Living His Love

The Gospel of Judas and the Shaping of Christianity
by Elaine Pagels and Karen King

In 2006 the Gospel of Judas, dating to the second century, was discovered in Egypt.  It received lots of attention in the scholarly world.  The authors reflect on this newfound discovery and how it helps us understand the story of the early Christians.  This gospel related how some of Jesus’ followers understood Jesus’ death, why Judas betrayed Jesus and why God allowed it.   For example, the concept of God demanding Jesus’ sacrificial death for our salvation is vehemently challenged in this non-canonical gospel. Reading The Gospel of Judas highlights the assumptions behind Jesus’ supposed teaching to Judas and shows how conflict among Jesus’ earliest followers contained doubt and disagreement.  Thus conflict, argument and lively discussion are essential components of faith, then and now.

Submitted by Pastor Steve

The Art of Listening in a Healing Way
By James E. Miller

The author is a writer, spiritual director, and grief counselor who lectures and presents in many areas of healing.  This is a book of 27 short chapters explaining the difference between hearing and listening.

Various encounters call for different ways of listening.  He mentions six kinds of listening:  “We listen casually, we listen for comprehension, we listen critically, we listen appreciatively, we listen therapeutically and the sixth kind of listening is healing listening.

What was the first time you felt really listened to?  Who did the listening?  What did you speak about?  How did you feel as the experience unfolded and afterward?  Why do you think this experience stays with you?

One chapter title is “Healing Listening is Founded on Wonder.”  Other chapters discuss the following, a healing listener stays in the moment; listens with the heart, listens through the soul and healing listening is an act of love.

It should be a challenge to everyone to do more listening and learning in our lives as we strive to understand and encourage one another to love and lift each other up for the healing that, many times, is necessary.

Submitted by Rev. Eugene DeHoogh

Dear and Glorious Physician
By Taylor Caldwell

A report will be coming soon of this book, but for now, we submit the following:

Lucanus (Greek version of Luke) was born a Greek to a freed-slave couple, and grew up as the stepson of a wealthy Roman soldier, Diodorus Cyrinus who was assigned to govern Antioch.

When Luke was ten years old he witnessed the Star of Bethlehem from a hilltop in his back yard in Antioch.
He knew it heralded the “Unknown God.”  He consecrated himself to find the Unknown God, and to serve Him, and in His Name to serve man.  He knew he could best serve man as a physician.  At that young age certain healings were already attributed to him.  He knew the philosophers and physicians of Greece, and had read their books of remedies for the ills of men, both mental and physical.  He was learning other languages, including Egyptian and Aramaic, so that he could speak to sufferers in their own tongues.
The book follows his path, until just one year after Jesus’ Ascension he locates and interviews Mary, the
disciples James, John and Peter, and Paul with whom he travels.  He stayed in the palaces of both Pilot and Herod and heard their first hand witnesses of Jesus.

Submitted by Leola Bergeson   

Follow the Star — Christmas Stories That Changed My Life
By T.D. Jakes

Bishop Jakes is the founder and pastor of Potter’s House, one of the fastest growing churches in the nation, where he pastors an interracial congregation of more than 26,000 members.  He is the author of several books and has a daily morning show, The Potter’s Touch.

In this book, Jakes tells what Christmas is all about and how the Christmas stories touched his heart and shaped his life.  With gentle guidance and inspirational messages, Bishop Jakes takes us on a journey to Christmas past and present and leads us to embrace fully the magnitude of the miracle as we celebrate the birth of Christ. Some of the 20 chapter titles invite you to read it and take in the lessons, such as: Life is a Journey, You Have His Word on It,” “Angels Watching Over me, My Lord,”  “Be Careful What You Wish For,” “God’s Timing is Perfect,” “ God Always has a Plan,” and more.

It is easy reading.  The last paragraph is quoted here.  “As your life returns to normal when the Christmas season has ended, I encourage you to take the Gift wherever you go.  Oh, how I hope you will continue to unwrap His wonder in your everyday life and show Him off to those around you.  You know the world needs the Gift that you have, and in your own unique way, you can bring a little Christmas into every day.”

Submitted by Eugene R. DeHoogh

First Born Series
By Karen Kingsbury

There are five books in this series:

Fame:  A story of hope, healing and God’s divine leading; even in the face of impossible circumstances.

Forgiven:  About God’s divine direction and the realization that peace comes only after forgiveness.

Found:  Again about God’s divine leading and the truth that God rewards those who seek Him with all their heart.

Family:  A story of the search for renewed hope and the desperate need to be loved and to belong.

Forever:  About surviving tough times and drawing strength and hope from family and deep faith.

Submitted by Diana Anderson

Day Break
By Belva Plain

This story is fiction.  It’s about two families who each took home the wrong baby boy from the hospital and raised them for 19 years.  It deals with sickness and death in one family and good health and hatred in the other.

The living son was influenced by the wrong people in college and by his bigoted father.  He became a radical anti-semite.  The story makes one realize how easily a young mind can be led down the wrong path in life.  It tells how the two mothers deal with the volatile situation with lots of love and patience.

Submitted by LaVonne Volzke

This book studies God as a literary figure, giving the reader a distinctly different view of how God moves through history.  Miles sees God as someone who changes and grows along with his creation.  This book is a challenging read but I found it helpful in giving me a clearer view of God’s character.

Miles is a former Jesuit priest turned Episcopalian.  He follows the Hebrew order of the Old Testament, which gives the reader a different take on understanding the Old Testament. Without delving too far into the reasons for the editing of the Hebrew Bible by a Christian, I will just suggest that it helped to link the New Testament with the Old.

This book challenged me to a deeper, more nuanced view of God and enriched my appreciation for the richness of the Bible.

Submitted by Rev. Steve Corum

If God is Love: Rediscovering Grace in an Ungracious World

90 Minutes in Heaven
By Don Piper with Cecil Murphey

This book is a very familiar title.  Many of you may have read the book or even heard Don Piper speak.  If you have not, I suggest it is a good book to read.

Don Piper is a Baptist Pastor.  He was driving home from the Baptist General Convention of Texas to his home in Alvin, Texas, near Houston.  On a  two-lane bridge in heavy rain an 18-wheeler crossed the line and hit Dan’s Ford Escort head-on, killing Dan instantly.  Ninety minutes later he was brought back to life through the faithful, fervent prayers of another Pastor.

The book tells of the very serious and complicated medical issues Dan faced and even more complicated mental and emotional issues.  Even this faithful Christian man had to work through questions such as “Why did I return to life on Earth to face so much pain and suffering?”  It is also about the power of prayer and the love and support of many people.

Submitted by Dianne Peterka

Dear John
By Nicholas Sparks

Nicholas Sparks writes wonderful love stories, but he also puts other parts of life into the mix. In this story, he helps us get a better understanding of Aspergers, a developmental disorder causing anti-social behaviors. The book centers around a young man serving as a soldier and a girl in college.  Among the many problems they are dealing with are the stresses of college,
demands and unknowns of army life and the temptations of separation–all choices that will affect their relationship.

Love has many facets–this book deals with the love of father and son, friends, lovers and the love of country.
Sparks is the author of Notebook and many others.

Submitted by Lorraine Schmidt