Pastor’s Pen: Bibliophile: noun--someone who loves books. You might be a bibliophile if: 1. You frequent the local library or bookstore just because. 2. You experience grief when you've finished a really good book. 3. You feel guilty about all the books in your "unread" stack, but not guilty enough [ August 7 ] to quit buying or checking out more. WATERMELON AND WORSHIP 4. You experience panic and sadness when you realize you may not live long 7:30pm enough to read every book in the world. Memorial Pool 5. You take it as a sign of God's love when a Barnes and Noble is built close to your home.
[ August 17 ]
WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDY/ PRAYER MEETING RESUMES 5:45pm Fellowship Hall
[ August 31 ] QUARTERLY BUSINESS MEETING 5:45pm Fellowship Hall
@fbcjc @fbcjcmo FBCJC FBCJC
What are you reading this summer? Let me know what books have engaged your mind and heart. Here are some of mine, by categories. Spiritual growth: I was deeply stirred by Brennan Manning's The Ragamuffin Gospel. Fiction: Two works blessed me recently. Marilynne Robinson's Lila is a rich exploration of what it means to love and trust. It’s a story about “grace, not works,” but it’s not preachy. And Chasing Francis by Ian Cron describes what happens when a smooth, success-addicted pastor meets Francis of Assisi and has his world and assumptions about church and himself turned upside down. The craft of pastoring: Preaching by Tim Keller reminded me of the challenge of balancing mind and heart, discipleship and evangelism in every sermon. And two books by Thomas Lynch (The Undertaking and The Good Funeral) discuss death, dying and how funeral practices have changed over the generations, some for the better and some not. The second one, The Good Funeral, was co-authored by Tom Long, a preaching professor. Together, the two Toms help us grapple with mortality and how we acknowledge it. My beach reading included two poetry anthologies, one by Caroline Kennedy of her mother, Jacqueline's, favorites. The other was Good Poems by Garrison Keillor. At the time I am writing this column, I am reading The Guns of August, Barbara Tuchman's Pulitzer Prize-winning work about the events leading up to World War I and the first month of that bloody conflict. My summer reading stack is still quite tall. But I am giving it my best efforts. So many books...so little time! Grace,