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What Grows in Weary Lands: On Christian Resilience
How do we cultivate faith that endures? From award-winning author and former New York Times writer Tish Harrison Warren comes a fresh vision for navigating burnout and weariness through ancient Christian practices—guiding us toward lives of resilience, renewal, and flourishing.
“Warren is one of our best living spiritual writers. . . . It would be impossible to overstate how warmly I recommend this book to all.”—John Mark Comer, New York Times bestselling author of Practicing the Way and The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry
Early Christians often grappled with a reality we rarely talk about in contemporary that God seems to abandon the soul at times, leaving us feeling as if we are alone and left to our own resources. These are times of futility, when work and relationships feel hard, when prayer feels unsatisfying, and we question whether our efforts are amounting to anything.
For centuries, Warren notes, times of “aridity” were seen as necessary prerequisites for growth and maturity. Yet in our culture fixated on speed and optimization, we risk losing this deeper sense of the human journey and the resilience that comes with it.
Writing for a moment when two-thirds of Americans are dissatisfied with their work, and a sense of languishing is widespread, Warren draws from both her own season of exhaustion and the rich well of Christian tradition—particularly that of the earliest Christian monks—to discover the habits and mindsets that anchor us in times of doubt, difficulty, and spiritual dryness. She offers hope to those who feel like life is overwhelming, taxing, and disorienting.
What Grows in Weary Lands speaks to anyone longing for a life of depth in a distracted age. Warren helps us see that nothing is wasted—that even in desert seasons something good is growing, rooted in grace and reaching toward glory.
“Warren is one of our best living spiritual writers. . . . It would be impossible to overstate how warmly I recommend this book to all.”—John Mark Comer, New York Times bestselling author of Practicing the Way and The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry
Early Christians often grappled with a reality we rarely talk about in contemporary that God seems to abandon the soul at times, leaving us feeling as if we are alone and left to our own resources. These are times of futility, when work and relationships feel hard, when prayer feels unsatisfying, and we question whether our efforts are amounting to anything.
For centuries, Warren notes, times of “aridity” were seen as necessary prerequisites for growth and maturity. Yet in our culture fixated on speed and optimization, we risk losing this deeper sense of the human journey and the resilience that comes with it.
Writing for a moment when two-thirds of Americans are dissatisfied with their work, and a sense of languishing is widespread, Warren draws from both her own season of exhaustion and the rich well of Christian tradition—particularly that of the earliest Christian monks—to discover the habits and mindsets that anchor us in times of doubt, difficulty, and spiritual dryness. She offers hope to those who feel like life is overwhelming, taxing, and disorienting.
What Grows in Weary Lands speaks to anyone longing for a life of depth in a distracted age. Warren helps us see that nothing is wasted—that even in desert seasons something good is growing, rooted in grace and reaching toward glory.
Audible Audio
Published May 12, 2026
About the author
Tish Harrison Warren
22 books773 followersTish Harrison Warren is a priest in the Anglican Church in North America. After eight years with InterVarsity Graduate and Faculty Ministries at Vanderbilt and The University of Texas at Austin, she now serves as co-associate rector at Church of the Ascension in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She writes regularly for The Well, CT Women (formerly her.meneutics), and Christianity Today. Her work has also appeared in Comment Magazine, Christ and Pop Culture, Art House America, and elsewhere. She and her husband Jonathan have two young daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
June 10, 2026
Here is a book that I needed, and I think our culture needs, though I am curious how a young person’s reading experience would differ from mine with my midlife vantage point. Maybe I just have a different understanding of my own barren places and aridity than I once did. Harrison Warren is personable and erudite both, and her voice and examples provide a sense of her role as fellow pilgrim and wise guide (priest) even as she engages in culturally and universally human relevant ideas. I particularly loved how she brings the desert fathers and mothers into the conversation and learns from them while acknowledging their peculiarities and failings.
May 27, 2026
Beautiful. Warren's writing on spiritual formation, weariness, and resilience met me just where I needed it. Drawing on the Desert Mothers and Fathers and her own life experiences, Warren helps the reader "trust in the slow work of God."
June 9, 2026
I so appreciate Tish’s ability to succinctly and beautifully say what she wants to say. No dragging out or belaboring a topic. This was full of rich encouragement, not repetitive ideas. This is for any Christian who has felt punched in the gut by life and church and people but who still desires to hold on to God, kingdom living, and being part of communities of faith. This is for anyone who has felt spiritually tired and isn’t look easy, cheesy answers. It’s a bit of real encouragement from someone who’s walking alongside you on a long, somewhat arduous hike with promised visions of mountain lake views—it’s hard to get there but the reward will makes it all worth it.
May 28, 2026
Balm for the weary soul.
May 18, 2026
In this book, Tish Harrison Warren encourages and reminds us that seasons of weariness, dryness, or exhaustion are not unique and are in fact beneficial to our growth as believers. God does not waste even these times in our lives.
“Though we experience this differently, all of us hit points in our life where our steam has run out, where we can’t get traction, where we feel lifeless or tired, disoriented and unsure of ourselves. Things seem hard, maybe harder than we think they should be.”
Like many believers, I am no stranger to seasons of exhaustion, burnout, and weariness on the journey of faith, and I felt seen as I read through this thoughtful book.
This book’s honest and reflective words gently poured into my thirsty soul, helping me remember that I am not alone in my experience in what at times feels like a desert. Perseverance through this life and wilderness seasons proves a challenge for even the most dedicated Christ followers.
Countless others have gone before us in this journey; they—along with God’s Word inspiring them—outline life-giving truths and practices for us to embrace in every season of life. In this book, you will discover wisdom, hope, and encouragement for your journey with God.
I highly recommend this one. I loved it so much that after reading an advanced reader copy digitally, I purchased a hard copy at a local bookstore because I had to have my own copy of this one.
Highlights:
“In our culture of efficiency and instant gratification, nearly everything wars against the slow, quiet virtues we need to persevere in a long apprenticeship to Jesus.”
“The practice of stability asks us to stop looking to change our circumstances to find the good life, and to instead look to God to change and transform us.”
“God gets us going with fireworks, but we grow deep when the craft of faith becomes dull or difficult. This is when we learn to love God, not because we have to, not because he makes things work for us, not because he gives us pleasure, but for God’s own sake.”
“To go deep with God always involves going deep with others, being rooted in a place, a community, a tradition, a church.”
“Numb out, flame out, or go deep.”
“For these desert monks, ‘stay in your cell’ literally meant stay in your room and persist in your daily habits of prayer and work. It was a call to be steadfast in practices of faith, regardless of how you feel.”
“The reason faith requires our whole life is because the mysteries, depths and graces of God are so inexhaustible that the pursuit of God each moment of our lives can only begin to scratch their surface.”
“God simply does not explain himself entirely. He did not drop a systematic theology book down from the heavens to answer all our questions. He has no 24-hour customer service hotline. Instead, he invites us to enter into and endure a mystery.”
Thank you to the publisher for gifting me a copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily and was not required to leave a positive review. All opinions are my own.
“Though we experience this differently, all of us hit points in our life where our steam has run out, where we can’t get traction, where we feel lifeless or tired, disoriented and unsure of ourselves. Things seem hard, maybe harder than we think they should be.”
Like many believers, I am no stranger to seasons of exhaustion, burnout, and weariness on the journey of faith, and I felt seen as I read through this thoughtful book.
This book’s honest and reflective words gently poured into my thirsty soul, helping me remember that I am not alone in my experience in what at times feels like a desert. Perseverance through this life and wilderness seasons proves a challenge for even the most dedicated Christ followers.
Countless others have gone before us in this journey; they—along with God’s Word inspiring them—outline life-giving truths and practices for us to embrace in every season of life. In this book, you will discover wisdom, hope, and encouragement for your journey with God.
I highly recommend this one. I loved it so much that after reading an advanced reader copy digitally, I purchased a hard copy at a local bookstore because I had to have my own copy of this one.
Highlights:
“In our culture of efficiency and instant gratification, nearly everything wars against the slow, quiet virtues we need to persevere in a long apprenticeship to Jesus.”
“The practice of stability asks us to stop looking to change our circumstances to find the good life, and to instead look to God to change and transform us.”
“God gets us going with fireworks, but we grow deep when the craft of faith becomes dull or difficult. This is when we learn to love God, not because we have to, not because he makes things work for us, not because he gives us pleasure, but for God’s own sake.”
“To go deep with God always involves going deep with others, being rooted in a place, a community, a tradition, a church.”
“Numb out, flame out, or go deep.”
“For these desert monks, ‘stay in your cell’ literally meant stay in your room and persist in your daily habits of prayer and work. It was a call to be steadfast in practices of faith, regardless of how you feel.”
“The reason faith requires our whole life is because the mysteries, depths and graces of God are so inexhaustible that the pursuit of God each moment of our lives can only begin to scratch their surface.”
“God simply does not explain himself entirely. He did not drop a systematic theology book down from the heavens to answer all our questions. He has no 24-hour customer service hotline. Instead, he invites us to enter into and endure a mystery.”
Thank you to the publisher for gifting me a copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily and was not required to leave a positive review. All opinions are my own.
February 23, 2026
I love all of Tish Harrison Warren's books so I was looking forward to this new one. As with all of her books, I have to read it slowly and go through it a second time to journal and take notes on what stood out to me. This book is about acedia, the experience of spiritual apathy, dryness, and practices from the Dessert Mothers and Fathers for spiritual resilience. In a time of great burn out and quick fixes, I appreciate Warren's encouragement to "stay in your cell", "pledge your body to the walls," and "let the silt settle." She offers thought provoking lessons and practices for the craft of faith even in times of spiritual dryness. This book will be an encouragement to anyone trying to "trust in the slow work of God",
December 19, 2025
Another beautiful, pastoral book from Tish Harrison Warren. This is a book about resilience through burnout, and the spiritual lethargy that has been called acedia. She points out that burnout often comes from doing things we love, and she helpfully identifies the spiritual "slump" we feel when we are not on the "mountaintop," which she calls "aridity."
In this book, she says nothing new, and I think the author would agree with that. She looks to the Desert Fathers and Mothers to teach us the disciplines of stability and patience. It continues from other books on the "domestic monastery" idea.
One of the most eye-opening moments was when she explained that the dark night of the soul isn't just "bad things in life," but a necessary step after the "honeymoon" of faith where the training wheels come off, and we learn to love God for God, rather than for the blessings God gives. She draws a connection to Psalm 131, where a weaned child loves the mother more for who she is than what she can give.
The subchapter organization leans into the author's strength in essay writing. The 2- to 4-page mini-chapters aren't sound bytes for short attention spans, but interlocking thought-nuggets building together to a chapter.
**received early access via NetGalley from the publisher**
In this book, she says nothing new, and I think the author would agree with that. She looks to the Desert Fathers and Mothers to teach us the disciplines of stability and patience. It continues from other books on the "domestic monastery" idea.
One of the most eye-opening moments was when she explained that the dark night of the soul isn't just "bad things in life," but a necessary step after the "honeymoon" of faith where the training wheels come off, and we learn to love God for God, rather than for the blessings God gives. She draws a connection to Psalm 131, where a weaned child loves the mother more for who she is than what she can give.
The subchapter organization leans into the author's strength in essay writing. The 2- to 4-page mini-chapters aren't sound bytes for short attention spans, but interlocking thought-nuggets building together to a chapter.
**received early access via NetGalley from the publisher**
February 2, 2026
Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to review this ARC! This is a beautifully written book that covers subjects often not brought into the light: wrestling with suffering, persistence, resilience, weariness and the Christian faith. I enjoyed that this book had so much to offer on these subjects and I took many notes on the metaphors and perspectives shared.. It may be helpful to know that this book takes more of a descriptive approach to these topics, not necessarily prescriptive, At some points, the chapters felt too brief and I found myself wanting to sit with a topic for a little longer before moving on. Overall, I enjoyed this read and walked away feeling encouraged to double down on the everyday, normal Christian practices - the substance of our faith.
June 24, 2026
A worthwhile read for anyone dealing with weariness/burnout. She has a beautiful perspective this topic.
May 22, 2026
"We cannot get from newfound ardor to the tried and tested wisdom of holiness without the winding middle."
Somehow, Tish Harrison Warren can take the ordinary, mundane circumstances and turn them into something beautiful and necessary. In this book, she helps the reader process the undramatic seasons of life. Those desert times where nothing feels productive or effective. We often forget how valuable these times can be. Warren says, "We miss what these times are meant to do in us, what they shift and grow within us, what they call forth from us, and where God may be in the midst of them. We miss the gifts they offer, gifts we desperately need if we are to flourish." She courageously digs into the times of burnout, perseverance, boredom, cynicism, restlessness, and the arduous middle of the process, encouraging the reader to embrace the desert.
" She said that spiritual growth and artmaking alike are usually not found in a sudden insight, like a burst of a flame, but in 'the steady laying on of the logs' - in the long, at times monotonous, tending of a fire - a fire that sputters, dwindles, burns out, and then, at times unexpectedly, flickers back to life." - Tish Harrison Warren and her friend, Marsha
The principles and perspectives in this book are priceless. I was particularly drawn to her wisdom in expanding on advice given to historically devout Christians, like the desert monks, who, when tempted to flee, were told, "Stay in your cell." I did not know how much I needed this book and its timing in my life. Tish has consistently been the writer who helped me fall in love with the ordinary. I highlighted so many quotes in this book. I need to go back and journal all of them. Her wisdom is a treasure. Here is my favorite quote in the whole book:
"The things of God, it turns out, are surprisingly prosaic, ordinary, and unimpressive. If salvation is to meet us at all, it must meet us in the slog. We pray. We wait. We are patient. We persevere. And God rends the heavens to meet us in the last place that we expect to find him: where we are."
Thank you NetGalley, Convergent Books, and Tish Harrison Warren for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Somehow, Tish Harrison Warren can take the ordinary, mundane circumstances and turn them into something beautiful and necessary. In this book, she helps the reader process the undramatic seasons of life. Those desert times where nothing feels productive or effective. We often forget how valuable these times can be. Warren says, "We miss what these times are meant to do in us, what they shift and grow within us, what they call forth from us, and where God may be in the midst of them. We miss the gifts they offer, gifts we desperately need if we are to flourish." She courageously digs into the times of burnout, perseverance, boredom, cynicism, restlessness, and the arduous middle of the process, encouraging the reader to embrace the desert.
" She said that spiritual growth and artmaking alike are usually not found in a sudden insight, like a burst of a flame, but in 'the steady laying on of the logs' - in the long, at times monotonous, tending of a fire - a fire that sputters, dwindles, burns out, and then, at times unexpectedly, flickers back to life." - Tish Harrison Warren and her friend, Marsha
The principles and perspectives in this book are priceless. I was particularly drawn to her wisdom in expanding on advice given to historically devout Christians, like the desert monks, who, when tempted to flee, were told, "Stay in your cell." I did not know how much I needed this book and its timing in my life. Tish has consistently been the writer who helped me fall in love with the ordinary. I highlighted so many quotes in this book. I need to go back and journal all of them. Her wisdom is a treasure. Here is my favorite quote in the whole book:
"The things of God, it turns out, are surprisingly prosaic, ordinary, and unimpressive. If salvation is to meet us at all, it must meet us in the slog. We pray. We wait. We are patient. We persevere. And God rends the heavens to meet us in the last place that we expect to find him: where we are."
Thank you NetGalley, Convergent Books, and Tish Harrison Warren for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
May 21, 2026
“Grace finds us, only ever, in the present tense.”
I find myself drawn more and more to the kind of faith that THW describes here. Not a faith of fireworks and razzle dazzle and rules, but a faith that is slow, stable, and rooted. I’m drawn to a faith that embraces mystery and questions instead of platitudes and trite answers. I’m only interested in a faith that loves the person right in front of me and relying on God to handle everything else.
I find myself drawn more and more to the kind of faith that THW describes here. Not a faith of fireworks and razzle dazzle and rules, but a faith that is slow, stable, and rooted. I’m drawn to a faith that embraces mystery and questions instead of platitudes and trite answers. I’m only interested in a faith that loves the person right in front of me and relying on God to handle everything else.
May 15, 2026
Toegankelijke zoektocht naar leven in de woestijn. Zie de bespreking in De Nieuwe Koers.
June 1, 2026
audiobook. So rich. I took a ton of notes while listening to this one. Will definitely revisit.
June 6, 2026
I love her books and will definitely re-read this.
June 14, 2026
I could genuinely see this becoming a Christian classic. Not only is the writing wonderful, but the exploration of Christian perseverance was something I really needed.
January 27, 2026
It feels like Tish has articulated some of my feelings, groaning, lack of motivation- my questions and doubts in my own desert.
Wow- such eloquent yet easily approachable read.
Nothing is wasted - even the mundande, the ashes.
Leaning into the lulls, leaning into what seems to be lack of growth… my goodness Tish!
Your words are true balm to weary souls.
Honored to have received an advanced copy via NetGalley
Wow- such eloquent yet easily approachable read.
Nothing is wasted - even the mundande, the ashes.
Leaning into the lulls, leaning into what seems to be lack of growth… my goodness Tish!
Your words are true balm to weary souls.
Honored to have received an advanced copy via NetGalley
June 18, 2026
May 2026–Rereading with Nathan
Feb 2026–I have been a fan of Tish Harrison Warren for a long time. This is my favorite thing she has written. It’s seriously so good! It has been at least a decade since a book met where I am like this one did, but it also helped me feel connected to Christians across centuries and continents. This book is full of practical wisdom, and it manages to feel both grounded and hopeful. I know it’s one I will reread, possibly very soon.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.
Feb 2026–I have been a fan of Tish Harrison Warren for a long time. This is my favorite thing she has written. It’s seriously so good! It has been at least a decade since a book met where I am like this one did, but it also helped me feel connected to Christians across centuries and continents. This book is full of practical wisdom, and it manages to feel both grounded and hopeful. I know it’s one I will reread, possibly very soon.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.
May 12, 2026
Honestly, I did not want to pick up this book.
I love Tish Harrison Warren. Her book ‘The Liturgy of the Ordinary’ caused me to reorient my entire life. When I heard she was writing another book, I was full of anticipation.
Then I heard the topic - weary places, dry seasons, desert lands, waiting.
And I knew I wouldn’t read it. Who wants to read about hard times? Especially while I found myself in the middle of one of the longest seasons of waiting we have experienced. I wanted to read books titled ‘Everything is Fine. You are Happy. Ignore, Stuff, and Distract Your Way to Freedom.’
Instead, I got an e-mail from the publisher. Would you like an advance copy of ‘What Grows in Weary Lands’?” I couldn’t say no. She’s one of my favorite authors. So, I took a deep breath and dove in.
Spoiler: I highlighted almost the entire prologue. And didn’t stop for the entire book. Of course, she spoke directly to my circumstances:
“I’d come feeling profoundly weary. Soul weary. Body weary. Weary of being weary.”
“It is vulnerable to talk about long seasons of unfulfillment and of spiritual, creative, and emotional dryness.”
I can deeply relate to those feelings and the temptation to isolate and distract myself until I’m numb. She immediate addressed my thoughts about the topic and her own hesitancies to write a book about it:
“Besides, I thought, it doesn’t take a whole book to say, “Practice a Sabbath day. See your loved ones more. Get some sleep.””
If she was hesitant to write the book and I was hesitant to read it, maybe together this could be something special.
Modern wisdom is either about working hard, optimizing, clawing your way to the top or quiet quitting. What Grows in Weary Lands pulled from the wisdom of a monastic culture to hone in on a quiet steadiness that has sustained faithful people for centuries.
These are the people who are faithful for their entire lives. Instead of passionate flames that flare out in spectacular moral failure or rapid burn out, it’s the practices and thought patterns that lead to a life of peace that has nothing to do with current circumstances.
I would compare it to the difference between someone touting a crash diet vs advice to eat whole foods and move your body. It’s simple, but it’s also wildly counter cultural.
Unlike self-help books, this book didn’t make me feel anxious about all the things I was doing wrong and all the things I needed to do to fix it. It was a gentle reminder to stay the course. It was a balm for my weary soul. It was a reminder that my time spent just putting one foot in front of the other was not wasted.
If you orient your life in the way she suggests - simple practices surrounded by grace, sustained with hope, fostered in community, rooted in the Source - you will inevitably find peace.
Bottom line - I was wrong. This was exactly what I needed.
Get this book. Read it, then read it again, then share it with a friend. When you get overwhelmed by all the things the world tells you that you need to do it be happy, borrow it back from your friend and read it again. It is gentle and wise and so, so good.
—
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 31, 2026
What if you’re in a season of numbness, fogg, desolation and due to that you’re doubting yourself, your life, your faith and God?
How to navigate such desert seasons in your life? That’s the topic of this book.
Our culture stimulates newness, fabulous experiences and lots of shiny objects along that road.
There are a lot of churches that center and praise newness of faith, magnificent experiences and fast paced tempo on their stage and in their services.
By that they (maybe not on purpose) hide away from dullness (or completely ban it). While boredom, doubt and dryness keep occurring in faith and life in all ages.
How is it possible to learn about perseverance and resilience if almost anything that has to do with drought and boredom is being erased from your surroundings?
This book pleads for incorporating and embracing the search for habits and practices that nourish resilience. By looking at people that went before us.
A book for our culture and generation.
A manifest against burnout society, that weaves the wisdom of the desert fathers and mothers and many other thinkers and writers into a blanket of hope and contemplation.
It encourages you to stay in your place, embrace moment of silence and solitude, craft forms of resilience in your life. Also this book gives you heaps of ideas for furthermore reading about this topic. As the bibliography is excellent as is the source mentioning in the book.
Truly insightful read when you want to deepen your roots in faith.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Convergent books for providing an e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion.
How to navigate such desert seasons in your life? That’s the topic of this book.
Our culture stimulates newness, fabulous experiences and lots of shiny objects along that road.
There are a lot of churches that center and praise newness of faith, magnificent experiences and fast paced tempo on their stage and in their services.
By that they (maybe not on purpose) hide away from dullness (or completely ban it). While boredom, doubt and dryness keep occurring in faith and life in all ages.
How is it possible to learn about perseverance and resilience if almost anything that has to do with drought and boredom is being erased from your surroundings?
This book pleads for incorporating and embracing the search for habits and practices that nourish resilience. By looking at people that went before us.
A book for our culture and generation.
A manifest against burnout society, that weaves the wisdom of the desert fathers and mothers and many other thinkers and writers into a blanket of hope and contemplation.
It encourages you to stay in your place, embrace moment of silence and solitude, craft forms of resilience in your life. Also this book gives you heaps of ideas for furthermore reading about this topic. As the bibliography is excellent as is the source mentioning in the book.
Truly insightful read when you want to deepen your roots in faith.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Convergent books for providing an e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion.
May 12, 2026
Thank you @prhaudio @harmonyrodaleconvergent for the books! #PRHAudioPartner
When God feels distant and life feels heavy—work, relationships, even prayer—this explores the often-ignored reality of spiritual dryness. Drawing from early Christian tradition and personal experience, it reframes seasons of exhaustion as formative, not futile, offering steady hope that even in weariness, something deep and lasting is still growing.
LITURGY OF THE ORDINARY is one of my top reads of the past decade—I ate up everything about her exploration of how we’re formed daily. So, of course, I was going to grab her new reframing of spiritual formation as soon as I could.
I didn’t know exactly what I was walking into with this book—which feels fitting, because church culture doesn’t often name what you’re entering when you ebb and flow through darkness of the soul/spiritual dryness. You simply wander in as the next progression of your formation, only to realize it’s the exact opposite of what “happy Christianity” has promised.
As expected, Tish beautifully explores this season through wise historical examples and thoughtful anecdotes. There were moments I wanted more practical application, but as the book went on, I realized—that’s the point. We don’t need more to do; we need more encouragement that spiritual dryness can be both savored and welcomed.
May it be so.
Perfect for you if you like:
Spiritual formation
Honest reflection on spiritual dryness
Incarnational christian living
Similar:
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene H. Peterson
Dark Clouds Deep Mercy by Mark Vroegop
The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard
When God feels distant and life feels heavy—work, relationships, even prayer—this explores the often-ignored reality of spiritual dryness. Drawing from early Christian tradition and personal experience, it reframes seasons of exhaustion as formative, not futile, offering steady hope that even in weariness, something deep and lasting is still growing.
LITURGY OF THE ORDINARY is one of my top reads of the past decade—I ate up everything about her exploration of how we’re formed daily. So, of course, I was going to grab her new reframing of spiritual formation as soon as I could.
I didn’t know exactly what I was walking into with this book—which feels fitting, because church culture doesn’t often name what you’re entering when you ebb and flow through darkness of the soul/spiritual dryness. You simply wander in as the next progression of your formation, only to realize it’s the exact opposite of what “happy Christianity” has promised.
As expected, Tish beautifully explores this season through wise historical examples and thoughtful anecdotes. There were moments I wanted more practical application, but as the book went on, I realized—that’s the point. We don’t need more to do; we need more encouragement that spiritual dryness can be both savored and welcomed.
May it be so.
Perfect for you if you like:
Spiritual formation
Honest reflection on spiritual dryness
Incarnational christian living
Similar:
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene H. Peterson
Dark Clouds Deep Mercy by Mark Vroegop
The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard
May 31, 2026
I loved so much about this book - the distinction between fides quae creditur and fides qua creditur and how we practice faith with a commitment to the practices of faith even when we don’t see proof of God’s presence (which feels v Kierkegaard). I appreciated how Tish interpreted the Christian middle life through the routine and faithfulness of the desert fathers and mothers. I knew very little of them and enjoyed learning about a group of believers my reformed baptist upbringing neglected, probably as too mystic or too unorthodox.
What I found discouraging was the constant assumption that we can rely on Christian community for growth and encouragement when some of us simply don’t have it. Who doesn’t want a wise older saint letting you cry and recharge in her living room with blankets and pastries? A church where people ask how you are? But that is simply not reality for some of us. We are weary because we don’t have community and feel every bit of being in a weary land. I grabbed the book for this reason and really struggled to make it through the “just rely on your community” sections.
What I found discouraging was the constant assumption that we can rely on Christian community for growth and encouragement when some of us simply don’t have it. Who doesn’t want a wise older saint letting you cry and recharge in her living room with blankets and pastries? A church where people ask how you are? But that is simply not reality for some of us. We are weary because we don’t have community and feel every bit of being in a weary land. I grabbed the book for this reason and really struggled to make it through the “just rely on your community” sections.
May 12, 2026
“Here’s the thing, though: We cannot get from newfound ardor to the tried and tested wisdom of holiness without the winding middle. This book is about the perseverance it takes to not just endure but embrace the middle.”
Wow - thank you Tish Harrison Warren for writing this book. As the quote above demonstrates, this book takes a refreshingly honest, authentic, truthful, hopeful look at the season of life and faith that can feel dry and weary. Warren reflects on various aspects of resilience and the circumstances that necessitate this quality, pulling on lots of wisdom from the ‘Desert Mothers & Fathers.’ It’s not sickeningly sweet - it doesn’t ignore hard realities of life’s difficulties at all; but it also doesn’t keep the reader feeling without hope or isolated. To me, this book feels like an excellent weapon in one’s arsenal of living well, and I already want multiple copies to be able to give others as they face their weary seasons. Highly recommend.
**Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.**
Wow - thank you Tish Harrison Warren for writing this book. As the quote above demonstrates, this book takes a refreshingly honest, authentic, truthful, hopeful look at the season of life and faith that can feel dry and weary. Warren reflects on various aspects of resilience and the circumstances that necessitate this quality, pulling on lots of wisdom from the ‘Desert Mothers & Fathers.’ It’s not sickeningly sweet - it doesn’t ignore hard realities of life’s difficulties at all; but it also doesn’t keep the reader feeling without hope or isolated. To me, this book feels like an excellent weapon in one’s arsenal of living well, and I already want multiple copies to be able to give others as they face their weary seasons. Highly recommend.
**Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.**
June 26, 2026
I escaped the busyness of life this week. My wife and I took Oliver to Bluestone Camp. It’s been a wonderful time of deep rest. During this time, I made it my goal to start and finish this book. And I’m glad that I did.
Tish is one of my favorite writers. She is a gifted wordsmith and has wisdom that is much needed in our world and especially in me.
This is an honest portrait of the Christian life. You won’t find false joy or head-in-the-clouds optimism here. That stuff is foolishness. What you will find here is honesty about what Tish calls “the craft of faith” and the resilience to keep at it. It was truly what I needed to hear.
I believe this is a MUST read that will go down in Christian history as a much studied classic.
Tish is one of my favorite writers. She is a gifted wordsmith and has wisdom that is much needed in our world and especially in me.
This is an honest portrait of the Christian life. You won’t find false joy or head-in-the-clouds optimism here. That stuff is foolishness. What you will find here is honesty about what Tish calls “the craft of faith” and the resilience to keep at it. It was truly what I needed to hear.
I believe this is a MUST read that will go down in Christian history as a much studied classic.
June 21, 2026
THW always seems to hit me with a book mirroring what I am going through in my current spiritual season (perhaps because she is, like myself, an elder millennial and some of these cycles are natural to age and stage) but I am always left better for reading her writing. This is not a book about how to “reignite” your faith or escape the doldrums. It is a book about the doldrums, and what God may be doing in you despite your experience of totally dryness.
“What our culture—and what the church—tends to lack are stories of a long, steady continuation in faith. We
revel in newness and youthful passion. We might even occasionally laud the wisdom of years—the sages, the
gurus, the living legends. But we don’t have categories for the prolonged middle, for the slog, especially if this
slog is accompanied by the feeling of abandonment by or distance from God. Here’s the thing, though: We
cannot get from newfound ardor to tried and tested wisdom without the winding middle.”
“What our culture—and what the church—tends to lack are stories of a long, steady continuation in faith. We
revel in newness and youthful passion. We might even occasionally laud the wisdom of years—the sages, the
gurus, the living legends. But we don’t have categories for the prolonged middle, for the slog, especially if this
slog is accompanied by the feeling of abandonment by or distance from God. Here’s the thing, though: We
cannot get from newfound ardor to tried and tested wisdom without the winding middle.”
June 19, 2026
This is a beautifully written book that looks at Christians from the past (the Desert Mothers and Fathers) to unpack how to endure and live faithfully for Christ when life inevitably gets hard, dreary, and feels futile. I will be coming back to it often.
My only critique is potentially minor, but "resilience" is such a buzz word and one that I don't think best captures the Christian understanding of endurance and a long obedience in the same direction. I wish she had used "endurance" instead, but that may have been an editorial decision. Resilience sounds more romantic and sells better than endurance.
My only critique is potentially minor, but "resilience" is such a buzz word and one that I don't think best captures the Christian understanding of endurance and a long obedience in the same direction. I wish she had used "endurance" instead, but that may have been an editorial decision. Resilience sounds more romantic and sells better than endurance.
May 29, 2026
5 thousand stars for Tish Harrison Warren, yet again. I read this right as I was starting to work on my faith integration paper for my university’s promotion process, and the timing could not have been better. I will return to Chapter 2, “Stay in Your Cell: stability in practice” again and again and again.
June 15, 2026
When Tish Harrison Warren publishes a new book, I buy and read it. Warren's reflections on weary lands - times of disorientation and distance - is both authentic to the realities that Christian faith is not immune to times of struggle and yet deeply hopeful that God is at work in these and all times.
May 25, 2026
What a balm for my soul. Tish Harrison Warren puts words to the experience that anyone who walks with Jesus long enough will experience - acedia, spiritual apathy, or the "dark night of the soul." This will be one of my top books of the year.
May 30, 2026
I think Warren is the best spiritual/devotional writer of our time. Like her previous work, this one makes a powerful case for spiritual rhythms, daily and communal liturgies, and ordinary means of grace as essential scaffolding for a flourishing Christian life— even during seasons of languishing. There are resources in this book that I will absolutely draw from not just in my own life, but when counseling congregants who come to me for care. What greater endorsement could I offer? Another beautiful and essential book.
May 19, 2026
Excellent a masterpiece. I will return to this book over and over.
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