Publishers description:

Frustrated and disillusioned with his life as a Christian motivational speaker, Michael Yankoski was determined to stop merely talking about living a life of faith and start experiencing it. The result was a year dedicated to engaging in spiritual practices, both ancient and modern, in a life-altering process that continues to this day. Whether contemplating an apple for an hour before tasting it (attentiveness), eating on $2.00 a day (simplicity) or writing simple letters of thanks (gratitude), Michael discovered a whole new depth through the intentional life.

My Grade: B Started off strong and kept its momentum until the last couple chapters which got a bit too preachy. I found it pretty amazing that someone who had spent a good part of his life as a "professional Christian" was unaware of some of the basic spiritual practices that have been a part of Christianity for centuries. Interesting to see his reaction to them and how they each affected him. Worth reading even if it did end on a weaker note. ( )

Words that come to mind as I finish this book: Disappointing. Overwrought. Angst. Overindulgent. Whiny.
By the end he is still leaving people's wet clothes on the washer, complaining, and quite frankly, doesn't seem like he put an entire indulgent homeless year with the divine practices to much good use. But that is me now being whiny and judgmental, harumph, where did that come from?!
At places the writing is lovely but overall punchy, often overwrought, and never offers a pace for the reader to lean into the work and enjoy it.
I also really hate his translation and use of the beautiful expression of Selah.
Not for me. ( )

This is a great book following Michael Yankoski's one year exploration of Spiritual practices. During his year he moved from cynical disillusionment with American Christianity and an inner life that did not match his public persona as a sought after conference speaker to someone whose practice repeatedly leads into a deeper way of being.

I have bloggeed about this book several times: you can read my posts here:

http://thoughtsprayersandsongs.com/2014/07/12/michael-yankoskis-sacred-year-not-...
http://thoughtsprayersandsongs.com/2014/07/28/further-reflections-on-michael-yan...
http://thoughtsprayersandsongs.com/2014/08/19/more-thoughts-on-the-sacred-year-b...
http://thoughtsprayersandsongs.com/2014/08/30/even-more-thoughts-on-michael-yank...

Michael Yankoski's book, The Sacred Year: Mapping the Soulscape of Spiritual Practice -- How Contemplating Apples, Living in a Cave, and Befriending a Dying Woman Revived My Life was a very interesting and frusterating read. Frustrated and disillusioned with his life as a Christian motivational speaker, Michael Yankoski was determined to stop merely talking about living a life of faith and start experiencing it. He travels to a monastery where a Monk helps him focus and see faith in new lights and realms of understanding. How can you focus on a single apple for an hour to practice focus? I loved the Monk teachings in this book and would have enjoyed it more if it was all of his teachings. This book was so hard to follow and keep interested in. I kept putting it down and it took two weeks to finish this. Because of that I think it would be more for an expert reader or someone really into self-help because this will not keep your focus or interest as much as a young adult book would, in my humble opinion. the realizations and teachings were great once you got ( )