PT Media Picks: Books

In the spirit of seeking

Seeking the Spirit: How to Create a Community of Seekers

by Harry Brunett and Jennifer Grow (Morehouse Publishing, 2006; 128 pages; $14.95, paper)

With the proliferation of new worship services and churches designed to attract “seekers,” those people who are spiritual but not necessarily religious, this book is a must read. To attract true seekers, the authors tell us from their vast experience with Journeys Community (loosely connected to the Episcopal church), you need to overcome several impulses that church people naturally have. You must not try to convert anyone; you need to resist the urge to connect this community with your denomination (it turns seekers off); and you will need to use different language and fewer religious symbols.

Yet, the community will need a ministry team, support and a vision. Tall orders for dwindling denominations hoping that “seeker-friendly” services will revitalize the church.

Brunett, an Episcopal priest, and Grow, creative director for Journeys, simply tell their story of forming this innovative spiritual community in the Diocese of Maryland. People hoping to create a community of seekers need to heed their voices of experience—no matter how hard the advice seems—because seekers, it seems, are acutely aware of a community’s authenticity, honesty and openness. And if you begin a service or church with ulterior motives, Brunett and Grow tell us, you will not really attract those who feel alienated from the church. If you are devoid of ulterior motives, you will find this book exhilarating.

—Teresa Blythe

Motivating the middle

Middle Church: Reclaiming the Moral Values of the Faithful Majority from the Religious Right

by Bob Edgar (Simon and Schuster, 2006; 288 pages; $25, hardcover)

Bob Edgar, a former congressman (D-Pa.) and current general secretary of the national Council of Churches of Christ, is on a mission. He’s tired of the religious right getting all the press about what is and is not “Christian” and he’s calling on what he names “The Middle Church” (but also the Middle Mosque and Middle Synagogue) to speak out about issues of public policy such as social and economic justice and a healthy environment.

Edgar is one of many eloquent writers this year to push back, in print, against evangelical and fundamentalist Christians who identify their Christianity with a mostly conservative Republican political agenda, namely hot-button issues like abortion, homosexuality and an unfettered free market economy that allows corporations to pollute the environment without regulatory consequence.

What makes Edgar’s book different from, say, Jim Wallis’ latest book on religion and politics, is his storytelling. Using a homespun style and self-effacing humor, Edgar makes us smile as we listen to his side of the story. With passion he cites Biblical support for pressing issues such as ending poverty, ending military aggression overseas and strong measures to clean up the environmental mess we are leaving our grandchildren.

This year you have a lot of choice among authors promoting this viewpoint. Edgar is one of the most credentialed and accessible.

—Teresa Blythe

Sharing Advent with Orthodox Christians

Prepare O Bethlehem: Reflections on the Scripture Readings for the Christmas-Epiphany Season

by William Mills (Orthodox Research Institute, 2005; 140 pages; $13.95, paper)

When does Advent season begin? Most Christians reared in the Western tradition would quickly respond that it begins four Sundays before December 25, which means that the exact date of its beginning varies according to where December 25 falls in the week. But in the Orthodox tradition, Advent begins on November 15.

Father Mills, a rector and adjunct professor in Charlotte, N.C., explains the shape of Advent and the Christmas season according to his Orthodox tradition, including the four liturgical parts of the season following the Nativity as well. Many Christians will discover in this explanation an opportunity to deepen their own understanding of the season.

Following the introduction Mills provides a series of helpful reflections on the Scriptural texts that are part of each section of the Orthodox Christmas season. For those not familiar with the Orthodox tradition, an additional benefit is the use of prayers drawn from the Orthodox fathers.

The book concludes with two helpful appendices. The first provides the Scripture readings for the Christmas and Epiphany seasons according to the Orthodox Church lectionary. The second introduces you to two ancient Christmas sermons, one by Saint John Chrysostom (347–407 AD) and the other by Saint Gregory Nazianzus (325–389 AD), as well as some reflections by Ephrem the Syrian (306–373 AD). It is fascinating to experience the meaning of Christmas from the perspective of these early church fathers.

In recent years there has been much experimentation in the area of worship in our society. This seems to be a response to a cultural hunger for things of the spirit in the dry wastelands of our secular culture. The Orthodox Church has a rich history in the development of worship that can contribute to our ability to respond to this hunger. Father Mills has provided us a helpful introduction to this tradition as it has developed around the Christmas season.

—Stephen P. McCutchan, pastor of Highland Presbyterian Church, Winston-Salem, N.C.

Femme fatales from the Bible

Having Men for Dinner: Biblical Women's Deadly Banquets

by Nicole Wilkinson Duran (Pilgrim Press, 2006; 144 pages; $18, paper)

Most studies about women of the Bible focus on the “good ole gals,” such as Miriam, Ruth, Mary, Martha and Mary Magdalene. In this work the author, a pastor and professor at Villanova University, examines Esther, Jael, Abigail and Herodias, along with the non-canonical Judith. In a unique twist to the study, food is part of each story, as is murder.

By murder Jael and Judith save Israel. Esther arranges for Haman to be executed, thus saving the Jews in Persia. Herodias is responsible for the death of John the Baptist. And, indirectly, Abigail sends her husband to his end and marries David. Banquets and or food all figure into the demise of each man. None of these women are seen in the traditional Biblical role as wives and mothers, but as the unlikely agents for murder, whether for their own interests or for the greater good. Sexual motivation for the murders is implied in the stories, but food is the driving force in the murder.

Wondering what all this means to your Bible study group? Duran provides questions for further study at the end of each chapter. This is a book for anyone wanting a different kind of study about Biblical women or just to become acquainted with these five interesting individuals.

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