A Year of Living Prayerfully

February 9, 2015
With humor, an energetic spirit of inquiry, and bold belief that he can go anywhere and meet anyone in his quest to deepen his prayer life, filmmaker and debut author Brock takes readers on a world tour, getting prayer advice from Pope Francis, storming the gates at Billy Graham’s mountain hideaway, and sitting down for a chat with folks at Westboro Baptist Church. Along the way, he learns something of “the practice of the presence of God” (the definition of prayer according to 17th-century monk Brother Lawrence), trust, reverence, evangelism, and the need for silence. This book is not one that explores the prayer traditions of communities across the world empathetically, but a story of a broad—though not deep—pilgrimage of a young man finding his way. Ostensibly writing an ecumenical and interfaith journey, Brock can push the line with his humor, at times coming off as uncharitable, disrespectful, and culturally insensitive. Readers will certainly discover something new about prayer, though not all will be amused.

February 1, 2015
Brock and wife, Michelle, were stuck. Church-raised, and well versed in theology, as they got older, both realized they wanted more out of their prayer life. So they decided to do what medieval pilgrims did: go on a journey in order to devote their lives to living prayerfully. This entertaining book records their faith-filled adventures. Starting in their hometown, Hamilton, Ontario, the two travel around the world, making stops in New York City, where they dance with Hasidic Jews; go to Vatican City intent on having a meeting with Pope Francis; tramp along the world's most famous pilgrimage route, the Camino de Santiago, in Spain, where Brock learns, much to his surprise, the main route is within earshot of noisy traffic for more than 90 percent of the time. Other stops include Israel; Mount Athos, Greece; England's Lake District; France; and South and North Korea. After a year of serious study and travel, Brock concludes that he is just at the beginning of his journey. I now know of all the things I don't know. Fun and insightful.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)