Alastair Sterne (DIS, Fuller Theological Seminary) is a creative director turned pastor. He serves as the associate pastor at Coastline Church in Victoria, British Columbia. He previously partnered with Redeemer City to City and founded St. Peter's Fireside, a creative liturgical church in Vancouver. He is the author of Rhythms for Life: Spiritual Practices for Who God Made You to Be. Alastair and his wife, Julia, write and podcast together at ordinarymatters.org and collect joy with their daughters.

"In this book of joy, Alastair effortlessly-and frequently - dances between theology and culture, persuader and artist, poet and pragmatist to make this point clear: joy is available for all who seek."

"If you want joy, cultivate joy. Through rich storytelling and wise teaching, Alastair Sterne is an excellent guide to those cozy rooms, fireside parlors, and old summertime porches in that beautiful place you may have forgotten-the House of Joy."

"In his book Longing for Joy, Sterne invites us to encounter a joy that is as robust as it is mysterious, as whimsical as it is accessible, as human as it is divine. With writing that is informed, playful, and full of heart, Sterne weaves together theological thought and personal encounter, creating a hopeful tapestry of aliveness that does not eschew suffering but welcomes it in to feast at joy's table. I can imagine no better guide to joy than this."

"Alastair writes with the familiar tone of a friend who eagerly invites us to discover what he already has: joy is different from and so much better than anything we thought it to be. Through masterful storytelling, sage-like insights, and a genuine humility, Alastair has reintroduced me to joy and the face of a happy God who laughs. I am so grateful for that. We need this book and its inspiring manifesto, perhaps now more than ever."

"Through honesty, poetic logic, and the beauty of a writer who clearly knows his way around a page, Alastair Sterne points the way toward joy for even the most Eeyore-like reader. Like a master craftsman, Sterne weaves story, Scripture, and meaning into the most convincing case for joy I've read yet."

"Joy often eludes my grasp. Longing for Joy issues a gentle corrective that joy is not something to be grasped after all, but a person with whom we are invited to dance. Take and read if you are hungry for both an honest assessment of the human condition and sturdy hope in the gospel of grace."

"Our God delights in joy, and Alastair Sterne invites us to cultivate the joy of God in our lives. As he leads you on a quest for joy, he shares engaging stories that are humble and humorous, profound and powerful. If you say 'Yes' to his invitation, you will be blessed."

"As I read this book, I just kept saying to myself over and over People need this book! Although my first thought was about those I pastor, I felt the gentle voice of the Spirit saying 'No, no, no . . . you need this book.' Longing for Joy is a book for all of us. As Alastair points out, even if you are unaware, your heart is truly longing for joy. Alastair masterfully creates a robust theology of joy along with the accompanying path to help you begin your own journey into 'joy in all circumstances.'"

"I am regularly chagrined by the obstinacy of my cynicism, so I received Alastair Sterne's Longing for Joy with real apprehension. This book might not be for me, I thought, but I was gloriously, joyfully wrong. Reading Longing for Joy is like being taught to dance by a gentle and confident partner. Self-consciousness and doubt are overcome by Sterne's skilled and intuitive accompaniment. Something approaching a sacrament, Longing for Joy effects what it signifies, as the reader is led into 'an ever-widening circle of joy.'"

"This book is a lively game of hide-and-seek with one of life's elusive necessities-deep human joy. Alastair Sterne writes with easy, self-effacing humor and vulnerability that brings the reader into his personal journey with joy in all of its glorious highs and crushing lows. This book is not a how-to manual for joy. (Who would believe that anyway?) Rather, it is a brisk plunge into the wellspring of joy: the love of God for us in Jesus."

Publisher: IVP

Pub date: 2024-10-29

Length: 240 pages