Sacred Mundane: How to Find Freedom, Purpose, and Joy

by Kari Patterson

What if the key to changing your life--and yourself--is already in your hand?

What if breakthrough and extraordinary growth are waiting for you within the ordinary days you're living right now?

In Sacred Mundane , Kari Patterson pulls open the dusty blinds to let the light of truth shine in. Even the most unremarkable life is an opportunity to see, know, love, and be utterly transformed by a God who knows no bounds and who upsets every expectation. He eagerly awaits your invitation to fill your world with mundane miracles and holy habits.

Through her entertaining narrative, candid real-life stories, Bible study, and practical instruction, Kari will take you by the hand to discover the beautiful sacredness in the life you already lead.

If you long to grow in God and make a real difference in your world--no matter how small-- Sacred Mundane contains everything you need to glean the truth hidden within your everyday existence. Dive in, and learn how to find freedom, purpose, and joy.

Genres: Nonfiction, Christian, Christian Non Fiction, Spirituality

216 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2017

About the author

Kari Patterson reaches thousands of women worldwide through speaking events and her popular blog Sacred Mundane. She's a pastor's wife, homeschool mom, Bible teacher, mentor, and passionate seeker of truth. At Patterson's request, all royalties from the sale of this book will benefit World Vision's work with women and children in need. Visit her online at www.karipatterson.com.

Reviews

[Jalynn Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

About the Book:

What if the key to changing your life--and yourself--is already in your hand?

So many women struggle with what to do with their daily lives. They feel trapped in everyday drudgery and disappointment, in dull domestic duties, and in mundane jobs they despise. Where is the abundant, purposeful life they were promised?

Kari Patterson shows readers the truth: in each unremarkable life lies an opportunity to see, know, love, and be utterly transformed by a God who meets everyone right where they are. Instead of stepping away from real life to find God, Patterson equips women with a six-step practice to move further in and meet Him in the humdrum moments of everyday existence. And when a woman's inner being is truly changed by the sacred, everything in her world changes too--right down to tackling the dirty dishes.

Through entertaining narrative, candid real-life stories, Bible study, and practical instruction, Sacred Mundane guides individuals or small groups to discover the beautiful sacredness in the lives they already lead. Women who long to grow in God and make a real difference in the world--no matter how small--will reach eagerly for this book and the radical transformation it offers.

"Our daily routine, with its mundane tasks and mindless repetition, is ultimately an offering of worship to God. What a great truth from a great God!"
--Ann Byle, author of The Making of a Christian Bestseller and coauthor of Devotions for the Soul Surfer


My Review:

Everyday life can become so boring, especially if you are a stay at home mother. Taking care of your home as well as children can be so daunting, time consuming, and is depressing. The author wants us to examine the world around us, really examine it through God's eyes. And we need to start seeing more opportunities and love around us especially when we get down and bored.


This book is perfect for small groups because the author has offered so much of herself. Whether its the Bible objective of it or through the lessons she herself learned through this whole process. Sacred Mundane takes us on a journey to find self and to find it with God as our guide because otherwise it would be hard to see the good in anything.


The author is write when she says that the good we do each day is worship to the Father. We should do it to the best of our ability and do it with a kind heart.


**Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from the author. All opinions are my own.

[The Book Girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Previously posted on The Young Girl Who Loved Books

Do you ever feel like you do the same thing every day? Does life ever feel mundane to you? Do you feel like you just are in going in an endless circle? Do you ever doubt God's plan in your life? Maybe what your ultimate purpose in this life is?

This book is such a blessing for anyone who has had those thoughts. I sometimes feel like my routine is boring, or that I am simply not doing enough. This book taught me to meet God in the humdrum, ordinary moments of every day.

To be honest everyday life can become oh so very boring. Taking care of your family, working, going to school, or even housekeeping can become daunting and seem so overwhelming. Due to how time-consuming cleaning is, you can get depressed and let things slide. We all fall into these traps and loops of existence.

I feel think this would be the perfect book for a mother, who doesn't have a ton of time but still needs encouragement about God's love. I also really think this would be a great book for small groups or a woman's study. The author is brutally honest and has offered such a blessing to her readers. She shares God's word, the biblical objectives and lessons she learned through the Word. This is a story of a journey she took to find God's love, and ultimately find out exactly who she is.

This is a small book at just over 200 pages but feels like it has so many more words. It is jam packed with wonderful verses and life lessons. The perfect book to devour in a day, or savor for weeks at a time.

Disclaimer: This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from the author and Kregel publishing. All opinions are my own.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book. I like the message and I like Patterson's writing style. I like how she has invited readers along on her own journey of growth. I can tell she shares her heart when she writes.

We might think that we need to go to a special seminar or retreat to see spiritual transformation happen. Patterson shows us that transformation happens in the ordinary stuff of life, the sacred mundane. She reminds us that our success with transformation starts with belief, not behavior. We compare our thoughts and emotions to Scripture. Her explanation of the difference between reading the word and receiving it was enlightening.

Patterson writes, “The mundane is where ministry happens, where worship happens, where transformation happens.” (91) I really liked her exploration of hupomone, endurance. It has been one of my favorite words too. I was surprised to read her claim that “God purposely disappoints us.” (141) She gave Scripture examples to back that up and explains the process. She helps us see how “trials work worship into our lives.” (141) God wants to build faith and trust in us, she says, rather than fulfill our wishes.

I highly recommend this book. It helped me understand how God works in the every day moments of life to transform me spiritually. There is an extensive Small Group Study Guide included in the book. There are personal assignments for six days and then discussion questions for the seventh. This would be a great book to use for a group study or with a trusted friend.

Food for thought: “When Christ is Lord, nothing is secular.” (79)

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

[Rebecca Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes I feel like my every day life is so far from a plan where God can work. I know that's a mis apprehension on my part, but I get caught up in the routine of schoolwork, Tae Kwon Do classes, meals, artwork and housework that I often forget to look for God in my life.

I want him to transform me, so I find myself pouring money and time into new books, studies, and "spiritual experiences" hoping to find myself growing closer to God. Sometimes, of course, that has even led me into areas that were less doctrinally sound because I had allowed myself to feel discontented with God.

However, the truth is that it is what I do each day that changes my life. It's in the rhythm of every day life that God really works through what I need for my sanctification and for my desire to walk in his ways. It is through her words about this that Kari Patterson's book truly shines.

She reminds me to allow the Word to interpret my life, instead of reading God's Word through the lenses of my own personal perceptions and experiences. I need to align my life to his Word. Patterson covers Bible reading, prayer, sin, ourselves, our faith, our disappointments, and how we can let go of our own pride and need for control and let God work through our lives.

This is one of the best books I've read this year. I have learned and absorbed so much and realized how much I truly need to learn and grow. The chapters on disappointment and on pouring out your life as an offering are worth so much to me.

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful and informative book that had a lot of wisdom. I have been feeling like I'm stuck in a rut and thought this book might have some good ideas. First of all, she said we need to decide who Jesus is. Is He our Savior, a crazy person or a liar? Then if we decide He's our Savior, we need to invite him in to our mundane. She also said our sole occupation in life is to please God. I love all of the personal examples she used, like when she said she wanted to please God but felt like her life was one boring thing after another. That's when she noticed a verse talking about a sacrifice of praise and how if we offer everything to God in order to draw near to Him, He can use that beyond our wildest imagination. She points out the importance of reading the Bible consistently because that helps us see the world clearly. There are also some great chapters on listening for God's voice, loving people and finding fulfillment. A wonderful 8 week study guide is included at the back of the book with items to do every day. Kari had a funny, witty voice and I really liked how she made this book fun to read. I highly recommend it!

I received this book free from Kregel Publications in exchange for an honest review.

[Chara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so appreciated this book and its fidelity to the ways of God. It guides the reader through biblical truths with fresh insight and encourages distracted hearts to place their eyes back on the One who makes every moment matter. Taking the time to read through this book helped increase the value of the moments that followed, because I began paying attention to what can be hidden in them. The author's builds her thesis on a piece of scripture I have not seen someone base a book off of before, and I will not forget the new truths I have gleaned from it.

[Jayne Noble · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the way this devotional brings Gods word and teachings into our everyday life. Kari shares her personal ups and down of daily living and helps us to see God in the mundane. This book truly stirred my soul and will definitely be re-studied.
This is a very well structured study, loaded with scripture and discussion questions. So grab a group of friends and dive in! Prepare to be changed!

[Breanne Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a world where the gospel is being warped to fit our own desires and opinions, Kari brings us back to the heart of God’s word. That’s the best part about this book for me. We have a lot of “book” clutter in our lives with self help Christian books. To me sacred mundane is not clutter, but clarity.
She speaks about the secular and spiritual divide, and how that doesn’t exist as Christ followers. Our entire lives are Sacred/spiritual.

[Rocky Henriques · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was drawn in by the title ...

...But stayed for the content. The author points out how God works through the routine areas of our lives to pull us closer to Him. Read this! But whatever you do, don't rush through it. Your relationship with God, and this book, deserve the time you spend on it.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has the sweetness of a conversation over coffee and laundry and crinkled bible pages. It's not about finding Jesus in the mundanity, he's been there all along and Jesus doesn't hide. This book is about seeing him in all things. It's about how there is no mundane. Everything is important.

[Emock · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second time reading through Sacred Mundane. The one-liners alone can teach me so much.
I led a small group discussion study through it and we all enjoyed the resources in the back of the book.
I recommend this book to everyone I know. Period.

[Hannah Hoover · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are seeking clarity and direction on how to offer up as a sacrifice every (from each overly-abundant high, to each insanely tedious low) moment of your life to Christ, and to receive His radically relentless love in your life,please read this book.

[JoAnne Styger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t say enough about this book. I’m ready to start it again and catch what I missed. My heart was broken from the introduction. Kari beautifully uses the story of Naaman to challenge her reader to dip down and be overwhelmed by the transformative love of Jesus.

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

A special read. Grab a cup of tea and a highlighter then settle in to find words of joy and encouragement.

[Ruth Dahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Review coming (hopefully) soon

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author lost me a little in the middle chapters but overall a good reminder that all we do can be for God's glory. I especially liked her thoughts on disappointments.

[Meghan West · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deeply challenging and perspective changing.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good advice on how to look at everyday tasks as ministry.

[Gretchen Gingerich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of meat here, great for a discussion group

[Courtney Holcomb · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars, absolutely recommend this book, mamas!!!! You will be encouraged and it will add to your devotional time.

[Nathan Albright · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Note:  This book was provided free of charge by Kregel Book Tours.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

To a large degree, I am not part of the intended audience of this book.  This short volume of about two hundred pages falls under the type of books written by women, about women, and for women.  At best, I am only a generally sympathetic outsider to such concerns myself.  It can be said that this book is written by a Christian feminist, and a large amount of its point is that the author wishes to give a certain dignity to the ordinary and secular activities many women are involved in because when these activities are not given dignity, then we outsource these tasks to domestic workers who are not generally treated with a great deal of dignity [1].  The point of the book, therefore, comes with some pretty strong political and cultural implications, ones which I view with at least some concern and suspicion.  To be sure, the author is awfully vague and relies on repeating catchphrases like the "sacred mundane" in the absence of more substantive discussions to clear up her muddled train of thought, but there is a worthwhile point even if this book is a bit of a drudge to read.

Overall, the structure of this book is very simple, with eight chapters that encourage readers to let God in, see the world through the word of God, discern God's voice in daily life, enter in, embrace, and trust what God is doing in our lives, find fulfillment through gratitude for what God has given and let our life be poured out through seemingly ordinary tasks.  This is not a book that deals with heroic virtue, but rather the blessings that come from involvement in what seems like a mundane ordinary and even boring life, letting God work through us to transform our ordinary experience into extraordinary character.  The author begins, moreover, by asking readers to summarize their life into one sentence and to wrestle with the disappointments of our existence, and also includes a small group study for those readers (almost certainly women) who want to read this book with others.  Within the pages of this book the chapters are divided into easy-to-read sections that are clearly marked.  This is the sort of book that is likely to provide at least some encouragement to women through its repeated mantras to embrace the sacred mundane of our existences.

If this book, therefore, is not always clear on where it is going on the large scale, it is at least coherent on the smaller level of sentences and paragraphs.  Likewise, it must be acknowledged that the author has a sound point to make--most of us do live lives of quiet desperation or at least considerable monotony and disappointment, and if our lives are to be redeemed and more than merely endured we must see a larger point in them.  Redeeming secular and mundane tasks and seeing what is godly and of lasting and even eternal value in them gives meaning to our lives.  Rather than holding the common and ordinary experience of life in contempt and seeking to escape such tasks, appreciating them gives such matters a sense of dignity and honor that elevates everyone.  If there is a sort of feminism I can in general endorse and celebrate, it is the sort that does not seek to exploit others, or to rant about the behavior of men, but rather the sort that seeks to elevate women and women's work through giving it a genuine respect and dignity.  When we dignify the mundane but vital tasks of life, we give dignity to ourselves and to all others who do what is necessary but not often glorious, and that is a dignity we can all share in.

[1] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...

[Jayne Noble · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the way this devotional brings Gods word and teachings into our everyday life. Kari shares her personal ups and down of daily living and helps us to see God in the mundane. This book truly stirred my soul and will definitely be re-studied.
This is a very well structured study, loaded with scripture and discussion questions. So grab a group of friends and dive in!

[Jennifer Triplett · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read this for a book club. Noooooooooot my cup of tea. At all. At. All.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled to focus with this book.

[Emily Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will read this book again and again. I might make it a yearly read. It’s not a difficult read, but it is a book that will challenge and grow you if you let it.