This book unspools simply and powerfully one individual's relationship with God. Avery Brooke sensed something secret and mysterious in nature as a child of ten but lapsed into agnosticism until the age of 31. Then, with small steps, this mother of three living in a small suburban town, inched toward God. She prayed and felt her inner life come alive with wonder. Baptism in an Episcopal church was followed by work with a spiritual director who taught at a seminary.
Trying to share her sense of God's presence in everyday life, Brooke began teaching in a school for laity. At the core of her Christian faith is a belief in God's immanence. As she puts it, "There was no person, object, no action that could not be rendered sacred. The world was pregnant with holiness and everyone was called to be a midwife."
The author recounts the twists and turns in her life which led her to become a spiritual director, to attend seminary for three years, to work in the publishing world, and finally to link up with a monastic order. Two of the high points in her spiritual odyssey come when she finds her perception of everyday spirituality to be at the core of Hasidism and Celtic Christianity.
Certainly one of the singular pleasures in reading Avery Brooke's spiritual autobiography is seeing how a devoted, disciplined, and creative layperson can find her own path under the guidance of the Spirit. Finding God in the World is an exceptional and inspirational work which should be required reading for seekers of all stripes.