SEPTEMBER 2009 IN THE UMC LIBRARY

Come on now, you're done with those vacations and heavy yard work (well, maybe not raking), so it's time to indulge in books from the UMC library.  Here are our latest additions.

Sojourners Magazine continues to address timely, controversial topics, and the recent issues in our library are no exception.  The June 2009 issue discusses a burgeoning new movement that is attempting to bridge the two poles of the abortion debate with actions that actually reduce abortion.  Jon Stewart, the funny TV prophet, headlines the July 2009 issue; and science and religion coexisting is featured in the August 2009 issue.  Sex is the headline issue in the Sept-Oct 2009 Sojourners.  The cover story discusses sex without shame, and there's an article entitled "What I wish I'd learned in church about sex."  You can find all these Sojourners on the magazine shelf.

Another quick read is the Fall 2009 issue of Leader Magazine [in binders above the short bookcases].  Thoughtful articles address teaching prayer in community, reading scripture prayerfully, and what's the point of prayer?

John Roth's "Stories: How Mennonites Came to Be" [289.7 ROT] is good for old-timers and those new to the denomination.  The classic "The Upside-Down Kingdom" [248.4 KRA] by Donald Kraybill examines the synoptic gospels as they enlighten Anabaptist theological heritage.  Still applicable today are the stories of Mennonite conscientious objectors during the Vietnam War draft as told in "The Path of Most Resistance" [956.7 MIL].  Wrapping up our Anabaptist additions is the richly illustrated "In God's Image: A Global Anabaptist Family" [305.6 DIR].

Two Anabaptist tweens become involved in the Anabaptist persecutions, meeting Menno Simons, and join the movement in "The Secret Church" [Juvenile FIC VER].

 "Going to the Root: Nine Proposals for Radical Church Renewal" [262 SMI] suggests alternatives for churches lacking vision and mired in bureaucratic structures. In "Jesus Matters: Good News for the 21^st Century," authors with young adult teammates address the issue: Do North Americans honor the Jesus of Scripture?

Teachers, preachers, and serious students can delve into the latest edition of the Believers Church Bible Commentary on "Isaiah" by Ivan D. Friesen [224.1 FRI].  A two-week cycle of morning and evening prayers in the Anabaptist tradition is outlined in  "Take our moments and our days" [242 BOE].

More visually oriented?  Then check out two new videos:  "Listening With Our Hearts" addresses advocacy issues, as does "Restoring Justice."  Both are in the adult library video collection.