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And Yet: Finding Joy in Lament
In a life full of highs and lows, choice and challenges, the words ‘and yet’ can change everything. We are surrounded by darkness and yet there is light. We feel we are lacking and yet God provides. We are broken and bruised and yet there is hope.
In the depths of depression and plagued with suicidal thoughts, Rachael Newham never thought she’d find herself writing a book on joy. And yet, if her journey with mental health illness has taught her anything it is that true, deep, lasting joy can only be experienced when we allow ourselves to enter into lament and be honest about our pain before God.
With warm understanding, in this lovely Lent book for 2022 Rachael traces how Biblical writers used ‘and yet’ to bring together joy and lament and invites us to see them not as opposites, but two sides of the same coin. Drawing on her experiences with mental illness, she shows us how we can build a rhythm of both joy and lament into our lives both through the season of Lent and the rest of the church’s year.
With reflections split over six sections And Yet is the perfect daily Lent devotional for 2022, but its undated readings can be used for periods of prayerful reflection throughout the year. This is a beautiful Christian book on lament ideal for anyone looking for to better understand how the tradition of lament and joy work together, and how they can make them a part of their everyday spiritual formation.
We may be living in dark circumstances – and yet with a few simple practices we can experience joy in every season.
In the depths of depression and plagued with suicidal thoughts, Rachael Newham never thought she’d find herself writing a book on joy. And yet, if her journey with mental health illness has taught her anything it is that true, deep, lasting joy can only be experienced when we allow ourselves to enter into lament and be honest about our pain before God.
With warm understanding, in this lovely Lent book for 2022 Rachael traces how Biblical writers used ‘and yet’ to bring together joy and lament and invites us to see them not as opposites, but two sides of the same coin. Drawing on her experiences with mental illness, she shows us how we can build a rhythm of both joy and lament into our lives both through the season of Lent and the rest of the church’s year.
With reflections split over six sections And Yet is the perfect daily Lent devotional for 2022, but its undated readings can be used for periods of prayerful reflection throughout the year. This is a beautiful Christian book on lament ideal for anyone looking for to better understand how the tradition of lament and joy work together, and how they can make them a part of their everyday spiritual formation.
We may be living in dark circumstances – and yet with a few simple practices we can experience joy in every season.
- GenresChristianNonfiction
144 pages, Paperback
Published November 18, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 28, 2021
A really lovely little book with one fi the best first chapters I’ve read in a while. Some beautiful writing and some wonderful learning worn lightly. A book for this time, advent, but also a book to root you again in the church’s year and the rhythms of the Bible story. Four stars because it was a bit uneven (the excellent first chapter wasn’t quite followed through) and I wanted more of Rachel (quite a few quotes doing heavy lifting when actually the authors own words are excellent.
Looking forward to her next one!
Looking forward to her next one!
June 26, 2022
The best book I've read this year. For a book about lament it holds so much hope. It reminds us that we turn to God with our pain. That we need to know God as much as we need to know about him. To get to joy we need to go through grief. The book challenges so many misunderstood Bible verses, and so many misunderstandings we can have about God suffering.
This book feels like a summary of what I've been learning in the last year. It's so well written and powerful, yet easy to read.
This book feels like a summary of what I've been learning in the last year. It's so well written and powerful, yet easy to read.
July 12, 2022
Read this as a community in Lent really helpful
December 17, 2021
Brilliant book that really gets you thinking about the different seasons of the Christian calendar and how they are shaped by lament and joy. I learnt a lot from this.
May 27, 2022
As the season of Lent was approaching this year, I felt in my spirit that it was time to try to do something a bit different. So I chatted to a few people about the possibility of starting a Book Club at church, where a small group forms for a set period of time to read and discuss a book that would help us in our discipleship of Jesus.
To my surprise there was a lot of interest. In fact so much so that we ended up running two groups simultaneously.
Then the decision as to which book to read had to be made.
I looked in a variety of places, and came across Rachael Newham's book 'And Yet' on the Big Church Read website. It intrigued me. Apart from this, I randomly entered a giveaway competition on Instagram to possibly win a copy of the book and - I won! This combination of events led to us selecting 'And Yet' as our Book Club's first book that we read and discussed during the season of lent this year.
Rachael writes with an easy, conversational style and is not afraid to be vulnerable and really opens her life to the reader as she gently guides us through a variety of hard-to-talk-about topics such as grief and lament. Having said this, the book also contains sections of hope and joy - but acknowledges that we often experience a whole range of different emotions at once, so joy can be experienced even in the midst of sorrow.
One thing this book encourages us to do is to allow ourselves to feel. Not just the nice things, but also the painful. It is often in times of suffering where we grow and experience the presence of God the most powerfully. It helps us to acknowledge our downs as well as our ups and yet, helps us to find Jesus in the midst of it all.
This book led to many valuable and open discussions about faith, life, love and loss within our book club group and proved to be a fantastic springboard from which the group could hear from God as well as minister to each other.
Thank you, Rachael, for writing this important book.
'And Yet' is written by Rachael Newham and published by Form, an imprint of SPCK. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
To my surprise there was a lot of interest. In fact so much so that we ended up running two groups simultaneously.
Then the decision as to which book to read had to be made.
I looked in a variety of places, and came across Rachael Newham's book 'And Yet' on the Big Church Read website. It intrigued me. Apart from this, I randomly entered a giveaway competition on Instagram to possibly win a copy of the book and - I won! This combination of events led to us selecting 'And Yet' as our Book Club's first book that we read and discussed during the season of lent this year.
Rachael writes with an easy, conversational style and is not afraid to be vulnerable and really opens her life to the reader as she gently guides us through a variety of hard-to-talk-about topics such as grief and lament. Having said this, the book also contains sections of hope and joy - but acknowledges that we often experience a whole range of different emotions at once, so joy can be experienced even in the midst of sorrow.
One thing this book encourages us to do is to allow ourselves to feel. Not just the nice things, but also the painful. It is often in times of suffering where we grow and experience the presence of God the most powerfully. It helps us to acknowledge our downs as well as our ups and yet, helps us to find Jesus in the midst of it all.
This book led to many valuable and open discussions about faith, life, love and loss within our book club group and proved to be a fantastic springboard from which the group could hear from God as well as minister to each other.
Thank you, Rachael, for writing this important book.
'And Yet' is written by Rachael Newham and published by Form, an imprint of SPCK. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
August 24, 2022
I just read this in one sitting as I explore writing a book on loss. I cried, I smiled, my heart ached and I felt all the emotions within the pages.
I enjoyed her little comments in the first chapter or things that made her smile (like the Miss Congeniality quote). I wished there was more of those as it felt like I was talking to my friend as I read it.
Nonetheless, I am so thankful Rachel was able to pour her heart out and write this whole book rooted in Jesus in a society where Jesus is so often blamed. Its been a gift to me and I would recommend it to anyone reflecting on lament and joy or going through a difficult season.
I enjoyed her little comments in the first chapter or things that made her smile (like the Miss Congeniality quote). I wished there was more of those as it felt like I was talking to my friend as I read it.
Nonetheless, I am so thankful Rachel was able to pour her heart out and write this whole book rooted in Jesus in a society where Jesus is so often blamed. Its been a gift to me and I would recommend it to anyone reflecting on lament and joy or going through a difficult season.
February 24, 2023
At the end of last year I was invited to choose a ‘word for the year’ and settled on JOY. The invitation went on to suggest reading books about the subject, so I chose this one. It did not disappoint - some wonderful writing, personal experience, references. I’m sure I will read it again. Thank you.
April 5, 2022
Definitely a book I’ll dip back into again and again. For its seasonal reflections and for the refreshing and helpful views on lament and joy. Beautiful little book!
May 2, 2024
A really insightful and helpful book. It is so needed right now in the church. It is beautifully written and really guides you through biblical lamenting and how this can look in our lives today and in the church. Highly recommend!
January 22, 2023
Although this book is well-intentioned, I was uncomfortable with its strong Evangelical approach.
February 28, 2023
I imagine this would encourage some good small group discussions, but it wasn’t particularly thought-provoking as a private study.
August 12, 2023
3.5/5
Would come back to it to read over in a group/ with a friend. Some beautiful writing and helpful theological thinking.
Would come back to it to read over in a group/ with a friend. Some beautiful writing and helpful theological thinking.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews