I love to learn and I know I'm not the only one. But my ambitions don't always meet the reality.

Is there anyone else out there with a pile of unread books that you were certain you wanted to read right away when you got them? But now they languish, neglected or perhaps partially read or perhaps cast aside because they didn't deliver. 

And when it comes to religious books, a lot of people come to their pastor after the fact, and ask me about books I would never have recommended they buy in the first place. What can I say? There's a lot of junk out there in the so called "Inspirational" section of the bookstore. (And I only wrote some of it.) 

So in the last year I have been building up a little list (ok, it's actually a long list but I've decided to give it to you in small doses) of interesting timely books on faith and life. Most of them are current, but a few are classics. And the best thing about them is that they are all here at church, in the Education Office, for you to borrow. If you get to the Education Office and find the book missing, just remember it for another time and browse the collection that we have. If enough of you get excited about a particular book, let's get a group together to discuss it. Books are fun to read but they are even more fun to talk about. 

Each week in our church email, I'll feature a picture of one or two of the books. So this week's selections are two books about marriage, both written by authors with UCC connections. Bestselling author Glennon Doyle Melton is a member of 1st Congregational Church in Naples, FL and Rev. Katherine Willis Pershey is an Associate Pastor at 1st Congregational Church in Western Springs, IL in the suburbs of Chicago. These two very different books reflect the diversity and the talent of the UCC. ​

"When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor…" - Luke 14:8

At a recent Interfaith Worker Justice board meeting, Naeem Baig, President of the Islamic Circle of North America, shared a story about a scene he witnessed on an airplane. A mother was traveling with three small children but for some reason, none of them were seated together. So the mother asked other passengers if they would move so she could stay close to her little ones. 

Everyone agreed to move, except for one woman who seemed able to move, but was just unwilling. By way of explanation she added her reason: "You see, I'm comfortable in my seat." 

Read more....
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​Happiness is a feeling, brought on by inner and outer circumstances
​Joy can take place on either side of the hospital waiting room door. 
Read more on the Huffington Post...

Whenever there is extreme weather, some religious leader gets airtime for blaming someone. Whether it’s a tsunami, an earthquake, a heat wave or a drought, someone will say it’s God’s way of getting our attention and therefore it has to be someone’s fault.
​Read more on the Huffington Post....