Maybe you’re an athlete or collector, a chef or film critic, a
painter or gamer. Your hobbies aren’t arbitrary passions. The
God who formed your body also shaped the specific ways you
love to play. He understands the delight of your garden or the
thrill of a new board game. And he calls it good.

We often view play as a distraction from serious responsibilities,
but in Created to Play, Brianna Lambert reveals the ways God
blesses your hobbies and uses them to form and pull you into
worship. Lambert explores ten different titles you may inhabit in
your play: Beholder, Curator, Maker, Herald, Restorer,
Connecter, Nourisher, Mover, Caretaker, and Historian.

This book invites you to see your hobbies as opportunities for
joy, community, and spiritual formation.

With Created to Play, you will:

• Explore how hobbies shape your spiritual formation.
• Identify yourself among ten unique roles shaped through play.
• Embrace rest and joy rather than guilt around leisure.
• Discover how hobbies draw you into worship and reflect God’s character

Because play isn’t about what you get or achieve but who you become.

“As a productivity addict, I needed this book. Brianna Lambert unveiled for me the goodness of play, gently rebuking my tendency to view play as indulgent, extra, something for later when the entire to-do list is complete. But it turns out, play isn’t just a gift given by God for us to enjoy him, his creation, and one another―it’s also a necessity. We don’t talk about play much in the church today. I’m so glad Brianna is.”

Jen Oshman, author and speaker

“Created to Play is a refreshing reminder that hobbies are not a luxury but part of the way God forms and strengthens our souls. Brianna Lambert shows how play and the pursuits we love can become places of real spiritual renewal, shaping who we are and drawing us into deeper fellowship with God and others. A needed and freeing read.”

Amber O’Neal Johnston, author of A Place to Belong and Soul School

“Though I have read thousands of books through the years, and though many of them have dealt with my various hobbies, I don’t think I’ve ever read a book on hobbies in general, much less a book that offers a biblical perspective on them. I’m glad that I finally have! Brianna Lambert’s book is as clarifying as it is helpful as she shows that hobbies are not merely something we do to rest up from our true work but are an entirely different means through which we can bless others and bring glory to God. Read it to better understand the beauty of hobbies and read it to do them explicitly to the glory of God.”

Tim Challies, author of Seasons of Sorrow

“Here in the West, we can be so pragmatic about everything, ever mindful of the point or the payoff of what we choose to give ourselves to, as though the ends must be quantifiable to justify the means. But when we live like this, transcendent qualities that shape who we are―things like the pursuit of beauty or the act of playing―can get lost or deemed unimportant, leaving us less than whole. I am thankful for Brianna Lambert’s guide through what should never become a forgotten human quality―playfulness as a way to know and love God with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength.”

Russ Ramsey, pastor and author of Van Gogh Has a Broken Heart: What Art Teaches Us About the Wonder and Struggle of Being Alive

Are you Ready? 

Let’s learn how our play draws us into worship. Grab a copy at Amazon or wherever books are sold. You can even download and start reading the first chapter today at InterVarsity Press.

I can’t wait to have you join the conversation and start playing in the way God designed you to play!