Each summer, I spend a week in the mountains, HERE (click for pic), studying, writing, planning, praying, visioning, and reading. Stepping away from the constant activity at the church, I savor the solitude and find that I can read about three times as fast. It has been about a year since I shared a reading list with you, so here it goes:
FICTION
“Theo of Golden” by Allen Levi. This self-published book is extraordinary. You may tire of hearing me reference it in sermons. I’ve invited the author to come speak, but so far, no luck.
“Go As a River” by Shelly Read. This is a sweet story of a gutsy pioneer woman in mid-century Colorado.
“The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store” by James McBride. I got a little lost halfway through with the long list of characters, but after persisting and pushing through, I glimpsed the joyful reality that heaven could be on earth.
POETRY
“The House of Belonging” by David Whyte. He is one of my favorite poets, but I didn’t know about this early book of his until Corey Scott read from it in staff meeting. Truly remarkable. I give myself one poem a day, like a rich chocolate truffle to savor.
READ ALOUD WITH YOUR LOVED ONES
“The Book of Belonging” by Marino Clark. This would make a great storybook for bedtime with kids or for a family to read and ponder at the dinner table. In fact, I’ll be using it for a fall and winter sermon series. It’s the Bible stories told with a new twist and in broad sweeps instead of frivolous detail.
NON-FICTION
“Love’s Braided Dance” by Norman Wirzba. Very accessible and yet deeply rooted in theology, scripture, and real life, Norman, a professor at Duke, writes of hope in troubled times. He will be our speaker at the Elder Deacon retreat in January.
“The Good Life Method” by Meghan Sullivan and Paul Blaschko. These two authors teach the most popular course at Notre Dame. Bryce Bowers suggested this for the clergy book read and we all found it stimulating.
“Miracles and Wonders” by Elaine Pagels. A brilliant professor from Princeton, Pagels incorporates cutting-edge scholarship with her personal faith journey to look again at the life and miracles of Jesus.
“The Not Yet God” by Ilia Delio. This book made my head hurt, but I couldn’t put it down. Delio, a scientist/theologian/professor at Villanova sketches a way of being Christian in an age of quantum physics. You scientific types should read it, and then we could discuss it.
Grace and Peace,
Carla
