Book Challenge

Lately it seems that social media has played a big part in heightening everyone's awareness of certain things (like ALS) as well as thrown out quite a few "challenges" to engage the social community with what they're thankful for or what their song choices are.  My favorite challenge as of yet (which I'll admit I'm slightly bummed that no one has challenged me with this one) is the book challenge.  Basically this is simply motivation to recall the top 10 books that have changed your life.

With the approach of our new Book Community starting this week, I would like to offer my top ten (whether you are interested or not!) in no particular order.....

1. "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis
As an immature 16 year old, this book was far over my level of comprehension the first time I read it. However, I've picked it back up a number of times throughout the past 12 years, each time finding new truths and bold proclamations of what the Christian faith consists of.

2. "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
This was the first "big" book I ever read by myself.  I don't know how old I was, but I think I was pretty young (second grade?) to have such a large book on my bookshelf.  No more kid books for me!  I was so pumped when the movie came out, too, because I could fit in with the adults who had also read the book.  My little sister was out of the loop, which of course I enjoyed, showing off how smart I was ;)

3. "The Seven Storey Mountain" by Thomas Merton
I got into reading about this monk because of seminary, but have drawn so much deeper in faith because of his dedication to a bi-vocational lifestyle of monk and writer.  My draw towards Merton's writing can be seen in the past 8 (?!) blog posts, but his struggles with coming to faith and consistent pursuit of God resonates with my own journey.

4. "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis
Ok, a lot of Lewis on my list, but what can I say? This book, written as satire, gets me.  Reading from the perspective of the devil really allows for a deeper perspective of the way the enemy is out to seek, kill and destroy.  I continue to learn a lot from this book each time I pick it up!

5. "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Another great one from my childhood!  I read this book, saw the plays, watched the movie and immersed myself into the book.  I often hoped (and still do) to find a secret garden of my own!

6. "The Magician's Nephew" by C.S. Lewis
I love kids books, despite my age.  Though I never read the Narnia books as a child, they impacted me as an adult just as much (if not more).  I love the character development, the storyline and the way Lewis is able to reach

7. "Native Son" by Richard Wright
I can't remember if I first read this for a college class or not, but regardless it sparked my love of African American literature.  Wright had a way of writing that captured his audience, making them feel the despair of many of his characters.  I haven't read one of his books that don't spark the same feelings!

8. "Beloved" by Toni Morrison
Another one from African American literature, Toni Morrison's writing grabs me and doesn't let me go til the last word of her books!  Her writing is so vivid, I feel as though I am right there in her story - watching Sethe kill her daughter and the haunting life that follows.

9. "Life Together" by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
This book has been one of many studies and papers for school, however offers a lot of practical advice for living communally in the Christian faith.  Bonhoeffer's own story is relevant throughout as he runs an underground seminary in Nazi Germany and lives out his faith in the face of death.  Inspirational and practical.

10. "The Bible"
You may think, 'well, that's just what all Christians have to say in this challenge,' however this truly is a complex and challenging book that has never ceased to surprise me.  I have found comfort, hope, history, narratives, beautiful poetry and a lot of confusion within these pages.  Glancing at a verse here or there never fully allows for an understanding - I'd suggest to grab a passage and meditate on that for a full week (or at least day) to let it soak in and find commentaries for help with confusion.  There is beauty in these pages that just don't come through other books.


While I have SOOOO many others that have inspired, challenged and motivated me, I'll stop at that for now.  Make sure to take a look at the upcoming books/dates for our book community (button on the right sidebar) that starts THIS WEEK!  Hope to see you there :)

Reading Invokes a Response

As Merton recalled of one of his favorite authors, “The Providence of God was eventually to use Blake to awaken something of faith and love in my own soul – in spite of all the misleading notions, and all the almost infinite possibilities of error that underlie his weird and violent figures.”[1]  God can use any avenue to bring people to his presence.  Blake was not always a man of faith, and therefore his poems were not strewn with Christian illusions.  Yet God used Merton’s love of literature to draw him nearer; He might use art or even sports to do the same for another.  It just so happened that Merton had a consistent stream of books which held his interest and therefore God entered the pages to come to life through his persistent reading.

So “just as his reading helped him in moving toward these goals, so our reading of Merton’s works can do the same for us.”[2]  We can take his example and draw nearer to God through reading, if that is a love of ours.  Spiritual reading as a whole can “assist in the reformation of our hearts and minds into the likeness of Jesus Christ.”[3]  Utilizing books for this purpose involves interacting with the words for the personal formation aspects rather than the head knowledge that can be gleaned. 

 

After his conversion, Merton wrote “to help people to be better Christians”[4] just as so many writers before him had done.  He appreciated the custom of Saint John of the Cross, who wrote out “short meditative phrases…that could be used as a meditative preparation for contemplative attention.”[5]  Merton utilized such a practice to help young monks approach meditation.  His theological writing assisted the deepening of faith for his fellow monks as well as superiors and even for readers today.  This practice was used in Merton’s own practices as one of his favorite things to do was to meditate “in silence on a spiritual author.”[6]  I think this is a very practical takeaway from how Merton utilized his love of literature to further his spirituality.

The act of reading is not merely for pleasure, but it invokes a response.   Personally, I have found certain quotes from Merton helpful in my own spiritual journey as I am able to contemplate his words as they relate to the Christian life.  He was able to “juxtapose whatever he reads and contemplates…with the reality of his monastic existence.”[7]  Likewise, the reader of Merton works and other spiritual writings can contemplate the words on the page in their own setting.  I, too, can appreciate the aspects of creation that are touched upon in Blake’s poems and the vividness of Hopkin’s verses.  Writers have the unique gifts to bring to life things that are often passed by without much thought since “words can travel beyond their confines into the mystery of God.”[8]  The importance of spiritual reading is to see how God works through these writers to bring his people closer to Him.  This was evident in Merton’s life as he became the same literary influence that other writers had been to him.

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[1] Merton, Seven Storey, 97.

[2] Shannon, 122.

[3] Roller, xii.

[4] Cunningham, 30.

[5] Ibid, 40.

[6] Ibid, 131.

[7] Kountz, 156.

[8] Llavador, 1.

Thomas Merton & T.S. Eliot (Merton's Love of Books - part 3)

Merton acknowledged the fact that his life as a young man was one of “a great rebel.”[1]  He believed his intelligence allowed him to rise above the pettiness of an average life and spent this time drinking beer, smoking cigarettes, listening to records and reading modern literature.  “Popular literature of the time was centrally occupied with the analyses of the loss of the individual self.”[2]  

One such modern writer he approached who focused on this culture was T.S. Eliot, a popular poet and cultural critic.  In an effort to stay above modernity, Merton recalled selling T.S. Eliot’s essays “in a conscious reaction against artiness”[3] as if he had surpassed the writers of the day.  

Nonetheless, Merton still wanted Eliot’s opinions and prepared an article for his magazine Criterion which stopped publication during that time.[4]  His impact held steady regardless of what Merton thought of the poet, which infiltrated Merton’s own future writing.

Though Merton was drawn to Eliot’s writings in his life prior to conversion, he later critiqued the literature of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century because it was “deeply concerned with authenticity and the problem of finding one’s ‘true self’ in an artificial and inauthentic society.”[5]  As a more mature Christian at the time of this critique, he recognized the problems with Eliot’s use of “traditional spiritualities and symbols to rise above identity”[6] and to find freedom through oneself.  Nevertheless, the poetry of T.S. Eliot still influenced Merton’s spirituality.  

According to Lawrence S. Cunningham, after entering the monastery Merton “treasured the quiet moments when he could find a quiet place to sit while he read slowly something like Eliot’s Four Quartets which “had profound influence on him.”[7]    His attempts at crafting complex poems like, Cables to the Ace, was heavily influenced by Eliot and even utilizes similar imagery of urgency.  Later in life he even had correspondence with Eliot, yet did not heed advice given to “write slowly and with great care and publish less.”[8]  Merton was less invested in polished pieces of work, but rather focused his efforts on getting his thoughts down on paper to share with others.  

Still, his interactions with T.S. Eliot influenced the way he wrote whether he acknowledged it or not.

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[1] Ibid, 103.

[2] Cunningham, 83.

[3] Merton, Seven Storey, 152.

[4] Ibid, 235.

[5] Thomas Merton, Contemplation in a World of Action, (Notre Dame, Ind.: University of Notre Dame Press, 1998), 37.

[6] Ibid, 37.

[7] Cunningham, 43.

[8] Ibid, 159.

Spiritual Literature

I've recently come to the realization of the power spiritual literature can have.  By reading autobiographies of various theologians, I've understood the profound impact other authors can have.

For my final project at Ashland Theological Seminary, I've come up with a list of 12 books complete with discussion guide for each one to utilize within a book club, or for personal gain.

The following ideas are aimed at helping one approach spiritual literature.  I hope this can be as useful to you as it has been for me:

Time  While many of these books can be read quickly, it is best to take your time with the words.  Allow them to soak in to your soul and reread passages that are speaking to you.

Space  Sometimes reading in a busy coffee shop is not the best choice if you’re easily distracted.  Knowing how you learn is helpful as you approach a comfortable area to give you space to absorb the pages.

Journal  It is often helpful to keep a journal while you’re reading to jot down quotes, thoughts, and reflections.  If you haven’t borrowed the book from someone (or the library), simply write in the margins of your pages.  Writing, drawing, and prayer journaling are all great practices as you approach spiritual literature.

For a full FREE downloadable discussion guide,click here (or the DISCUSS button to the right).

Author & Book notes PDF here (feel free to print and pass out to participants for a quick reference)

Happy reading! :)

Edmund's Delights (and other bookish food)

The White Witch & Edmund

"It is dull, Son of Adam, to drink without eating," said the Queen presently.  "What would you like best to eat?"

"Turkish Delight, please, your Majesty," said Edmund.

The Queen let another drop fall from her bottle on to the snow, and instantly there appeared a round box, tied with green silk ribbon, which, when opened, turned out to contain several pounds of the best Turkish Delight. Each piece was sweet and light to the very centre and Edmund had never tasted anything more delicious.  

excerpt,  The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.


As BuzzFeed gains stamina for readers who want to know random lists of information, I have found myself drawn to the clever site like a bug to the fire.  Quick snapshots of 20 things I didn't know about Paris? Sure!  30 April Fools Pranks? Of course!

Turkish Delights, from SprinkleBakes

But the one that has really grabbed my attention, from their book side, is the 11 Recipes for Bookworms!
Who wouldn't want to learn to make the infamous meals from our favorite novels?

Of course, I perused the list quickly, seeing which I would recognize and try first.  Much to my surprise, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe made it on there with Turkish Delight!  I have always wondered what this sweet goodness was all about, and even as I read ingredient labels on pre-packaged treats, I've never quite grasped the concept.  However, now that there is a recipe available - and a quite simple one at that - I will certainly be trying my hand at creating some of the deliciousness Edmund is fooled by.

What about you?  Have you ever created a dish inspired by a favorite novel?
I'd love to know how it turned out!


Turkish Delight Recipes found here: SprinkleBakes, About, AllRecipes
An interesting article on Americans' take on Turkish Delight found here: ChristianityToday

Fire + Books

Last night, while D was out, I decided the crisp fall weather that has snuck up on us was perfect for a fire.  I gathered my essentials- matches, wood, cardboard, and lighter fluid - and created a somewhat decent fire (for a girl..haha).

The best part? I could read some CS Lewis by the flickering light.

 Fire + books= perfect night!