Mavis Moon

For the question of why evil is in the world, or why bad things happen, I often give Lewis Smedes' *How Can Everything Be All Right When Everything is All Wrong.*

I have never thought about this very serious subject. I tend to go for the homemade cookies or quick breads, whatever they might be. I am always grateful for the extra work and dedication the baker took, and their willingness to share with the body of Christ. :) <3

I've read several good books but one that is significant is Holy Envy by Barbara Brown Taylor. I blogged about it here.

As I wrote there, my brother once said to me, “You only believe because you were born into this family. What if you had been born into a different country and a different family with a different religion?” When I tried to imagine that, I had to agree. If my dad and mom had been the same people as they were except Muslim, I think I’d have been a devout Muslim. Or Hindu. Or Buddhist. Or atheist. Or, or, or. I can’t fool myself that I chose Christianity based on reasoned, scholarly research.

I’ve been wondering if there is some way I can keep my religion, have a meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ, and have a faith that matters to me and others but that also “allows” that same meaningfulness and truth for other religions.

This book helped me to ponder this question.

I have listened to many of the podcasts already mentioned and look forward to checking out the others!

My favorite podcast of all times is "On Being." It's fantastic. Krista Tippett is the host and she received a Presidential Award that was richly deserved. She interviews writers, theologians, musicians, poets, you name it. As many of the guests mention, she does her homework by reading and deeply getting to know the background of those she talks with. Her questions are insightful and thought-provoking.

Spinoff from On Being is "Poetry Unbound." It's kind of like Poetic Lectio Divina. Padraig O'Tuama reads a poem, reflects on it, reads it again. Only around 15 minutes long. Lyrical, beautiful, easy to listen to, even entertaining.

The Rest is History. Two British historians tell the history of many times and topics. They tease each other relentlessly as they tell the stories of people and places of the past--long past and more recent. You'll learn a lot AND laugh a lot.

The Mockingcast. Three hosts talk about grace--where they see it and where they don't. They talk about articles and stories they've read and a little about their own lives. Two of them are Anglican priests and one is a writer/theologian. This one always sounds boring when I describe it but I just love it. Especially Sarah Condron. She's from Mississippi and just says it as it is--with a little bit of a Southern accent.

Hidden Brain, Death Sex & Money, Radiolab, Freakonomics, Criminal, This is Love, Everything Happens, Jane and Jesus (refers to Jane Austen), Old Books With Grace, Against the Rules, I could go on. For a heartbreaking and beautiful story of a woman who lost her husband to cancer, Goodbye to all this, a 12-part memoir.

As you can see, I'm a bit of a podcast fiend.

We have quite a small number of kids in our church now. We feel very lucky that there is a group of Junior and High School students who like to sing, play instruments, and lead worship. They are on our worship team and work together with several adults. They're on the praise team, song leaders, A/V technicians, and instrumentalists. It's great. They own it.

Romans 14:8 "If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord."

I don't know why but I was aware of and scared by the thought of death from a very young age. I heard this verse at some point in my childhood and it was a favorite from then on. It gave me (and still gives me) comfort to know that even when I die, "I belong to the Lord."

Dear Vibrant Communications (I tried to find the author of the post but could not),

Why does having a personal relationship with Jesus have to be *vs* a union with him? Why wouldn't it be a companion to, a part of that relationship? It makes me sad to think that anyone would hear from another that their personal relationship with Jesus is me-centered and selfish, is somehow antithetical to growing in union with Christ, or is something they need to give up in order to fully participate in the Lord's Supper.

Jesus says, "I no longer call you servants...Instead, I have called you friends..." (John 15:15). And indeed speaks of his coming sacrifice in terms of our friendship with him, "Greater love has no man than this, to lay down one's life for his friends" (John 15:13). What more personal relationship is there than friendship, and the fact that that friendship includes an ever-growing union with him is one of the things that makes it, as William A. Barry, SJ, titled his book, "a friendship like no other." 

My prayer is that I, and all of us who love Jesus, grow in our personal relationship with him *and* our union, which is a vital part of our friendship.

I have lots of favorites. But a NEW favorite for me is "Psalm 46" by Bifrost Arts: https://open.spotify.com/track/6XyN7Ps4VpGJbZm716VNgD?si=0c77757191714d00. Psalm 46 has been a real comfort and bringer of peace for me. This song uses those words and the music seems beautiful to me. I especially love the chorus, "Be still and know that I am God." I already was saying that often, now I sing it, too.

I listen to a lot of podcasts! Some that I'd say are faith forming are:

- On Being - One of the best podcasts ever, I think. Their website says, "What does it mean to be human? How do we want to live? And who will we be to each other? Each week a new discovery about the immensity of our lives." The host, Krista Tippett, will be speaking at the Festival of Faith & Writing this year!

- Jane & Jesus - Karen Swallow Prior interviews a different person each episode to talk about a character in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. At the beginning of each show, KSP says, "...where my guests and I talk about all things Jane Austen and I talk a little about Jesus." 

- Everything Happens - Kate Bowler, author of Everything Happens For a Reason And Other Lies I've Loved plus other books, was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer at 35 and writes and talks about it. She has "warm, insightful, often funny conversations...with people about what they've learned in dark times." Kate is funny and caring and you'll love her.

- Mockingcast - Three hosts talk about "where they currently see grace and its absence playing out in unexpected ways." I always learn something and always laugh, sometimes cry. Often they're discussing articles or writings that I have also read.

I could go on and on, but these are a few faves.

I read quite a few books I liked this year!

Prayer in the Night | For Those Who Work or Watch or Weep by Tish Harrison Warren

Wholehearted Faith by Rachel Held Evans and Jeff Chu

Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke

The Second Worst Restaurant in France by Alexander McCall Smith

Jack by Marilynne Robinson

The Book of Delights by Ross Gay

The Wet Engine | Exploring the Mad Wild Miracle of the Heart by Brian Doyle

No Cure for Being Human (And Other Truths I Need to Hear) by Kate Bowler

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

A Time for Mercy by John Grisham

The Madness of Crowds by Louise Penny

Anyone interested can see what I wrote about and rated the book I read in my blog here.