Jesus & the Way of Sorrows
Hello!
I know I've been MIA the past couple of weeks. I've been working on a project that I'm excited to tell you about: my second book in the Nobody Left Out series!
As you may know, last November, I self-published my first devotional book, Nobody Left Out: Jesus Meets the Messes. This year, I've set a goal to self-publish two more books. First on the list is Nobody Left Out: Jesus & the Way of Sorrows.
This book will be a journey through the Stations of the Cross. The Stations of the Cross is a devotional exercise that follows Jesus through the final 18 hours of his life. It begins with Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane and ends with his body placed in the tomb. In between, we see the suffering Jesus endured for our sake. But each station is marked by hope because we know Easter is coming!
If you've been reading my work for a while, you may be thinking, "Heeeey, wait a minute... Didn't you already do something like this?!" Yes! Great memory!
I wrote the content for this book around this time last year as a Lent series. I enjoyed writing it and contemplating Jesus' journey. There is something that has always appealed to me about the Stations of the Cross. I love the intentionality of stopping at each point along the Sorrowful Way and reflecting, remembering the steps Jesus took as the drama unfolded.
I've spent the past two weeks compiling the book and making edits. I also wrote an extra chapter on the resurrection of Jesus because that's THE most important part of the story! I'm trying to release the book by Easter, but I need some help. There is a cost to self-publishing, and it takes time to recoup the investment. I've set up an Indiegogo campaign to raise funds to cover these costs. I'm choosing to raise funds for this book in particular because it will be available as a free download.
If you're interested in learning more, this video explains why I'm raising funds and how I will use the money. My Indiegogo page goes into even more details about the project. There's an FAQ section answering questions like "Why am I making this book available for free?" You'll also see the various perks for contributors, such as being immortalized in my book and receiving a signed copy. :)
If you are unable to contribute, I totally understand! There is so much going on in the world right now. I'm a minuscule blip on the radar. There are so many good, worthy causes to give your money to. I know it's impossible to give to them all.
What matters most to me has been your encouragement. I wrote this series during the beginnings of the COVID pandemic. There were days where—like all of us—it was a struggle to do much of anything. Knowing I had readers on the other side of my ramblings kept me writing. So thank you!
Writing about a heavy topic during such a heavy time was also a palpable reminder that suffering is real. We want a world where God shields us from all suffering. But the Stations of the Cross reminds us that God is in the suffering with us. He travels along the Way of Sorrows because he knows we are weak. He carries the cross when we can't. And even in the most hopeless circumstances, we dare to have hope because we know the ending. The Way of Sorrows leads us to the hope-filled tomb!
I pray that people who are experiencing suffering would find comfort in this book. I pray it would remind them (and me) that Jesus is in the suffering with us.
You can find out more about the campaign here.
Thank you so much!
Michael