Here’s my favorite books I read in 2017, in no particular order (not all of these books were released in 2017—some are much older… I just read them this year – also, click on the picture of the book to view on Amazon):
Barking to the Choir by Father Greg Boyle
Glory Happening by Kaitlin Curtice
Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God by Brian Zahnd
The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
Peaches for… Read More
*photo above: Ashah taking in the sights from the “Top of the Rock” (Rockefeller Center’s observation deck) on our recent vacation in NYC
The only thing more boring than being asked to look at someone else’s vacation pictures is…
Being asked to listen to a description of someone else’s genealogy.
Indulge me for a moment.
Most of us skip over the first chapter of Matthew because, genealogy. It’s a list of names.
And if you read it in the old King James Version, it uses that wonderful term “begat.” Abraham begat Isaac.
How’d he do that? Haha. OK, maybe that’s another post for another time.
Well, actually, it’s kinda crucial to the point of this post… so here we go with the procreating explanation:
Abraham did not begat Isaac by himself. No sir. He had some help. In fact, he did very little to begat. Sure, he contributed, but it was… Read More
*photo above: kids at last night’s Toy Give at NWLife – over 400 children received Christmas gifts
Father Greg Boyle tells the story of a homie named Fili and a volunteer at Homeboy Industries named Ms. June…
One of our tutors at Homeboy, Ms. June, is managing a roomful of students, whom she is teaching to fill out forms. She is a tiny Japanese American woman, a retired teacher who volunteers once a week helping homies on their literacy skills.
One of the many homies she’s working with is named Fili.
When the form asks for his height, he doesn’t know how to answer; confined to a wheelchair by gun violence, he is about three feet sitting upright. Ms. June asks him to… Read More
I tore through Father Greg Boyle’s new book “Barking to the Choir” in a couple of days (a healthier option rather than Netflix binge-watching). He’s part poet, priest, comedian, and master story teller. This book tops my list of favorites from the past year and it’s one that I will re-read a number of times.
Here is a quote from chapter 8, The Choir…
Dorothy Day, when asked how to live the Gospel, she simply replied: “Stay close to the poor.” She could have said, I suppose, help the poor, rescue the poor, save the poor. But no… Read More
I thought I’d share the list of my favorite books read in 2016. A new thing (for me anyway) that I’ve been doing is reading poetry and fiction… I think Brian Zahnd convicted me with something he wrote that included the following quote from Eugene Peterson:
Isn’t it odd that pastors, who are responsible for interpreting the Scriptures, so much of which come in the form of poetry, have so little interest in poetry? It is a crippling defect and must be remedied.
So anyway, this year’s list includes a little poetry and fiction too. Not everything on the list is new—in fact, some of the books are quite old. It’s just that I read them in 2016 and they made my favorites list. Here they are (in no particular order):
1. Water to Wine: Some of my Story by Brian Zahnd – OK, so I might have lied about “no particular order,” at least concerning this one. It’s number one on my list because this was the best book I read all year. Honestly, I wish every Christian would read it. If you only read one book from my list, please read this one!
2. Way of Love: Recovering the Heart of Christianity by Norman Wirzba – this book is accessible, enjoyable to read, and totally connects with the heart. I rarely mark up a book as much as I did this one. And this line is gonna stick with me for a long time:
It is a profound calling to look at whatever is before us and ask, “How can I make love visible here and now?”
3. Celtic Daily Prayer: Book Two: Farther Up and Farther In by the Northumbria Community – this is designed as a daily prayer/devotional book. It is both thought-provoking and beautiful… something to look forward to every day.
4. Life’s too short to Pretend You’re not Religious by David Dark – David has become… Read More
Behold the One who can’t take his eyes off you. Marinate in the vastness of that. —Father Greg Boyle
Our world is a noisy place. Especially right now it seems.
There are so many voices clamoring for our attention.
But there is a voice that matters most. And if you listen, you will hear…
Henri Nouwen said:
Many voices ask for our attention. There is a voice that says, “Prove that you are… Read More
