Sensing God: Experiencing the Divine in Nature, Food, Music, and Beauty

I think I've been longing for this book for years now without knowing. While Clarkson would probably say that I was not longing for this BOOK as much as I was longing for sensate worship of God, I believe that this book has emboldened me in the freedom of experiencing God through my senses. I'm a bullet point gal, so here's a list of reasons this book was amazing: - Clarkson pulls from SO MANY Christian traditions. From Catholic, to Orthodox, to Presbyterian, to Anglican, he has included such a diverse array of Christian thought. Not only does this make his ideas more widely appealing to Christians of all backgrounds, it strengthens his argument that worshipping God with our senses is an orthodox Christian practice and not simply a denominational preference. - It is BEAUTIFULLY written. Clarkson does not sacrifice content for fluffy adjectives. He writes compelling arguments and narratives while maintaining depth and beauty. - It is already changing the way I live. I take walks now just to look at the sky and listen to the birds. I don't feel the need to crowd every worship moment with a sermon or podcast on theology. I enjoy incense and candles. I have begun to recognize the holy necessity of fasting. The ideas in this book feel so rudimental, and yet they have been buried under the Western push for intellectualism over embodied practice. Read this book. It is moving and eloquent and sincere.