The Sacred Year, by Michael Yankoski

Have you ever read my post on celebrity leadership? If you understand the world described in the post then you understand the circus-like Christian speaking conference world Michael Yankoski found himself in. Thankfully, Mike recognized he had been caught up in it all and found a way out.

His story is the motivation for The Sacred Year, a book about rediscovering ancient truths of spiritual practices and applying them to a modern world. Mike — and I can call him Mike because I’ve known him since he was a college student with my daughter; Mike and his wife Danae even volunteered for a month with PathLight — shares the story of a sacred year seeking a deeper spiritual truth in his search for God.

There are two types of people who will love this book. The first are those who love and admire Mike. He shares his story with humility and self-awareness, as you would expect.

The second group are those who have never engaged the spiritual practices and are seeking models for their own lives. This book isn’t presenting itself as a “how to” manual, but it is a good narrative of what a full year of implementing the spiritual practices looks like. Mike leads the reader through a variety of experiences that culminate in a renewed spirit and heart for God. There might be some redundancy for those who have followed the rhythms of ancient spiritual practices before, but it’s still a good refresher for all of us.

The real strength of the book is Mike’s transparency during his adventurous year of spiritual journey. As with his previous books, he is focused on meaningful experience and then seeking to translate it into spiritual growth. Not an easy task for any of us. I admire Mike for his commitment.

So get the book when it is released on September 16. You will enjoy the adventure.