Overview

What If You Saw Your Hobbies as a Form of Worship? Maybe you're an athlete or collector, a chef or film critic, a painter or video gamer. Your hobbies aren't arbitrary passions. The same God who formed your muscles and nervous system also formed the specific ways you love to play. He understands the delight you feel in your garden or your excitement as you open up a new board game. And he calls it good. We often view play as a distraction from life's serious responsibilities, but in Created to Play, Brianna Lambert reveals the ways God blesses your hobbies and uses them to form and pull you into worship. Lambert explores ten different titles you may inhabit in your play: Beholder, Curator, Maker, Herald, Restorer, Connecter, Nourisher, Mover, Caretaker, and Historian. This book helps you view your hobbies as opportunities not just for individual expression but also for communal enjoyment. With winsome practicality and theological reflection, Lambert draws you to glory in the God who loves and teaches you through play. With Created to Play, you will: Explore how hobbies shape your spiritual formation, offering a fresh perspective on the theology of hobbies and leisure. Identify yourself among ten unique roles we take on through hobbies, uncovering how play shapes your identity in Christ. Learn to embrace rest and joy through hobbies, reenvisioning leisure as life-giving rather than wasteful. Challenge your guilt around play by learning how hobbies can form you spiritually, draw you into worship, and help you reflect God's character. You can experience how God is already participating in your hobbies with you, sharing in the joy they bring. If you are seeking a biblical perspective on your hobbies or struggling to enjoy leisure amid the demands of a busy life, this book can help you reclaim play as a vital part of spiritual formation. Play isn't about what you get or achieve but about who you become in the process.

Full Product Details

9781514011508

Table of Contents

Reviews

""Though I have read thousands of books through the years, and though many of them have dealt with my various hobbies, I don't think I've ever read a book on hobbies in general, much less a book that offers a biblical perspective on them. I'm glad that I finally have! Brianna Lambert's book is as clarifying as it is helpful as she shows that hobbies are not merely something we do to rest up from our true work but are an entirely different means through which we can bless others and bring glory to God. Read it to better understand the beauty of hobbies and read it to do them explicitly to the glory of God."" -- Tim Challies, author of Seasons of Sorrow ""As a productivity addict, I needed this book. Brianna Lambert unveiled for me the goodness of play, gently rebuking my tendency to view play as indulgent, extra, something for later when the entire to-do list is complete. But it turns out, play isn't just a gift given by God for us to enjoy him, his creation, and one another—it's also a necessity. We don't talk about play much in the church today. I'm so glad Brianna is."" -- Jen Oshman, author and speaker ""Created to Play is a refreshing reminder that hobbies are not a luxury but part of the way God forms and strengthens our souls. Brianna Lambert shows how play and the pursuits we love can become places of real spiritual renewal, shaping who we are and drawing us into deeper fellowship with God and others. A needed and freeing read."" -- Amber O'Neal Johnston, author of A Place to Belong and Soul School ""Here in the West, we can be so pragmatic about everything, ever mindful of the point or the payoff of what we choose to give ourselves to, as though the ends must be quantifiable to justify the means. But when we live like this, transcendent qualities that shape who we are—things like the pursuit of beauty or the act of playing—can get lost or deemed unimportant, leaving us less than whole. I am thankful for Brianna Lambert's guide through what should never become a forgotten human quality—playfulness as a way to know and love God with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength."" -- Russ Ramsey, pastor and author of Van Gogh Has a Broken Heart: What Art Teaches Us About the Wonder and Struggle of Being Alive

""As a productivity addict, I needed this book. Brianna Lambert unveiled for me the goodness of play, gently rebuking my tendency to view play as indulgent, extra, something for later when the entire to-do list is complete. But it turns out, play isn't just a gift given by God for us to enjoy him, his creation, and one another—it's also a necessity. We don't talk about play much in the church today. I'm so glad Brianna is."" Jen Oshman, author and speaker ""Created to Play is a refreshing reminder that hobbies are not a luxury but part of the way God forms and strengthens our souls. Brianna Lambert shows how play and the pursuits we love can become places of real spiritual renewal, shaping who we are and drawing us into deeper fellowship with God and others. A needed and freeing read."" Amber O'Neal Johnston, author of A Place to Belong and Soul School ""Though I have read thousands of books through the years, and though many of them have dealt with my various hobbies, I don't think I've ever read a book on hobbies in general, much less a book that offers a biblical perspective on them. I'm glad that I finally have! Brianna Lambert's book is as clarifying as it is helpful as she shows that hobbies are not merely something we do to rest up from our true work but are an entirely different means through which we can bless others and bring glory to God. Read it to better understand the beauty of hobbies and read it to do them explicitly to the glory of God."" Tim Challies, author of Seasons of Sorrow ""Here in the West, we can be so pragmatic about everything, ever mindful of the point or the payoff of what we choose to give ourselves to, as though the ends must be quantifiable to justify the means. But when we live like this, transcendent qualities that shape who we are—things like the pursuit of beauty or the act of playing—can get lost or deemed unimportant, leaving us less than whole. I am thankful for Brianna Lambert's guide through what should never become a forgotten human quality—playfulness as a way to know and love God with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength."" Russ Ramsey, pastor and author of Van Gogh Has a Broken Heart: What Art Teaches Us About the Wonder and Struggle of Being Alive

Author Information

Brianna Lambert is a writer and author from a rural community outside Indianapolis. Her articles and essays have appeared in Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, Common Good, Mere Orthodoxy, and elsewhere.Brianna also serves on staff at Gospel-Centered Discipleship and writes for the women’s ministry at her local church. You might find her backpacking, camping, waterskiing, or starting a brand-new hobby with her husband and three children.

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