Hello –
From time to time I recommend a book for us to read. So far, I’ve recommended three, and each has led to good discussion. Toxic Charity helped us review how we were doing outreach. Falling Upward helped us think about wisdom for the second half of life. Sticky Faith helped us think about how we were handing on our faith to our children.
This summer I want to commend three short, wise books. But first, because this is the last email of June, a few pieces of important business:
• The Wednesday 10am Bible Study doesn’t meet again until July.
• Mike Spina’s funeral is this Friday at 11am.
• The Rev. Jim Ward will be leading services for he next two Sundays.
• The chancel choir continues to meet Thursday evenings to work on sight reading- a great time to test out being a part of it.
Now, my three short, wise books:
• Desert Wisdom: Sayings from the Desert Fathers. Introduced by Henri Nouwan. Translation and art by Yushi Nomura. If you don’t know this deep pool of Christian wisdom, this 122 page book is the perfect introduction. It has Japanese calligraphy illustrations to 100 of the best little sayings and stories. Read it 2 or 3 stories or sayings at a time each morning of the summer.
• Into the Silent Land: A Guide to the Christian Practice of Contemplation. Martin Laird. This is the best book I’ve ever read about Christian meditation. I’m currently slowly rereading it for the second time in a row. It’s 142 pages. I’m sending a copy to each of our seven North Seg brothers on Death Row.
• Hard Choices for Loving People: CPR, Feeding Tubes, Palliative Care, Comfort Measures and the Patient with a Serious Illness. By Hank Dunn. This 76 page book is filled with practical wisdom. It was written by an experienced hospital chaplain who is also a member of Church of the Saviour in DC. Chloe, who has led two successful Death Cafes at St. Paul’s, introduced this book to me. It teaches us to be wise and prudent in facing death, which we all must face.
Now I will also be enjoying my usual summer fare of adventure stories, novels and poems. But it is also nice to have some deep wisdom to slowly read, mark, learn and inwardly digest.
Blessings,
Christopher
p: (415) 456-4842