Book Review #14 – “The Hope of the Gospel” by George MacDonald. MacDonald was a Scottish Christian pastor who turned to writing for his livelihood, from the mid-1800’s to early 1900’s, and has long been considered one of the greatest of all writers of fantasy literature, including fairy tales and myths of all kinds. In fact, …
Book Review #13 – “Peculiar Treasures” by Frederck Buechner (real characters in the Bible); 1979 by Harper & Row Publ. “You shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people, My own special property; for all the earth is Mine.” (Exodus 19:5). Quotable Quotes by Frederick Buechner: “I always hope to reach people who don’t …
The One Anothers: The Muscular System Within Community. “Behold, how wonderful, how delightful it is for God’s people to dwell together in harmony!.. How good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters live together in unity… Oh, how good and merry it is when brothers and sisters live together in peace.” (Psalm 133:1). One Another. What does …
Spelling Out the Nature of Community. “All who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need… The full number of believers, every one of them, were united in heart and soul. Not one of them claimed …
Book Review #12 – “Life Together” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer (the character of Christian community); published 1938. “How truly wonderful and delightful to see brothers and sisters living together in sweet unity! It’s as precious as the sacred scented oil flowing from the head of the high priest Aaron, dripping down upon his beard and running all …
Book Review #11 – “The Cookie Tree” by Jay Williams; published in 1967 by Parents Magazine Press. “The Village of Owlgate was quiet and tidy, and nothing surprising ever happened there. Everything had a place, and everything was in its place. Everybody knew why things happened and everything happened just as it was supposed to. Nothing …
Book Review # 10 – “Teaching A Stone To Talk” by Annie Dillard; 1982, Harper & Row Publ. “We are here on the planet only once, and we might as well get a feel for the place… We are here to witness. There is nothing else to do with those mute materials we do not …
Book Review #9 – “The Checker Players” by Alan Venable; published 2011 by One Monkeybooks Pub. “You forgot to put the wind in your plans!” Genre of the Book. This is a perfectly illustrated children’s picture book that can be enjoyed by children and adults of all ages. Its lessons are timeless, and the story stands on its …
Book Review #8 – “The Road to Cana by Anne Rice; published 2008, Random House Publishers. [this is Book Two of her Two-Part series “Christ the Lord“; Book One is “Out of Egypt” published 2005]. “James, don’t you understand what I want? I come to bring the Face of the Lord – to the whole wide …
Book Review #7 – “Subversive Spirituality” by Eugene Peterson; published 1994, Eerdmans Publishing. “Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:16). In Other Words. On the one hand, play it smart as you run through that inevitable wolf pack in your life. Be clever …
Book Review #6 – “The Sabbath” by Abraham Joshua Heschel; published 1951 by HarperCollins Publishers. “Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the 7th day God had finished the work He had been doing. So on the 7th day He rested from all His work. And God blessed the 7th …
Book Review #5 – “Come, Creator Spirit” by Rev. Raniero Cantalamessa; published 2003 by Liturgical Press. [Full Title, “Come, Creator Spirit: Meditations on the Veni Creator” (416 pages). Brief Bio of Author. Father R. Cantalamessa (RC) is a 92 year-old priest and theologian in the Roman Catholic Church who is a renowned scholar of Ancient Christian History …