PT Media Picks: Books

Learning to forgive

The Sacred Art of Forgiveness: Forgiving Ourselves and Others Through God's Grace

by Marcia Ford (Skylight Paths, 2006; 156 pages; $16.99, paper)

In this wonderfully accessible book, author Marcia Ford reveals the deep connection between our ability to forgive and our physical, mental and spiritual well-being. While her message is hardly a new one, Ford’s use of personal anecdote more than succeeds in making it pertinent—placing her “art of forgiveness” in an immediately recognizable world of red and blue states, divided churches and dysfunctional families. Especially insightful are her chapters delineating the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation—which she sadly points out cannot always go hand in hand. Written in the style of a workbook—with thoughtful suggestions of how to put forgiveness into practice at the end of each chapter—Ford’s book lends itself nicely to either personal or group devotion.

—R. Dale Smith, a recent graduate of Union Theological Seminary and Presbyterian School of Christian Education

Round-up of books authored by Presbyterians

Presbyterians Today receives an average of 20 books per month in the mail, some from publishers and some from authors, all seeking a review. While we don’t have the space to review even half the good books we receive, we do want to acknowledge some of the best, especially those written and, in some cases self-published, by Presbyterians. Here are three that caught our eye recently.

The Lice Lady: Holy and Hilarious Moments in Ministry

by Cynthia Huling Hummel (AuthorHouse, 2006; 336 pages; $17.99, paper; )

Cynthia Hummel, pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Lyons, N.Y., has published a collection of stories from moments in her ministry that portray faith, hope and love. She says these are the kinds of tales they don’t relay in seminary when you are learning to be a pastor. For example, they don’t teach you that a parishioner might come to you, the pastor, to ask if they their child has head lice (when all she really had was a rash from dried shampoo left in her hair). Hummel intersperses humorous with serious stories, all quite short and to the point. Each encounter leads Hummel into a space of introspection and reflection, which she shares generously with the reader.

His Cross Never Burns: The Life of the Reverend Samuel William George

by Alethia W. George (The Local History Company, 2006; 275 pages; $19.95, paper)

The Reverend George, now retired, is a legend in Pittsburgh and Ft. Lauderdale—a Presbyterian pastor who began his career during the pre-Civil Rights era, took a call in Ft. Lauderdale for many years and then spent the last 20 years of his career as pastor of the Grace Memorial Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh. His story, written by his wife Alethia, is one of courage and commitment in the face of racial hatred. This book is part biography, part spiritual memoir and a fitting tribute to one of the leading African American pastors in the PC(USA).

The Bridge is Love: A Journey Through Grief to Joy After the Death of a Child

by Cheron Joy Mayhall (Trafford Publishing, 2005; 194 pages; $21.24, paper; 888-232-4444)

Little in life is more devastating than losing a child. Cheron Joy Mayhall knows this. After the sudden death of her young son, Scotty, in a car accident in 1977, Mayhall dedicated her life to helping others work through this personal experience of grief. She founded the Salem, Ore., chapter of Compassionate Friends, which supports bereaved parents and families. She has done doctoral work in parental healing after the death of a child. The title of her book comes from a quote by Thorton Wilder in The Bridge of San Luis Rey, “There is a land of the living and a land of the dead and the bridge is love, the only survival, the only meaning.” Mayhall tells the story of her life without Scotty in a novel way—she allows Scotty to narrate from heaven, illustrating that the bridge between him and his family is the love they share.

—Teresa Blythe