MAY 2010 IN THE UMC LIBRARY

Schools will be closing soon, and you’ve marked the time off at your workplace.  That means you need to drift into the UMC library and peruse the shelves for that beach (or mountain or urban or family reunion) trip.  You’re in luck—there are lots of new books and magazines.

Let’s start out with a new donation from our own David Miller:  “Peace Be With You: Christ’s Benediction Amid Violent Empires” [261.87 BAK].  A compilation of essays, it discusses Christian commitment to peace lived out in a complex world.  Worth checking out just to see Dave’s handwritten note to UMC.

A particularly hot button issue is addressed in two books:  “Christians at the Border:  Immigration, the Church, and the Bible” [261.83 ROD] and “MCC U.S. Immigration Listening Project: What the Church is Saying” [325 MCC]. “Border” asks what the Bible says about the issue and what is at the heart of the Christian view of immigration.  “MCC U.S.” sought to listen to perceptions and concerns about new immigrants and to learn what they experience as they settle in different communities. 

“The Naked Anabaptist:  The Bare Essentials of a Radical Faith” [230.43 MUR] uses the lenses of the Anabaptist movement in Great Britain to lay out central themes of Anabaptism that have sometimes been obscured by the ethnic and cultural garb of the Mennonite denominational tradition.  “Affluenza Interrupted:  Stories of Hope from the Suburbs” [241.68 NEU] is an engaging collection of suburban experience stories that could happen to anyone.

Lighter reading, but nonetheless useful, include “Saving the Seasons: How to Can, Freeze, or Dry Almost Anything” [641.42 MEY] with lots of pictures and concise instructions is a joy for the experienced cook and the wannabe.  “Ask Third Way Café:  50 Common and Quirky Questions About Mennonites” [230.97 HER] is a FAQ-based approach of telling the Mennonite story with a welcoming spirit of engagement.

Don’t want to hold a heavy book in your hands while lifting a glass of lemonade in the other?  Turn to the magazine shelf.  “Sojourners March 2010” addresses humane and comprehensive immigration change, the new generation of peace workers, and Oscar Romero.  “Sojourners April 2010” has a cover article on financial reform advocate Elizabeth Warren, everyday courage in Afghanistan, and privacy on Facebook.   “Sojourners May 2010” addresses the emerging church grappling with diversity and justice, ridding the world of nuclear weapons, and tearing down walls in the Middle East.

Always useful for congregations is the “Leader” magazine published by MC USA.  Worship, visual arts, missional expression, and book reviews are featured quarterly.  “Leader Fall 2009” covers teaching prayer, corporate prayer, and help for those who struggle with prayer.  “Leader Spring 2010” features article on training worship leaders, incorporating the arts in services, and Christian formation.  “Leader Summer 2010” discusses faith formation throughout life.  All the Leader issues can be found in three-ring binders on top the short adult bookcases. 

We continue to build our collection of the Believers Church Bible Commentary, useful for Sunday morning messages, Sunday school classes, small groups, and individual study.  New volumes include “1-2 Peter, Jude” [227.92 WAL], “1 and 2 Thessalonians”  [227.81 ELI], and “1 & 2 Timothy, Titus” [227.83 ZEH].  Thumbnail reviews can be found on our LibraryThing website (instructions below).

The UMC library catalog, book reviews, and recent additions can all be viewed on the church website by clicking here.

Happy reading!