“Dorothy Day once said, ‘Don't call me a saint, I don't want to be dismissed that easily.’ In this book—Michael Yankoski refuses to limit faithful living to daredevil Christians, and he creates a commonwealth of sacred treasures for all to share. He reminds you that the Christian faith is more like a marathon than a sprint... and it's not just about what you do but who you are becoming.”

Shane Claiborne
Author, activist, and friend of Jesus

“Michael Yankoski is such a good writer that it would be easy to hitch a ride through his sacred year without ever setting foot on the ground he covered. This book wants more of you than that. If you decide to accept its invitation, then you too will own up to what is ailing you, turning aside from the shallows of your life-as-usual in order to go deep. The spiritual practices in this book can help you do that, but they don't promise to keep you safe. Instead, they promise to open you to the Spirit who alone can make you whole.”

Barbara Brown Taylor
Author of Learning To Walk in the Dark

“Bright lights don’t need spotlights. Michael’s been a bright light for a long time and he’s written another terrific book. He doesn’t want the spotlight anymore, he just want a deeper faith and more meaningful life. This book was like the sound of soft rain and the crackling of a fire to my tired soul. If you’re like me and run hard, Michael will blow the foam off your busy life and invite you explore some of the spiritual practices he’s discovered and show you how they have revived him. This isn’t just a book; it's an invitation to examine yourself and your world. If you’re like me, you’ll put down this book, pick up your calendar and make a couple changes.
You’ll want to cancel a few things and start a couple others; you’ll want to be more intentional and engaged than you’ve been; and you’ll want to live a more active love.”

Bob Goff
New York Times Best-selling Author of Love Does

“‘What does it profit to gain the world and lose your soul?’ Michael Yankoski reminds us that before we can truly make a difference in the world we must attend to our own lives in Christ. Michael is a thoughtful, discerning guide on this journey.”

Rich Stearns
President World Vision US and author of The Hole in Our Gospel and Unfinished

“Michael Yankoski uses crisp, engaging language as he addresses the ‘chaos of questions about whether spiritual practices are relevant’ in today's fast-paced life. With engaging honesty and vivid narrative, he addresses the deep fissures that erode Christian public presence and testimony. Michael doesn't spare himself as he tells entrancing stories about things like vending machines and bare feet, hospitals and blizzards. You will not only love reading this book, you'll find it draws you deeper as you discover unforgettable patterns for your life in Christ.”

Luci Shaw
Author, Adventure of Ascent; Writer in Residence, Regent College

“In our age in which churches and society are cursed with superficiality, it is a rare book that calls us to a deeper life. Michael Yankoski's The Sacred Year is one such book, artfully weaving the story of his own quest for a meaningful faith. This book is destined to become a spiritual classic, and it merits the sort of mindful attention that it calls us to nurture.”

C. Christopher Smith
Co-author SLOW CHURCH and Senior Editor of The Englewood Review of Books

“Occasionally a story of someone else's spiritual journey provides a map by which to navigate your own. The Sacred Year does that. Michael Yankoski's candid, open-hearted reflection on the practices that led him from exhaustion to plenitude and the encounters that inspired those practices is rich with memorable stories, wisdom from a wide communion of saints, and practical guidance. This book belongs on a shelf next to those of Wendell Berry, Richard Rohr, Kathleen Norris, Norvene Vest, and Ched Meyers, among other companions on the journey in our generation. From the discovery of silence to the rediscovery of breadmaking to the spaciousness of simple living to new ways to pray, we are invited in every chapter to deepen our conversations with self, others, and God, assured of surprise at every turn of the journey.”

Marilyn McEntyre
Fellow, Gaede Institute, Westmont College; Adjunct Professor of Medical Humanities, UC Berkeley; and Author of Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies

“As part of the same community for a number of years, I had the privilege of observing some of these practices that Michael Yankoski describes in this captivating book. What I can say without equivocation is that this story rings true, not only of Michael's life, but of the ache and longing for a deeper life that reverberates within many of us. In a day when we are tempted to live on the surface of things, practices like the ones Michael describes take us deep, beneath the surface, and into the rich soil out of which a true life can grow. Indeed, you will see a true life emerge before your very eyes in the pages that follow. If you are looking to recover truth in your own life, then The Sacred Year is a very good place to begin this path of retrieval. And don’t be surprised if you not only find truth but also something of the Way and the Life as you read.”

Tim Dickau
Author of Plunging Into the Kingdom Way

“Michael Yankoski writes with passion and imagination. His memorable characters and vivid images celebrate practices that lead us deeply into the life of God. The Sacred Year has the power to transform and cultivate our desires so that we seek the God who is our life. May it be so.”

Jonathan R. Wilson
Pioneer McDonald Professor of Theology, Carey Theological College

“Michael Yankoski has brought the right message home. The Sacred Year offers a truthful deconstruction of the dysfunctional reality of rampant consumerism and the celebrity making apparatus that has become American Christianity. While the book may begin with a necessary initial diagnoses, it makes an important first step towards genuine spiritual renewal. Michael carves a way forward out of our existential crisis towards the story of spiritual depth. This vivid descriptive story of the necessary spiritual journey should be considered essential reading for all American Christians.”

Soong-Chan Rah
Milton B. Engebretson Professor of Church Growth and Evangelism, North Park Theological Seminary, Author of The Next Evangelicalism

“Michael communicates with humility without being self-deprecating, with candor without being narcissistic, and with story without being egocentric. The Sacred Year flows out of that style and is a compelling invitation to participate in spiritual practices. As a testimony to God’s work in the world and a realistic assessment of our humanity this book could well be described as good, true and beautiful.”

Rod Wilson PhD
President, Regent College

“Michael Yankoski has written a wonderful, sensitive book about the way we awaken to life and learn to live with intentionality and purpose. His metaphors are rich. His life experiences real. His insights riveting. By teaching us to attend to every-day realities, Yankoski opens the windows of our senses to our own life with God. Ultimately, Yankoski invites us to embrace this life in order to enjoy the journey.”

Dr. Gayle D. Beebe,
President, Westmont College

“Michael Yankoski has given us a great gift. The Sacred Year is a book to savor, inviting us to consider how a return to the good rhythms of contemplation, gratitude, Sabbath keeping and even cave-dwelling can lead us out of the shallows of a distracted, ‘carnival Christian life’ and into the deep and wondrous waters of mature faith. Read this book and follow Michael into the Deep!”

Leah Kostamo
Author of Planted: A Story of Creation, Calling and Community

“The Sacred Year is the perfect book for anyone tired of the rat race, craving a life of greater depth and meaning. As a recovering workaholic, I find myself on almost every page of Michael's surprisingly personal and deeply moving story. Like a compelling novel, you’ll find it hard to put this book down. But read it slowly, savoring each bite, and it will restore your soul.”

Ken Shigematsu
Pastor of Tenth Church Vancouver and best-selling author of God in My Everything

“I love how Michael Yankoski takes us on an honest exploration of the soul. He pauses long enough to see the colors and nuances of the beauty in and around us. The attention he pays to everything around him births a gift for us to learn from. I loved The Sacred Year as it gently describes the angst and wreck-full pace we blindly assume. Yet, Michael lets us walk with him as he embarks on a quiet revolution to still himself to hear the voice of God. Of course you should buy this book! It’s a refreshing drink of water that comes from a deep well of contemplative activism.”

Dave Gibbons
Author of XEALOTS: Defying the Gravity of Normality and Founder of XEALOTS.ORG and NEWSONG CHURCH

“Michael Yankoski is gifted at many things—chief among them may be his desire and commitment to be an authentic Christian, even if it means walking away from being a Christian celebrity. The Sacred Year is Michael's story about the vitality of incorporating spiritual discipline into an all-too-often chaotic world. It is a message about living intentionally enough to declutter our hearts and minds in order to be in a place of openness to God's formative work within us. Yankoski's stories and insights are a necessity for those of us who've found ourselves run-dry, who recognize our spiritual anemia, and who are looking for instruction and a push toward a life of depth and flourishing. Most books promise life-change, The Sacred Year delivers it.”

Ken Wytsma
lead pastor of Antioch in Bend, Oregon and author of Pursuing Justice: The Call to Live and Die for Bigger Things

“Life is in these pages! While the spiritual disciplines can sometimes be negatively associated with dry ritual and empty routine, Michael Yankoski turns these stereotypes on their heads and guides us modern, weary travelers to them as to an oasis in the desert. Whether contemplating an apple, singing the Psalms or digging a real grave, Michael's approach is creative, his insights are breathtaking and he is a trustworthy guide. May you feast on the riches found in these pages— life is here!”

Joshua Ryan Butler
Author of The Skeletons in God's Closet

“There is something beautiful for everyone here--or perhaps only for those who are willing to engage deeply with contemplation, nourishing spiritual traditions, and God. Yankoski is drawing wisdom from old and new sages, including his own bold experiments in engaging the tremendous Mystery of life. His journey is refreshingly vulnerable and sincere which--besides being smooth and richly written--is extremely inviting. One finds here a fresher vision, a vital reminder of what its like to be born again, daily, hourly, or even constantly.”

Chris Haw
Co-author of Jesus for President and author of From Willow Creek to Sacred Heart

“Though forged in the crucible of personal crisis, Michael Yankoski has written a book full of joy, humor, personal vulnerability and wide-eyed wonder. The Sacred Year brims with a childlike enthusiasm, and a new convert’s sense of “Wow!” at the discovery of those ancient spiritual disciplines that are also known as the means of grace. The reader will laugh with him as Michael laughs at himself through his sometimes bumbling and painful recovery from the addiction to hurry. But make no mistake: this is a thoughtful and well reasoned apologia and guide for those who would know the power and pleasure of learning to quietly go deep with God, one’s self and others.”

Ben Patterson
Campus Pastor, Westmont College and author of God's Prayer Book