The Sense of the Call

Academy of Parish Clergy, Top Ten Books of the Year (2007)

Presbyterian Record
"Last summer when I heard Marva Dawn preach in Toronto, I saw a frail human being — physically. But there was nothing frail about her reading of Scripture and her preaching. The biblical text leapt off the page and inspired a kind of gospel-fuelled courage to be the church. . . Dawn has a profound sense of call, not only for herself but also for the church which, in so many ways, has a frailty not always acknowledged."

Prism
"The Sense of the Call is packed with Bible studies, illustrations from church history, and personal anecdotes, all geared to convince readers of their need to be regularly reclaimed, revitalized, and renewed."

Eugene H. Peterson
— author of The Message
"Inch by inch, row by row . . . Marva Dawn patiently (but not complacently!) works in the garden of God, this planting of sinner-saints in which we live and grow. She waters and weeds, cultivating holy and wise lives. She works at the center, where Jesus is at work with us. There is not a trivial or superfluous word in this book. Dawn is insistent and winsome — an American prophet."
Mark Buchanan
— author of The Rest of God
"What a holy oddity Marva Dawn is. She juggles the prophetic with the pragmatic, stern warning with giddy invitation, a scholar's exactitude with a child's whimsy. She embodies both human brokenness and divine transformation, writing about both with level calm and quiet authority. Mostly she sees — clear-eyed and unflinching — the sheer madness of our mere busyness, and she calls us back to the ancient rhythm of Sabbath keeping and, through that, the discovery that the kingdom is among us and has been for a long time."

Edith M. Humphrey
— author of Ecstasy and Intimacy
"The Sense of the Call issues both a timely challenge and a ceaseless invitation. . . With conviction and concreteness, Marva Dawn leads us to embrace the gifts of God, the catholic disciplines and teachings of the Church, and the mission of our passionate God, who calls us to participate in the Kingdom and the priesthood. Even where the reader may disagree with her particular diagnosis of ills in Church or society, Dawn consistently and graciously points us toward the One who is the source and fulfillment of all authentic life in the Spirit. Above all, she recalls the Joy that is showered upon those who, in service and restful celebration, find their sustenance in the triune God."