Reverence - Print

Reverence: A priest’s life of holiness and humanity

By Magdalen Smith

Explore the profound journey of a pioneering female priest, blending personal memoir with a rich reflection on faith, ministry, and the evolving landscape of the Church of England.

This book will help you to:

• Gain insights into the life and challenges of one of the first women ordained in the Church of England.
• Discover personal stories that connect spirituality with everyday experiences.
• Learn about the evolution of the Church through the eyes of a dedicated minister.
• Find inspiration for your own faith journey and vocation.
• Engage with reflections on art, culture, and the numinous.
• Experience a heartfelt call to authenticity in faith and service.
• Embrace a deeper understanding of holiness in the human experience.

Features:

• 140 pages of reflective prose and personal narrative.
• A combination of memoir and spiritual reflection.
• Softcover format for easy reading and transport.
• Published by Sacristy Press, known for quality spiritual titles.

Soft cover 140pp
0.8cm H x 21.6cm L x 14.0cm W (0.17 kgs)
ISBN 9781789593617
Sacristy Press (2024)

[Allow 4 weeks]

Description

Magdalen Smith invites readers into a profound exploration of faith and vocation through the lens of her unique experiences as a pioneering female priest in the Church of England.

Growing up in a clergy family and marrying a cleric, Smith offers a personal memoir that captures the essence of her ministry across various contexts – from cathedrals to city estates.

Her reflections on life, culture, and spirituality resonate with anyone seeking to understand the divine in daily existence.

The book artfully intertwines personal anecdotes with thoughtful commentary on the Church’s evolution, creating a tapestry of experiences that inspire a sense of reverence.

Smith’s journey reflects the beauty and challenges of a life dedicated to service, inviting readers to engage deeply with their own faith journeys.

Her eloquent prose and keen insights provide nourishment for those who wish to discover the sacred in the ordinary, encouraging an authentic expression of love and hope in an ever-changing world.

This book is essential for clergy, lay preachers, and anyone who desires to connect with the numinous presence of the divine.

Praise for Reverence

“Magdalen Smith’s book is a call to return to the simplest, hardest, most authentic dimensions of faith and vocation: to love generously, to give of oneself and one’s time to any who ask for them, and to live with faith and hope in the God who comes among us ceaselessly as the vulnerable, unprotected stranger searching for home. There is no pretence here, but a fresh and frank witness that sings aloud and warms the heart. I defy anyone to read this book and not emerge a better, more hopeful human being.” Professor Nicola Slee, Professorial Research Fellow at the Queen’s Foundation, Birmingham

“Magdalen Smith is a valued source of spiritual insight on vocation and ministry. These reflections, rooted in the experience and identity of a parish priest, add to the wisdom of her earlier writing. Beautifully crafted, written with authenticity and integrity, each chapter offers stories of pastoral encounter and the inner responses of the priest to her everyday tasks. Magdalen has the distinctive voice of a woman in public ministry who is simultaneously an artist, parent, daughter, spouse and friend. This is wholesome food: nourishment for discipleship and ministry as life lived to the full, infused with all the costliness and fulfilment of priestly calling.”
The Revd Canon Dr Mark Pryce, Director of Ministry, Diocese of Birmingham and Chaplain to the King