god in the yard [group blogging project]

Written by Dan King

Christ-follower. husband. father. author of the unlikely missionary: from pew-warmer to poverty-fighter. co-author of activist faith: from him and for him. director of family ministry at st. edward's episcopal church. president of fistbump media, llc.

May 9, 2011

Some books are just done best in community. And I believe L.L. Barkat’s God in the Yard: Spiritual practice for the rest of us is one of those books. It’s practically a handbook for personal communion with God, and it calls for a response from the reader. That’s why we thought it would be a great fit for a group blogging project.

From the description on Amazon.com:

Through days and nights of L.L. Barkat’s year of daily outdoor solitude comes an irresistible voice calling you to spiritual practice.

This 12-week course tells a unique story, but it will also invite you to personal growth. You’ll find various options for discovery and participation: free writing, writing response, physical and mental play, and blogging (or alternatives).

We have an incredible team leading us through discussion on this book:

  • Laura Boggess (@lauraboggess) – Special Projects Editor at TheHighCalling.org and Blogger at The Wellspring
  • Krista Burdine (@KristaBurdine) – Blogger at Thoughts from the Well
  • Crystal Rowe (@soulmunchies) – Contributing Editor at BibleDude.net, and Blogger at Soul Munchies
  • Duane Scott (@duane_scott) – Contributing Editor at BibleDude.net, and Blogger at Scribing the Journey
  • Amy Sondova (@amysondova) – Blogger at Backseat Writer
  • Eric Swalberg (@EricSwalberg) – Blogger at Journey of Words

And here’s our posting schedule:

Introduction (Dan King)

  1. woods: invitation (Crystal Rowe)
  2. rules: the way (Laura Boggess)
  3. look: contemplation (Eric Swalberg)
  4. weep: celebration (Duane Scott)
  5. sky: gratitude (Amy Sondova)
  6. open: prayer (Krista Burdine)
  7. gone: presence (Laura Boggess)
  8. cycle: sabbath (Crystal Rowe)
  9. poetry: silence (Eric Swalberg)
  10. me: self care (Duane Scott)
  11. with: submission (Amy Sondova)
  12. home: hospitality (Krista Burdine)

Author’s Closing Thoughts (L.L. Barkat)
Project Wordle

So stay tuned for some great discussion, and please feel free to jump into the comments and share your thoughts! In the meantime, here are a few things that you can do right now…

  • Buy the book. It’ll be a much better experience for you if you follow along in your own copy of the book.
  • Subscribe to updates. Get the latest posts in this series in your email inbox or favorite feed reader. This is the best way to keep up with everything!
  • Tweet it up! Follow @bibledude and retweet updates from this event. If you want to share your own tweets, make sure that you use the #godintheyard hashtag.

7 Comments

    • @bibledude

      thanks! it should be some cool discussion as we work through the book together… i look forward to hearing your thoughts!

      Reply
    • @bibledude

      it’s a great time to win a #free copy of #godintheyard (@llbarkat) that can be used to follow along with this project! glad to have you following along!

      Reply
  1. Nancy Franson

    So glad you’re doing this. I have a copy that I keep picking up and putting down. I laughed out loud when I read @llbarkat say, “…maybe I would just freeze my butt off in winter and get tick bites in summer. You never can tell with these things.” Guess I’m not quite as hardy–I’ve been waiting for the weather to warm up so I can sit outside. Anyway. Like the idea of sharing ideas and having some accountability. Kinda sad to need some accountability in learning to play, no?

    Reply
    • @bibledude

      this should be a great time of year to do this one then! and yes… the accountability is a great motivator! i expect to see your comments on every post… 🙂

      Reply
  2. Michelle DeRusha

    I read L.L.’s book last year, but I admit, I did not do any of the actually sitting outside — sort of lame of me, eh? So I am not considering dusting off my copy and reading it again…this time while participating in the actual exercises. I’ll check back here to see what others have to say.  

    Reply

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god in the yard [group blogging project]

by Dan King time to read: 2 min
9