Holy Faces: 26 Reflections

By Julie K. Aageson

This eclectic, perhaps quirky collection of reflections celebrates a longing to know who we are, who and what God is, and what the world is like. In joy and sorrow, each one mirrors the holiness of life, eliciting reverence--for ourselves, the natural world, and the mystery of what it means to be. Each conveys a sense of awe and wonder while pointing beyond mere observation, a deeper and more profound encounter than may first meet the eye. The faces of poets Mary Oliver and Brian Doyle help illumine the natural world. The faces of prophets Brian Blount, Desmond Tutu, and John Lewis inspire engagement and action. Julian of Norwich continues to astound and astonish with her discerning writings and visions. And the Buddha, in his last hours, admonishes frightened villagers to "make of yourselves a light." Readers will be reminded of faces from the recent pandemic and the grief of suicide together with the joy of new life. In faces known and unknown, this book honors holy faces that grace our lives. These are faces where I see God.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wipf and Stock
• Release date: Dec 5, 2023
• ISBN: 9798385201921

Julie K. Aageson

Julie K. Aageson has served as a resource specialist and writer for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. For a decade, she wrote a monthly column for the ELCA magazine, Gather. She has written numerous articles and stories for a variety of religious periodicals. She is author of Benedictions: 26 Reflections (Wipf and Stock, 2016) and Holy Ground: An Alphabet of Prayer(Cascade, 2018). She is a co-author of One Hope: Re-Membering the Body of Christ (2015), which was written to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

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