My 52 Weeks of Worship: Lessons from a Global, Spiritual, Interfaith Journey

My 52 Weeks of Worship: Lessons from a Global, Spiritual, Interfaith Journey

Suffering the loss of her father and grandmother, and dealing with the ending of a relationship left the author tired, bereft, disappointed, emotionally drained, and feeling like God had forgotten her. She wondered what she could do to heal from this holy triumvirate of personal pain. She decided that spirituality would be the context from which she would make her journey back to herself. If she felt like God had forgotten her, then she would look for him everywhere and in the eyes of everyone she met. She made a commitment to visit a different place of worship every week for a year, whether that place of worship reflected her religious tradition or not. In total, she visited sixty-one churches, temples, mosques, synagogues, and gathering places in the United States, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Nigeria and South Africa. My 52 Weeks of Worship is the story of one woman's courageous journey. Read and see-will her journey lead her to deep, dark places in her soul or help her find peace and acceptance? "I think your book is terriffic. I really enjoyed reading it and think the structure is genius." -Elizabeth Lesser, author, Broken Open; co-founder and senior adviser of Omega Institute My 52 Weeks of Worship is a clever and unusual look at one woman's journey to regain her spirituality. Pamay Bassey has done what most people could never even imagine--spending one day each week in a different house of worship. That effort and commitment taught her the universality of community, the joy of sharing, the importance of respect, and the pride that people who are committed to religion feel about their churches, synagogues, and mosques. Most of all, she learned that there is dignity in worship--however you practice it--and that all people must find their own way to a more fulfilling life. We can all learn from her experience. -Andrea Atkins, author of the Women's Day Magazine article: Inspiring Stories about Women: How I made over my faith It takes a strong and courageous individual to launch herself into unknown territory in the midst of vast and devastating unfamiliarity. Yet, this is just what Pamay Bassey did when her world was transformed by a series of deeply impactful events. In the face of uncertainty, she commenced a search for God that took her into a variety of geographical regions, liturgical spaces and interfaith worship experiences. Her story is one of insatiable faith, holy curiosity and Womanist courage. Furthermore, there is nothing quite like hearing her story straight from her lips. Her telling captures how a season of personal loss and struggle was eclipsed by her discovery of God in the most unlikely locales, and how this discovery continues to enlighten her human experience. There is something for all to hear and learn from her story. -Rev. Neichelle Guidry Jones, Ordained elder in the Kingdom Council of Christian Churches and Ministries; Associate Pastor to Young Adults, Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago, Illinois My 52 Weeks of Worship is a gem of a source of inspiration for anyone going through difficult times or pondering the big life questions. I'm completely taken with the way she not only took a very personal experience of loss and channeled it into a journey of exploration, but more so with the way that she is now sharing her journey with others. -Erin Mason, PhD, Assistant Professor of Counseling, DePaul University Used Book in Good Condition