WORLDS ARE FORMING

Memory.

"How they do live on, those giants of our childhood, and how well they manage to take even death in their stride because although death can put an end to them right enough, it can never put an end to our relationship with them.  Wherever  or however else they may have come to life since, it is boeynd a doubt that they still live in us. 

Memory is more than a looking back to a time that is no longer; it is a looking out into another kind of time altogether where everything that ever was continues not just to be, but to grow and change with the life that is in it still.  The people we loved.  The people who loved us.  The poeple who, for good or ill, taught us things. 

Dead and gone though they may be, as we come to understand them in new ways, it is as though they come to understand us -- and thorugh them we come to understand ourselves -- in new ways too."  Buechner, The Sacred Journey, 21-22

Buechner's Sacred Journey.

I was first introduced to The Sacred Journey while in a  men's group in college.  While I have read many Buechner books since then, I don't know that I've revisited this one, though it was pretty formative during the time I first read it. 

Buechner's honesty and his word craft always seem to draw me in...

So, I'm picking up The Sacred Journey again as pleasure reading for the next few weeks. Stay tuned.  He's quotable.  Any other Buechner fans out there?

I Know I'm Eager to Get Back to Seminary When...

...I pull out my copy of Migliore's Faith Seeking Understanding and devour the sections on Theodicy, Evil, and Sacraments. (So good!) That's not my typical pleasure reading. Is this a sign that Old Man Cleve is still growing up?

A River Runs Through It.

One of my favorite movies just may become my new favorite book.  I have been looking for a post-CPE / pre-Princeton read.  After my recent trip to Montana, I decided that I had to read the book by Norman MacLean.  I am sure I will post a nugget or two of wisdom on here at some point.  There are quotes and nuggets aplenty in this piece of work.

Anyone else out there reading something good?

Love Needs That.

"I believe that God forgives me.  I do not doubt that.  The matter between God and me is closed.  But what about the matter between Eric and me?  For my regrets remain.  What do I do with my God-forgiven regrets?  Maybe some of what I regret doesn't even need forgiving; maybe sometimes I did as well as I could.  Full love isn't always possible in this fallen world of ours.  Still, I regret.

I shall live with them.  I shall accept my regrets as part of my life, to be numbered among my self-inflicted wounds.  But I will not endlessly gaze at them. I shall allow the memories to prod me into doing better with those still living.  And I shall allow them to sharpen the vision and intensify the hope for that Great Day coming when we can all throw ourselves into each other's arms and say, 'I'm sorry.'

The love of God will surely grant us such a day.  Love needs that."
                                                        :: Nicholas Wolterstorff, Lament for a Son, 65.

Jim the Boy, by Tony Earley.

Truly, a beautifully simple short novel. Tony Earley's Jim the Boy.  I appreciated how the author developed rich scenery and characters of depth, but left ample room for the reader to creatively fill in the blanks.  That is good writing.  I had to stop often, just to take in the beautiful writing and the situations Earley created.  Check it out if you are looking for a quick, but good read.  And, come on, let's be honest...the cover is cool, too.

(Thanks to our reticent-blogging-friend Bruner for allowing me to steal the book for my recent plane rides.  He really didn't have a choice.)

Wolterstorff: Lament For A Son

I need to start preparing for this coming summer's CPE experience.

It will be an intense summer of pastoral care in a hospital in Seattle.  I'm looking for books to help get me started...I know nothing but experience can prepare a person, really, but I'm trying.  I've heard good things about Wolterstorff's Lament For a Son, so I am going to start with that one.

Any suggestions on good, real, practical, solid pastoral care / grief counseling literature?

Art Re-members.

"In art, either as creators or participators, we are helped to remember some of the glorious things we have forgotten, and some of the terrible things we are asked to endure, we who are children of God by adoption and grace."                                                                                                          L'Engle, Walking on Water, 11.

Madeleine L'Engle: Walking on Water.

I go through seasons of creativity. There are times when I feel super creative...journaling, drawing, singing, taking photographs etc.  Then, there other times, when I am anything but creative.  In my creative stages, I certainly feel some sort of connection to God, as if I am a co-creator in something bigger than myself.  In my "other times," I can only stand back and appreciate others' work,  and wait for another season of creativity. 

I have heard about this book for several years, and am eager to consider L'Engle's reflections on faith and art.  Hopefully, I will find some inspiration for the days to come...

So, it really is an odd book. Fascinating, and odd.

Foer's Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close has been a treat over the past week. Whenever I have spare time, I pick it up and devour it.  (Let me be honest, I have also made free time for this book.)   I only have about 100 pages left, and I am not sure that I want it to end.  Melissa was right, it is an odd book, and you have to plow through some parts.  I've laughed, been on the verge of tears, cringed, stopped to stare into nothingness to ponder, etc.   Foer takes the reader into the minds and lives of several characters, all in the work of weaving their stories together to create a rich tapestry.  Seriously, it is odd.  Fascinating, and odd.