Searching For Sunday

Searching For Sunday was a book I started reading awhile ago.  It reminded me of the song "Killin Me Softly" by Roberta Flack and later the Fugees.  In the lyrics the singer notes that someone has a great deal of insight into their personal struggle and pain.  The same thing is true for Searching For Sunday.  In her remarkable narrative the author Rachel Held Evans explores her journey to finding personal peace and the church in the modern era.  It sounded so familiar as if she had knowledge of my struggles with modern Christianity and finding my own place in it.  I know that from talking to others in my age bracket that they feel similarly to me and to Rachel.  Rachel's story has a happy ending whereas I am still finding my place.  Anyone seeking to find their path and who does any kind of soul searching regarding religion should certainly seek out this book.  It can be used to prove that others are struggling just as we are and can be somewhat of a how to guide/self- help text.  I keep re-reading passages over and over circling back to particular ones that are relevant to me at a particular time.  At the end of the day this book is a source of hope that the struggle will end and that there is always hope and to never give up.

Reading Deuteronomy

I have recently started reading several books with the objective of later writing reviews of them.  One of these books is by Stephen Cook.  Dr. Cook is a professor of the Old Testament at Virginia Theological Seminary.  His most recent work is a part of a series examining individually the books of the Old Testament- each written by different contributors.  His is entitled: Reading Deuteronomy, and is impressive.  As a history instructor I rarely come across books regarding historical matter that appease my need for quality research and new interpretations.  This book does just this- as I am reading this book I have developed a better understanding of an ignored segment of the Bible and as result of this new understanding I have a greater appreciation for the role that this book plays in both the Old and New Testament.  While a historical and theological reading can be burdensome and provide intellectual stimulation overload; readers will not necessarily experience that here.  We are guided at a steady pace that seems to allow for the information to be absorbed before building onto it.  I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking to better understand the Judeo-Christian origins.  I also found this to be an appropriate read during the week of both Easter and Passover.

Easter Sunday

Well I made it to church yesterday for Easter service without any flat tires.  I then made my way to my grandmother's house.  I watched and listened as children laughed and yelled during the Easter egg hunt.  I think though what I was most thankful for this Easter was the ability for most of my family to gather around the dining room table to partake in a meal together.  The sounds of conversations mixed together with the smells of food (mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, stuffed ham, turkey, beef, broccoli casserole, homemade rolls, and oh so much more) and the sight of everyone being together made my heart happy.