Michael Jinkins, President of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and our Centennial Guest Preacher next June, sends out a weekly reflection much like our Beacon Lite. This week he encouraged pastors to read omnivorously. His comments reminded me of how I encouraged seminary students to read not only works of theology and biblical study, but also novels and varied works of non-fiction. That counsel sprang in part from the fact that every troubled pastor I had ever visited had no new or recently read books on the desk. Failure to read left them with little or nothing to give, because when we don't prime the pump, no water flows.
In recent months several of you contributed to my reading. Members loaned me a book on worldwide hunger and a collection of "ecological essays" that supported last Sunday's sermon. Another member allowed me to read a book he wrote several years ago. Another loaned me a work on the intersection of science and religion. I cannot read what all of us recommend, but knowing what feeds your spirit and intellectual curiosity provides valuable insights into who we are and what matters to us.
I vacillate between reading several books at a time and becoming totally absorbed in a single tome. At bedtime I currently read a book on the making of Scotch and another on a new understanding of resurrection, having recently finished Mindless Eating in quest to reach my weight goal. [It didn't help because it made me hungry!] On my desk at home are a collection of essays by Wendell Berry and a copy of Cal Jackson's (our Centennial Guest Preacher next February) memories of life and ministry. And I'm anxiously awaiting Peter Tremayne's latest novel to learn what happens next with Sister Fidelma.
All these and many other books (along with blogs, newspapers, etc) feed my desire to learn and deepen my appreciation for language. Like Dr. Jinkins, I prefer omnivorous pastors, and extend that to bankers, doctors, plumbers, painters, attorneys, teachers, and everyone. When we feed our intellectual curiosity, we have more to talk about, which makes us more interesting, which gives us greater reason to talk with each other. Mark Twain quipped that the person who does not read good books has no advantage over the person who can't read them. When we talk about what we're reading with others, that advantage extends to the community. So, what are we reading, MWPC? Please feel welcome to click on the link below and share what book presently feeds you and/or any recommendations for others. That can help our lives not only to intersect but also to connect. God abides in those connections.
It doesn't quite fit, but I'll close with perhaps my favorite quotation about books. It comes from Erasmus: "When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes." I enjoying eating too much for that, but reading isn't far behind.
Happy reading,
LP
My nose is currently in two books: The Abundant Community (a great read) and The Life of Meaning(an interesting book with varied authors) Maybe a re-read of Moneyball will be upcoming given the movie that just came out?
ReplyDeleteLike Steve, I’m reading “The Life of Meaning: Reflections on Faith, Doubt, and Repairing the World”. Written by Bob Abernethy and William Boyle, it’s a collection of short essays (3-4 pages each) drawn from PBS’ “Religion and Ethics NewsWeekly”. I’ve really enjoyed the variety of perspectives and found it to widen my understanding. Bill T.
ReplyDeleteOthers have also mentioned The Life of Meaning. I'll have to take a look at that. The essays from the PBS weekly sound intriguing as well. So many books, so little time!
ReplyDeleteThe collection of Wendell Berry essays, Life Is A Miracle, is a reread, but he write so beautifully that I'm enjoying things I missed initially. He basic question seems to be whether we can live without harming someone or something. That may push a little too far, but his exposure of the arrogance woven into our culture chaallenges us all.
We recently purchased a copy of "The Life of Meaning" for the church library for the broad variety of perspectives it includes. And Steve, I have recently read "The Abundant Community" and would agree with your assessment! (John McKnight also has an earlier book of essays, "The Careless Society: Community and its Counterfeits" which I also found well worth the read.)
ReplyDeleteI am one of those people who always has several books going at once, most often non-fiction. Right now it's "The First Paul" by Borg and Crossan (as an adjunct to the ACE "Eclipsing Empire" series), "Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Would Cure the World" by Tracy Kidder, and the audio version of "In the Garden of Beasts" by Erik Larson, the story of the rise of Hitler and Nazi Germany from the insider's perspective of William Todd, the US ambassador to Berlin in the early to mid 1930's.
I agree: So many books, so little time!
So grateful for literacy!