God, Improv, and the Art of Living - Hardcover

McKibben Dana, MaryAnn

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0802874649 ISBN 13: 9780802874641

Publisher: Eerdmans, 2018

Synopsis

We are all improvisers!

The principle of "yes, and . . ." in improvisational theater has produced a lot of great comedy. But it also offers an invigo­rating approach to life in general, and the spiritual life in particular. From Moses to Ruth to Jesus, scripture is full of people boldly saying "yes, and . . ." as they accept what life throws their way and build upon it.

Pastor, speaker, and improv aficionada MaryAnn McKibben Dana here blends Scripture, psychology, theology, and pop culture in a wise, funny, down-to-earth guide to improv as a practice for life. Offering concrete spiritual wisdom in the form of seven improvi­sational principles, this book will help readers become more awake, creative, resilient, and ready to play--even (and perhaps especially) when life doesn't go according to plan.

"We are all improvisers," says McKibben Dana, "whether we realize it or not. We improvise in order to get through the day. We improvise when life surprises us. We do it without even thinking about it. This book will help you do it better."

About this title

From the Author

This book is the result of many years of incubation, mulling, exploratory blog posts, group work, and personal exploration....And improv class....And play.
Writing this book been such an intense and wonderful journey, and a long one, that it almost doesn't seem real that there's a physical product at the end. Improv is so much about the experience rather than a destination. Life is like that too, no? 
And yet... here it is, for the world to read and experience.
The book's foreword is written by actor, author (Angry Conversations with God), and former Groundlings member Susan E. Isaacs. It was a true delight to see how deeply she got it:
McKibben Dana invites us to approach life as a chance to discover with God, with all the mess and surprise that comes along with it. What if God isn't an immutable taskmaster but a creative collaborator? What if God's answer is "Yes And"?  What if God is asking us the question: "What do you want?" It's a terrifying and freeing invitation. It's also a step toward maturity.
Onward.

From the Inside Flap

In this exploratory and practical book, exercises are included for each chapter, some for individuals and some for communities. You are invited to dive in and experience the principles in this book. Don't be like the people in the old New Yorker cartoon that encounter two heavenly staircases, ascending to the clouds. One staircase is marked 'Heaven,' while the other, much more popular staircase is 'Discussion about Heaven.' Do the work. And in many cases, the work is to play.

Edition details

• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 0802874649
• ISBN 13: 9780802874641
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 230