Let's start with this: Mary Lou Kownacki is NOT your average nun, or at least, not what I, in my apparent small mindedness, envisioned a nun to be like. In a series of stories, recollections, and simple thoughts arranged in alphabetical groupings, Mary Lou leads the readers on a spiritual journey. Mary Lou is a Benedictine Sister living in Erie, Pennsylvania, attempting to "stretch [her] monk's robe until it embraces the suffering world." She offers insights to a variety of topics from angels to Thomas Merton to zen wisdom and everything in between.
Reading this was actually a lot more fun than I expected. Sister Mary Lou is a bit of radical, at least in my mind. She participates in peace demonstrations and gets thrown in jail. She advocates for better roles for women in the Catholic Church. She surprised me at every turn. Her stories tugged at your heartstrings and made you stop and think. I felt like she made you stop and reconsider your preconceived notions about monastic life and about religion/Christianity in general. An enlightening read.
Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Not Just a One Night Stand: Ministry with the Homeless / John Flowers and Karen Vannoy / 128 p.
In this nonfiction work, the reader is basically presented with a conundrum: what is the best way to conduct a successful ministry with the homeless? John and Karen take the reader through the transformation of a church as it strives to conduct such a ministry. The intricacies of such a task are not what those involved first imagined--not as easy as they thought it would be. The seeming simplicity of offering a group of people some food here and clothing there expands into a true ministry that goes further than providing one-time needs. John and Karen take the reader on a harrowing journey of transformation, where it is necessary for all-involved to change. It can't just be about fixing or transforming the less fortunate. Transformation must occur for the "giver" as well. A true ministry, as presented by John and Karen, cannot be a ministry TO or FOR the homeless but must be a ministry WITH the homeless if any real progress/success is to be achieved.
I found this book to be a real heart-clenching piece. I think that so often those of us to live in relative comfort and prosperity have no real grasp of the difficulties of living on the streets and how hard it is to get back on your feet. A few dollars here or a one-night volunteering session at a soup kitchen can help us shake our "middle-class guilt" for awhile, but are we simply conducting "drive by charity?" The kind of ministry pursued by John and Karen's churches isn't one that every church is going to be able to pursue. For example, my church, situated in a rural town of 220 people, isn't going to address issues of poverty and/or homelessness in the same manner that a church located in an urban area can/will. However, I think that the point comes across just the same. For a truly successful, ministry with the less fortunate in our community, we need to see those we are helping as on an equal plane with use--we are all addicted to SOMETHING (money, busy-ness, clothes, leadership, etc.) and we all have some kind of transformation to undertake to achieve a spiritual high-ground. The message is clear: leave your judgment at the door. Get to know those you're seeking to aid. Leave behind prejudices and stereotypes. And most importantly, listen.
I found this book to be a real heart-clenching piece. I think that so often those of us to live in relative comfort and prosperity have no real grasp of the difficulties of living on the streets and how hard it is to get back on your feet. A few dollars here or a one-night volunteering session at a soup kitchen can help us shake our "middle-class guilt" for awhile, but are we simply conducting "drive by charity?" The kind of ministry pursued by John and Karen's churches isn't one that every church is going to be able to pursue. For example, my church, situated in a rural town of 220 people, isn't going to address issues of poverty and/or homelessness in the same manner that a church located in an urban area can/will. However, I think that the point comes across just the same. For a truly successful, ministry with the less fortunate in our community, we need to see those we are helping as on an equal plane with use--we are all addicted to SOMETHING (money, busy-ness, clothes, leadership, etc.) and we all have some kind of transformation to undertake to achieve a spiritual high-ground. The message is clear: leave your judgment at the door. Get to know those you're seeking to aid. Leave behind prejudices and stereotypes. And most importantly, listen.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Amish Grace / Donald Kraybill, Steven Nolt, & David Weaver-Zercher / 220 p.
I picked this book up as part of a church group reading program, but I must admit that I chose it because I truly have a fascination with Amish life and culture. This book tackles the 2006 school shooting in the Nickel Mines Amish schoolhouse. On 2 October 2006, gunman Charles Roberts took ten young Amish girls hostage and opened fire on them shortly before killing himself. Five of the young girls died that day. The book deals with Amish forgiveness in the face of tragedy and the widespread media attention that their actions received. The authors attempt to give a thorough examination of the motivations behind forgiveness, while revealing much about the culture of the Amish along the way.
The book gives a very thorough examination of Amish beliefs in regards to forgiveness. While the examination started out very interesting, there were definitely parts that began to feel repetitive as the book continued on. I found it, on the whole, a very informative book and an interesting read. The interview with the gunman's mother at the end was very moving and probably one of my favorite parts of the book. I was also pleased that the authors included an appendix section that gave a brief history of Anabaptist religions, the Amish, and their basic religious belief system and way of life. As someone who passes Amish horse and buggies on a daily basis, it intrigues me to learn more about their way of life.
The book gives a very thorough examination of Amish beliefs in regards to forgiveness. While the examination started out very interesting, there were definitely parts that began to feel repetitive as the book continued on. I found it, on the whole, a very informative book and an interesting read. The interview with the gunman's mother at the end was very moving and probably one of my favorite parts of the book. I was also pleased that the authors included an appendix section that gave a brief history of Anabaptist religions, the Amish, and their basic religious belief system and way of life. As someone who passes Amish horse and buggies on a daily basis, it intrigues me to learn more about their way of life.
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