Announcing: The Almost Daily Devotional

Thrilled to announce The Almost Daily Devotional by Paul N. Walker, the newest book out from Mockingbird! Get it in time for Christmas and/or your next crisis. This accessible, down-to-earth devotional includes 365 entries, each grounded by grace, good humor, and a deep sense of compassion. Below is the foreword by Mockingbird director David Zahl about how this book came to be.

The idea was far more uncanny than we realized at the time.

Paul often returned from summer vacation with fresh ideas about how to serve the spiritual life of our church, Christ Episcopal in Charlottesville, VA. So those of us on staff weren’t surprised when in the fall of 2019 he announced a new undertaking called the Almost Daily Devotional. His wife Christie had dreamed it up over the break as a way of bringing our growing congregation together around the message of God’s grace.

Paul loved the idea and wanted to be sure that, like the grace of God, it wouldn’t require anything of anybody. Our parishioners had more than enough on their plates as is and besides, he’d always envisioned the church as a place to drop one’s burdens rather than pick up new ones. The parameters were simple: Paul would write a short, daily-ish email containing a little Bible, a little prayer, and a lot of encouragement — and it would land in people’s inboxes first thing in the morning. The goal was something you could read while waiting in line to drop the kids off at school. Something easily digestible that would set the tone for the day.

I remember thinking the proposal sounded inspired — as you’ll see, Paul’s a gifted writer — but it also sounded ambitious. As the rector of a church that was bucking every denominational trend and bursting at the seams, Paul had plenty on his schedule and didn’t need to add anything extra. The Almost Daily Devotional seemed like the kind of thing that would hit the chopping block as soon as Advent rolled around. I planned to enjoy it while he had the energy.

I know what you’re thinking: a daily reflection from one’s pastor sounds good, but not especially uncanny.

Well, about six months in, the world experienced a global pandemic, and the timing of Paul’s project took on a different light. The light of the Spirit, you might say. The flock was suddenly prohibited from gathering in person, yet here was Paul, all set up and ready to rock. To invoke the term that we heard everywhere at the time, there was no “pivot” necessary. The infrastructure was in place, the subscribers eager to share these messages with their panicked friends and neighbors.

Which is precisely what happened, praise God.

I don’t mean to suggest that this was a happy turn of events. Almost overnight, the vibrant local ministry Paul had spent years cultivating was put on indefinite hiatus. It was disorienting, frustrating, and supremely anxiety-producing. Clergy everywhere were put in a no-win situation — “unprecedented” was the other buzzword we all got sick of — and I watched as Paul fielded criticism from every corner about how the church should proceed.

One thing he didn’t field any pushback against was the Almost Daily Devotional. It became a lifeline, and not just to our congregation in Virginia. The mailing list swelled dramatically, as the Internet did what the Internet does. Hardly a day went by when Paul wouldn’t burst into my office and say, “Listen to this response I just got from Germany [or Brazil or Oregon]! Who do we know in Bermuda?!” It buoyed the sender just as much as the recipients. Grace abounded.

All that to say, this new book isn’t just a collection of daily meditations on redemption. It is a form of redemption itself. It represents one of the many ways that God anticipated and accompanied our community through a trying period. Of course, while the message of the Gospel may sparkle more brightly in times of trouble, it transcends outward circumstances. These devotions apply just as directly to ho-hum days as they do to apocalyptic-seeming ones.

One more thing to note: Paul included “Almost” in the title partly to convey the freedom informing the project. He wanted to undermine from the outset any ironclad expectation that readers engage in a regimented way. I suspect, however, that he also wanted to give himself an out. If the writing got too onerous, he could bail. But Paul kept at it, week after week, even as the prohibitions relaxed. It was a delightful thing to witness. The joy he took in the process comes across loud and clear, whether that be his infectious love of American literature or his near-maniacal enthusiasm for autumn. I remember him telling me one day, fresh from an ADD writing session, “Dave, this is so fun to do! Easy, too.”

I forget if I said it out loud at the time but I certainly thought it: “Well, it’s easy for you.” Paul honestly believed anyone could do what he was doing. I’ve tried. Devotional writing is notoriously difficult to do well and basically impossible to sustain over an extended period without devolving into repetition or triteness. Yet the emails persisted for more than three and a half years — far longer than intended — and there were almost no duds. No phoning it in or preacher autopilot. Just wide-ranging inspiration and an unwavering reliance on the gospel of grace. God gives everyone different gifts, and I’m so thankful this is one he gave Paul Walker. I don’t know how I would’ve survived the pandemic without these daily grace-bombs. I know I’m not alone.

Indeed, when the curtain finally fell, the outpouring of gratitude was immense. Folks from all around the world testified to the impact the ADD had had on their lives, not just keeping their faith afloat but deepening their love for God during a bewildering time. It felt like a no-brainer to pick a year’s worth of favorites, scrub the COVID references, and fashion them into a book.

As I write this, the virus has already faded from memory more than I thought possible. A friend found a mask in an old coat pocket and told me it took him a second to recall how it got there; it felt more like a missive from a bad dream than anything real. But those days were real, and I pray they never return. I also pray these pages are as much a godsend to those who read them as they have been to us who compiled them. Not just uncommon in their power but, dare I say, unprecedented. — David Zahl

The Almost Daily Devotional will be released on Oct 29. To pre-order your copy visit:

The Mockingbird store

Amazon

Bookshop.org

Barnes & Noble