Take and Read

This volume collects prayers with which, over 42 years, famed Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann began his classes and led worship. The prayers are rich in imagery, grounded in scripture and passionate in faith.

This is a powerful reflection on the response of churches to 9/11 and to the war on terror. Bass explores the difference between being a chapel of the state and a church of the world in these challenging times.

What a gift to the church the volumes in this Contemporary Literature and the Life of Faith series are! Each selection from noted contemporary writers has a fine introduction and is followed by questions for reflection and discussion. Great for adult-study groups.

Dawn explores the seldom asked but critical questions for faith and discipleship raised by 9/11. She makes excellent use of Albert Borgmann’s work on technology and culture.

I can’t say enough good things about this rethinking of youth ministry, which really amounts to a rethinking of the whole church. Read it for youth ministry, read it for all ministry.

This is a follow-up to Foss’s earlier book, Power Surge. Foss is a Lutheran pastor who writes from the heart of pastoral life and ministry. His books offer a helpful reframing of the church and its ministry for a new time.

This follows on McLaren’s earlier book, A New Kind of Christian. Both interweave the fictional stories of Neo, Dan and Kerry with a retelling of the biblical story—“the story we find ourselves in”—for postmodern people and times.

Reinhold Niebuhr’s daughter seeks to rescue her father’s famous prayer from the status of “a familiar, agreeable cliché” by filling in the story of the history and lives from which it emerged. It’s a kick to hear Niebuhr referred to as “Pa.”

If change is more evolution than revolution, Weems provides a good guide to “taking the next step.” His book will be especially helpful to new pastors or to those beginning a new pastorate.

Another fruit of the U.S. Congregational Life Survey, this book can help congregations see strength as multifaceted. It provides special encouragement for smaller congregations, though it is useful for all sizes.