Sarah Bessey's fifth nonfiction book, Field Notes for the Wilderness, is a bighearted "welcome home" to those struggling with all the complicated parts of a faith story. A former evangelical Christian who now writes and preaches in ecumenical spaces, Bessey (Miracles and Other Reasonable Things) knows what she's talking about.
Field Notes, written as a series of letters, addresses both the broad stages and the particular experiences of a jagged faith journey: the warmth of a nurturing community; the nagging doubts and political questions; the pain of leaving a former faith home; and the big, wide possibilities to be found out in the wilderness. Bessey offers readers practical advice, such as learning to cherish the particular details of their own lives or making sure to practice "being 'for' things," such as redemption and justice, instead of "just against" their opposites. Incorporating the perspectives of theologians, pastors, and laypeople, plus an honest account of her own experience, Bessey offers nuanced hope to people of faith who have found that their former communities (or ideologies) no longer fit them. Bessey, while admitting that change is painful and some losses are inevitable, insists that the wilderness is bigger and more inviting--and more filled with possibilities for community--than most people imagine.
Bessey's gift is combining a warm, gentle tone with a grounded theology centered on hope and justice. Field Notes is just what the subtitle promises: a wise guide for those finding their way in a new spiritual landscape and a reminder that every stage of the journey can hold blessings. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams