Early on I came to trust the order of our book selections, as each builds on the ones that come before. Church Going lives up to that trust. I found this narrative delightful, enjoyable, and informative. Again, as I read along, pieces fell into place for me.
“Parish Church Treasures,” by John Goodall
Though I never have had that home-church-for-centuries experience, I find myself wishing I had experienced what that must have been like
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“A History of English Churches,” by Matthew Byrne
So, this was a fascinating book, and I really enjoyed reading it. I’ve never made English archaeology my study, though I (like everyone else) went through my Arthurian phase and read The Crystal Cave, Mary Stewart’s (1916–2014) Arthurian saga.
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“Contextual Intelligence,” by Leonard Sweet and Michael Beck
Throughout this book, the authors refer to the tribe of Issachar’s contribution to Israel’s strength. "Of Issachar, those who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, two hundred chiefs, and all their kindred under their command." 1 Chronicles 12:32 NRSVUE
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“The Love of Learning and the Desire for God,” by Jean Leclercq
For the monk, everything, all things, if beautiful were worthy of sculpting into something praiseworthy for God, and as a means to draw ever deeper into God’s mysteries. But we may also take something from scholastic theology, because we seek not only to communicate to each other, we seek to communicate with the wide world, to open eyes to the glorious revelations of God all around us.
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“Decoding the Divine,” by Leonard Sweet
Control the story, control reality itself. Control the story, and you hold the master key to all forms of power Leonard Sweet, Decoding the Divine: Unveiling the Sacred Through Semiotics, 181
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“AI and the Church,” by Jason Moore
Will AI be a shortcut that sidesteps hope in becoming ever more like Christ, mastering the ability God gives us? Or is AI an electronic messiah which will do our hard work for us?
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“Between Cross and Resurrection,” by Alan E. Lewis
Lewis goes deep with such heady scholars as Karl Barth (1886–1968), Jürgen Moltmann (1926–2024), and Eberhard Jüngel (1934–2021). Now, disclaimer here, in the spirit of full disclosure. I have read very little of these theologians, just enough to get by, because as a rule, I find theoretical theology too … theoretical. I have always preferred Biblical theology over systematic theology. Lewis talks about the idolatry of doctrine—as opposed to dogma, I am sure (p. 140). But, as I read more of their ideas, I found myself drawn in.
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“The Well-Played Life,” by Leonard Sweet
Sweet's discourse on growing new and what that means for the third stage of life is refreshingly lifegiving and entirely counter-cultural. "Third Agers tell the stories of Jesus in ways that synthesize all and resonate with all, give voice to the oppressed, ventriloquize those who are suffering, and build for the future."
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“Apostolic Imagination,” by J.D. Payne
According to J.D. Payne, we should not only be regularly reforming how we understand scripture, we should be regularly reforming our practices as the Church, particularly in how we do missions.
