NOVEMBER 2009 IN THE UMC LIBRARY

As advent approaches, there's a book for every age in the UMC library, from a K-4^th grade story of Pakistani schools to a large print devotional book.  Major divisions of the library include adult non-fiction and fiction, juvenile (primary-middle ages), picture and easy reader books, videos, DVD's, magazines, and cassette tapes.  Come on in and sample the library!

"Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg and 'Three Cups of Tea'" by Greg Mortenson and Susan L. Roth [E MOR].  Appropriate for ages K-4^th grade. Greg Mortenson stumbled, lost and delirious, into a remote Himalayan village after a failed climb up K2. The villagers saved his life, and he vowed to return and build them a school. The remarkable story of his promise kept is now perfect for reading aloud. Told in the voice of Korphe's children, this story illuminates the humanity and culture of a relevant and distant part of the world in gorgeous collage, while sharing a riveting example of how one person can change thousands of lives.

"What's So Amazing About Grace?" by Philip Yancey [234 YAN]. We speak of grace often, but do we understand it? More important, do we truly believe in it and do our lives proclaim it as powerfully as our words? In his most personal book yet, the best-selling author of "The Jesus I Never Knew" takes a probing look at grace: what it looks like, what it doesn't look like, and why only Christians can and must reveal the grace the world is searching for.

"Sojourners Magazine - November 2009" by Sojourners [magazine shelf].  Articles include:  46 million reasons for health-care reform, hawks against the bomb, and meditations through the lectionary for the month.

"Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening" by Cynthia Bourgeault [248.3 BOU]  Cynthia Bourgeault's book is a must read, not just for those whose practice is Centering Prayer but for anyone who is interested in living a truly contemplative life.  She speaks to the mind, but more importantly to the heart.  Her simple and clear explanations of the contemplative process so apparently based in her own experience re-ignited my own yearning to live a deeply God-centered life and renewed my commitment to the practice.  This book is destined to be a classic.  -Anne Simpkinson

"Daily Guideposts 2009 Large Print Edition [291 GUI] This favorite daily devotional has more than thirty years of success behind it.  Here sixty contemporary writers create 365 all-new devotionals to take the reader through the year 2009. Each day's devotion offers a short scripture verse for reflection, a true, first-person anecdote, told in an informal, conversational style, that shares the ways God speaks to us in the ordinary events of life and a brief prayer to focus the reader's own prayers and put the day's message to work in his or her own life.

"Unexpected News: Reading the Bible with Third World Eyes" [220.6 BRO] by Robert McAfee Brown, one of the outstanding Christian theologians of the 20^th century. An accessible book on how to read Scripture, why to read Scripture, and why it must not be read in some ways are featured themes. The book will be unsettling, because the argument itself is unsettling. But it can be used in contexts of lay study for a serious rereading. There is nothing "hard" about the book. The "hardness comes from the text and from the gospel. From these Brown does not protect us as much as we might wish.  

"Leader Magazine: Winter 2009/2010" [Leader magazine binder].  Suitable for not only leadership but those in the pews.  Articles include: the financial crisis: how some congregations are responding, Lent 2010 worship resources.

The UMC online catalog, and recent library newsletters, is available 24/7 by clicking here.