As winter approaches and daylight gets shorter (and since leaders are readers), I thought it was time for a Faith & Work Winter Book Guide.

The Active Life: A Spirituality of Work, Creativity, and Caring, by Parker Palmer

The book begins with the story of Mary and Martha and the age-old contention between doing and being. This tug of war has existed throughout history, but Palmer says, “Contemplation and action are not contradictions, but poles of a great paradox that can and must be held together. Different people have different callings. We must try to live responsively to both poles of the paradox. But we must honor the pole of our own calling, even as we stay open to the other…” While we have a natural bent toward contemplation and action, attention to both must be given to be healthy.

Sauntering Homeward: A Pilgrimage Toward Wholeness and Compassion, by Larry Grey Mitchell

Larry Mitchell has been a literal and figurative trail mate of mine for over two decades. We have backpacked countless miles through desert canyons and traversed some very challenging landscapes of life. Sauntering Homeward is filled with wisdom for those who desire to journey through their world attentively. This book reflects the rhythm of a pilgrimage and is set up as a field guide, weaving stories, reflections, and practices throughout. Larry has included ample white space to process your thoughts – whether responding to prompts or doodling the images that are evoked.

The Cost of Ambition: How Striving to Be Better Than Others Makes Us Worse, by Miroslav Volf

“What do we do with ambition?” That is a common (and great) question that I often get from leaders, and Volf tackles it head-on. Without giving you too much of a spoiler, he makes the distinction between ambition for the sake of superiority and ambition for the sake of excellence. He says, “It takes only a quick perusal through the Bible to see that striving for superiority is a dominant theme in the story of human suffering and wrongdoing.” In the book, he unpacks all the entanglements our culture has added in prioritizing superiority and points us toward a better alternative.

Working in the Presence of God: Spiritual Practices for Everyday Work, by Denise Daniels and Shannon Vandewarker

This is quite possibly the most practical and helpful book I’ve ever read on abiding in Christ at work. In fact, the authors do not limit it to the 8-9 hours we spend on the job. They artfully help us follow the story and rhythm of work that we see in scripture by preparing for work, working, and reflecting on the work that was done. Daniels and Vanderwarker paint a beautiful picture of the role of work in our lives, and they do not shy away from the brokenness that we encounter there. They guide the reader through gratitude, confession, and lament, and offer practices to utilize.