The Sacred Pulse: Holy Rhythms for Overwhelmed Souls

by April Fiet, Chuck DeGroat (Foreword)

Contemporary life is leaving us frazzled, overwhelmed, and out of sorts. Our life's rhythm is often borrowed from the pace of life around us. Humans have created such a loud, fast tempo of perfection and production that we often forget--if we ever knew it at all--the rhythms designed for our well-being. In The Sacred Pulse , pastor and author April Fiet invites us to examine the frantic patterns of our lives to reclaim the deeper, sacred pulses that pattern our days. Through stories, scripture, and practical guidance for daily living, she lays out twelve rhythms--including gardening, handcrafts, friendship, and holidays--that are both sustainable and sustaining. Everyday acts like mealtime and shopping, and sporadic rhythms like the occasional snow reclaiming these patterns can remind us of the holy movement of God in the world. In a world of hustle and bravado, silencing the noise takes practice. The Sacred Pulse shows us how to strip away all of the competing beats we have settled for so we can tap into the joyful, holy rhythms of life.

Genres: Christian

248 pages, Paperback

Published December 14, 2021

About the author

April Fiet is a pastor, writer, and blogger. She co-pastors with her husband, Jeff, and is a member of the editorial board of In All Things. Her work has appeared in Mutuality and Reformed Journal, and her guest posts have appeared on many blogs. Fiet holds degrees from Wheaton College and Western Theological Seminary. Her blog, At the Table with April Fiet, delves into the spirituality of everyday life, including handcrafting, baking, gardening, and feeding her backyard chickens.

Reviews

[Sharon Weinschreider · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a treasure! So well-written and winsome. I felt I was sitting having coffee with a wise woman. Accessible but not fluffy. Encouraging but not preachy. I will be reading it again and hopefully pondering more deeply.

[Traci Rhoades · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the pastor's heart in this book. She so gently takes us along, sharing from her own story and scripture. The concluding chapters offered such truth and comfort. There's a lot of wisdom in this book. I enjoyed learning from the author.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book that invited meditation on the ways in which the business of contemporary culture, perfectionism, and capitalism prevents a holy rest.

[Lisa Humphries · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is such a necessary balm to the soul, calling us to a more peaceful life. April's writing is beautiful and poetic, and she has crafted a true treasure of encouragement and nudging toward God. This book spoke to my heart and soul and I am grateful for it.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the few books that captured me from the very beginning. I felt both seen and challenged. April's pastoral heart encompasses and radiates leaving encouragement and love throughout the book with her kindness, compassion, and wisdom. It isn't a step by step guide for chilling out, but she explores and explains ways we can find moments of peace within the fast pace of our modern times or in forced down time as we have all experienced to some extent during the COVID 19 pandemic.

[Hansen Wendlandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Sacred Pulse” is not the sort of thing I ever pick up. And by all accounts, my colleague April Emick Fiet wouldn’t be on my theological wavelength either. She’s a quiet mom, contemplative and introspective, writing about ‘holy rhythms for an overwhelmed soul’; and for goodness sake, I’m a rather boisterous pedant, addicted to my overwhelmed soul, often dismissive of anything that smacks of ‘soft’ spirituality. And yet… how glad I am to have opened this book! The Sacred Pulse is serious, pairing insights from the classics with the sharpest modern theologians (usually women thinkers). It bridges the force of Rob Bell and Lillian Daniel with the raw spirituality of Don Miller or Nadia Bolz-Weber. It gives real analysis of the shallow draw of modern life, with an invitation to deeper living, without the schoolmarm finger waving or head-patting ‘you can do it’ that is so cliche in Twitter theology these days. Fiet is Brene Brown with a theological backbone, and anyone with a hint of commitment to or interest in how ancient wisdom can reshape our present chaos, should read this book.

[Jaime Coy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a breath of fresh air. It has helped me to look around and embrace the kairos moments alongside the chronos moments. It has helped me to embrace the journey of grief and allowing it to walk with me. The holy rhythms that April discusses are rhythms that exist right before us in our everyday lives. April names these rhythms not only through Scriptural references but also from her own personal experiences. I am grateful that this book is not legalistic and rules based. It’s a book that highlights the rhythms we engage in on a daily basis and reminds us that these rhythms are acts of worship to our Creator.

[Chris Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple book, but it resonates. A thoughtful examination at how life's rhythms, and considering how we work, rest, create, celebrate, mourn and navigate the seasons can help us be more in tune with our spiritual walk.

[Kathryn McGregor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good snippets and reminders.

[Courtney Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful journey into the rhythms that can guide and govern our lives—if we invite God in.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. A "new" way of looking at life & slowing down.

[Gail Clayworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this with a book group, not exactly a club. This is a gentle and lovely book, and I did enjoy it, but didn't find it particularly compelling or impactful.

[Katie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I simply cannot figure out why the author felt compelled to write this book, or who it is would be good for. It doesn't seem to say anything. Maybe my expectations were the problem. I was really hoping to be inspired.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

“We—who are merely dust—are beautifully created, wonderfully made, and wholly loved. Even as we struggle to be creative, or wonder if it is worth putting the pen on the page, or doubt that our pictures open up worlds for anyone besides ourselves, we are beloved people called to set free the creativity we have been given. We have forgotten what God can do with dust.”

One of my fave books of 2021!

This book was a beautiful reminder of the ways in which the current pace of modern life is making us sick—physically, mentally, and spiritually. While the books centers on Christianity, I liked the additional breadth of philosophers and scholars Fiet drew on to create a tapestry of comfort and belief.

The author is a Christian pastor and there are numerous bible quotes, so if that is not your thing this book might not be for you. For me, this book was helpful and calming, which is something I desperately needed.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Read

The Sacred Pulse takes a look at holy moments in our everyday lives. It was not a description of traditional spiritual disciplines, although it didn't exclude them. Pastor Fiet takes real life and holy realities and shows how we can see God's hand in life as it is. I appreciated her words and highlighted a lot of great quotes.

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fiet explores the concept that “Whether we are aware of it or now, our rhythms and our habits shape our lives” (p 199). She lovingly takes us on a journey of intentionally focusing on how we engage in our world and with ourselves.