Sabbatical Reading List

One of my loudest complaints (to myself) these past few years in ministry is that I haven't had much time to read. And there is SO MUCH good stuff out there! Having the opportunity to dig into a stack of books will be fantastic. Carrying them to the Holy Land... may be rough but I'll deal.

If you want to read along with what I'll be reading during my overseas sabbatical, here are the titles (along with intro snippets from Amazon), Some of them have been on my list for a while.

The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World, by Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu and Douglas Carlton Abrams: Two spiritual giants. Five days. One timeless question. Nobel Peace Prize Laureates His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have survived more than fifty years of exile and the soul-crushing violence of oppression. Despite their hardships—or, as they would say, because of them—they are two of the most joyful people on the planet. The Archbishop has never claimed sainthood, and the Dalai Lama considers himself a simple monk. In this unique collaboration, they offer us the reflection of real lives filled with pain and turmoil in the midst of which they have been able to discover a level of peace, of courage, and of joy to which we can all aspire in our own lives.

Because - Joy. How do we find it after tragedy, oppression, trauma?

From Beirut to Jerusalem, by Thomas L. Friedman:  Three-time Pulitzer Prize winner Thomas L. Friedman drew upon his ten years of experience reporting from Lebanon and Israel to write this now-classic work of journalism. In a new afterword, he updates his journey with a fresh discussion of the Arab Awakenings and how they are transforming the area, and a new look at relations between Israelis and Palestinians, and Israelis and Israelis.

Because - The Middle East is a complicated place. Much of what is available in news channels is so black and white. How do they build a path to peace?

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates:  Coates shares with his son—and readers—the story of his awakening to the truth about his place in the world through a series of revelatory experiences, from Howard University to Civil War battlefields, from the South Side of Chicago to Paris, from his childhood home to the living rooms of mothers whose children’s lives were taken as American plunder. Beautifully woven from personal narrative, reimagined history, and fresh, emotionally charged reportage, Between the World and Me clearly illuminates the past, bracingly confronts our present, and offers a transcendent vision for a way forward.

Because - It's our original sin as a nation, and the disturbing rise of neo-nazi groups have underscored the fact that racism isn't over in the US. How do we heal the brokenness and move forward together? It's a difficult question to answer without listening to the voices of those who are most directly impacted.

Hillbilly Elegy, By J D Vance:  A passionate and personal analysis of a culture in crisis—that of white working-class Americans. The decline of this group, a demographic of our country that has been slowly disintegrating over forty years, has been reported on with growing frequency and alarm, but has never before been written about as searingly from the inside. J. D. Vance tells the true story of what a social, regional, and class decline feels like when you were born with it hung around your neck.

Because - We witnessed this phenomenon this summer on a mission trip to Frakes, KY. The American dream is not equally experienced across the country. What are the underlying factors that have disintegrated the dream and how do we move forward?

Simple Church, by Thom Ranier and Eric Geiger: #1 national bestseller Simple Church guides Christians back to the simple gospel-sharing methods of Jesus. No bells or whistles required. With insights based on case studies of 400 American churches, Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger prove the disciple-making process is often too complex. Simple churches thrive by taking four ideas to heart: Clarity. Movement. Alignment. Focus.

Because - I'm on sabbatical from leading a church, and I'd like for us to begin tackle governance when I return. My gut tells me that we over complicate things. What does "simple church" look like? Hopefully this is not a dumbing down, but a streamlining for effectiveness.

Thank You for Being Late, by Thomas L. Friedman: Exposes the tectonic movements that are reshaping the world today and explains how to get the most out of them and cushion their worst impacts. You will never look at the world the same way again after you read this book: how you understand the news, the work you do, the education your kids need, the investments your employer has to make, and the moral and geopolitical choices our country has to navigate will all be refashioned by Friedman’s original analysis.

Because - The World is shifting in new ways and I'd like to know more.

Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood, Lisa Lamour: In this sane, highly engaging, and informed guide for parents of daughters, Dr. Damour draws on decades of experience and the latest research to reveal the seven distinct—and absolutely normal—developmental transitions that turn girls into grown-ups, including Parting with Childhood, Contending with Adult Authority, Entering the Romantic World, and Caring for Herself. Providing realistic scenarios and welcome advice on how to engage daughters in smart, constructive ways, Untangled gives parents a broad framework for understanding their daughters while addressing their most common questions

Because - I feel sometimes like I don't understand the transition to adulthood for girls, and knowing more may help. Also, the last book I was able to read was Masterminds & Wingmen by Rosalind Wiseman, a book about adolescent male development. It greatly helped me in both understanding my son, but also the other young men that come through our youth program at MCC.

I'll write some thoughts from time to time about the readings, my adventures (w/pics) so that you know what I'm up to. Happy reading!

Garden Party

One of my favorite summer pleasures is a really simple one. On some afternoons, I like to sit next to our garden and watch the vegetables grow. No, it’s not possible to stare and see them actually change before my eyes (although that would be really cool!). But I do notice, each day that I spend time there, that the plants have gone through changes.  

This year, our tomatoes, cucumbers and herbs thrived but our zucchini and beans withered and failed. Our eggplants, beets, corn and carrots will hopefully be ready to harvest soon. But the strangest results in the entire garden came from our peppers this year. We grew very tall, leafy and strong plants with maybe one or two small peppers. Hardly a worthwhile harvest for the time and attention invested in the plants.

I was talking about my pepper plant conundrum with the adult son of one of our older members as we visited together in a nursing home facility. I remarked to him how strange it was that we got such different results from different vegetables since the soil and sunlight in the garden is so remarkably similar. He told me that peppers are a kind of plant that produces flowers ONLY when under duress.  With ample water, sunlight and nutrients the plant will thrive, but it won’t feel a need to reproduce itself unless it feels like it could die soon.

We are so much like a pepper plant! We might feel like we have it all – wealth, health, steady faith, intelligence, a fulfilling job, a vacation, great relationships with those we love, a home. Maybe those are the times when it’s easy to forget to reach out, to be thankful, to bring some of what we have to other people.

Most of us will struggle at some time in our life, just like a pepper plant in need. We go through unemployment, health scares, break-ups, loss and grief. It has been my experience that these are the moments when reaching out to someone else can be the most healing. Having a cup of coffee with a friend who is also going through something, volunteering your time in a food pantry or soup kitchen, giving your fervent prayers to God - all of these opportunities can turn our hearts outward and help us feel hope. Sometimes we grow the most when we come through difficult times then turn to help a neighbor do the same.