This eclectic, perhaps quirky collection of reflections celebrates a longing to know who we are, who and what God is, and what the world is like. In joy and sorrow, each one mirrors the holiness of life, eliciting reverence--for ourselves, the natural world, and the mystery of what it means to be. Each conveys a sense of awe and wonder while pointing beyond mere observation, a deeper and more profound encounter than may first meet the eye. The faces of poets Mary Oliver and Brian Doyle help illumine the natural world. The faces of prophets Brian Blount, Desmond Tutu, and John Lewis inspire engagement and action. Julian of Norwich continues to astound and astonish with her discerning writings and visions. And the Buddha, in his last hours, admonishes frightened villagers to "make of yourselves a light." Readers will be reminded of faces from the recent pandemic and the grief of suicide together with the joy of new life. In faces known and unknown, this book honors holy faces that grace our lives. These are faces where I see God.
Julie K. Aageson has served as a resource specialist and writer for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. For a decade, she wrote a monthly column for the ELCA magazine, GATHER. Her books include Benedictions: 26 Reflections, Holy Ground: An Alphabet of Prayer, and Finding Home. She is a coauthor of One Hope: Re-Membering the Body of Christ.
“Holy Faces works like an interactive portrait gallery where spectators not only view works but engage with them. Images accompany rich verbal portraits, and reflective questions invite viewers to look outside the canvas and see similar subjects in their own experience. With an artist’s eye, Julie Aageson attends to the holy light in faces, even the more tragic ones. So will her readers.”
—Martha E. Stortz, professor emerita of religion, Augsburg University
“There is a delicious feeling when friends reunite, with stories to share, insights gained, the turn of a phrase capturing a moment just so. Julie Aageson is that old friend you might not have met yet, gifting us with a full basket of stories from ancestors in the faith to poets. The pandemic taught us to never take one another for granted. Aageson underscores that lesson with essays to ponder. Perfect for personal use, as well as small groups. Thoughtful, poised, polished, prayerful. A blessing.”
—Susan Kintner, parish pastor and administrator
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