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Book Review

A Homemade Year

The Blessings of Cooking, Crafting, and Coming Together

Paraclete Press, 2013

This article was featured in the Fall 2013: Sabbath Living print issue. Click here to see the complete table of contents.

Few things provide as much comfort as the rhythm of tradition. Yet, how do we ensure tradition is both meaningful and alive? In A Homemade Year, Jerusalem Jackson Greer provides a template for a wonderful answer.

The backbone of A Homemade Year is the liturgical calendar. Greer successfully makes the calendar accessible for those, like Greer, who did not grow up in a faith that utilized the calendar. Beginning with Advent, she takes the reader through a year of intentional celebration of God and family. In the process, Greer accomplishes two important things. First, she brings newness to recognized traditions, reimagining the Advent calendar into an interactive learning experience; weaving the cross into a simple Easter candle; and, suggesting a Southern-Style Seder Supper, to name a few. Second, Greer familiarizes us with less familiar celebrations: who knew February 2 was anything other than Ground Hog’s Day?

Each liturgical season is introduced by a mini-memoir preparing the reader for the suggested activities. We learn about Greer, who grew up a Southern Baptist and spent part of her youth in Alaska. She also brings in her own family—her husband offers delightful instructions on how to properly make a sandwich. The stand-alone chapters allow readers to dip in and out of celebration opportunities. The book is full of nuggets of information: after all these years, I finally know why we eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday.

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Fall 2019 I Building a Vibrant Health Ministry: Mobilize Strengths in Your Congregation

Summer 2019 I Aging and Well-being: Navigating New Pathways for Health and Faith

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