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John and Nancy's Picks
Lenten devotional for me
John's Pick Wednesday, February 01, 2012
What I like about 40 Treasured Bible Verses: A Devotional for my Lenten reading:
· Many Lenten devotional books are brief. We are all busy and they help us with a single page to read each day. This book by James Howell offers somewhat longer reflections, usually two or three pages in length.
· This one is not so dense that it requires study.
· The reflections, I find, are quite thoughtful and encourage action in me.
--In faith, John
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An important book for some young adults.
John's Pick Wednesday, November 30, 2011
I like this book for those special kinds of young adults and teens. For those who enjoy reading about or watching movies about dragons, sorcerers, and other fantasy stories, and especially for those who have given up on church attendance, and perhaps on God, this book is written for them.
C.S. Lewis wrote Screwtape Letters in a similar manner as this book. Screwtape takes the form of letters written from a senior demon to his nephew, a junior temptor. Screwtape gives directions for assuring the damnation of a specific man. By reading the satire one gains knowledge and strength for a stronger faith.
Dragonslayer is a users manual for those who, obviously, want to slay dragons. And in this case, dragons are sins and good Christians are dragonslayers. In thinly veiled rhetoric this manual gives directions for standing up to the temptations that lead us away from God.
The vivid drawings add to the descriptions of 17 dragons. The whole look and feel of this book is designed to fit as an ancient and secretive manual for those who want to stand up to and fight off, eh, dragons.
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We can learn about how to be Church from Martin.
John's Pick Wednesday, November 09, 2011
Martin the dog tells his view of life in a congregation, a specific congregation, St. Barnabas Church in Fredericksburg Texas. Martin tells of his life there with his “father” who is a priest in that congregation.
For children Martin describes the life of normal events in a congregation. For adults Martin reminds us of what it means to live in a faith community with love.
As Martin describes, everyone likes Martin, and he likes everyone, no matter what. That may be a model for the rest of us.
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The Christmas Story -- Read and Play
Nancy's Pick Wednesday, November 02, 2011
What a great surprise for any child 3 years of age and up! A wonderful board book telling the nativity story from Mary to the Wise Men with delightful illustrations. And then 8 figures -- Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, a donkey, a shepherd, a wise man and a camel -- all with their own stands for the child to play with acting out the story again and again. The figures are cut out of very durable cardboard 3/8" thick. The child will need help in setting up the figures the first time only. A gift to give at the beginning of Advent and/or at Christmas!
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Combining good Christian theology and good science, a rarity
John's Pick Monday, October 03, 2011
Ralph Armstrong attempts a very difficult task, combining very recent knowledge from research in biology with solid, mainline Christian theology. As a former high school Biology teacher John found the descriptions, and superb diagrams and charts of recent biological research to be excellent, both in description and in accuracy. The world inside cells and the chemical interactions are truly amazing, as amazing to John as looking intently at the night sky from a place with little light pollution.
The author’s description of Christian theology is like a second book attached to the scientific one. John had some reservations about Ralph Armstrong’s descriptions in this second part of the book.
As it happened, and the Holy Spirit was most notably present in it, John had the opportunity to converse with the author about both halves of the book. You may read most of the conversation on John’s blog by clicking here. (It is too lengthy to include in this "John's Picks" section of our website.)
John found the book to be very worthwhile to read and ponder. Armstrong helped John to understand the second part of the book more completely.
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Breaking Up With God: A Love Story
Nancy's Pick Wednesday, July 20, 2011
This is a fantastic spiritual memoir and a wonderful read. She is truthful, funny, educated and so willing to share her journey with the reader.
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Very thought-provoking
John's Pick Saturday, July 16, 2011
If you like your faith just the way it is and are not interested in viewing it from another perspective, don’t read this book. On the other hand, if you want to think about your faith from a different perspective, I suggest this book to you.
Philip Gulley reminds us, for instance, that each recorded revelation of God, where God speaks to an individual, gives us different messages, to individuals, that are not repeated or verifiable by another means. He points out that there isn’t one consistent message from God in the many revelations among different denominations and religions. Then Gulley asks why we resort to violence to defend our version of God’s truth and others do the same for their version of God’s truth.
Are you thinking atheism about now? The author doesn’t. He is well grounded in his faith and helps us look at ours.
I enjoy looking at my faith, my religion, my denomination, as well as others in a different light, from a different perspective. It helps me respect the dignity and faith of each person.
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An interesting, thought-provoking book
John's Pick Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Using the fable or parable model Michael Morwood offers thoughtful reflections on many aspects of our life of faith and God. Each short chapter offers theological reflection on our basic concerns of faith. How to pray. Where is God located? Who or what is God? Is Scripture true history? How can a loving God allow suffering? Heaven is not a place. Is the meaning of this life only a preparation for the next life?
It’s all good, thoughtful, Episcopal and Catholic theology wrapped up in an interesting and quirky storyline.
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It's Really All About God
John's Pick Monday, March 28, 2011
I found It’s Really All About God to be a fascinating and interesting “read.” There are so many salient points that I found myself reading only a couple of pages at a time so that I could mull the thoughts and Samir Selmanovic’s descriptions and phrasing. The author covers many topics, but they all relate back to just what and whom we worship; not religion, not denominations, or churches, or synagogues, or mosques, or creeds, or books, but God. As the title states, “It’s Really All About God.” Perhaps you will enjoy reading it, too.
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True stories can be soul-stirring.
John's Pick Saturday, March 05, 2011
This is an amazing and soul-stirring, uplifting true story. I enjoy true stories that lift my soul the best.
Conor Grennan seemed awfully naive to me at the beginning of the book, and in many ways fit my stereotype of twenty-somethings. But, as he related more of the story I watched him mature and take on huge challenges.
Another outstanding aspect of the book is the resiliency of the children. They are amazing.
The life in the mountains of Nepal as described seems to come from another century.
Soon I could not put the book down and by the end I did not want the book to end.
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