1 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:06,600 Welcome back to the Grace Church Members podcast. 2 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:10,800 I'm Whitney Maines and it is finally summer for me. 3 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:14,320 Summer is pretty synonymous with reading, so both my parents are 4 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:17,560 teachers and I remember going to the library at the start of 5 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:20,680 every summer growing up to get as many books as they would let 6 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:22,880 me check out. I made my way through The 7 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:27,320 Chronicles of Narnia, Artemis Fowl, Percy Jackson, and Harry 8 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:31,040 Potter like in the car on the way to the beach, and somehow 9 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:32,960 still managed not to get carsick. 10 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:36,400 And like most of us, I wish that I still read like I did in 3rd 11 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:38,240 grade. But every summer you'll still 12 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:41,520 find me with a Jane Austen classic, Magatha Christie 13 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:45,760 mystery, or a sci-fi saga like my current summer read, Dune. 14 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:49,720 So, in the nostalgic spirit of Scholastic Book Fairs and 15 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:52,480 Library Reading Contest, we wanted to give you a few 16 00:00:52,480 --> 00:00:55,320 recommendations from our staff to round out your summer reading 17 00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:58,560 list. In our last podcast, Episode 37, 18 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:01,160 we talked with Mike Chibero about how to be lifelong 19 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:03,800 learners, which often starts with being good readers. 20 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:07,200 We did our best to compile a wide variety of genres and 21 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:09,760 topics in this list, so I encourage you to pick a book 22 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:12,560 that piques your curiosity, or even one that you can read with 23 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:14,800 your whole family. We have some great Christian 24 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:17,560 reads to help you be intentional with your spiritual formation 25 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:20,960 this summer, and we have a few other genres represented to 26 00:01:20,960 --> 00:01:24,080 explore how God reveals Himself through all of His creation. 27 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:26,600 And I'm excited for you to hear how our staff has gleaned 28 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:28,640 biblical themes from secular writers. 29 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:31,680 It is amazing how reading some fiction can stretch our 30 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:34,920 imaginations in new ways that then allows us to read Scripture 31 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:38,320 with a better imagination too. Obviously, we're not endorsing 32 00:01:38,320 --> 00:01:40,960 everything from some of these secular choices, so do your own 33 00:01:40,960 --> 00:01:43,000 research to discern the best options for you. 34 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:47,240 And now, dear readers, I hope you enjoy these recommendations 35 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:50,840 and are inspired by CS Lewis himself to find a cup of tea and 36 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:52,600 a book that suits you well this summer. 37 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:59,320 My name is Robert Lee Story, and I work at our Pelham campus as 38 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:01,920 our students director. So I lead our student ministry 39 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:06,360 here over at this campus, and I'm excited to share with you 40 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:08,720 guys a book that I just recently read that I was really excited 41 00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:10,680 about. It's called Mary Called 42 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:15,040 Magdalene by Margaret George, and I actually picked up this 43 00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:19,400 book because I had read another of Margaret's books recently, 44 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:23,640 historical fiction on the Roman Emperor Nero, and was just 45 00:02:23,640 --> 00:02:25,840 curious to keep reading her stuff because I liked her style 46 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:27,960 a lot. And Mary Magdalene is a 47 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:30,200 character that I, if I'm honest, didn't know much about. 48 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:31,640 I'm just curious to learn a little bit more. 49 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:36,400 And the book was fascinating, far surpassed all my 50 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:38,760 expectations. And it's kind of broken up into 51 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:43,680 three parts, tracing you through the entire life story of Mary. 52 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:46,800 So the first part starts with her as a child and her 53 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:50,680 fascination with Pagan idols and how that actually leads to her 54 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:53,240 possession by multiple different demons. 55 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:57,240 And then about 1/3 into the book she actually meets Jesus and 56 00:02:57,240 --> 00:03:00,400 Jesus casts out these demons. And then after that she begins 57 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:02,840 to follow him. And then the final part of the 58 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:05,840 book, the smallest section actually describes her as being 59 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:10,480 a significant figure in the early church and what building 60 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:13,120 God's Kingdom, building God's church actually looks like after 61 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:17,400 Jesus death and resurrection. And the book was fascinating. 62 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:20,520 Seriously, I cannot recommend it highly enough because it really 63 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:25,240 puts meat and flesh on the bones of some of these characters we 64 00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:26,760 read about in the Bible. And it just captures our 65 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:30,440 imagination for what life in the Bible was actually like for 66 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:33,720 these people. That his followers were not just 67 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:36,400 these imaginary figures, but they were real people with 68 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:39,600 emotion, with personality, leading real lives. 69 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:42,720 And one of my favorite parts of the book, one of the parts that 70 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:47,600 captivated me most was after Jesus's death. 71 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:54,480 They just seeing all of them be so captured with emotion and 72 00:03:54,480 --> 00:03:56,920 grief because for you and I, people who grew up in the 73 00:03:56,920 --> 00:04:00,240 church, we go through Good Friday knowing that Sunday is 74 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:02,360 coming. But for all of those people, 75 00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:05,200 they thought that was it. They thought, oh, this guy that 76 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:08,000 we thought was the Messiah. Nah, he was just another guy. 77 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:10,760 Like he wasn't actually who he said he was in this big movement 78 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:11,880 that we were getting caught up in. 79 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:15,000 Well, it's over. And so they were just so 80 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:17,279 overwhelmed with grief and all of these emotions. 81 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:20,320 And then a few chapters later, they meet Jesus again and 82 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:22,320 they're like, wait, no, this actually is the Messiah. 83 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:24,680 He really is God. He really is worth following. 84 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:27,320 Like, it was fascinating. And I'd never thought about that 85 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:29,800 before that for his followers, really. 86 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:32,640 Like, that's probably close to what those three days were like. 87 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:37,240 Like it actually was a scary, difficult time and a time of 88 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:39,440 grief. So the book, seriously, I cannot 89 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:41,360 recommend it highly enough. Like it really does help you 90 00:04:41,360 --> 00:04:44,480 just imagine better what life for Jesus's followers were 91 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:46,360 probably like. So I love it a lot. 92 00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:53,160 My name is Sarah Bailey and I am our staff writer and editor. 93 00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:58,080 I also help give our other many of our other writers just 94 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:02,240 content advice as we develop curriculums. 95 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:05,960 My background is in teaching. I taught writing and literature 96 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:11,640 at North Greenville for years and so I love words. 97 00:05:11,840 --> 00:05:17,240 I love making sense of them and words matter how we use the 98 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:20,120 matters. So this is an exciting podcast 99 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:23,280 for me. The first book that I wanted to 100 00:05:23,280 --> 00:05:28,680 talk about today is called 1 Foot in Eden by Ron Rash. 101 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:32,920 And this book was recommended to me by a fellow English teacher, 102 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:36,640 a Co worker who had studied Appalachian literature 103 00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:40,840 intensely. And I have come to love Ron Rash 104 00:05:40,840 --> 00:05:42,680 as one of my favorite local authors. 105 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:47,160 He grew up in Boiling Springs and attended Gardner Webb. 106 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:50,600 He went to Clemson and he now teaches at Western Carolina. 107 00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:55,560 So this is a contemporary author whose stories are all set in the 108 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:57,840 foothills of South Carolina, North Carolina. 109 00:05:59,960 --> 00:06:06,240 So some really cool things about One Foot in Eden is the backdrop 110 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:10,120 of this story. It is set in the 70s, is in the 111 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:14,040 foothills of South Carolina right before Joe Cassie Valley 112 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:17,840 was filled by Duke Power in 1973. 113 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:21,880 So the state of South Carolina and Duke Power came together to 114 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:24,960 purchase that land to create hydroelectricity. 115 00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:29,760 And so many people were displaced in that decision. 116 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:34,000 And so this story showcases the voices, the stories of those who 117 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:36,920 lived there. It is told in the Southern 118 00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:40,240 Gothic tradition, which is a little darker. 119 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:44,200 It is a murder mystery, but there are some really 120 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:48,720 interesting parallels. We see themes of barrenness 121 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:53,080 versus fruitfulness. Particularly, there are some 122 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:57,120 interesting parallels to the story of Abraham and Sarah and 123 00:06:57,120 --> 00:07:00,520 their quest to have a child and fulfillment of God's promise. 124 00:07:01,160 --> 00:07:06,200 And we also see alongside that the nature of generational sin 125 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:11,440 and how in their quest for legacy, in their quest for 126 00:07:11,440 --> 00:07:17,760 fruitfulness on their own terms, they are met with barrenness and 127 00:07:17,760 --> 00:07:22,680 some really dark consequences. So it is told through different 128 00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:24,560 voices. It's one of those multi 129 00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:28,520 perspective narratives which as a reader gives you a really 130 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:33,520 interesting viewpoint. Another great thing I love about 131 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:38,080 this story is just the rich poetic language of Appalachia. 132 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:45,200 They use words like reckon and glimpsin and words that we just 133 00:07:45,200 --> 00:07:48,520 don't use anymore and it's just really beautiful. 134 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:52,480 So if you are interested in local history, if you're 135 00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:57,000 interested in the culture of Appalachia and the foothills of 136 00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:01,600 really where we are in the 60s and 70s, this is a great, it's a 137 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:04,760 great read. I will give a disclaimer that it 138 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:07,840 is a thoroughly secular book. It's a murder mystery. 139 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:10,520 It does contain explicit references to sex. 140 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:13,640 So use your discernment and what is appropriate for you. 141 00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:17,720 And I will, just to give you a feel for the language, I'll read 142 00:08:17,720 --> 00:08:22,240 a quote that is, This book has a really strong sense of place, 143 00:08:22,240 --> 00:08:23,880 which is one of the reasons I love it. 144 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:26,960 Just the local color. So here's a quote from the book. 145 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:31,600 When the deep summer comes and the dog star raises with the 146 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:36,520 morning sun, the land can scab up and a man watches spring crop 147 00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:38,960 wrinkle brown like something on fire. 148 00:08:39,600 --> 00:08:41,600 It's the season. Snakes go blind. 149 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:45,080 Their eyeballs coat over like pearls and they get mean. 150 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:49,560 A rattlesnake allows no warning, and a milk snake that would have 151 00:08:49,560 --> 00:08:53,880 cut the dust to the tall grass in June quiles up and strikes at 152 00:08:53,880 --> 00:08:57,960 anything that steps its way. It's a time when foxes and dogs 153 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:00,560 go mad. They'll come shackling towards 154 00:09:00,560 --> 00:09:03,520 you, their lips snarly and chins white with slobber. 155 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:06,840 You'll raise your gun and they'll come on like they just 156 00:09:06,840 --> 00:09:10,800 want to get it done with. So that just gives you a feel 157 00:09:10,800 --> 00:09:13,200 for that local color. It's such a different time in a 158 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:16,040 different place than our current culture. 159 00:09:16,440 --> 00:09:19,120 And there's just something beautiful about stepping outside 160 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:23,200 yourself. And I feel like if I can put on 161 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:27,480 my English teacher hat, we can grow so much in our 162 00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:30,760 understanding of humanity, growing our empathy, growing our 163 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:34,680 understanding of how the world works by reading stories that 164 00:09:34,680 --> 00:09:39,000 take us outside ourselves. So we're going to take a hard 165 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:41,760 turn. The other book that I wanted to 166 00:09:41,760 --> 00:09:43,680 talk about today is by Beth Moore. 167 00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:48,120 Many of you are familiar with her Bible studies for women, so 168 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:51,880 she released her memoir last year called All My Knotted Up 169 00:09:51,880 --> 00:09:55,520 Life. And when I found out that she 170 00:09:55,520 --> 00:09:58,960 had released her biography, I knew I had to read it because I 171 00:09:58,960 --> 00:10:04,600 had just benefited from many of her studies, especially in my 172 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:09,680 early journey of faith. And when you're reading this 173 00:10:09,680 --> 00:10:13,200 book, it just feels like you are sitting on the porch with Beth 174 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:17,160 with a glass of iced tea, and she is just inviting you to hear 175 00:10:17,160 --> 00:10:20,760 how God changed her through highs and lows. 176 00:10:21,080 --> 00:10:23,120 And she's a master to storyteller. 177 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:25,760 She will make you laugh. She will make you cry. 178 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:29,680 I do highly recommend the audio book because she reads it 179 00:10:29,680 --> 00:10:33,320 herself and there's just no beating her telling her own 180 00:10:33,320 --> 00:10:36,080 story. Some things I loved about this 181 00:10:36,080 --> 00:10:40,640 book is that she wrestles honestly with the struggles of 182 00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:43,800 growing up and then working in a religious culture. 183 00:10:44,640 --> 00:10:48,080 Her relationship with the local church was complicated. 184 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:51,560 And many of us who grew up in church also have wounds because 185 00:10:51,560 --> 00:10:53,320 the church is made-up of broken people. 186 00:10:53,320 --> 00:10:58,760 It's made-up of humans, but Moore is able to balance that 187 00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:02,760 tension with just boundless empathy for the brokenness of 188 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:05,120 others. She's able to step outside 189 00:11:05,120 --> 00:11:10,240 herself, to be curious, to ask questions, and to be open about 190 00:11:10,560 --> 00:11:13,120 why, why those things have come to be. 191 00:11:13,960 --> 00:11:17,400 She is a very public figure, a very public voice, but there's 192 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:19,960 so much about her personal life that may surprise you. 193 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:26,000 So I recommend finding that audio book. 194 00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:29,200 And you know, maybe you're traveling this summer. 195 00:11:29,560 --> 00:11:31,960 And like I said, you'll laugh, you will cry. 196 00:11:31,960 --> 00:11:35,880 And it is just a really sweet testament to God's faithfulness 197 00:11:35,880 --> 00:11:42,400 and his grace. So my name is Daniel Black. 198 00:11:42,480 --> 00:11:47,400 I serve as the campus pastor at our Spartanburg campus and I 199 00:11:47,400 --> 00:11:51,080 want to tell all of you about a book that I've read that I think 200 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:54,720 whether you care about money or not, you should read because it 201 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:57,840 is not a big book. It is also a very different book 202 00:11:57,840 --> 00:12:02,360 because in my opinion it is the most biblical book from a non 203 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:05,800 Christian writer. It is called Die with Zero by a 204 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:11,480 man named Bill Perkins who was a an investor from the energy 205 00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:16,400 sector, made a ton of money and moved to Hollywood, became a big 206 00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:18,400 deal. I actually never heard of him, 207 00:12:18,800 --> 00:12:21,280 but I heard about the book from a podcast that I listened to 208 00:12:21,280 --> 00:12:24,040 about Peter Atiya. He does a podcast called the 209 00:12:24,040 --> 00:12:29,680 drive, does all kind of different health things and 210 00:12:29,680 --> 00:12:32,960 different sectors of health. And he just referenced this book 211 00:12:32,960 --> 00:12:35,920 as one of the four books that his most shaped how he thinks. 212 00:12:36,360 --> 00:12:39,600 So I was just curious about it. I was, I wonder what he, he 213 00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:43,640 would be saying about money. And anyway, so as I, as I got 214 00:12:43,640 --> 00:12:48,280 into it, it was so fascinating because I, I have never read a 215 00:12:48,280 --> 00:12:49,920 book which I, I care about money. 216 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:54,240 I, I admit that and I'm a saver and I like to invest and all 217 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:58,120 that is, is very, it brings out a curiosity in me. 218 00:12:58,760 --> 00:13:03,120 And after reading it, in a lot of ways I was very convicted 219 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:07,280 about the way in which I overvalue saving just for 220 00:13:07,280 --> 00:13:11,680 saving's sake and not being strategic about the ways in 221 00:13:11,680 --> 00:13:15,760 which my money is being deployed as a resource to benefit the 222 00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:20,560 Kingdom here and now. And so Bill's take, is he part 223 00:13:20,560 --> 00:13:25,360 of it, is his story, Part of it is him studying how people spend 224 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:27,080 money over the course of their lives. 225 00:13:27,760 --> 00:13:31,280 And so one of the things he talks about is how most people, 226 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:33,920 when they retire, if they've been financially responsible, 227 00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:37,200 they retire in the 60 to 70 year old range. 228 00:13:37,640 --> 00:13:40,400 They start spending money, but they're so scared to run out of 229 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:44,600 money that they don't actually spend anything into their 230 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:46,480 principal. They get into their 80s if 231 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:49,480 they're still alive and they're like, oh, no, I've got all this 232 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:52,480 money and I have no more energy to spend it. 233 00:13:52,680 --> 00:13:55,080 And what do I do? And so they start frantically 234 00:13:55,400 --> 00:13:59,000 giving money away to their kids or to charitable organizations. 235 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:02,320 And he's like, that is not a good way to live. 236 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:05,360 And so in my opinion, it's convicting for us as the church 237 00:14:05,360 --> 00:14:08,520 to hear this perspective and say, what would it look like for 238 00:14:08,520 --> 00:14:11,600 us to actually be generous here and now and actually give money 239 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:16,520 away to the church, to organizations we care about, to 240 00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:19,440 people in need. And so personally, I was very 241 00:14:19,440 --> 00:14:22,720 convicted because at the end of the book, you can fill out all 242 00:14:22,720 --> 00:14:26,360 this information on an app and you can see how you're tracking 243 00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:30,720 on are you on track to die with zero whenever you think you you 244 00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:34,120 might die. And it just was, it created a 245 00:14:34,120 --> 00:14:35,960 lot of good conversations in my family. 246 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:38,520 So whether you care about money or not, I would just recommend 247 00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:43,520 take a listen or read of this book that was zero Bill Perkins. 248 00:14:43,520 --> 00:14:46,360 And I think that it'll create some good conversations for you. 249 00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:52,720 Hi, my name is Jordan Trippa and I am our Communication 250 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:57,720 Strategist in our COM department and I chose the book Every 251 00:14:57,720 --> 00:15:01,360 moment, Holy New Liturgies for Daily Life by Douglas Kane 252 00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:04,200 Mcelvey. So friends of mine recommended 253 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:09,160 him to me in this book specifically volume one a Co 254 00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:11,960 worker of mine gave to me and I've just really enjoyed using 255 00:15:11,960 --> 00:15:14,800 it in my personal prayer and reflection time as well as 256 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:17,720 certain moments of life. I think there's three volumes 257 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:21,600 now, but if you're unfamiliar with what a liturgy is in the 258 00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:25,480 Christian context, liturgy is usually a public, prayerful kind 259 00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:29,320 of ritual of worship. It's used to refocus, set 260 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:33,560 intention, Orient a gathering, and often times uses the same 261 00:15:33,560 --> 00:15:38,800 devices of metaphor or analogy, repetition or rhyme that we see 262 00:15:38,800 --> 00:15:41,440 in poetry, similar to how the Psalms are. 263 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:46,040 And so liturgies in volume one specifically are written for 264 00:15:46,040 --> 00:15:49,600 moments of daily life. And they just help me recognize 265 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:53,160 beauty and simple things and to kind of stop in my day-to-day 266 00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:57,040 and see that God is moving even in the small ways. 267 00:15:57,560 --> 00:16:00,880 And so some specific examples of liturgies that are included in 268 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:05,400 volume one are for the ritual of morning coffee, for the paying 269 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:09,120 of bills, for the death of a dream, for feasting with 270 00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:13,280 friends, for setting up a Christmas tree, for gardening, 271 00:16:13,520 --> 00:16:17,920 for the enjoyment of bonfires, for medical providers, for home 272 00:16:17,920 --> 00:16:21,920 repairs, for the changing of diapers, for those facing the 273 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:25,440 slow loss of memory. So there's so many I could list, 274 00:16:25,440 --> 00:16:28,400 but these are just a few that show there's something here for 275 00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:31,000 everyone. And I thought it might make 276 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:32,680 sense for me to read one of these. 277 00:16:32,680 --> 00:16:36,280 So I actually chose one from volume to because I thought it 278 00:16:36,280 --> 00:16:39,160 was just beautifully written and I think everyone couldn't relate 279 00:16:39,160 --> 00:16:42,560 to these words. And it's a liturgy for embracing 280 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:45,120 both joy and sorrow. So here's a short excerpt. 281 00:16:47,080 --> 00:16:51,120 Let me neither ignore my pain, pretending all is OK when it 282 00:16:51,120 --> 00:16:55,840 isn't, nor coddle and magnify my pain so that I dull my capacity 283 00:16:55,840 --> 00:16:58,400 to experience all that remains good in this life. 284 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:03,960 For joy that denies sorrow is neither hard won, nor true, nor 285 00:17:03,960 --> 00:17:06,560 eternal. It is not real joy at all. 286 00:17:07,119 --> 00:17:10,960 And sorrow that refuses to make space for the return of joy and 287 00:17:10,960 --> 00:17:14,560 hope, in the end becomes nothing more than a temple for the 288 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:19,160 worship of my own woundedness. I'm Ty Burke. 289 00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:22,200 I am, I'm new to staff. I've, I'm on the downtown staff 290 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:25,040 doing discipleship in groups and care and recovery. 291 00:17:25,560 --> 00:17:27,440 So I come out of a, a corporate environment. 292 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:32,240 So, but I've been in Grace Church for a long time and the 293 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:35,120 book, the books, I guess I should say that I chose to read 294 00:17:35,120 --> 00:17:36,600 10. Actually, they're both 295 00:17:36,600 --> 00:17:40,320 children's books, one maybe for younger children and one maybe 296 00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:43,680 for children late in elementary school age. 297 00:17:44,360 --> 00:17:47,480 But I love them both personally. So the first one is called the 298 00:17:47,480 --> 00:17:49,760 creator in you and it it's for young children. 299 00:17:49,760 --> 00:17:52,680 I read it to my kids now who are four and two. 300 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:56,720 And really I, I chose to read this book because I think there 301 00:17:56,720 --> 00:18:00,760 is just this discrepancy between like what you do on Sunday as a 302 00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:03,560 believer and what you do the rest of the week. 303 00:18:04,040 --> 00:18:07,600 And just the reality of me wanting to help my children 304 00:18:07,600 --> 00:18:10,360 understand that, that, that God is not just on Sunday. 305 00:18:11,040 --> 00:18:15,160 And so the reality of whatever you do, whether you eat or 306 00:18:15,160 --> 00:18:19,440 whether you drink, do all to the glory of God, that there's good 307 00:18:19,440 --> 00:18:22,440 in it, there's worship in it that God made us to create. 308 00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:26,960 And so that wherever we go, if we're in Christ, then what we 309 00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:29,560 are doing has this, this, this holy peace to it. 310 00:18:29,560 --> 00:18:36,040 And so this book, I think, takes this maybe larger theological 311 00:18:36,040 --> 00:18:39,480 piece that I think we as adults even struggle with and puts it 312 00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:44,560 in just this very tangible, fun children's book that you can 313 00:18:44,560 --> 00:18:47,720 read with your kids to talk about the idea of why do you 314 00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:52,760 like to build build Legos? Like, well, you're made in the 315 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:54,640 image of a God who loves to create. 316 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:57,280 And so it's just conversation that we can have with with my 317 00:18:57,280 --> 00:18:59,000 children. And so that that's why I chose 318 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:00,960 to read it. He's got great content for 319 00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:02,840 adults too, around that very idea. 320 00:19:02,840 --> 00:19:09,120 So that's, that's that book. The next book I have is popular 321 00:19:09,120 --> 00:19:11,280 artist in Christian spheres, CS Lewis. 322 00:19:11,600 --> 00:19:16,000 So this the silver chair, it's it's part of the The Chronicles 323 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:17,880 of Narnia series. It's probably one of the lesser 324 00:19:17,880 --> 00:19:20,880 known books. It, it kind of strays maybe a 325 00:19:20,880 --> 00:19:24,040 little bit from the the large Lion Witch and the wardrobe. 326 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:26,720 But the main piece of this book is the witch. 327 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:31,520 And so it's, it's the idea of the, the story is two children 328 00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:35,000 are dropped off into Aslan's world and they have to go, 329 00:19:35,360 --> 00:19:39,360 they're, they're on a mission. I mean, they encounter this dark 330 00:19:39,360 --> 00:19:41,960 witch. And so I read it because 331 00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:46,200 personally, I just think in being a believer, you read books 332 00:19:46,200 --> 00:19:49,480 like Revelation or Daniel. I think we need a better 333 00:19:49,480 --> 00:19:53,480 imagination to follow Jesus. And so I just, it was a 334 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:55,240 challenge in my own life to read more fiction. 335 00:19:55,480 --> 00:19:57,440 That's why I read it. That's why I read the whole 336 00:19:57,440 --> 00:19:59,320 series. But this is one of my favorites. 337 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:03,920 Just because the imagery and I think how it applies to us as 338 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:07,840 believers in, in today's age, I, I, I encourage you to read and 339 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:09,200 check these both, both of these books out. 340 00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:13,520 I think there is a reality to a, a, a good simple childlike 341 00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:14,840 faith. And I think both these books 342 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:18,080 bring those out even even to me. So if you if you want to see how 343 00:20:18,400 --> 00:20:21,280 this book ends, I would I would encourage you to do that. 344 00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:28,000 Hi, I'm Natalie Richard and I'm the SER Espanol lead. 345 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:31,360 I'm excited to be here and talk about a book that I really 346 00:20:31,360 --> 00:20:34,400 enjoyed reading. Someone recommended the book 347 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:38,400 about George Mueller's life. It's called Delighted in God by 348 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:44,160 Roger Steer, and it's about George Mueller's life. 349 00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:50,160 He lived in England in the 1800s, and the Lord just gave 350 00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:56,560 him a strong vision to have orphanages for the many kids 351 00:20:56,560 --> 00:20:59,040 that were in the streets during this time. 352 00:20:59,040 --> 00:21:03,520 And so he began with one orphanage and then he built many 353 00:21:03,520 --> 00:21:08,400 because he had thousands of kids just coming and he provided 354 00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:12,160 meals and a place to sleep, but also education. 355 00:21:12,720 --> 00:21:16,840 And so I just really enjoyed how he did this because it was 356 00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:19,560 completely dependent upon the Lord. 357 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:23,680 Anything he need, he prayed for and the Lord answered. 358 00:21:24,040 --> 00:21:28,760 And one of the stories is there were thousands of kids and he 359 00:21:28,760 --> 00:21:33,080 was praying, how am I going to feed all these kids in the 360 00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:38,000 morning? And every morning milk and bread 361 00:21:38,280 --> 00:21:42,600 came and he could feed the kids. And so it I recommend this book 362 00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:46,160 just 'cause it convicted me on my prayer life. 363 00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:54,320 And also am I listening to the Lord and the Holy Spirit 364 00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:58,400 prompting and guidance? Because maybe if I listened and 365 00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:01,560 acted on what He guides me, I could be also an answered prayer 366 00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:06,920 for someone else. So this example was really good 367 00:22:06,920 --> 00:22:11,200 for my life. It moved me closer to him and I 368 00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:15,640 realized how much more I could pray and depend and just enjoy 369 00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:18,840 His presence. So yeah, I would recommend this 370 00:22:18,840 --> 00:22:19,960 book. I enjoyed it. 371 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:23,560 I hope if you grab it and read it you would enjoy it as much as 372 00:22:23,560 --> 00:22:28,160 I did. Hey Grace Church, this is 373 00:22:28,160 --> 00:22:31,160 Schofield Foster. I serve as our downtown campus 374 00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:34,800 pastor and got invited to be a part of this conversation about 375 00:22:34,880 --> 00:22:40,840 about recommended books. And so mine is Live no Lies by 376 00:22:40,840 --> 00:22:45,080 John Mark Comer. And the subtitle is Recognize 377 00:22:45,080 --> 00:22:49,680 and resist the three enemies that sabotage Your peace. 378 00:22:50,400 --> 00:22:52,960 So for me, this started because I was meeting with a guy in our 379 00:22:52,960 --> 00:22:56,040 church who was going through a lot of difficult things around 380 00:22:56,040 --> 00:23:00,280 sin and repentance and frankly what it meant to even believe in 381 00:23:00,280 --> 00:23:03,040 God at all. And I'll never forget because 382 00:23:03,040 --> 00:23:06,840 I've been meeting with him for the better part of a year, and 383 00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:09,760 this meeting I expected to be just a little bit more of the 384 00:23:09,760 --> 00:23:12,920 same, where we weren't making as much progress as I wished. 385 00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:17,120 And prayed until he starts talking and all of a sudden, the 386 00:23:17,120 --> 00:23:19,480 way this guy sounds feels radically different. 387 00:23:20,080 --> 00:23:23,600 You could just feel it. And he, I think, was really 388 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:27,240 experiencing the Holy Spirit for the first time, or at least in a 389 00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:29,320 very new and fresh way. And but he had all this 390 00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:32,800 different language for what what's happening and what it 391 00:23:32,800 --> 00:23:36,080 meant for him to believe truth and follow Jesus and get free 392 00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:38,760 from sin. And I just had to say, hey, like 393 00:23:38,760 --> 00:23:41,080 all the things you're saying. Where did you learn that? 394 00:23:42,440 --> 00:23:45,240 He said, well, actually, I just picked up a book by a guy named 395 00:23:45,240 --> 00:23:48,080 John Mark Comer and it's called Live No Lies. 396 00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:53,000 And frankly, he was a living testimony the way that his life 397 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:55,000 had been changed. I just had to go read the book. 398 00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:58,440 And so the basic point of the book is that the world, the 399 00:23:58,440 --> 00:24:01,440 flesh and the devil, if you look at Ephesians 2, Paul talks about 400 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:06,000 that as like the unholy Trinity, these forces, this one force, 401 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:09,920 the flesh within us, the world, this current of broken people 402 00:24:09,920 --> 00:24:12,840 that we're all a part of and how that pulls us away from God. 403 00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:16,480 And then this real spiritual being and these spiritual beings 404 00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:20,680 and forces that are against God and God's people all trying to 405 00:24:20,680 --> 00:24:23,120 steal you from God's purposes for your life. 406 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:26,480 And so understanding how all three of those things work, how 407 00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:29,240 real they are and how to combat them. 408 00:24:29,240 --> 00:24:32,240 And one of the images that John Mark Kommer gives in the book is 409 00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:34,720 that lies are not just glaringly obvious. 410 00:24:35,320 --> 00:24:38,480 Don't think about warfare is in the old British warfare where 411 00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:40,480 you line up across from one another and everybody's shooting 412 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:41,520 and sees who they're shooting it. 413 00:24:41,520 --> 00:24:44,600 He goes, no, it's more like, you know, World War Two spy 414 00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:47,640 espionage where you're sending secret codes and trying to 415 00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:51,120 depict things and throw off people's messages and mess up 416 00:24:51,120 --> 00:24:53,720 their understanding of what's even real or accurate. 417 00:24:54,200 --> 00:24:56,320 That's more the nature of spiritual warfare. 418 00:24:57,120 --> 00:24:58,600 And so it's a book on spiritual warfare. 419 00:24:58,640 --> 00:25:00,240 And honestly, I think he's a great writer. 420 00:25:00,240 --> 00:25:02,880 I've read a couple of his things recently that I really liked, so 421 00:25:02,960 --> 00:25:06,400 highly recommend it. Hey, I'm Bob Cook. 422 00:25:06,520 --> 00:25:10,280 I'm one of the discipleship and groups pastors at Pelham, and my 423 00:25:10,280 --> 00:25:12,680 choice for a summer book recommendation is Les Miserables 424 00:25:12,680 --> 00:25:16,640 by Victor Hugo. Obviously you'd want to read the 425 00:25:16,640 --> 00:25:18,120 unabridged version. I don't know why anyone would 426 00:25:18,120 --> 00:25:20,840 want to read a shorter version and I've been through it twice. 427 00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:24,160 I have read the translation by Lee Fonstock. 428 00:25:26,520 --> 00:25:29,240 In terms of why I chose the book, I actually don't recall 429 00:25:29,240 --> 00:25:30,880 why I picked the book up in the 1st place. 430 00:25:30,880 --> 00:25:33,840 It was either because I'd seen the musical and heard the book 431 00:25:33,840 --> 00:25:36,800 was better or, or likely I'd already read The Hunchback of 432 00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:39,040 Notre Dame and wanted to read more by Hugo. 433 00:25:39,040 --> 00:25:41,360 And since then he really has become one of my favorite 434 00:25:41,360 --> 00:25:42,920 authors. I've read one of his other books 435 00:25:42,920 --> 00:25:44,800 in English. And then actually his 436 00:25:44,800 --> 00:25:47,560 contemporary Alexander Dumas also has written a number of 437 00:25:47,560 --> 00:25:48,800 great books. So I've read some of those. 438 00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:52,280 So when it's time to recommend a book, I had to recommend this 439 00:25:52,280 --> 00:25:54,760 one is my favorite book. It's probably my favorite book 440 00:25:54,760 --> 00:25:58,320 apart from the Bible. And so there's a couple reasons 441 00:25:58,360 --> 00:26:00,280 for that. First and I think foremost is 442 00:26:00,280 --> 00:26:03,720 really how Hugo develops the characters in his story. 443 00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:06,840 He does an amazing job of intertwining the lives of the 444 00:26:06,840 --> 00:26:09,160 characters throughout the book in ways you just can't even 445 00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:12,560 anticipate. And then his language is is also 446 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:16,080 very colorful and it's helpful. But really, with respect to 447 00:26:16,080 --> 00:26:19,440 characters, really the most significant is how he lays out 448 00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:20,920 the life. The main character, Jean 449 00:26:20,920 --> 00:26:24,880 Valjean, who you meet at the beginning as prisoner 246 O1, 450 00:26:25,080 --> 00:26:28,240 who's been put in a prison camp for stealing a loaf of bread, 451 00:26:28,240 --> 00:26:31,640 trying to feed the starving children of his sister. 452 00:26:32,440 --> 00:26:37,800 And so after he's released from 19 years in prison, the kindness 453 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:41,600 of one priest puts Jean on a path of redemption that sees him 454 00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:45,840 go to extraordinary lengths to care for the others in his life, 455 00:26:45,840 --> 00:26:48,960 a particularly a great cost. He has no children of his own, 456 00:26:48,960 --> 00:26:53,640 and yet he cares for the child of one of his employees. 457 00:26:53,920 --> 00:26:58,280 And it is just amazing how Hugo develops those characters. 458 00:26:58,640 --> 00:27:01,800 But then really the other reason not to love the book is really 459 00:27:01,800 --> 00:27:03,920 the historical context that it's wrapped up. 460 00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:07,840 And I enjoy French history. I love the art and architecture 461 00:27:07,840 --> 00:27:10,320 that it produced, places like Versailles and St. 462 00:27:10,360 --> 00:27:15,240 Chappelle and the Louvre. You think of Rodin and Monet and 463 00:27:15,240 --> 00:27:18,200 Renoir and the art that they created, and so that is all 464 00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:20,760 fascinating to me. And so this book is set in the 465 00:27:20,760 --> 00:27:23,720 chaos that surrounded the French Revolution. 466 00:27:24,080 --> 00:27:28,920 In fact, the title in English translates to the Wretches, and 467 00:27:28,920 --> 00:27:33,560 you get to see just how difficult life was for those in 468 00:27:33,560 --> 00:27:36,600 the late 18th and 19th centuries in France. 469 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:42,040 And yet you have the context of places like Versailles that are 470 00:27:42,080 --> 00:27:45,920 opulent and really beyond imagination even for today. 471 00:27:46,200 --> 00:27:50,440 And so even through that, Hugo spends 100 pages talking about a 472 00:27:50,440 --> 00:27:52,560 Napoleon's defeat at the better of Waterloo. 473 00:27:52,560 --> 00:27:56,360 And so all that, all the characters and the history just 474 00:27:56,360 --> 00:27:58,680 make it a fascinating, a fascinating read. 475 00:27:58,680 --> 00:28:01,360 And so I would say it is well worth the time. 476 00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:07,160 The copy I have in my hand is 14163 pages, but it is one of 477 00:28:07,160 --> 00:28:09,400 those classics that you just have to read. 478 00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:14,280 I'm Sarah Lacourse. I work in the communications 479 00:28:14,280 --> 00:28:17,960 department. I am a project manager, but I 480 00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:23,280 love to read and the book that I picked as a potential summer 481 00:28:23,320 --> 00:28:26,360 read for anybody who's interested is Watership Down. 482 00:28:27,720 --> 00:28:33,960 And it is like a it's a classic of adventure, folklore, 483 00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:36,840 companionship, but it features rabbits. 484 00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:42,720 So I think of The Hobbit, it's kind of in the same literary 485 00:28:42,720 --> 00:28:45,120 vein. You have two writers who were 486 00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:49,120 inspired by stories that they told their children when they 487 00:28:49,120 --> 00:28:53,240 were kids and developed into a novel that's great for kids or 488 00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:57,240 great for adults. So Watership Down is an 489 00:28:57,240 --> 00:29:04,400 adventure story starts with this Warren of rabbits that it, it's 490 00:29:04,400 --> 00:29:09,080 The Maine rabbit, Hazel and his brother Fiver and fiber it kind 491 00:29:09,120 --> 00:29:11,560 of prophetic and he sees doom coming. 492 00:29:11,840 --> 00:29:14,600 And it turns out that these humans come in and like ruin the 493 00:29:14,600 --> 00:29:18,840 Warren because they're making way for a new property. 494 00:29:19,120 --> 00:29:22,680 And so it sends this group of rabbits on a journey to find 495 00:29:22,680 --> 00:29:26,560 their new home. And they have to like figure out 496 00:29:26,600 --> 00:29:29,520 when it's time to stop. Like they, they come across 497 00:29:29,520 --> 00:29:31,840 another Warren, but there's weird stuff going on there and 498 00:29:31,840 --> 00:29:34,200 they have to decide if they're just going to integrate into the 499 00:29:34,200 --> 00:29:38,840 new Warren or go on. So it's their journey to find 500 00:29:38,840 --> 00:29:41,040 their new home. And that's, that's the plot. 501 00:29:41,320 --> 00:29:44,080 I first heard about it in college, I think. 502 00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:47,760 And it actually took me a couple reads, like a couple starts to 503 00:29:47,760 --> 00:29:49,400 get into it. I think it was about three 504 00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:52,040 times. I kind of started because like 505 00:29:52,040 --> 00:29:55,080 similar to Tolkien, he has his own language for the rabbits. 506 00:29:55,160 --> 00:29:57,720 And that like kind of tripped me up a little bit. 507 00:29:57,720 --> 00:30:00,720 But once I got into it, like it's my favorite book I read 508 00:30:00,720 --> 00:30:02,800 every year. This will be my sixth time 509 00:30:02,800 --> 00:30:07,000 reading it this year. So it's just a really magical 510 00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:09,520 story and I think it will, some people will probably hear the 511 00:30:09,520 --> 00:30:12,520 name get turned off 'cause there was a really bad animated 512 00:30:12,520 --> 00:30:16,400 rendition in the 70s, which I have never seen, but I've seen 513 00:30:16,400 --> 00:30:18,920 like screenshots and it is truly horrific. 514 00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:22,640 But the book is fantastic. And I haven't watched any 515 00:30:22,640 --> 00:30:27,280 adaptations of the book because the the images that are in the 516 00:30:27,280 --> 00:30:30,760 book, like just live in my head and are so dear to me. 517 00:30:31,040 --> 00:30:33,920 I love all the characters. Just the development is great. 518 00:30:35,080 --> 00:30:36,840 But yeah, it's an adventure story. 519 00:30:37,840 --> 00:30:42,520 Richard Adams is the writer and he anthropomorphizes the rabbits 520 00:30:42,520 --> 00:30:44,920 so they they have human characteristics, but they're 521 00:30:44,920 --> 00:30:49,880 still very much rabbits. Like they do normal rabbit 522 00:30:49,880 --> 00:30:51,280 things. And one of the things that I 523 00:30:51,280 --> 00:30:56,320 love about the story is that you get to see normal, like everyday 524 00:30:57,120 --> 00:31:01,520 activities or objects through different lenses. 525 00:31:01,520 --> 00:31:05,040 So like climbing a hill is very different for a human and a 526 00:31:05,040 --> 00:31:06,760 rabbit. Like the horizon line is 527 00:31:06,760 --> 00:31:09,240 different. A cigarette is very different. 528 00:31:09,240 --> 00:31:12,360 Like coming to a road is very different. 529 00:31:12,360 --> 00:31:15,000 And it's like one of the coolest images in the book when they 530 00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:17,480 come to a road for the first time and they think it's like a 531 00:31:17,480 --> 00:31:20,520 river. So it's just a fascinating way 532 00:31:20,520 --> 00:31:25,120 to see the world. But it also has like a lot of 533 00:31:25,520 --> 00:31:28,720 spiritual components that have really resonated with me. 534 00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:30,800 And every time I read, I feel like I see a new one. 535 00:31:31,960 --> 00:31:35,240 There's like a God who ordains everything and isn't in control 536 00:31:35,240 --> 00:31:39,560 of everything. And then there's an adversary. 537 00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:42,960 There's kind of a kind of the Angel of death character. 538 00:31:43,360 --> 00:31:46,680 There's references to the flood and creation and and then you 539 00:31:46,680 --> 00:31:50,760 have this larger than life like mythical rabbit that they all 540 00:31:50,760 --> 00:31:54,360 reference. And he's like, at times he's 541 00:31:54,360 --> 00:31:57,560 like when like the fall of Adam, he's Adam. 542 00:31:57,840 --> 00:32:03,440 And at times he's like David, real brave and doing everything 543 00:32:03,440 --> 00:32:05,960 he can for his people. And then you have like self 544 00:32:05,960 --> 00:32:09,800 sacrificial love of Christ. So he kind of embodies all three 545 00:32:09,800 --> 00:32:13,280 of those figures in the Bible for me. 546 00:32:13,280 --> 00:32:16,960 And then the ending is just my favorite ending of anything I've 547 00:32:16,960 --> 00:32:20,360 ever read. Like it's, it's what I want my 548 00:32:20,360 --> 00:32:23,280 life to look like when I come to the end. 549 00:32:23,760 --> 00:32:26,280 Like it's just this beautiful picture and I don't, I don't 550 00:32:26,280 --> 00:32:29,680 want to spoil it, but it's like it's, you know, you're sad when 551 00:32:29,680 --> 00:32:32,720 it ends because it's over. But it's also like there's 552 00:32:32,720 --> 00:32:35,480 nothing more needs to be said because it's just the perfect 553 00:32:35,640 --> 00:32:38,040 ending. So I highly recommend it. 554 00:32:40,240 --> 00:32:42,200 All right, So my name is Richie Blanton. 555 00:32:42,200 --> 00:32:45,600 I'm on our staff in Anderson with our discipleship and Groups 556 00:32:45,600 --> 00:32:49,080 team, and then I also work with our Central worship staff as 557 00:32:49,080 --> 00:32:52,840 well. I the book I picked for summer 558 00:32:52,840 --> 00:32:55,400 reading that I'd recommend to you is The Hobbit. 559 00:32:55,840 --> 00:32:58,720 And I don't, I don't fully remember the first thing that 560 00:32:58,720 --> 00:33:00,960 made me pick it up. I just, I'm assuming some of my 561 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:03,440 friends talked about it. And so I read it and for some 562 00:33:03,440 --> 00:33:06,920 reason for the past few years, really since college, I read it 563 00:33:06,920 --> 00:33:09,840 most every summer or some portion of it. 564 00:33:10,520 --> 00:33:13,120 If you don't know the story of The Hobbit, it is about a 565 00:33:13,120 --> 00:33:19,440 creature that is a Hobbit who has to save the entire, Oh, not 566 00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:22,560 the the Shire. It's not the Shire, all of 567 00:33:22,560 --> 00:33:26,440 Middle Earth from from evil. And this tiny little creature 568 00:33:26,640 --> 00:33:29,560 has to undo all of this evil and somehow deep in him is the 569 00:33:29,560 --> 00:33:31,120 courage and the ability to do it. 570 00:33:32,040 --> 00:33:35,160 And for some reason I read that book every summer for a few 571 00:33:35,160 --> 00:33:38,080 different reasons. One is I'm lazy and don't want 572 00:33:38,080 --> 00:33:40,280 to have to go pick some other book that I don't know if it's 573 00:33:40,280 --> 00:33:45,200 going to be good or not. The second one is it does it, it 574 00:33:45,200 --> 00:33:48,640 stirs my imagination in a really unique way that I'm not sure 575 00:33:48,640 --> 00:33:50,880 other books would do. And every time I just find 576 00:33:50,880 --> 00:33:53,920 something new about it. So it's this comforting thing 577 00:33:53,920 --> 00:33:56,200 that I know when I go to the beach, I'm not going to be 578 00:33:56,760 --> 00:34:00,200 disappointed in it, but that I'm going to get something new out 579 00:34:00,200 --> 00:34:02,280 of it every time. And it's kind of just a comfort 580 00:34:02,280 --> 00:34:04,560 thing that I do just about every summer, and it sparks my 581 00:34:04,560 --> 00:34:06,120 imagination in a really unique way. 582 00:34:08,440 --> 00:34:10,960 Hi, my name is Colin Atkins. I'm an AV technician on our 583 00:34:10,960 --> 00:34:15,840 staff, and the book I chose is The Comeback Effect by Jason 584 00:34:15,840 --> 00:34:20,280 Young and Jonathan Malm. So I decided to read the book. 585 00:34:20,400 --> 00:34:23,400 Over the last year, we as an AV staff have just been super 586 00:34:23,400 --> 00:34:26,679 intentional around processing and developing our team's 587 00:34:26,679 --> 00:34:30,600 identity around leadership. And so we've been to a few 588 00:34:30,600 --> 00:34:32,159 conferences related to production. 589 00:34:32,159 --> 00:34:35,080 And in one of the breakouts I attended, I got to hear from 590 00:34:35,080 --> 00:34:37,960 Jason Young, one of the authors of the book, the book is called 591 00:34:37,960 --> 00:34:40,840 The Comeback Effect. And so really like what the book 592 00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:43,800 starts talking about is, hey, how are we as members of the 593 00:34:43,800 --> 00:34:48,239 church just week in, week out, engaging the guests and 594 00:34:48,639 --> 00:34:52,840 ultimately creating a hospitable experience for them that lets 595 00:34:52,840 --> 00:34:57,160 them feel welcome, lets them feel the love of Christ and just 596 00:34:57,160 --> 00:34:59,360 be able to engage them, even if we don't know them. 597 00:35:00,040 --> 00:35:03,440 And usually that's going to be the first time experience for 598 00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:07,040 somebody is they're coming into a church not knowing anybody, or 599 00:35:07,040 --> 00:35:10,480 maybe they have one connection. And so how can we as leaders and 600 00:35:10,480 --> 00:35:14,960 members of our church actually start to be reaching out and 601 00:35:14,960 --> 00:35:16,480 engaging people coming through the doors? 602 00:35:16,920 --> 00:35:19,760 The book's content was outside of my comfort zone, which 603 00:35:19,760 --> 00:35:23,080 usually means that there's going to be some challenging ideas for 604 00:35:23,080 --> 00:35:24,560 me to grasp onto you and wrestle with. 605 00:35:25,080 --> 00:35:28,040 The idea of engaging attendees and guests usually felt like 606 00:35:28,040 --> 00:35:31,280 something that was outside of my job description, both personally 607 00:35:31,280 --> 00:35:34,240 and for the scope of my job. However, that misconception has 608 00:35:34,240 --> 00:35:37,480 been challenged and changed and a large part of that was through 609 00:35:37,480 --> 00:35:40,160 this book. Getting to read and process how 610 00:35:40,160 --> 00:35:42,480 the authors are approaching guests and attendees has made me 611 00:35:42,480 --> 00:35:46,560 re evaluate my role in engaging the people of our church and 612 00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:49,360 ultimately my hope is that this book is going to spark a similar 613 00:35:49,360 --> 00:35:54,960 change for our readers. Hey, I am Mary Beth Span and I 614 00:35:54,960 --> 00:35:59,400 am on staff as a Communications Project Manager, which I added 615 00:35:59,400 --> 00:36:03,920 to my role back in the fall previously and currently I am 616 00:36:04,320 --> 00:36:08,720 Chris Mcgowan's assistant. And the book I chose to talk 617 00:36:08,720 --> 00:36:11,440 about is The Hiding Place by Coryton. 618 00:36:11,440 --> 00:36:13,560 Boom. I first read this book, I 619 00:36:13,560 --> 00:36:18,240 believe in high school, something 10th grade kind of 620 00:36:18,240 --> 00:36:22,000 pops out in my head, but I've read it several times since 621 00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:25,800 because this book is just it's really life changing. 622 00:36:26,240 --> 00:36:31,880 It is set in Harlem, which is a small city in Holland back in 623 00:36:31,880 --> 00:36:36,800 World War Two, and it's about a Christian family that sets out 624 00:36:36,840 --> 00:36:41,840 to rescue Jews once the Nazis invade their small city. 625 00:36:42,480 --> 00:36:50,120 And the book just first of all, I love anything history, but 626 00:36:50,120 --> 00:36:56,080 especially just true stories of faithfulness of God's people. 627 00:36:56,160 --> 00:37:01,440 And these these people went through a lot in their efforts 628 00:37:01,440 --> 00:37:07,120 to save hundreds of people. I believe it was close to 800 629 00:37:07,120 --> 00:37:09,920 people that they saved, which is incredible. 630 00:37:11,000 --> 00:37:15,720 And the story takes a turn around midway through, and I'm 631 00:37:15,720 --> 00:37:20,880 not going to spoil it, but basically the this family is 632 00:37:20,880 --> 00:37:26,480 scattered and sent to concentration camp. 633 00:37:26,480 --> 00:37:32,520 And just through, as you can imagine, just the horrific 634 00:37:32,520 --> 00:37:36,720 conditions and the treatment, their faith, especially Corey's, 635 00:37:36,720 --> 00:37:39,560 it's, you know, it's, it's challenged and she kind of 636 00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:43,040 questions like what's what is, what's happening? 637 00:37:43,040 --> 00:37:49,160 And do I trust God? And it, it really is an 638 00:37:49,160 --> 00:37:51,760 encouragement and a challenge to my faith as well. 639 00:37:51,760 --> 00:37:55,400 Like when I think about like, what if I was in that situation, 640 00:37:55,880 --> 00:37:58,720 you know, what if I was locked somewhere with horrific 641 00:37:58,720 --> 00:38:02,560 conditions and would I continue to follow Jesus? 642 00:38:02,680 --> 00:38:04,960 Would I want to share the gospel? 643 00:38:04,960 --> 00:38:06,640 What would I do? Would I run? 644 00:38:06,640 --> 00:38:08,800 Would I be mad? Would I despair? 645 00:38:09,920 --> 00:38:11,680 Or would I be faithful like they were? 646 00:38:11,800 --> 00:38:15,480 And even though she does have her questioning and doubts, 647 00:38:15,480 --> 00:38:25,120 ultimately she grows in her faith and continues to trust the 648 00:38:25,120 --> 00:38:28,360 Lord and to share the good news with others. 649 00:38:29,480 --> 00:38:35,240 And so that's why, you know, I've read it, you know, multiple 650 00:38:35,240 --> 00:38:38,280 times, as well as wanted my children to read it early on. 651 00:38:40,760 --> 00:38:43,600 My name is Nick Naderstad and I work as a finance processing 652 00:38:43,600 --> 00:38:47,280 coordinator. I've always loved fiction and I 653 00:38:47,280 --> 00:38:50,400 had some really close friends recommend this book as well as 654 00:38:50,400 --> 00:38:54,240 others by the same author. So the book that I brought is 655 00:38:54,240 --> 00:38:56,120 Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. 656 00:38:56,120 --> 00:39:02,440 It is about a world where they used to have heroic figures and 657 00:39:02,440 --> 00:39:07,880 the heroic figures abandoned their oaths that they took to 658 00:39:07,880 --> 00:39:11,240 keep fighting against evil and to keep protecting the innocent. 659 00:39:11,960 --> 00:39:16,480 So the book, the main plot takes place hundreds of years later 660 00:39:16,480 --> 00:39:19,880 after this and how the culture is developed in spite of that. 661 00:39:19,880 --> 00:39:23,480 So there are a lot of different political figures that are all 662 00:39:23,480 --> 00:39:30,960 involved in seizing power and trying to control power in the 663 00:39:30,960 --> 00:39:34,800 midst of a war. And so we pick up with three 664 00:39:34,800 --> 00:39:40,000 main characters and other ones where one of them is the lowest 665 00:39:40,000 --> 00:39:43,320 to the low and he's put in a position where he doesn't have 666 00:39:43,320 --> 00:39:49,120 much influence, but he is responsible for taking these 667 00:39:49,120 --> 00:39:53,560 other people surrounding him and like giving them hope in the 668 00:39:53,560 --> 00:39:55,280 midst of a really dark situation. 669 00:39:56,000 --> 00:40:01,600 And one of the other characters, she is on her way to try and 670 00:40:01,600 --> 00:40:04,920 save her family from financial destitution and. 671 00:40:05,920 --> 00:40:11,720 To steal a very valuable object from a member of the royal 672 00:40:11,720 --> 00:40:13,680 family. And then one of the final 673 00:40:13,680 --> 00:40:18,520 characters is a former warlord that is really trying to do the 674 00:40:18,520 --> 00:40:22,480 right thing in the midst of having to deal with his past and 675 00:40:22,640 --> 00:40:27,720 also dealing with some PTSD. And so he has to really evaluate 676 00:40:27,720 --> 00:40:32,360 what the right thing is and hold to that in the midst of all 677 00:40:32,360 --> 00:40:34,160 these political powers that are at play. 678 00:40:35,200 --> 00:40:38,400 I would recommend Way of Kings because the storytelling and the 679 00:40:38,400 --> 00:40:41,600 character work really are just phenomenal. 680 00:40:41,960 --> 00:40:44,560 The way that Brandon Sanderson builds the plot and develops the 681 00:40:44,560 --> 00:40:49,160 characters so that they are exciting and satisfying as far 682 00:40:49,160 --> 00:40:52,440 as the payouts go, like is just done incredibly well. 683 00:40:52,920 --> 00:40:55,840 He uses the medium of epic fantasy to explore important 684 00:40:55,840 --> 00:40:58,600 themes like mental health and the value of doing what is right 685 00:40:58,600 --> 00:41:00,480 in the midst of trials and ambiguity. 686 00:41:01,320 --> 00:41:04,520 It does have a high page count, but this book and the series 687 00:41:04,520 --> 00:41:06,920 that it starts is one of the most well written stories I've 688 00:41:06,920 --> 00:41:10,080 ever read. As you read it and reach the 689 00:41:10,080 --> 00:41:12,600 ending, you start to understand that the author is carefully 690 00:41:12,600 --> 00:41:16,040 crafted, each plot point and character so that it ultimately 691 00:41:16,040 --> 00:41:18,600 reaches a thrilling and satisfying conclusion. 692 00:41:20,520 --> 00:41:23,200 Thanks for listening, everyone. Be sure to check out the show 693 00:41:23,200 --> 00:41:25,880 notes for our complete book recommendation list. 694 00:41:26,120 --> 00:41:28,960 We'll see you next time on the Grace Church Members Podcast.