"The Ministry of Ordinary Places" Review

Shannan Martin lives on the “wrong side of the tracks.” Many of her neighbors are impoverished, recently incarcerated, struggling with addiction, or all of the above. But it is in this neighborhood where she learned the power of loving and investing in others by being present, even in the ordinary moments.

Finding God in the daily grind first requires paying attention. Notice the sky as you walk your kids to school. Notice your reflection in the mirror one morning. Notice the neighbor trudging down the street and start a conversation. Martin says: “Simply put, we cannot love what we do not know. We cannot know what we do not see. We cannot see anything, really, until we devote ourselves to the lost art of paying attention.”

Noticing is not the end, however. Inviting God into your ordinary requires shedding the security of minding your own business. Ministry can’t happen if you maintain a safe distance from discomfort. Martin encourages readers to invite others into their lives, not with fanfare but with humility. Because the moments you expect to be monumental usually aren’t the ones with lasting significance. God speaks to us through whispers in our everyday lives.

In The Ministry of Ordinary Places, Martin shares snapshots of her life—the hilarious, the frightening, and the deeply touching. Her stories of close encounters with our suffering Christian neighbors are certainly a wake-up call. A Whopper Extra-Value Meal, gluten-free macaroni munched in an unfinished basement and zealous thrift shopping never seemed so beautiful before this book.