Colorado Springs, CO.—January 26, 2024—NavPress title Bearing God by Marlena Graves (released in September 2023) has been named a finalist in the annual book awards program from the Martin Institute Dallas Willard Center (MIDWC). 

Since 2015, this annual award has honored exemplary scholarship that shares Dallas Willard’s vision of invisible things—such as soul, spirit, and the Kingdom of God—being a part of reality. 

“I am overjoyed to see Bearing God chosen as a finalist for this award,” said NavPress acquisitions editor Deborah Sáenz Gonzalez. “Marlena’s insights on spiritual formation are fresh and timely; her writing is authentic and will enrich the souls of all who read it.” 

In Bearing God: Living a Christ-Formed Life in Uncharted Waters, Graves shows that God is present in the midst of our everyday experiences and that our context points the way to God’s mission for us. Perfect for readers who feel spiritually lost, this clear and concise text offers guidance for discerning God’s calling. 

The MIDWC will announce the winner of this year’s award in spring 2024. 

Marlena Graves is an author, writer, professor, preacher, and speaker on spiritual formation and justice, especially in areas of racism and immigration in the United States. 

Her books include The Way Up Is Down, Who’s My Neighbor?, A Beautiful Disaster, and 40 Days on Being a Nine (Enneagram Daily Reflections). Marlena is an assistant professor of spiritual formation at Northeastern Seminary on the campus of Roberts Wesleyan University. She is a member of INK: A Creative Collective and lives in the Rochester, New York, area with her husband and three daughters. Learn more about Marlena at marlenagraves.com. 

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