps us all to see and understand all that God has for us.
This is not a personally revelatory book. Kang will talk about the experience of aging but this isn't a book that describes his own struggle to be grateful in difficult circumstances. If Kang has had personal struggles in learning thankfulness he doesn't really share them. However Kang writes graciously and to read this book is to be invited to see the gifts of God in all of life. I give this book four stars and recommend it as devotional reading.
Notice of material connection: I received this book from InterVarsity Press in exchange for my honest review
January 28, 2021
It's interesting to see that the Goodreads reviews are much less positive than I had expected. Yes, the chapters are concise, and the order of the chapters and choice of themes seem random and not always linked to the "spirituality of gratitude." (Note: I wonder if that may be due to a Western reader's expectations for order when the book's organic flow seems more in line with the author's Eastern cultural heritage.)
Nevertheless, I found each chapter to be quite deep as the book reflects the author's collective wisdom after a lifetime of struggles and ministry experiences. It's a short book, but it's quite rich in that after a few chapters, I risked skimming and not appreciating the book's depth. I agree with other reviewers that this book should have been reformatted as a devotional -- it would have placed the reader in the right frame of mind before reading. If you approach the book as a devotional (reading a few chapters a day), I think you'll find some powerful truths and encouragement.
Nevertheless, I found each chapter to be quite deep as the book reflects the author's collective wisdom after a lifetime of struggles and ministry experiences. It's a short book, but it's quite rich in that after a few chapters, I risked skimming and not appreciating the book's depth. I agree with other reviewers that this book should have been reformatted as a devotional -- it would have placed the reader in the right frame of mind before reading. If you approach the book as a devotional (reading a few chapters a day), I think you'll find some powerful truths and encouragement.
December 16, 2018
This book easily could be read as a devotional once a week on gratitude. He discusses the importance of being thankful and glorifying God all aspects of our life. I look forward to reading more books from this author.
December 30, 2019
A simple and heartfelt collection of essays that connect gratitude and a life of thankfulness with a life of faith. After reading several they became repetitious, but I did appreciate each one for its own message and thoughtfulness.
November 11, 2019
The publishers should have turned this into a devotional. Lots of chapters all less than 2 pages. Easily could have been a devotional or used in conjunction with Bible readings.
March 12, 2019
Too little on too much, filled with many forced & often superficial anecdotes & platitudes. It reads like a book Kang wrote for himself, as if he alone understands why he chose particular brief stories, quotes, and failed to divulge his own struggles. This feeling was eventually affirmed by implication in Kang’s own words at the end of the book in the “Acknowledgements” section, wherein he explains how the book came about during “a long season of suffering” and felt prompted to write “about gratitude every week for a year: 52 essays” (158).
October 23, 2019
As other reviewers have said, it reads like a devotional and while some of the passages are good, a lot of them feel sloppy and just thrown together.
The overall theme is gratitude but I think it lacks more structure.
The overall theme is gratitude but I think it lacks more structure.
September 26, 2017
It was a good book, and reminds you of all the things you should be thankful for.
February 29, 2020
There were some exceptional reflections. Most chapters were so so, and just when the thought was starting unfold, the reflection had ended or shifted focus.
November 26, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. It seems oversimplified on the surface, but if you really pay attention and read it thoughtfully, you will realize how profound it is. The author writes in a compelling way, and he even mentions that he wrote one essay a week for a year (resulting in this book, which consists of 52 chapters). He just comes across as a really humble, thoughtful, sincere and God-fearing (and loving) man who is grateful for all the gifts God has given him, even if at the time they were blessings "in disguise". I hope more of his books are translated into English. I checked this out from the library, but I want to buy a copy so I can revisit it later. Recommended!
Side note: I thought goodreads used to have a spellcheck for reviews. What happened?
Side note: I thought goodreads used to have a spellcheck for reviews. What happened?
January 27, 2016
I read this book - a collection of 52 essays - front start to finish. I think it would've been better to read slower, intentionally as either a devotional or a weekly practice. There were several good 'nuggets' of wisdom shared by Kang. But in reading it the way I did, it was all sort of a blur. The essays are short and not overly deep, but still insightful and heartfelt.
September 9, 2015
Really beautiful and worth reading, but it sometimes feels repetitive.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews