Reclaiming Quiet
Cultivating a Life of Holy Attention
About
Recapture wonder and learn to live by the healing shapes and rhythms of stillness
In a restless and distracted world, the cultivation of quiet often feels abstract and impossible. But quiet is, and always has been, essential to spiritual life, the only way we can turn from the frenzy toward the peace for which we were created.
Reclaiming Quiet is an invitation to discover the profound, daily joy of resisting patterns of anxiety and hurry and cultivating a life of holy attention instead. With practical strategies to address our use of screens or fear of silence and compassionate ideas to nourish stillness, listening, and rest, this book explores
· what it means to become a person who listens each day for God's voice before all others
· how to reclaim wonder in prayer
· how to cultivate an interior life
Quiet is not for specialists or the ultra-disciplined. It's not limited to those who have great swathes of time. Quiet is our inner native land, the place to which we turn to find God already waiting, calling us beloved, and drawing us homeward into a life of holy and joyous attention.
"In a clamoring and frantic world, Sarah Clarkson's beautiful words invite us to a different way of life. A life that makes room for solitude and quietness. A holy quiet that helps us discover not only ourselves but, more importantly, our God."--Joanna Weaver, bestselling author of Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World
"Reclaiming Quiet is a beacon of hope in our noisy world. Sarah's poignant exploration of choosing quiet over chaos resonates deeply with anyone tethered to their smartphone, yearning for peace amidst life's frenzy."--Leah Boden, author of Modern Miss Mason
Endorsements
"In a clamoring and frantic world, Sarah Clarkson's beautiful words invite us to a different way of life. A life that makes room for solitude and quietness. A holy quiet that helps us discover not only ourselves but, more importantly, our God."
Joanna Weaver, bestselling author of Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World
"Reclaiming Quiet is a beacon of hope in our noisy world. Sarah's poignant exploration of choosing quiet over chaos resonates deeply with anyone tethered to their smartphone, yearning for peace amidst life's frenzy. With vulnerability and grace, she shares her own struggles, inviting readers on a journey of small faithfulnesses toward holy attention. This isn't just a book; it's a lifeline for those drowning in distraction, offering practical wisdom to cultivate a life shaped by the sacred hush. In a world clamoring for attention, Reclaiming Quiet is a gentle reminder that stillness is not only possible but necessary for the soul's flourishing."
Leah Boden, author of Modern Miss Mason
"In a rare combination of lyrical prose and practical wisdom, Sarah Clarkson guides readers toward cultivating inner quiet as a life-giving possibility even in the busiest seasons. Reclaiming Quiet offers a much-needed, compassionate, countercultural corrective to our present noisy and ceaseless distraction. More beautifully yet, this book models a gentle, contemplative practice of welcoming the peace of Jesus."
Grace Hamman, PhD, author of Jesus through Medieval Eyes
"As we yearn for relief from our frantic days, Sarah Clarkson offers a desperately needed affirmation of the quiet we long for. But she does not demand an impossible move to a silent hermitage or a retreat to a life without the distraction of technology. Instead, Clarkson offers an honest roadmap for seeking the voice of God amidst the noise of our environment (whether the chaos of raising a young family or merely living in the modern world). Her words and wisdom never fail to anchor readers in beauty and goodness and remind us of what we know deep in our souls to be true but have forgotten in the noise of our daily lives. Reading Reclaiming Quiet is like entering the house of the Wise Woman in a fairy tale where we are nourished and strengthened for the beautiful and perilous journey ahead."
Haley Stewart, editor at Word on Fire Votive and author of Jane Austen's Genius Guide to Life
"Sarah has written a stunningly beautiful book that offers no easy answers to finding quiet in our loud, chaotic world (because there are none) but instead does something far more important by illuminating the power of holy quiet, intensifying our desire for it, and helping us see quiet as a habit we can nurture and a grace we can receive in even the busiest seasons of life."
Emily Stimpson Chapman, author of Letters to Myself from the End of the World
"Living within a culture that seeks to keep an ever-hurried pace with the machine, many of us unknowingly crave a way to slow down and recover what it means to be human. In her deep, poetical manner, Sarah gently leads the way, guiding us through the noise into the quiet place with God. Her heartfelt storytelling and keen reflections and prayers tether us to the Christ who provides rest for our souls."
Bethany Douglass, writer and editor of Cloistered Away
The Author
-
Jacqui Wakelam Sarah Clarkson
Sarah Clarkson is an author and blogger who writes regularly about literature, faith, and beauty at SarahClarkson.com. She studied theology (BTh, MSt) at Oxford and is the author or coauthor of six books, including This Beautiful Truth. She has an...
Continue reading about Sarah Clarkson
Resources
- Excerpt