Shaky Ground: What to Do After the Bottom Drops Out

by Traci Rhoades

Overview

New ways to heal the spirit during the most challenging times.

Traci Rhoades, author of Not All Who Wander (Spiritually) Are Lost, continues to find profound beauty and endless insights in her spiritual wanderings among church traditions. In this new book, Rhoades encourages readers to explore practices – some ancient and others unconventional – that offer solace for those times when ‘the bottom drops out.’

Sharing what she’s learned about God, Rhoades shakes off the limits of denominational boundaries, making this book particularly valuable for younger Christians or those who are longing to take a deeper dive into their faith.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781640655607
Publisher:	Morehouse Publishing
Publication date:	07/19/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
File size:	303 KB

About the Author

Traci Rhoades is a writer and Bible teacher. She is the author of Not All Who Wander (Spiritually) Are Lost.Connect with her online at tracesoffaith.com or @tracesoffaith on twitter. She lives near Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Table of Contents

Foreword Catherine McNiel vii

The Bottom Drops Out 1

Prologue: How Do We Follow Jesus? 3

Part I Sold Ground

Chapter 1 Things Have Always Been Shaky 13

Chapter 2 Silence as Medicine 16

Chapter 3 A Deeper Work 23

Chapter 4 Silence in Church 29

Chapter 5 A Reflection on Elijah 34

Chapter 6 Is God Silent? 40

Part II Stability

Chapter 7 Faith in Its Fullness 47

Chapter 8 Make Me a Better Pray-er 59

Chapter 9 An Interview That Had Me Nervous 68

Chapter 10 The Original Prayer Book 73

Chapter 11 A Reflection on Habakkuk 81

Chapter 12 A Lament over Division 84

Part III Anchored

Chapter 13 Opening Up the Bible 89

Chapter 14 Wrestling for a Blessing 96

Chapter 15 Knowing God 100

Chapter 16 Pray the Scriptures 104

Chapter 17 Getting to Know Mary 109

Chapter 18 A Reflection on Jesus Calming the Storm 115

Part IV Foundation

Chapter 19 Look for the Faithful 121

Chapter 20 More to Learn 125

Chapter 21 Going Wider 129

Chapter 22 A Priest at a Funeral 134

Chapter 23 The House of the Lord 139

Chapter 24 Heart of Worship 146

Part V Assurance

Chapter 25 Gifts of the Church 153

Chapter 26 Breaking Bread 156

Chapter 27 Holy Water 162

Chapter 28 Room for Doubt 165

Chapter 29 What We Believe 169

Chapter 30 Make Disciples 179

Chapter 31 Abiding as Spiritual Practice 184

Epilogue 187

Acknowledgments 189

Appendix of Practices 191

References 195

About the Author 199

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Shaky Ground:

"Rhoades’s book is refreshing in that instead of writing decisively from a certain church corner, she reminds us that, for those of us who follow Christ and believe in him for salvation from sins, we are all part of the Church."—Englewood Review of Books

"Traci Rhoades's *Shaky Ground* acknowledges the uncomfortable place we Christians find ourselves in in the modern world and how the timeless love of God applies today more than ever. Traci weaves hope in her words and a vision of a future for the church as it’s always existed: in the uncomfortable places where people seek meaning, understanding, and purpose, even in the middle of the most uncomfortable places of life." —Anna Fitch Courie, author of the Christ Walk series

“Traci points out fresh facets of her ever-growing faith, practices, and disciplines different from those she learned as a child. Her discoveries have not taken the place of her childhood faith but beautifully enhanced and strengthened it.” —John Blase, poet, and author of *Know When to Hold ‘Em: The High Stakes Game of Fatherhood*

Praise for previous works:

"Each one of us can learn from Traci's teachable spirit—one that has allowed her to learn from brothers and sisters from throughout Christendom.”
—Marlena Graves, author of The Way Up Is Down

"Rhoades takes us by the hand and shows us that the power and love of Jesus cannot be contained within one Christian tradition."
—The Rev. Canon Elizabeth Geitz, author of Spiritual Truth in the Age of Fake News, Fireweed Evangelism, and more

From the Publisher