"One of those quick, easy questions that I ask periodically because the answer is always changing: What are you reading right now? And, is it good? Would you recommend it? How did you choose it?"
In radical opposition to the Jesus of the Christian Right, Heyward presents Jesus as our brother and us with him in the commitment to embody right relation, which she calls mutual relation. She envisions a counter-cultural force, which she names christic power, that can help save American culture from its greed and domination and save the figure of Jesus from culture-generated distortions.The Rev. Dr. Carter Heyward is an Episcopal priest, professor, liberation theologian, activist, writer, and pioneer in the areas of feminist liberation theology and the theology of sexuality.
"...that mutuality, rather than obedience, is the basis of our life in the Spirit, and that learning to share our power in mutual relation is the most redemptive response we can make to the power of evil" (p. 82).So far, this book is garnering a high rating from me.
"Oh, baby! Yesterday in Nashville we shot a brand-new Video Bible Study for Bad Girls of the Bible. SO thrilled to open God's Word with these beautiful sisters in Christ! The new video and updated book will release on July 16. We can't WAIT for you to see it!"My friend Donna is on the left, front row, and I'm behind her on the next row. Liz (front row, center) yelled, "Throw your hands out!" So we did. My right hand is touching the left side of the photo, extended above Donna's head. That shows how well my physical therapy is working for range of motion, as my broken shoulder continues to heal. I'm glad I was healed enough to drive to and from Nashville for this opportunity. As I posted yesterday, Liz had promised us "a nice bag of books, a tasty snack, and a warm hug." I got my hug when Liz arrived, and the "snack" was a huge box lunch — sandwich, salad, a couple of side dishes, and dessert. As for the books, Lizzie said she chose these for us herself:
Come Along: The Journey into a More Intimate Faith ~ by Jane Rubietta, 2008Isn't it exciting? Learn more about Lizzie on her website. By the way, if this video quits working, you can watch the Righteous Ruth Rap on YouTube.Hi, Bonnie!
Tomorrow—Tuesday, February 26—is our Big Day together in Nashville! Can't wait to see you at 8:30am Central Time at Houston Station.
Any questions or concerns, just respond to this email. If an emergency comes up tonight or tomorrow morning, please phone our producer, Rebecca, at 501-349-xxxx.
You can be sure a nice bag of books, a tasty snack, and a warm hug will be waiting for you.
God bless and MANY thanks!
Your sister, Liz
Publisher's Weekly says this book is for ages 4-6. Hmm, then I must be about kindergarten age. Jane, too, even though she celebrated her 87th birthday yesterday.Morris Lessmore loved words. He loved stories. He loved books. But every story has its upsets. Everything in Morris Lessmore’s life, including his own story, is scattered to the winds. But the power of story will save the day. Brought to life by William Joyce, one of the preeminent creators in children’s literature, this is a modern masterpiece, showing that in today’s world of traditional books, eBooks, and apps, it’s story that we truly celebrate — and this story, no matter how you tell it, begs to be read again and again.
1. In a couple of days, I'll be meeting a famous author and spending time in a small group with her teaching us. I'll tell you more about it on Tuesday, so stay tuned.
2. Luckily, my broken shoulder has healed enough that I will be able to spend a few hours with that author. I'm even driving now. Hurray!
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| The Northgate branch of my library, about a mile from my current home. |
"How often do you visit a library? Do you go to borrow books? Do research? Check out the multi-media center? Hang out with the friendly and knowledgeable staff? Are you there out of love or out of need?"I visit often enough that the library staff knows me -- at several branches of the library. When I have something to say about books from the library, I take part in Library Loot, a weekly event co-hosted by Claire @ The Captive Reader and Marg @ The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages us to share titles of books we’ve checked out of the library. Read my most recent Library Loot post, about a book I rated 10 of 10.
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| Volunteering at the South Chattanooga branch in 2010. |
That glorious day when my classmates and I received Holy Orderes was the beginning of my servitude in the rectory of Monsignor McQuade and his sister, Elizabeth. If somebody's Uncle Louie hadn't been flooding the cathedral sanctuary with the lights of his home movie camera, the ordination ceremony would have been something right out of the Middle Ages. Bishop McGivney sat on a throne before the high altar and watrched us process up the aisle carrying lighted candles. When we were all standing in front of the main altar, Monsignor McFee, the cathedral rector, gave us the call to orders.
"Theodorus Patricius Kelly."
"Ad sum."
"Angelo Thomas Procella."
"Ad sum."
"Robertus Paulus Regalo."
"Ad sum — Here I am," I answered and blew out my candle, symbolic of my dying to the world.
When the rest of my classmates had received the call and answered, the Bishop turned to the seminary rector, who was standing on the sidelines, and said to him in Latin, "Monsignor? Do you know them to be worthy?"
The rector read off a long Latin paragraph which stated that as far as human knowledge would allow him to know, we were worthy.
We had made it. Six years of chasing bells and studying had put us on the top of the world. With over a thousand proud relatives staring at us from the pews, we were high and happy.
Summary: For Father Robert Regalo, the first church assignment after ordination is not at all what the idealistic young priest could have expected. Father Robert is one of the new breed of church fathers: hip, skeptical, and concerned more with the everyday reaalities of the human condition than with the rituals of the formal church. Yet he finds himself in the middle of an ecclesiastic Catch-22, struggling to keep his sanity while coping with the rules and regulations of the rectory, the bingo games, and the raffles. The book reveals the serious problems and irrelevancies of serious problems and irrelevancies of organized religion today.It's off to a slow start, and this may not sound the least bit interesting to most of you, but — having bought this book in 1987 just before my own graduation from seminary, just before I was appointed to my own first church — I was curious about the experiences of a newly minted Catholic father. The book was written over 40 years ago, long before the Catholic Church's pedophile priests were exposed. I'll also read this with the upcoming retirement of Pope Benedict XVI in mind. This book has moved with me from place to place for over a quarter of a century, still unread even after I retired from ministry. I think it's about time I either read it or gave it away.
Not the kind of “love” question you’re expecting for Valentine’s Day. No, what I want to know is: What do you love most about reading?What I love most about reading is that I'm not limited to discussions with people who live near me in time and space, but can converse with people in different times and places about things we both are interested in. Even here online, I have conversation partners I would never have met in this lifetime because we live too far apart. But here you are, reading my response to Deb's question. And here I am, answering a question posed by someone I am unlikely ever to meet in person. This photo and caption, which have been on my sidebar for two or three years, say the same thing — only more succinctly:
"These books are not lumps of lifeless paper, but minds alive on the shelves" — to paraphrase Gilbert Highet.
Minnie McClary is the new girl and knows that she doesn't quite fit in, especially not after she lost it one day in language arts. In art, Minnie has to paint a self portrait — but how can she do this when she doesn't even know who she is anymore? Things aren't great at home, either. Her uncle Bill is building a huge replica of the Apache helicopter he flew in Iraq, and her father has blown some sort of whistle and has to start over in a new job. Then Miss Marks takes over Minnie's language class and encourages students to think critically about everything. They write their thoughts and questions in journals, marking the most private entries For Your Eyes Only. Minnie and her classmate Amira are inspired, but some people in town wonder why Miss Marks is encouraging students to ask these questions and just what, exactly, she's teaching. When a group of angry parents demands Miss Marks's suspension, Minnie finds herself asking a lot of questions — and figuring out what she has the power to change.
"Jeff Winston was on the phone with his wife when he died."Replay ~ by Ken Grimwood, 1986, fiction (Georgia)
The cover to the right is what my library copy looks like; the cover I showed for library loot last week was a current one I found online when I set up the post before actually seeing the library's copy; and the one above is an early edition of the paperback, maybe the first edition of the book, shown in this Emory University review. Jeff dies, yes, but suddenly finds himself back at Emory as a very alive 18-year-old.
"Jeff Winston, forty-three, didn't know he was a replayer until he died and woke up twenty-five years younger in his college dorm room; he lived another life. And died again. And lived again and died again — in a continuous twenty-five-year cycle — each time starting from scratch at the age of eighteen to reclaim lost loves, remedy past mistakes, or make a fortune in the stock market."
I'm curious about what will happen along the way. Especially since I was studying for my Master's degree at Emory in 1986 when Ken Grimwood first published this book. I wonder what I'll recognize about the campus.
"Water reflects the human soul. If you say, 'thank you' to water, it will be reflected in the form of beautiful crystals overflowing with gratitude in return." — The Secret Life of Water
From its arrival on earth to the vast areas it traverses before emptying into the sea, water holds all the knowledge and experience it has acquired. As phenomenal as it may seem, water carries its whole history, just as we carry ours. It carries secrets, too. In this book, bestselling author Masaru Emoto guides us along water’s remarkable journey through our planet and continues his work to reveal water’s secret life to humankind. He shows how we can apply its wisdom to our own lives, and how, by learning to respect and appreciate water, we can better confront the challenges that face the twenty-first century — and rejuvenate the planet.
This book has the potential to profoundly transform your world view. Using high-speed photography, Dr. Masaru Emoto discovered that crystals formed in frozen water reveal changes when specific, concentrated thoughts are directed toward them. He found that water from clear springs and water that has been exposed to loving words shows brilliant, complex, and colorful snowflake patterns. In contrast, polluted water, or water exposed to negative thoughts, forms incomplete, asymmetrical patterns with dull colors. The implications of this research create a new awareness of how we can positively impact the earth and our personal health.I'm frustrated because my library does not have either of these books. The next time I visit my branch library, I intend to put in a request that we acquire both books.
Meet Liberty Porter. She's a regular nine-year-old girl with a lot going on. First of all, her dad has just started a new job. And she has to move to a house in a new city. Oh, and the really big thing? Her dad? His new job is president of the United States. That's right. So the house is the White House, and the city is Washington, D.C. That means Liberty Porter is going to be First Daughter and she is super-excited! This is the start of an amazing adventure for Liberty, for the Secret Service who follow her everywhere (ha!), and for her dog, Franklin, who makes life in the big White House more exciting — especially when he's barking at tourists.This book was on a sale table, so not one I had planned to read. But it was a fun book that children will like. On the day she moved into the White House, Liberty had lots of adventures, partly because she was determined to be helpful. She "rescued" the bored children of people who would be working for her dad — they were on a tour of the White House, led by someone who left out all the interesting tidbits that would fascinate a child. So Liberty managed to take half of them off to her new bedroom to play.
"My Liberty is about to become First Daughter," he said to her. "You will represent the children of America. The future of our country."Then her father laughed and said, "I was just raising my hand to give you a high five." Her job, he explained, was "to just be a nine-year-old." But like the posters in the crowd said, Liberty wanted to be a "Porter SupPorter!"
Liberty's father raised his right hand, like he was going to take an oath. He waited.
Oh! Liberty had to take an oath too! She didn't know that part! Okay! She took a deep breath and raised her right hand too.
"I, Liberty Porter, promise to be an awesome First Daughter. I will represent the children of America, who are the future of our country!" Liberty promised.
Suddenly, Liberty knew she would. The oath made her feel official. It made her feel ready!
"Everybody loves chocolate. Well, maybe not everyone. I suppose there are a few who have never tasted chocolate. Abdul, a 10-year old and a 3-year veteran of the cocoa fields in the Ivory Coast, has never had chocolate. Rose Isope, a direct descendant of the famed fabulist Aesop, has a problem with that. Rose will do everything she can to give Abdul a piece of chocolate. This is a novel about one person’s determination to change a common practice of doing what is easy over doing what is right."
"When historian Gwen Hoffman first meets time traveler Mike Garvin, an ex-Special Forces weapons sergeant back from ancient Gaul where he was embedded as a centurion in Julius Caesar's elite 10th Legion, she is more than a little put off. Scarred and dangerous-looking, the man appears more thug than time traveler. Yet he is the person TimeWarp, Inc. is sending back in time to protect Jeshua bar Yosef (Jesus son of Joseph) from twenty-first century assassins; the man Gwen was assigned to prepare for life in first-century Galilee. Gwen, of course, has no idea she and Garvin will become lovers. Nor does she realize she herself will end up in Roman Palestine, where she will not only meet Jesus but face danger alongside Mike in the adventure of a lifetime."
