Book Review: Finding Holy in the Suburbs

Every once in a while, a book echos exactly what is rolling around in my head–Finding Holy in the Suburbs is that kind of book.

In 2018, I chose the word enough as my word of the year. I wanted to challenge myself to find enough in God–not in having enough money, shoes, or even dark chocolate. Throughout that year, I limited my shopping and practiced gratitude for what God has already given. I steeped myself in God’s Word and learned a little more about contentment.

And that is why I love Finding Holy in the Suburbs.

Author Ashley Hales tells of a similar journey. She thought she wanted to live in a big city or maybe in the country, but she ended up in the suburbs and somehow that didn’t seem like enough.

Although the suburbs appear as lands of plenty, they can become deserts of wanting more. Even though they may seem lands of excess, what they have plenty of doesn’t actually fill our hearts.

In Finding Holy in the Suburbs, author Ashley Hales challenges readers to examine their hungers–big and small–and how they are seeking to satisfy them. Her book shows that many of us try to satiate our desires through the suburban gods of consumerism, individualism, busyness, and safety. Yet we often end up unsatisfied and empty.

Instead of using these suburban gods, Hales encourages us to go the true God–the only One who can fill our empty souls. She points out the need for repentance and the truth of our position as God’s beloved. Then she asks us to risk practicing hospitality, generosity, and vulnerability.

I especially loved the Counterliturgies Hales included at the end of each chapter. These practices became ways to evaluate my current attitudes, meditate on God’s Word, and put my faith into practice. For instance, one Counterliturgy she suggests is:

Pray through your calendar. As you start a new season or new month, pray through your calendar with your family. Prayerfully consider your commitments and what furthers a life of generosity and other-centeredness versus what satisfies your whims.

I encourage you to grab a copy of Finding Holy in the Suburbs. Inside the pages, you will find hope for your thirsty soul.