Wisdom from the neighborhood church

Christianity for the Rest of Us: How the Neighborhood Church is Transforming the Faith

Diana Butler Bass (HarperSanFrancisco, 2006; 320 pages; $23.95, hardcover; HarperCollins Publishers)

Weary of hearing so much about the decline of mainline denominations, Virginia Theological Seminary professor Diana Butler Bass set about to discover “the rest of the story,” finding out why some neighborhood mainline churches thrive while others die on the vine. The “rest of us” in the title is a reference to a media obsessed with conservative Christianity while overlooking the fact that there are many other kinds of Christians around.

For several years now the story has been that only conservative evangelical congregations are growing. However the facts do not bear that out. Bass’s three-year Lilly-funded study profiles mainline Protestant churches that are growing; their growth marked by the ten signposts of hospitality, discernment, healing, contemplation, testimony, diversity, justice, worship, reflection and beauty. For each signpost, Bass profiles one or more of the churches that were involved in her long study. Two are Presbyterian — Calvin in Zelionople, Pa. and Goleta outside Santa Barbara, Calif.

—Teresa Blythe

Linking faith and health

Super Health: 7 Golden Keys to Unlock Lifelong Vitality

by K.C. Craichy (Bronze Bow Publishing, 2005; 264 pages; $19.99, paper)

The suggestions in this book amount to a pre-emptive strike against poor health — a more-or-less scientific guide to well being. On the more side, the writer suggests such practices as reducing calories, prayer and meditation, and the importance of stress relief and sleep. These chapters are well documented and thorough. On the less side is the role and source of antioxidants and organic eggs, which remain under active scientific investigation.

Craichy provides illustrations, dietary tables, product suggestions and other aids to help one to grasp more easily the practical aspects of most of the book’s main points. From the viewpoint of a Christian physician, I would recommend it to my patients, and to you as well. It’s a balanced approach, and more importantly, he writes about reachable goals. It does not require a sudden 180-degree, impossible-to-accomplish set of suggestions, but common-sense ways to begin a balanced, healthy lifestyle.

—Teresa Blythe

Wisdom from the radio

Simple Truths: on Values, Civility, and our Common Good

by Stephen Bauman (Abingdon Press, 2006; 178 pages; $19, hardcover)

Simple Truths is a compilation of daily radio talks by Stephen Bauman, senior minister at Christ Church in New York City, who has been broadcasting his one-minute messages on WCBS since 1987. His messages come from many sources: his family, a scientific discovery, an overheard telephone conversation, an art exhibit. But all of the stories point to larger truths — the kinds of things that get lost, he says, in the barrage of competing media advice we get every day.

When he decided to do the pieces for radio, Bauman wanted to transmit hope, wisdom, conviction, and, most of all, “an awareness of simple truths” in a form accessible to everyone. Several selections begin or end with a question urging us to rethink our assumptions about our acquisitiveness, the words we speak in haste, or the difference one person can make. Simple Truths is an apt title for this collection of familiar wisdom nuggets that can serve as daily inspirational guides.

—Sally Curd, Southside Presbyterian Church, Tucson. Ariz.

Lectionary readings on justice

Hunger for the Word: Lectionary Reflections on Food and Justice, Year C

edited by Larry Hollar (Liturgical Press, 2006; 224 pages; $19.95, paper)

You have a lot of lectionary resources to choose from. Why this one? Because it is from the highly reputable, faith-based, anti-hunger organization, Bread for the World. Hollar has edited this collection of commentaries from the Revised Common Lectionary and Roman Catholic Lectionary for Mass in light of social justice issues. Starting with the beginning of the liturgical year, 22 individuals from ecumenical backgrounds bring their insight to the Scripture, examining the Bible readings in the context of such issues as poverty, hunger and AIDS.

Through these prophetic voices, the reader learns the causes of hunger in the world. The authors reveal stories from around the world that reflect justice and compassion for the poor. Working from the notion that Christians are responsible to alleviate hunger and suffering throughout the world, this lectionary resource offers practical suggestions for individuals and congregations that want to live out the Scripture.

Each reading includes ideas for children's time as well as hymn suggestions. If your congregation is looking for lectionary readings that promote justice for all, this one delivers.

—Judith Klamm, Southminster Presbyterian Church, Prairie Village, Kans.