Sarah Bessey's writing is the equivalent of a hot cup of tea and a handknit sweater. Both take a great deal of craft and yet still feel casual and cozy. Thank you to the author, Convergent Books, and NetGalley for the eARC.

Perhaps the most helpful thing I can say about Bessey's latest is that I've already identified three people I am buying it for when it comes out. The writing is comforting, yes. But also challenging. The tone is friendly and supportive in the same way a loved one might ask if you've drunk enough water today, or eaten any vegetables.

Bessey and I swim in the same waters, we read the same books, listen to the same speakers, participate in the same activities. This feels like an accessible roadmap to spiritual growth through good questions and leaning into mystery. But I acknowledge this is my mother tongue so I might not be the best judge of that. I found the book to be both comprehensive as a whole and broken into manageable bite-sized concepts by chapter. There were practical suggestions scattered throughout which I immediately shared with friends. The jar of tears and bringing back prayer cloths in particular stuck with me. I found some beautiful hankies on clearance shortly after finishing Field Notes for the Wilderness and bought them.

I loved this book. I know many of my friends will too. Will it speak to random strangers? I don't know, but I hope they give it a try. We all need friends along the journey and Sarah Bessey has proven herself to be the best of companions.

In her book, Field Notes for the Wilderness, Sarah Bessey encourages us to “look for good teachers” on the journey of an evolving faith. I’ve known for a while now that Sarah is a good, good teacher. One of the best God has placed in my life. Sarah’s books, blogs, newsletter, her preaching, and her speaking have borne good fruit in me and so many others.

Field Notes for the Wilderness is a collection of reflections, written as letters, for those of us at different points in our journey of an evolving faith. Sarah reminds us that we are not alone, and that there is goodness and joy in the journey that can at times feel so lonely and sorrowful. I’ve read enough of Sarah’s writing by now, and seen her speak plenty of times, to recognize that this book is such an honest reflection of her heart. It’s absolutely dripping with her signature heart and humor, making it incredibly accessible while at the same time pushing and challenging the reader. I’m so grateful for Sarah and the way God has used her in my own journey of evolving faith.

I voluntarily read a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Sarah Bessey provides a guide to those who are deconstructing their faith and are wanting to know they are not alone. Her book is tender and thoughtful.

I am a huge advocate for people really deconstructing everything they have been taught about faith. Examine the different aspects. What feels true to you? What is hard? The United Methodist Church examines scripture through a lens of reason, experience, and tradition. And that makes sense in a broader way as well to find your path to saving grace.

In doing so, there is a danger of feeling lost. If everything you thought you knew about Christianity is stripped away, you can feel lost.
And that’s where Sarah Bessey comes in. She doesn’t leave you alone but comes alongside and makes you aware of God alongside you in the journey of what she calls evolving faith.

Christians often find themselves in a spiritual wilderness, where the old answers are no longer adequate but new answers have not yet emerged. Sarah Bessey offers herself as a guide through those troubling times. She views them as an opportunity for change and renewal. Her chief recommendation is that we see ourselves as having an evolving faith.

I particularly enjoyed her chapter on repentance, which she sees not as an inadequate and passive event, marked by apologies and sad faces, but as a change of mind followed by changing your life. Sin is described as ultimately a turning away from Love. Repentance is a turning back to Love. We can begin again, over and over throughout our lives. It is a process not a singular event. It was a beautiful way to examine repentance.

I enjoyed this book and recommend it to those who are struggling with their faith or are just ready to face the prospect of change in their faith. I received this book from Netgalley and Convergent Books in exchange for an honest review.

Field Notes For The Wilderness by Sarah Bessey--I loved this collection of letters to the reader as a guide to navigating the faith wilderness. It is great for anyone with changing beliefs, with feeling outside of community, with hurt or anger or pain. Bessey's writing is full of grace and care for her readers. It was lovely and soothing to read this book which releases on Feb. 20. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance digital copy. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am honestly a little baffled about composing a review for this title. Sarah Bessey has been a guide and mentor for me on my own journey through the wilderness - through social media and her other books. She doesn’t know me, but I feel like I do her. Her creation of Field Notes for the Wilderness: Practices for an Evolving Faith in the epistolary form does nothing to lessen that. Her conversational tone (eh?) welcomes the reader lovingly. Sarah taps into her most difficult life and faith experiences and creates a guide for others, creating a beautiful metaphor of a journey through the wilderness. She creates a conversation using these metaphors that elevate her words to a kind of poetry. She doesn’t offer certainty, but rather gently suggests practices that might help others who find their faith changing as well - just like a friend might.

Along with the letter style, I appreciate how Sarah uses each chapter to reclaim the aspects of faith that many whose faith may be changing feel that they might be losing. She focuses on peace, love, hope, lament, sacrament, and repentance among other things. Often, it seems, when people are finding a new way to experience worship, others will tell them they are less worthy, perhaps, to receive love and experience hope - that perhaps they are in more need of repentance than ever. Words and ideas that have been woven into the fabric of faith are being torn away or abused. For me, I love how Sarah helps the wanderer reclaim these. Sarah’s assurances are rooted in scripture and study. As a retired English teaching librarian, I love a book supported with a good set of research and references.

She challenges the reader to move through the journey even while recognizing that the journey might never end. I think even before this book, I was grateful to Sarah for meeting me there. I could easily stop in a world where I am focused on what I am against. I value the profound reminder to remember to be for something. Such a reminder requires forward progress. Sarah focuses on faith, but offers insight for all kinds of changes. I am navigating many right now, and her words bring me comfort as I walk. Field Notes for the Wilderness is a book to read, mark up, and reread.

Years ago I read a quote that was from Sarah Bessey’s book “Jesus Feminist” that took hold of me and felt as familiar as my own skin. I pasted that quote everywhere. It was even my Facebook profile cover photo.

Later, I would go on to read the whole book, and every other book Bessey has written. Her books have become companions in my wilderness. Like the others, Field Notes, immediately felt like knocking on Sarah’s door to continue a conversation. It has the same warmth, wisdom, and curiosity that the other books have. Sarah Bessey feels like the most gentle, but honest, field guide a new or seasoned wilderness explorer could have. I recommend her writings to everyone. The fact that there is an additional journal and guide for this book, really deepens the journey and makes it personal. This book and guide would be excellent in a group setting or as a personal and private journey. I highly recommend both the guide and the book. Field Notes is sure to become tattered, often loaned and well loved.

Oh my. Where to begin…
Let me start off with the positives: I like that she promotes questions and curiosity because that really creates a further dependency on God. I like that she mentioned how God is near even when we don’t feel His presence. Those are very important points.
With that said, I would feel morally and spiritually irresponsible if I did not mention the heresy that begins with looking at scripture through an eisegetical lens. I did not do my research on the author ahead of time, and after reading this, I had a slight idea of where she stood concerning certain topics. Her stances, though she can use all the scripture in the world to back up, are not biblical because she is not using scripture within context.
I, myself, belong to a specific denomination, but I usually enjoy books of other Christians who belong to a wide range of denominations. I only state that to say this: this isn’t a denominational issue, this is a Biblical one; therefore, I cannot recommend this book.

I’m a Sarah Bessey fan so I was so excited to read this book. Unfortunately I don’t think this book was for me. It took me a long time to read it because I just couldn’t get into it. I think this book will resonate with a lot of people, but for a specific group of people that I don’t fall in. Thanks for the ARC NetGalley!

Sarah Bessey has accomplished exactly what she set out to do! This is a beautiful companion to anyone in the Spiritual wilderness - the place where your faith is evolving or you’ve felt like you don’t belong. This book is a unique guide; she does not offer a step-by-step process to deconstruction. Rather, she attests to her own evolving faith and invites the reader to discern and embody the practices that have guided her. Re-imagine the wilderness, go slowly, see it all as sacramental, find good teachers and companions, reclaim what’s been twisted, tell the truth, know that the wilderness does not negate belonging, and you cannot escape God's love: these are just a few of the rich and hopeful words Bessey offers.

What a gift this book is. Sarah Bessey offers her readers a place to rest, a warm cup of tea, and the kind gentle wisdom of someone a little further along the road. She's not prescriptive or insistent on anything besides the belatedness and belonging of everyone who picks up this book. She generously offers her own experiences, the lessons learned the hard way, the practices that have helped her as she's navigated through the wilderness, explicitly stating that everyone's journey is different and the reader is free to keep what they find helpful and meaningful and discard the rest. She is a friend coming alongside, an encourager. I've already thought of a few people I'll be buying copies oof this book for and I'll be recommending it to even more folks.

It took me a bit to get into this book but once I did, I loved it. The structure of field notes was really pleasurable and appropriate for this type of information. It was a nice blend of Bessey's experience along with the thoughts of others from her extensive reading and experience. As a subscriber to her Field Notes newsletter I also found this content to be different enough from her existing writing to be of interest and value.

As someone who walks along the line between being in the wilderness and being "in the city" of church, I found much of the advice and thoughts in the book to be good reminders of how to preserve my beliefs while also trying to navigate traditional church.

This is definitely re-read worty.

I always appreciate the grace filled way that Sarah Bessey approaches nearly any topic. Initially upon beginning this book I wondered if this wasn't the book I wished that I had been given several years ago - perhaps not entirely startling considering I've walked with Sarah Bessey through much of a similar journey to hers online - but as I continued through it I found ideas that expanded my own, some suggestions to rumble with, and several teary moments.

This is a book for people who are feeling ill at ease with established religious spaces. It might even be a book for people who this is the second or third time you've felt ill at ease here. It is a book for remembering that you belong, even in the wilderness, and that beauty can be found in those spaces. If you're just beginning this journey, this might even be a five star book for you. But even if you've been wandering around the wilderness for a while and you just need a reminder that you're not alone? This book is a solid four stars with plenty of grace, hope, and joy to go around and you'll probably pick up some new ideas along the way.

Not at all what I expected and that resulted in a DNF for me. This book is much more Christian then the promotion would leave one to believe, and makes frequent use of biblical passages. I came for the wilderness, left due to dogma.

I love how Sarah Bessey is always so real. She makes no pretense of perfection, or of knowing it all. She provides great insight into life and spirituality, and the struggles of both. Being one of her books, it feels like you could sit down and have a chat with her at any moment, and feel like you've known her forever. This book is a great guide for those seeking spiritual direction.

I didn't realize I needed this book until I started reading this book!
I highlighted so much, and have been telling so many of my friends about this book.
As someone born and raised in a Southern evangelical household that I held on to for a million years, through moving and grief I have now been rethinking what exactly I believe.
I love that Sarah opens the door for people like me to freely think, and not shove the EXvangelical part down our throat, but introduces "evolving faith" instead.
I still am not to her level of calling God "Mother God", but I loved this book and read it so fast.

A breath of fresh air for anyone who feels alone in their discontent of the American evangelical church while simultaneously wanting to follow Jesus. I would definitely recommend this book!

A gentle but thoughtful book for those of us wanting a truer faith, questioning what we believe and why, and unsure how to wrestle with what we know to be true with what we see in the world. This was excellent. I can’t stop thinking about it.

A thought provoking book filled with wisdom and empathy. There are parts I agreed with and others I didn’t but they all made me think and reflect. I enjoyed all the beautiful stories the author shares. Throughout the book I felt I had finally found a companion to wander in the wilderness with.