Summer Reading (and listening)
Starting June 2009
Find a special title!
We recently asked members of the clergy and staff to contribute recommendations of books or recordings to include in our own Summer Reading and Listening Guide. The only direction was to suggest titles that were favorites or that were on their own “unread” shelf. Some reached back to personal favorites that have nourished over the years while others were excited to share recent finds. Many titles reflect the questions and concerns that bubbled up during the recent Congregation Retreat. The range is broad; you will also find musical food for soul and toe, a new mystery, poetry, novels and short stories. Would a list be complete without a recipe book? Some of the titles are also available on CD. So wherever you find yourself this summer—on a train, plane, porch, your own backyard, or at the beach…we hope you’ll find at least one selection on our list to be a companion.
More Dumb Things Churches Do and New Strategies for Avoiding Them
Philip Wiehe and Linda McFadden
(Morehouse, 2009)
This husband and wife team (Philip is an Episcopal priest and Linda is a pastor in the UCC) has served a number of churches between them as permanent and interim clergy. They have “seen and heard it all.” This book is a response to a lot of good advice given to lay and clergy leaders, offering practical and sound suggestions for how to implement all of that good counsel. Sometimes making a positive difference in the life of the church can be fun and easy.
Mary Sulerud, Canon for Deployment and Vocational Ministry, Diocese of Washington
The Great Emergence: How Christianity Is Changing and Why
Phyllis Tickle
(Baker, 2008
CD from Hovel Audio)
This is a short, readable, historic and theological summary of the great change in Christianity that has been underway for the last 30 years or more. It's not just about mega churches or conservative evangelicals versus the main line; it's about a wholesale change that is the next reformation of our 2000 year old faith tradition. Funny, insightful, encouraging and certainly thought provoking, Tickle offers the best summary of the history of Christianity and where we may be headed that I have yet read.
Mary Sulerud, Canon for Deployment and Vocational Ministry, Diocese of Washington
A Christianity Worth Believing
Doug Pagitt
(Jossey-Bass, 2009)
Both A Christianity Worth Believing by Doug Pagitt and A Generous Orthodoxy by Brian McLaren have been around awhile, but are the essential reads for folks interested in the emerging church, the one our children and grandchildren will know.
Mary Sulerud, Canon for Deployment and Vocational Ministry, Diocese of Washington
Scott Joplin: The Red Back Book, Elite Syncopations
New England Conservatory Ragtime Ensemble
(EMI/Angel, 1990)
For a little fun, the New England Conservatory Ragtime Ensemble's recordings of Scott Joplin's music are being reissued on CDs. It's enough to make you want to learn the two-step or at least keep a smile on your face through beach traffic.
Mary Sulerud, Canon for Deployment and Vocational Ministry, Diocese of Washington
The Christian Agnostic
Leslie Weatherhead
(Abingdon Classics, 1990)
In this classic from the early 20th century, Leslie Weatherhead, a popular London preacher, deals head-on with questions of doubt about faith and how one believes because of the questions.
Deryl Davis, Sunday Forum Program Manager
Four Quartets
T.S. Eliot
(Houghton Miffliln Harcourt, 1968)
T.S. Eliot's Four Quartets has always been my favorite poem, encompassing so many aspects of the Christian journey, which he refers to as “a condition of complete simplicity/Costing not less than everything.” Eliot tackles questions of time, eternity, moments of divine illumination, and the meaning of history.
Deryl Davis, Sunday Forum Program Manager
Present on Earth
John L. Bell—Wild Goose Worship Group/Iona
(Wild Goose Publiscations/Iona, 2004)
Almost any of the worship publications by Scotland's Iona Community are worth reading for use in worship or private devotion. Their collection Present on Earth has very thoughtful and thought-provoking monologues, dialogues, prayers, and mini-dramas focused on the life of Christ and what it means in a modern context.
Deryl Davis, Sunday Forum Program Manager
The Prophetic Imagination
Walter Brueggemann
(Augsburg Fortress, 2001)
Brueggemann looks at the ways the Hebrew prophets critiqued the power culture and systems of injustice in their day and how they provide models for us to follow today. Published 30 years ago, it is still as pertinent as ever.
Deryl Davis, Sunday Forum Program Manager
Glory, Laud and Honour: The Arts of the Anglican Counter-Reformation
Graham Parry
(Boydell Press, 2008)
An interesting read for those who appreciate the architecture and art of the Anglican Church, specifically that exciting time in the seventeenth century when the Royalists were trying to emerge from the shadow of the Puritans—only to have the King and Archbishop of Canterbury lose their heads!
Reverend John A. Runkle, Cathedral Conservator
The Oracle at Stoneleigh Court: Stories
Peter Taylor
(Knopf, 1993)
One of my favorite summer books—a collection of wonderful short stories (that have the gentle pace of summer) written by Taylor, who Jonathan Yardley of the Post described as “remarkable in every way.” Pay particular attention to the story entitled “The Decline and Fall of the Episcopal Church (in the Year of Our Lord 1952)!”
Reverend John A. Runkle, Cathedral Conservator
Jesus Wept: When Faith & Depression Meet
Barbara Cawthorne Crafton
(Jossey-Bass, 2009)
This is a terrific non-fiction read from a well-known Episcopal priest, retreat leader, and author. In this book, Crafton discusses her own personal experience of depression with hope, humor, and practical information about prayer practices, medications, and ECT. It is an outstanding resource for all who suffer from or are touched by severe depression.
Mary Baylor, Pastoral Care Coordinator & Congregation Health Nurse
The Friday Night Knitting Club
Kate Jacobs
(Berkley Books, 2007
CD from Blackstone Audio)
This touching novel about an eclectic group of women finding common bonds through knitting and friendship has made the book club circuit. It provides a lovely insight into small group development and pastoral care for one another.
Mary Baylor, Pastoral Care Coordinator & Congregation Health Nurse
What Remains: A Memoir of Fate, Friendship, & Love
Carole Radziwill
(Scribner, 2007)
Carole Radziwill relates the true story of tragedy, loss, friendship, marriage, and human strength and resilience. It demonstrates how indeed we humans can and do face horrific situations and ultimately triumph on the other side.
Mary Baylor, Pastoral Care Coordinator & Congregation Health Nurse
The Jesus I Never Knew
Philip Yancey
(Zondervan Press, 1955/2002)
I love, love this book. It's easy reading and simply filled with historical perspective and deep wisdom. While it's deep, it's also fascinating. Yancey portrays a Jesus who shows us what ultimate love is all about in spite of being defined by rejection. In the end, Yancey clearly embraces faith as a journey and Jesus as one who invites us to question and to live into love. And as he says, Jesus came to give us abundant life which we get by “investing in others,” by taking courageous stands for justice, by ministering to the weak and needy, by pursuing God and not self. This is a book I can't give away. I go back to it time and time again.
Patricia Johnson, Interim Canon Missioner
Second Calling: Finding Passion and Purpose for the Rest of Your Life
Dale Hanson Bourke
(Thomas Nelson, 2006)
Every woman who is interested in finding passion and purpose in her life should read this book. Dale, a local writer, wrote this book for women who, while grown, are looking for a second calling. By taking a personal look at her own life and experiences, she imparts a clear and compelling message about how to find greater meaning in your life and clean up your soul. Dale's easy, open style guides us to find God's purpose in our lives. It's a keeper!
Patricia Johnson, Interim Canon Missioner
You Are Special
Max Lucado
(Crossway, 1997
CD from Crossway)
For Children of all ages.
When I read this beautiful story to my grandchildren, I immediately wanted to buy one for every child in the world. This is part of a series of books in which Punchinello, a Wemmick, cannot figure out why some people get stars and all he gets are no-good spots. One day he meets someone without any stars or spots. She directs him to go see Eli. It turns out that Eli made all the Wemmicks and was waiting for Punchinello. He urges him NOT to care about what others say or do and the spots will disappear. Eli urges him to visit him often. Punchinello sees his first spot drop off as he leaves. God is calling!
Patricia Johnson, Interim Canon Missioner
Home
Marilynne Robinson
(Farrar Straus Giroux, 2008
CD from Macmillan Audio)
Maybe it's because I'm a preacher's kid and wonder about the dynamics of preacher's families. Or maybe it's because a large part of my life work is as a student of family process. I don't know. For me, this was a powerful story of the real challenge that families face in being truly open and authentic with one another. It's a book that brought tears to my eyes in describing the ways families both try to be intimate and repel that intimacy at the same time. It depicts the real power of family secrets to bind all the members of a family. Home is poignant, powerful and more true than most families like to admit, I think. Themes of faith, love and death are woven throughout. Robinson is the Pulitzer Prize winner who wrote Gilead.
Gina Gilland Campbell, Music Librarian, Congregation Retreat Leader
A Testament of Devotion
Thomas R. Kelly
(HarperOne, 1941/1996)
As something more akin to our Congregation Retreat themes, every year I pull out an old classic to read in the arena of spiritual practice. One of the most important books for me comes out of the Quaker tradition. It is a little book but a deep book—disarmingly simple and clear and yet I have lived out of it for 20 years or more. A Testament of Devotion serves as a steady guide for me always when it comes to the daily reality of choosing between being and doing. I think given the anxiety of our current time, this book speaks powerfully to living in the presence of God.
Gina Gilland Campbell, Music Librarian, Congregation Retreat Leader
Questions God Asks Us
Trevor Hudson
(Upper Room, 2009)
This very short book was written by a South African pastor friend of mine. Trevor has one of the deepest pastoral hearts I know, and has spent 30 years trying to help people engage more deeply with God in the midst of the very violence and struggle that has been South Africa's history. He takes Old Testament and New Testament questions straight from “God's mouth” in Scripture and invites us to consider using these questions as a way to deepen our conversation with God.
Gina Gilland Campbell, Music Librarian, Congregation Retreat Leader
The Scandalous Gospel of Jesus: What's So Good About the Good News?
Peter J. Gomes
(HarperOne, 2008
CD from HarperOne)
Peter J. Gomes, author of popular books such as Strength for the Journey, Plummer Professor of Christian Morals and Pusey Minister in the Memorial Church of Harvard University asks “What would Jesus do?”
Preston B. Hannibal, Canon for Academic Ministries, Episcopal Diocese of Washington
Jesus, The Final Days: What Really Happened
Craig Evans and N.T. Wright
(Westminster John Knox Press, 2009)
What do history and archaeology have to say about Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection?
Preston B. Hannibal, Canon for Academic Ministries, Episcopal Diocese of Washington
The Long Fall
Walter Mosley
(Riverhead, 2009
CD from Penguin Audio)
Discover a brand new mystery series featuring 53-year old Leonid McGill, New York City private detective.
Preston B. Hannibal, Canon for Academic Ministries, Episcopal Diocese of Washington
Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening
Cynthia Bourgeault
(Cowley, 2004)
Give yourself the present of Centering Prayer this summer. This is a beautiful introduction to an ancient way of praying written by an Episcopal priest who lived at St. Benedict's monastery for years. I can highly recommend any book by her, but especially The Wisdom Way of Knowing and Mystical Hope. If you want to delve further into Centering Prayer reading don't miss Thomas Keating's Open Mind, Open Heart and please do feel welcome to gather with others here in the Cathedral for Centering Prayer. The dates and times are posted in the bulletin and on the website. (LINK) Centering Prayer
Gwendolyn W. Tobias, Priest Associate for Liturgy
Why I Wake Early
Mary Oliver
(Beacon Press, 2005)
Mary Oliver is absolutely one of the best poets you'll read. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams calls Oliver one of the foremost Anglican theologians of our time. Any of her books are great. I read this one this morning and it is one I'll read over and over this summer. You'll feel renewed and invigorated and notice God's glorious beauty in increasingly new ways.
Gwendolyn W. Tobias, Priest Associate for Liturgy
The Shack
William P. Young
(Windblown Media, 2008
CD from Oasis Audio)
This is a fictional story, but one that reveals a beautiful unfolding of what a faith journey is all about and where God can be found in the midst of pain and suffering. It was quite surprising.
Lisa S. Beske, Governance Secretary
Let Your Life Speak:Listening to the Voice of Vocation
Parker Palmer
(Jossey-Bass, 1999)
The Quakers have a wonderful saying to “Proceed as the way opens.” This book was about listening for God in all aspects of one's life so as to pay careful attention to our true self and find our true calling. As some ways open and others close, there are messages and meanings that we can each find if we listen carefully within. Consider reading this as a gift to yourself. (Actually Sam gets credit for this because he recommended it in one of our DOCC sessions.)
Lisa S. Beske, Governance Secretary
Truly Divine and Truly Human: The Story of Christ and the Seven Ecumenical Councils.
Stephen W. Need
(Hendrickson, 2008)
Stephen W. Need has taught New Testament Studies and Early Christianity in England and Jerusalem and is currently Dean of St. George's College, Jerusalem. The book, according to the publisher's notes, “traces the fascinating story of how Christians came to proclaim Jesus of Nazareth as both ‘truly divine’ and ‘truly human.’ It follows the centuries of debate and the Church councils that led up to this proclamation and the years of argument and schism that followed.” Illustrated with photos and maps.
The Rev. Canon John L. Peterson, Director, Center for Global Justice and Reconciliation
The Final Days of Jesus: The Archaeological Evidence
Shimon Gibson
(HarperOne, 2009)
Shimon Gibson is a British-born archaeologist working in Jerusalem, and co-editor of the Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land. Notes from the publisher: “Ever since the gospels were written there have been questions about the momentous events that occurred during the final days of Jesus. Renowned archaeologist Shimon Gibson breaks new ground examining the critical last days of the life of Jesus using his extraordinary access to firsthand archaeological findings as principal evidence.” Illustrated.
The Rev. Canon John L. Peterson, Director, Center for Global Justice and Reconciliation
Adventures in the Kitchen with Wolfgang Puck
Wolfgang Puck
(Grammercy, 2004)
Publisher notes: “Delectable recipes from the kitchens of the most famous restaurants! You will also find inspiring and instructional commentary from Puck along with helpful line drawings that illustrate key ingredients and techniques throughout the book.”
Ellen Spencer, Manager of the Worship Department
Sonata Mulattica
Rita Dove
(W. W. Norton, 2009)
This new lyric narrative poem is by Rita Dove, former Poet Laureate, Pulitzer Prize winner and Commonwealth Professor of English at the University of Virginia. “A virtuosic treatment of a virtuoso's life, the poems use all registers—nursery rhymes, diary entries, drama—and are stuffed with historical and musical arcana. Yet the book remains highly accessible, reading much like a historical novel.” The New Yorker
Ellen Spencer, Manager of the Worship Department
The Scenic Route: the Novel
Binnie Kirshenbaum
(Harper Perreniel, 2009)
From the first page of the novel:
Here is the story of Henry and me.
I wish it had a different end.
It had a good beginning.
Ellen Spencer, Manager of the Worship Department
The Secret Message of Jesus: Uncovering the Truth That Could Change Everything
Brian D. McLaren
(W Publishing Group, 2007
CD from Hovel Audio)
If you only read one book this summer, read this one. It offers a clear and compelling understanding of Jesus’ teaching and its relevance for our lives. This is the book I mentioned at the last Congregational Eucharist.
The Reverend Canon Stephen Huber, Vicar
Agenda for a New Economy: From Phantom Wealth to Real Wealth
David C. Korten
(Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2009)
The author challenges us to seize this moment of economic upheaval to imagine and begin implementing a new economy based on Main Street rather than Wall Street. John Perkins of the New York Times calls Korten one of our most brilliant economic thinkers. Korten argues that Wall Street is about creating phantom wealth without the production of anything of real value.
The Reverend Canon Stephen Huber, Vicar
Called to Question: A Spiritual Memoir
Joan Chittister
(Sheed & Ward, 2009)
This could provide a selection of summer daily meditations. Sr. Joan Chittister looks at common questions, doubts, and convictions about life in a series of short chapters that “push readers beyond superficial questioning and unexamined faith.”
The Reverend Canon Stephen Huber, Vicar
Thomas Tallis: The Complete English Anthems
The Tallis Scholars; Peter Phillips
(Gimell Records, 2002 )
This disc sealed my fate as a lover of sacred music when I was 16 years old.
Scott Dettra, Organist and Associate Director of Music
Mass in B Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach
Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin; René Jacobs
(Berlin Classics, 1994)
Bach's Mass in B Minor is one of the cultural pillars of Western Civilization. I own about 15 recordings of it, and this little-known recording is my favorite.
Scott Dettra, Organist and Associate Director of Music