Best Books of 2011

I’ve read 80 or so books thus far into 2011, and I will post a list of my favourites by genre after Christmas. For now, here’s a list of my favourite books actually published this year that I have either read, or am currently reading. (For those of you who’ve already opened your book giftcards, and looking for inspiration.)

In no particular order:

1. The Pastor: A Memoir
A beautiful memoir, full of great stories, insight and humour. 2. Salvation Means Creation Healed: The Ecology of Sin and Grace
A comprehensive exposition on the need to widen the scope of what we mean when we talk about “salvation.” Wonderful. 3. Small Things with Great Love: Adventures in Loving Your Neighbor
A must read for anyone who feels overwhelmed both by what is wrong in the world and by doing the laundry. 4. Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life
I heard him speak on preparing for the second half of life at the Wild Goose festival, and suspect this is the book that will cause me the most reflection in the coming months. 5. The Cost of Community: Jesus, St. Francis and Life in the Kingdom
The sermon on the mount observed through the lenses of the life of Saint Francis and his own community. 6. Jesus, My Father, The CIA, and Me: A Memoir. . . of Sorts
Another beautiful memoir, a deeply personal narrative of the search for home and redemption. 7. Practicing the Way of Jesus: Life Together in the Kingdom of Love
Experiments in spiritual formation from a creative and generative practitioner. 8. Insurrection: To Believe Is Human To Doubt, Divine
The always provocative Rollins explores the ways we use religion to keep us from encountering the God of whom Jesus felt forsaken, and thus so often forego the liberating experience of resurrection. 9. The King Jesus Gospel: The Original Good News Revisited
Beginning with the question, ‘Did Jesus preach the gospel?’, McKnight takes on the narrow understanding many have of “the gospel”. 10. Christians and the Common Good: How Faith Intersects with Public Life
A much needed call to a faith and politics that is focused on comprehensive human flourishing rather than partisan interests.

And in fiction:

1. Doc: A Novel
A cracking re-telling of the life of Doc Holliday. 2. In the Rooms
Laugh out loud funny, utterly unsentimental portrayal of addiction and the literary world. 3. Divergent
For anyone who enjoyed the Hunger Games trilogy.

(Full disclosure – several of these authors were already or have become friends, which no doubt has influenced my enjoyment of their writing.)

This Christmas – buy once, gift twice

An idea has been rumbling around in the back of my mind for a while, and a few days ago it burst forth with a rare degree of creative clarity. I had been thinking about offering to sign and mail copies of “The Story of God, the Story of Us” to people who were looking for Christmas gifts for friends, family, teachers, pastors etc.

Then our friend Andrea Baker stopped by to visit a couple of weeks ago. Andrea and her husband Andy are field directors for Word Made Flesh in Bolivia. For the past decade they have worked alongside their friends on the streets in El Alto, and offered alternatives to women caught up in the sex industry. The cost of living has more than tripled during that time, and their regular support is no longer adequate for the work they are doing, let alone to further develop the business that is helping their friends get off the streets. Andrea was in the States to receive an award for her work with the least of these, recognition of the kind of service that is the heartbeat of Word Made Flesh, whose staff embody the Story of God.

So here’s my idea.

In the season when we prepare for the mystery of the Word made flesh (John 1:14), we want to give you an opportunity to give two gifts at the same time. We have bought a bunch of copies of the book from our publisher. Gift #1: I would love to sign and mail books out to those of you looking for Christmas gift ideas. We’re asking a minimum of $20 per book (incl. shipping). Here’s why. Gift #2: We will give all the net proceeds to Word Made Flesh Bolivia, and Rebecca and I will match the first $500 raised.

This is how it works:

1. Email me at sean.gladding@gmail.com with the number of books you’d like, the names of the recipients, and the address you’d like me to ship them to.

2. I’ll reply and let you know where to send the check. Once I receive your check, I’ll mail your books!

3. Final date for shipping is December 15th. After that, we’ll send a check for the total amount raised to WMF.

Thanks for helping us support the work of Word Made Flesh Bolivia this Christmas.

(An FYI. The executive directors of WMF, Chris and Phileena Heuertz have written books about life and mission that are well worth reading: Friendship at the Margins, Simple Spirituality and Pilgrimage of a Soul)

A neighbourhood valentine's video

Our friend Felice put together a short video that captures a little of what we love about our life in the East End. Enjoy!

Communality Christmas

Communality Christmas 2010
Originally uploaded by the gladdings

Chickens, trombone and banjo, Hungarian cabbage rolls - it's a Communality Christmas!

Sungold cherry tomatoes

Sungold cherry tomatoes
Originally uploaded by the gladdings

We planted a couple of tomato plants behind our apartment - they are both about 9' tall and the Sungold is particularly prolific. And 'oh boy' delicious.

The fun goes on and on and on...

Black walnuts - the fun goes on and on and on...
Originally uploaded by the gladdings

Seth and Maggie found the first black walnuts of the year and had a big time pounding the fruit with hammers to get to the nut, which they squeezed out with their fingers. Which will no doubt now be stained for quite some time.

Travis Reed comes to town

Travis Reed
Originally uploaded by the gladdings

Our good friend Travis Reed of 'the work of the people' spent a few days with us last week. He was in town to do some filming with Sean for a 6 part video series that will be a small group resource exploring some of the themes of the Story of God that scripture invites us to be shaped by.

We spent many hours wandering the neighborhood, on the streets downtown, in the London-Ferrell garden and the Episcopal cathedral, trying to capture where these themes are being made manifest in our life here in Lexington. With heat indices in the 100s, it was hot and sweaty work, but thanks to Travis' talent for drawing forth inspiration when it seems to be draining out with every drop of sweat, we finished all six. Travis will now turn his editorial gift to transforming those many hours of film into short films that will hopefully provoke thought and conversation around the Story.

The book should be back from the printers in just 3 weeks. Sean will be heading up to Chicago to spend a couple of days at the Christian Community Development Association's annual conference with the good people of IVP, and will return with a few cases of books. We are excited to finally see it!

We'll let you know when the videos are done, and where you can take a look at them.