Ryan Snider cut off anything I might want to say about this book very early on when he wrote: <i>"Critiquing is easy; looking for beauty is much more difficult. And much more rewarding."</i> Even still, I am going to do the easy thing and hopefully some of the beauty in the book will shine through as well. If I were to describe this book in four words, I would do so by turning a common phrase on its head. This book is "religious, but not spiritual." It is not nearly as good, but the book was pulling in some early Rob Bell vibes. I am talking about the good Rob Bell of Nooma and Velvet Elvis fame. That early Rob Bell had incredibly insightful illustrations and analogies, presented a new angle on familiar things of God, had 100% hipster vibes, and was on occasion teetering a little bit over the edge into heresy. In contrast, later Rob Bell tried too hard and fell far short on being edgy and insightful and was loaded with heresy with only the occasional great truth. This book is early Rob Bell lite.

Snider presents spiritual disciplines, and some things that are spiritual disciplines but we don't always think of them as such, but doesn't really have a spiritual life. He is more Christian by culture and by default than one truly walking with God. As he himself said, he kind of stumbled into being a pastor, he wasn't truly called into it, he lied to the ordination board, and he would rather be brewing beer. He openly admits that he hates prayer and sometimes goes months without doing it. So even though he has some great spiritual insights at places, in others I am not even sure if Snider is saved. But hey, if God can use a donkey...

Here are a few quotes that I think catch the essence (both good and bad) of the book:
<i>"Children know what we forget: Your heart is only whole when shared."

"I am here to remind you that time with friends will almost always make you feel better - more alive, more loving, more yourself. I guess that I have learned that friendship is a spiritual discipline, or a means to abide in God by abiding in another. Friendship is a practice, like all other practices, it takes work."

"I sometimes wonder if the best thing that could happen to a church is to lose its building and money, then all the people would have left is God and each other."

"Writing is rarely romantic. Most often she is a lousy date. She shows up late and never talks."

"Since the Bible is not God, it means it can, and probably should, be read like most other books."

"There is, I think, a difference between wanting to possess the truth and wanting to be encountered by it."

"The one thing you lose with affluence is humility; without humility, you lose dependence. The more you have, the less you think you need another person. The more you have, the more you believe you deserve."

"When you conflate prayer with attentiveness, you never have to get on your knees, close your eyes, or speak to God. I've learned how to pray without ever actually praying."