Every Thing Is Sacred: 40 Practices and Reflections on the Universal Christ

by Richard Rohr, Patrick Boland

In this companion to The Universal Christ , Richard Rohr and psychotherapist Patrick Boland offer 40 practical, inspiring reflections on what it means to live "in Christ."

In his landmark book The Universal Christ, Richard Rohr articulated a transformative view of what it means to recognize Jesus as "Christ"--as a portrait of God's constant, unfolding work in the world, and in us. Now, in partnership with Patrick Boland, a psychotherapist and member of Rohr's Center for Action and Contemplation community, he invites readers to experience the themes of the book in practice.

Each reflection in this book draws on a key passage of The Universal Christ, paired with prayers, journal prompts, and contemplative exercises that invite readers into a more personal encounter with the truth that the presence and compassion of God are all around them.

Whether read daily for the season of Lent or explored over the course of a year, Every Thing is Sacred is a hope-filled journey into the love at the heart of all things.

Genres: Spirituality, Faith, Nonfiction, Religion, Christian

256 pages, Hardcover

Published February 16, 2021

About the author

Fr. Richard Rohr is a globally recognized ecumenical teacher bearing witness to the universal awakening within Christian mysticism and the Perennial Tradition. He is a Franciscan priest of the New Mexico Province and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Fr. Richard's teaching is grounded in the Franciscan alternative orthodoxy—practices of contemplation and expressing itself in radical compassion, particularly for the socially marginalized.

Fr. Richard is author of numerous books, including Everything Belongs, Adam’s Return, The Naked Now, Breathing Under Water, Falling Upward, Immortal Diamond, Eager to Love, and The Divine Dance: The Trinity and Your Transformation (with Mike Morrell).

Fr. Richard is academic Dean of the Living School for Action and Contemplation. Drawing upon Christianity's place within the Perennial Tradition, the mission of the Living School is to produce compassionate and powerfully learned individuals who will work for positive change in the world based on awareness of our common union with God and all beings. Visit cac.org for more information.

Reviews

[Madeleine]

fun fact (for Amanda, the one-and-only arbiter of fun facts!): Lent was extra long this year (well in excess of 40 days!) And I also had to read ahead by a couple of days, to free up time for other plans this weekend, so that's how I ended up finishing so far ahead of Easter.

3-star book, but a 5-star experience. (It got a little repetitive, and I guess I’m not New Age-y enough; the 5-star element was really less about the book itself, and more about the conversations/experience it sparked for me and K.)

[Reed Fagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really excellent collection of devotions/reflections. Definitely want to own this book.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Father Rohr claimed in an interview that he had been working on “The Universal Christ” for years before it was published. This explains why it is so thorough and not a word is wasted. As I started reading it, I noticed it made my head hurt because of its depth. I would read a passage and then put the book down for an hour, sometimes a day, before reading it again. I listened to his podcast, Another Name For Every Thing, and all the interviews I could find to hear him go into detail again and again. It really helped me process his words and put them into perspective. This furthered my understanding and appreciation of the “Christ-soaked” world on which we live.

“Every Thing Is Sacred” is the companion book that I needed during my first read of “The Universal Christ”. Patrick Boland, a psychotherapist at Rohr’s Center for Action and Contemplation, worked in depth with him to develop this devotional, using short passages to cover the main themes in the book. The reader is encouraged to take time to explore these themes one at a time and not rush through the book. Instructions are given at the end of each chapter to help lead the reader deeper into the themes of the book and into the depths of the soul.

Thanks to NetGalley and Convergent Books for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Pearl Loewen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reminded me of The Universal Christ that was a “game-changer” when I first read it. Patrick Boland’s contributions highlight key concepts and provide opportunities to reflect on and, more importantly, practice them. As I read this as a library loan, I did not take as much time with it as I would have liked, but still appreciated Rohr’s and Boland’s collaboration in creating this condensed version. I still recommend first reading The Universal Christ.

[Bonnie Westmark · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite book of the summer so far. I’ve just recently started meditation and contemplation on a regular basis, so this book was extremely enlightening. I’m beginning to see gardening as a form of prayer and time in my garden as sacred contemplation. This book reinforces my belief that every single thing we do for ourselves, for others, for our earth and it’s creatures, can be time spent with God. God is with us always. This book teaches us how to find God in all things.

[pianogal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book. The Universal Christ was an incredible read and this was a good companion to it. The reflections were good, but I did not take the extra time to really work through all of them. Good read to work through for Lent.

[Sherrinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really caused me to think and to broaden my views and reality of Jesus as the Christ. I love how it made me consider Christ in my every day life and experience His presence in and through everything.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a longtime admirer of Richard Rohr’s work, I approached Every Thing Is Sacred with high expectations. This book serves as a companion piece to The Universal Christ, which is one of Rohr’s most insightful and transformative texts. While the main ideas here align with Rohr’s familiar wisdom, I found this volume to be his least impactful offering.

The core reflections are solid and at times beautifully expressed. Rohr’s focus on incarnational spirituality and non-dual consciousness remains compelling. However, the journaling prompts at the end of each chapter felt vague and too broad. Many readers, especially those who prefer structured exercises, might struggle to engage with them meaningfully.

For me, they added little to the experience. As a personal tool, the book lacks much that isn’t already present and more clearly explained in The Universal Christ. Instead of deepening those insights, Everything Is Sacred often feels like a lighter and more diffuse restatement of ideas Rohr has covered with greater clarity and depth elsewhere.

While devoted fans of Rohr may appreciate revisiting these themes, those looking for new insights or a strong spiritual companion might find this text less enriching than his earlier works.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

My only problem with this book is that I had to learn how to highlight more than a page at a time in the kindle app because there was so much I wanted to remember. This guy really is wise; I gain understanding and restoration every time I read him.

[Shirley Dean]

I am not able to figure out how to get to the book. Woe is me!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to thank Netgalley and the author's for gifting me the audio version. Very much enjoyed this book! Highly recommend to all Christian's! I will be reading it again and again!

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a gem of a book. 40 meditations based on Richard Rohr’s Universal Christ. Grounded in deep knowledge of transcended practice. There is something here for anyone. Profound and transformational.

[Sarah]

DNF - I snagged this from a library shelf thinking it was a Rohr book, but it's more like a study guide or workbook to accompany another Rohr book.

[Kare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helpful companion text to Universal Christ. I needed the repetition. I read from Universal Christ one day and then Every thing Is Sacred the next day. This helped me to process the teachings.

[Jordyn Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s taken me almost 3 Lents to work through these 40 devotions, and each season has seemed to be timely and needed for me. Looking forward to returning to this every Lent.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite his name being bigger on the cover, this book is not by Richard Rohr. It refers heavily to one of his books, but the majority of the writing is Patrick Boland's. I realised this from the outset, but it didn't put me off as this devotional is really good. The Rohr book in question is 'The Universal Christ' and it does help to have read it prior to this companion guide. I hadn't, but I am now!

[William L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent precis of the book. Richard Rohr offers up a new way of understanding God, Christ, and our place in creation. Practices gives one a chance to enter into a dialogue with Rohr's thoughts and principles. If you think that you need a new and challenging refreshment, to your spiritual life give this book a try.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is really good. It's designed as a devotional companion to Rohr's The Universal Christ, but I haven't read that and found this book functioned very well in a standalone way. I used it for Lent. Recommend.