Need suggestions for beach reading or books to bring on vacation? How about ideas for your congregation’s book club?
The Seeds for the Parish editor recently asked members of the ELCA Facebook page for their recommendations, here is what they had to say:
“Irresistible Revolution,” by Shane Clairborne
“Loving Jesus,” by Dr Mark Alan Powell
“Ocean Breeze: Inspirational Moments with God at the Beach,” by Brian J. Waldrop
“Gilead,” by Marilynne Robinson
“Death Comes for the Archbishop,” by Willa Cather
“The Scarlet Letter,” by Nathaniel Hawthorne
“Caught,” by Hal Corbin
“The Secret Supper,” by Javier Sierra
“Packing for Mars,” by Mary Roach
“Skipping Christmas,” by John Grisham
“Crazy Love,” by Francis Chan
“The Return of the Prodigal Son,” by Henri Nowen
“ScreamFree Parenting,” by Hal Runkel
“In the Name of Jesus,” by Henri Nouwen
“Boundaries,” by Cloud and Townsend
“The Sacred Marriage,” by Gary Thomas
“The Great Divorce,” by C.S. Lewis
“The Cost of Discipleship,” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“The Faith Club,” by Idliby, Oliver and Warner
“Take This Bread,” by Sara Miles
“An Altar In The World,” by Barbara Brown Taylor
“Unbroken,” by Dan Wooley
“Traveling Mercies,” by Anne Lamott
“The Mark of the Lion,” series by Francine Rivers
“The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven,” by Kevin & Alex Malarkey
“Double Trouble on Corned Beef Row,” by James Battee
“Walking Across Egypt,” by Clyde Edgerton
“The Ragamuffin Gospel,” by Brennan Manning
“In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day,” by Mark Batterson
“Mandate to Difference,” by Walter Brueggemann
You may be interested in forming a summer reading group with members of your congregation. You could gather in someone’s backyard, at the church building or at a local coffee shop to chat about what you are reading.
What books would you recommend?
Where God Meets Man by Gerhard Forde
Theology is for Proclamation also by Forde
Ethics by Bonhoeffer, way over and above Cost of Discipleship
Elert would be pretty tough for a congregation bookclub, but would make an excellent adult study. Start with his Christian Ethos.
Tilich's The New Being and Moltman's The Crucified God are currently on my booklist.
We're reading "Sinning Like a Christian" by William Willimon.
"Why Have All The People Gone: The State of the Christian Church in America," (Publish America) 2009, ISBN: 978-1-4489-9181-5; by Rev. Marvin R. Jonasen
I have read the book fifth on the list, Ocean Breeze: Inspirational Moments with God at the Beach, by Brian Waldrop. It is a small book, easy to pack or to take with you to the beach or wherever
I found it truely inspirational!!! The format, just a page or two for each reading, lends itself to vacation time. I liked to read a story, with analogies and some humor, soon after I arose in the morning. It kind of set the tone for the rest of the day, and the tone was positive and I felt grateful for all of God's blessings.
One of the blessings definitely is this book.