FEEDING the dog, doing the washing, answering emails — a new booklet to help Christians better understand and value their faith in everyday life has been released by the Church of England.
The booklet, Everyday Faith: Reflections and prayers to help you find and follow God in everyday life, was published by Church House yesterday. It was written by the Bishop of Gloucester, the Rt Revd Rachel Treweek; the programme director for the C of E initiative Setting God’s People Free, Nick Shepherd; and the executive director at the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity, Mark Greene.
The authors explain: “Most of us will pray or think about our faith at some point during our waking or working day. The reflections, stories, and prayers here are offered to help us discover more about what it means to live faithfully, hopefully and lovingly as Christians today.”
Each daily reflection begins with a Bible passage and ends with a suggested response, such as reflecting or writing down how you might be “alert to God’s presence” in your life. Everyday faith is about living a life shaped by Jesus, Bishop Treweek says. “It is being with people in the places where they are, places of pain and struggle, as well as places of ease and joy.”
The booklet covers three weeks from 12 January. Each week also includes anecdotes about how faith can manifest in everyday life, and what it means to different people, including a London Underground worker, a hairdresser, a plumber, and a nurse. One story describes a Christian police protection officer at Downing Street as “a peacemaker” with a “ministry of reconciliation”. Another describes a supply teacher who prays for children by name as he oversees their work.
The Archbishop of Canterbury writes in his foreword: “We are all involved in God’s mission — empowered by the Holy Spirit to bring the difference Jesus makes. Because mission isn’t something the Church runs — but something each of us are involved in.”
The booklet will be accompanied by an app, social-media posts, and animations.