Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist
Week 12: "The Spirit of the Home" — What Sanctuary Means
Read the chapter "The Spirit of the Home" in Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist
Previewing Week 12 of Present Over Perfect
Read 3 of 6 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 22-week guide when you’re ready.
Home, for Niequist, is not just a place — it is a practice, a posture, a commitment to making space where people feel safe enough to be themselves.
Discussion Questions
6 questions1.Niequist writes about home as sanctuary — a place that is defined not by its aesthetics but by the sense of safety and belonging it creates. Does your home feel that way to you? To the people who enter it?
2.She reflects on the difference between hospitality as performance (the perfectly curated dinner party) and hospitality as presence (the open door, the real conversation). How has your own practice of hospitality been shaped more by one than the other?
3.Niequist talks about her own home with Aaron and her boys — the rhythms that make it feel like a sanctuary rather than a stage. What rhythms, rituals, or habits create a sense of home in your life, even if you're not a homemaker in the traditional sense?