by Glynn Cardy. Published by Coventry Press, 2021 (Pleroma $24.99). Reviewed by Alofa Lale

I’m delighted to have discovered A Book of Blessings by Glynn Cardy, a New Zealander and minister of the Community of St Luke in Auckland.

There is something about saying blessings over others that is truly enriching and spirit-filled. That’s why this bookresonated with me and brought a smile to my face.

Cardy has captured the sense of the extraordinary in the everyday. Who knew that an unruly dog, our socks, latecomers, foolishness, the forgetful and we crazies could be seen as blessings or blessed?

It’s not a long book. Each of the blessings fits on a page and opens the reader to seeing the possibility in impossibility, the potential in the obscure and the blessing in the moment.

At a recent function I used one of the blessings — “May you be blessed with a bridge” — and because the language was “ordinary” rather than “churchy” it was perfect for the occasion.

I’ll certainly be using these gems for my own reflection and to share with others.

A Book of Blessings could be a good Christmas gift for a friend (if you’re not already giving a subscription to Tui Motu magazine).

Tui Motu Magazine. Issue 266 December 2021: 23