Sandra McCracken - Send Out Your Light: The Illuminating Power of Scripture and Song

Send Out Your Light reads like a sound track, spotlighting Gods illumination through Sandras story and songs. Its a hopeful invitation to see the light God has given each of us, and a timely call to send that light back out.

Ian Morgan Cron , bestselling author of The Road Back to You

Sandras songs have always felt like a balm for my soul and a shelter in the storm. Now shes written a book that sings with story, Scripture, and the kind of raw authenticity that beckons you to come as you are into the light of Christ, and warm your hands by the embers of His love. Youre holding a lantern, my friend. Enjoy the journey.

Ellie Holcomb , Dove Award-winning singer/songwriter and author

Digging deeper into Sandras own songwriting and personal story, Send Out Your Light reads like a conversation with a friend. Through Scripture and lyrics, she offers up an authentic picture of gospel hope through songs, stories, and personal reflections.

Drew Holcomb , Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors

Sandra McCrackens voice and words have been a companion to my faith for nearly twenty years. Honest, searching, at times lamenting, but always hopeful, she has resisted the temptation of much of Christian art to fall into sentimentality and clichs. In Send Out Your Light , she invites us more deeply into her songs and into her life. In reading along, we see how immersing our lives in the words of the Scriptures can birth a spiritually alive imagination, more able to love God, love others, and see him alive and at work in holy moments that appear subtly but regularly in our lives.

Mike Cosper , author and director of Podcasts at Christianity Today

Sandras music has been a transformational sound track for the good/hard seasons of our lives. Her lyrics are a prayer for weary souls; her melodies a salve for broken hearts. This book poignantly pulls back the curtain on Sandras own good/hard story and artistic process, reminding us the most personal journeys toward the light are in fact the most universal.

Katherine and Jay Wolf , cofounders and authors of Hope Heals and Suffer Strong

Send Out Your Light is filled with enthralling stories, glorious and insightful reflections on the Lords grace and love, and invitations to stop, rest, and reflect. It was like a breath of fresh air. Be ready to be refreshed, inspired, and reminded of Gods unending love.

Trillia Newbell , author of A Great Cloud of Witnesses , Sacred Endurance , and If God Is for Us

Part memoir, part midrash, Sandra McCrackens beautiful book is a testament to the faithfulness of God, rooted in the sounds and stories of the psalms, and a reminder that, no matter how broken or inadequate we may feel, we are all by grace living epistles of Christ, emblems of Gods steadfast love. This is a hopeful bookand one that many of us desperately need!

W. David O. Taylor is associate professor of Theology and Culture at Fuller Theological Seminary and the author of Open and Unafraid: The Psalms as a Guide to Life

Send Out Your Light is wise, engaging, and nourishingjust like a conversation with Sandra over tea. Not surprisingly, her writing voice is as beautiful as the poetry of her songs, inviting us into the honest stories of her life. Scripture is laced throughout the narrative as naturally as it weaves through her days. With hands held open to God, we receive grace from what Sandra has receivedbeauty, gentleness, strength, and hope. As Sandras life is a gift, so is this rich and satisfying book.

Andi Ashworth , author and cofounder
of Art House America
Charlie Peacock , music producer and cofounder of Art House America

There are many books I nibble, content with only a taste, while others awaken a voracious soul hunger. I read Sandra McCrackens Send Out Your Light with highlighter in hand, inhaling gospel hope with every mouthful, eager to exhale it to others. Her words are lyrical and redemptive, refracting eternal light through temporal tears, guiding the reader to the Author of life.

Maggie Wallem Rowe , author of This Life We Share: 52 Reflections on Journeying Well with God and Others

This is a book of hard-won wisdom and achingly lovely prose that provides much to ponder. Sandras courage is such an inspiration, and she writes beautifully from a grace-softened heart that invites us to drink deeply from the same well.

Kevin Twit , Reformed University Fellowship pastor and founder of Indelible Grace

In the frenetic chaos of our lives, we experience a sort of numbing that slowly strips meaning from our day-to-day. Sandras potent retelling of her own story inspires us to slow down and be attentive to the beautiful arc of a hope-filled narrative distinctively discerned through Scripture and song.

David H. Kim and Amilee Watkins , cofounders of Goldenwood

Sandra has given us a truly illuminating book. Like a rich conversation at a mountain cabin or around a breakfast table, Sandras catalog of music, old hymns and the Psalms, shed light on all things called life. She is that trusted voice you would want in whatever the season you are in, she is sharing the light of hope. I believe I will return to these pages over and over again, culling wisdom of a transfigured friend.

Don Pape , curator, Pape Commons

Enchanting.

Savannah Locke , musical artist

Copyright 2021 by Sandra McCracken

All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

978-1-0877-2967-1

Published by B&H Publishing Group

Nashville, Tennessee

Dewey Decimal Classification: 223.2

Subject Heading: BIBLE. O.T. PSALMS 43 / EVANGELISTIC WORK / CHRISTIAN LIFE

Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are taken from the English Standard Version. ESV Text Edition: 2016. Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Scripture references marked niv are taken from New International Version, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture references marked ampc are taken from Amplified Bible, Classic Edition, copyright 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation.

Scripture references marked voice are taken from The Voice Bible Copyright 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice translation 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society. All rights reserved.

Scripture references marked csb are taken from the Christian Standard Bible, copyright 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible, and CSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Cover design by B&H Publishing Group. Cover photo by EVAN DALEN / stocksy. Foil texture background Shutterstock/Glitterstudio. Author photo by Robby Klein.

Song lyrics used by permission of Integrity Music. All other song lyrics used by permission of their authors.

1 2 3 4 5 6 25 24 23 22 21

This book has been a patient journey. I owe a debt of gratitude to the friends who have been my cheerleaders. Alongside the steady support of my husband, Tim, and our family, Im grateful also to Emily Otteson, Taylor Combs and the team at B&H, Chris DeTray, and Jami Crocket for their day-to-day help in getting these words on the page. And I have been encouraged by Cindy Morgan, Don Pape, Kevin Twit, Danny Bryant, Ashley Cleveland, David Kim, Russ Ramsey, Lourine Clark, Jamie and Deanna Smith, Steven Purcell and Laity Lodge, Andrew Osenga, Peter Harris, Integrity Music, Andi Ashworth, Cassie Tasker, and Becca Jordan, and many writer friends I only know in books. Thank you for this opportunity. Thanks be to God.

Note to self: Trust the process... even when you dont have time to write. The Spirit gives the words. In him, there is no scarcity of time. Be faithful. Be joyful. Be full of trust.