Kerney Library News

Library Catalogue

Children’s Book Drive!
During April, the Saint Mark Library will work with the Capitol Book Share program to collect children’s books for grades K-6.   Books collected will be shared with DC schools that are under-resourced. This is a wonderful opportunity to pass on well loved stories or books that will provide enrichment and delight for others.

A collection box will be in the Atrium just outside the library during April. Children’s books (new or “gently used”) are welcome: picture books, chapter books, fiction, nonfiction, hardback, paperbacks! Thank you. Any questions, please call Lani Barkley at 301-530-8626.

Martha Landon O'Neill Children's Collection
Children, Parents, Teachers: We have a CHILDREN'S LIBRARY HIGHLIGHTS guide in the Children's Library which will make it easy for you to find just what you want to read in this wonderful collection by topic. If you want to read about friendship, family issues, historical subjects, emotions, Bible stories, moral issues, loss through death, and so much more, you can find books listed under these topics in this guide. The guide is easy to find as it is attached to the shelf in the library. Please come use it to select books from the children's collection.

Click here to see the Highlights Guide!

Saint Mark Video Collection

Did you know...The Kerney Library has a small collection of video tapes that may be borrowed? They are shelved on a "Video Tape" shelf in the library, and may be checked out as you would a book. Timely return is appreciated!
Some of the choices include:

The Historical Jesus: lectures by Bart Ehrman (Professor at University of NC)
On our Own Terms: Bill Moyers on dying
The Ten Commandments: Cecil Be. DeMille
Journey Through the Psalms – a Path to Wholeness: Denise Hopkins;
View from the Under Side: Legacy of Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Did you find what you wanted in the Kerney Library? Any suggestions for books we need or other suggestons? Send us an email! Library Suggestions

Book Lover's Discussion: Saint Mark's Monthly Book Group!

New in the Library!

Reviewed by Louise Winfield

Exciting Current Reading for Our Growth in Mind and Spirit!

Spirituality
Simple Truths: On Values, Civility, and Our Common Good by Stephen Bauman; A popular radio commentator and pastor offers his readers some written grace-filled reflections - little parables woven out of the cloth of current culture. Each piece, "quick reads" for busy folks, contains deeply significant observations for later pondering.

Finding Calm in the Chaos: Christian Devotions for Busy Women by Kathleen Long Bostrom: A day-by-day and week-by-week devotional centering on one theme per month. It offers scripture and reflective "spirit booster" comments as well accompanying poetry, prayer, prose and guided meditations (by "saints ancient and modern") rooted in daily life and reaching deeply into the soul and life of faith.

Theology
A Heretic's Guide to Eternity by Spencer Burke and Barry Taylor: "It is the customary fate of new truths to begin as heresies." (Aldous Huxley) This book aims a harsh critique of that aspect of "religion" which seeks to freeze Christian faith into a set of unquestioned and "required" beliefs that have been prepackaged and handed down as such from generation to generation. It offers insights and models of how to live a spiritual and moral life in today's world as we look afresh at Jesus' teaching.

Theology for Liberal Presbyterians (and Other Endangered Species) by Douglas F. Ottati:
Grace and humor frame the timely themes of this concise and witty book. Ottati, a professor of theology at PCUSA Union Seminary in Richmond, VA, addresses current issues such as evangelism, ordination of homosexuals, and the war on terrorism. Ideal for individual reading or group study.

Bible Studies
The Secret Message of Jesus: Uncovering the Truth That Could Change Everything by Brian D. McLaren: Here is a very readable account of the many facets of Jesus' message by a member of the board of  the well-known Sojourners. He is also the author of ten highly acclaimed books on contemporary Christianity. McLaren traces in a clear and frankly critical  manner how this message of Jesus has been both thwarted and realized throughout history in what might be called an uneasy tension. In the end he proposes a new way to understand the implications of Jesus' words and wisdom.

Called To Be Church: The Book of Acts for a New Day by Anthony B. Robinson and Robert W. Wall: This fresh look at ACTS not only offers us up-to-date biblical scholarship but also engagingly links the stories found there to the critical issues that face churches today. It is a "must read" for both ministers and members of congregations across denominational and cultural divides.

Thus Saith the Lord: The Revolutionary Moral Vision of Isaiah and Jeremiah: by Richard E. In a superb new reading of the two ancient prophets, Rubenstein, a professor of conflict resolution and public affairs at George Mason U., relates through story and specific historic facts how our modern sense and hopes for justice, ethics, and morals was forged through the ingenious insights and actions of Isaiah and Jeremiah. Both prophets used a combination of acute awareness of the political strategies of the oppressive Empires of their time and the great visions of their own Jewish faith to arrive at a new and compelling way to speak of and model God's universal SHALOM. 

Church History
In the Beginning: Bibles Before the Year 1000 edited by Michelle P. Brown: This catalogue from the exhibition this fall at the Freer and Sackler Galleries of the earliest extant Bible manuscripts recreates for those who viewed it and introduces those who did not see it to a stunning reproduction of the exhibit itself through photos and commentary. It is a colorful visual feast and a fascinating cornucopia of information about the early history of the Bible, how it took shape, how different cultures participated in its development, and how different people experienced the Bible and its teachings during this formative period.

And You Welcomed Me: A Sourcebook on Hospitality in Early Christianity edited by Amy G. Oden: This is a collection of early Christian texts on hospitality and its practice. Excerpts are from letters, diaries, sermons, community records - even travelogues - from the first several centuries of the Christian church. They make for interesting and sometimes surprising reading indeed!

Social Issues
Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid by Jimmy Carter: Our former U.S. president shares his intimate knowledge of the Middle East and proposes a blueprint for "peace with justice" in that region of the world. The book has received heavy criticism from many, but others praise it as a fair and realistic formula for achieving that goal in ways that are compatible with international law and sustained American government policy. Worth a read!

Autobiography
Christ's Globe Trotter: The Legacy of Edward (Ted) Pollock) by Ted Pollock with Beverly Reeve: Some Saint Markers will remember the many visits to our congregation by this remarkable long-time missionary, the father of member Ed Pollock. From Sudan to Kenya and from Mozambique to Brazil he has tirelessly met the challenges of demonstrating the message of the gospel. This is his exciting autobiographical account culled from more than 85 journals which he faithfully kept over a period of more than 60 years.

Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith by Barbara Brown Taylor: Famous and spellbinding preacher Barbara Brown Taylor hasn't actually "left the church"!  But she relates here in rich, witty, and loving detail her journey from serving as an Anglican priest  in a large urban church in Atlanta to a call as pastor and, later, a  teacher in a small Southern community and college. From that vantage point she began a rich spiritual journey in which God has given her more questions than answers. She describes it as a more honest approach in which doubt and humanness and "the wonderful mess of being alive" continue to enrich and strengthen her faith. Outstanding preacher and writer that she is, her story has the potential to help us get back in touch with our own faith. 
  

More exciting and newly published books have been added to the Saint Mark library:

"Shifting Sands: The Rise and Fall of Biblical Archeology" by Thomas W. Davis. Tom and his wife, Jennie, are of course members of Saint Mark now living on the Island of Cyprus, where Tom is Director of the Cyprus American Archeological Research Institute. He is remembered by us as a popular Saint Mark teacher who had a wonderful knack of imparting scholarly information in a dramatic and attention-getting manner that drew large numbers of people to his Sunday morning classes.
His new book is described by other specialists in his field as "lucid, systematic, comprehensive, and illuminating," which will come as no surprise to those of us who have reveled for many years in his enthusiastic and richly informative teaching."The Reformation: A History" by Diarmaid MacCullough, Professor of the History of the Church at Oxford University. This impressive and "majesterial" volume, also described as a "masterpiece of learning," is nevertheless written with a disarming lightness of touch that makes it a pleasure to read either in its entirety or in selected chapters for memorable and vivid pictures of this earth-shaking period of history. It has been called "the best book ever written in its field."

Bible Study

The Bible for Dummies by Jeffrey Geoghegan and Michael Homan: Wiley Publishing Company, 2003.An easy-to-follow guide to the Bible in a format familiar to all who consult those pc "dummies books." Filled with explanations in plain English, icons and other navigational aids, top ten lists - and, although accurate and exact, some of the information is presented with "a dash of humor and fun."A Serious Way of Wondering: The Ethics of Jesus Imagined by Reynolds Price: Scribner, 2003. Comment by Mary Gordon: "Master teacher, master storyteller, Reynolds Price reminds us that, among other things we have named him, Jesus was a teacher and a storyteller. In this book....Price brings us back to the revolutionary, earthshaking and simple ethical message of Christianity, exploring what its shape might be in our own age."

Reformed Theology

Presbyterian Beliefs: A Brief Introduction by Donald McKim: Geneva Press, 2003.
Key theological beliefs of Presbyterians are discussed in "non-technical" language described as "concise, readable, and informative." Recommended for individuals and also for study by sessions and adult classes.This We Believe: Eight Truths Presbyterians Affirm by Stephen Plunkett: Geneva Press, 2002. The author sets forth eight beliefs that form the basis of the Reformed Christian faith. In doing so, he offers a hands-on look at the story of the Bible in an effort to help Christians grapple with their faith in a world of conflicting ideologies and competing claims.

Devotional/Spirituality

Practicing Our Faith: A Way of Life for a Searching People edited by Dorothy Bass: Jossey-Bass, 1997. A good guide "rooted in Christian faith and tradition" for some of our everyday fundamental human activities. Topics include Honoring the Body; Household Economics; Forgiveness; Healing; Dying Well.Hearing with the Heart: A Gentle Guide to Discerning God's Will for Your Life by Debra Farrington: Jossey-Bass, 2003. Author Marcus Borg writes that this book provides guidance "for all of us who yearn to live our lives as the persons we were made to be." Farrington's story-filled discussions of prayer, meditation, and attentiveness to one's body and to one's friends and family are focused on helping readers become open to discerning God's will.God Whispers: Stories of the Soul, Lessons of the Heart by Karyn Kedar: Jewish Lights Publishing, 1999. Heartfelt stories of everyday people that inspire us to challenge life's peaks and pitfalls - and begin our own journeys of spiritual and personal growth.

Stone Soup for the World: Life Stories of Everyday Heroes by Marianne Larned: Three Rivers Press, 2002. Praised by such nationally-known figures as Walter Cronkite, Bill Clinton, and Colin Powell, who promises that "young and old alike will be inspired by the hundreds of ideas for how we can help our children, our schools, our communities, and our country to be the best we can be." Honoring the Body: Meditations on a Christian Practice by Stephanie Paulsell: Jossey-Bass, 2002. Theologian Kathryn Tanner of U. of Chicago Divinity School calls this book "a profound, passionate, and exquisitely ‘simple' Christian meditation on the messy and beautiful facts of embodied human life."Sacred Speech: A Practical Guide for Keeping Spirit in Your Speech by Rev. Donna Schaper: Skylights Paths Publishing, 2003. By keeping the spirit of God in our speech (and actions), we take risks, seek openness, and are less concerned with being "right" than with being "linked." In a warm and informal style, the author shows that sacred speech can be powerful: in love, forgiveness, lament, prayer, praise, "beyond the politically correct."The Forgotten Desert Mothers: Sayings, Lives, and Stories of Early Christian Women by Laura Swan: Paulist Press, 2001. "This book revives lost memories of women leaders in the early evolution of Christian spirituality. It calls the reader to a path of spirituality sorely needed in today's clamorous world." (Elizabeth Johnson, C.S.J. Fordham UniversityIn the Aftermath: What September 11 Is Teaching Us About Our World, Our Faith, Ourselves edited by James Taylor: Northstone, 2002. A collection of essays gathering the wisdom of ten respected writers, politicans, and theologians.The Best Christian Writing 2002 edited by John Wilson: HarperSanFrancisco, 2002.
"This collection of the finest contemporary Christian writing is a prime example of diverse beliefs among Christians." - Los Angeles Times Four pieces among many others: "Three Bad Ideas for Women, and What To Do About Them;" "Columbine, Kudzu, and a Colt.45;" "The Ghost of Christmas Past: Charles Dickens' Triumph;" "The Other Islam."

Poetry

The Selected Poems of Wendell Berry: Counterpoint, 1998.The Selected Poems of Emily Dickinson (with Introduction by Billy Collins): The Modern Library, 2000.Otherwise: New and Selected Poems of Jane Kenyon: Graywolf Press, 1996.The Poetry of Peace edited by David Krieger: Capra Press, 2003.New and Selected Poems by Mary Oliver: Beacon Press, 1992.

Putting the Amazing Back in Grace by Ann Weems: Westminster John Knox Press, 1999.
"What is a nice poet like me doing in a church like this?" the author asks in the title poem. Weems, a well-known writer who defines herself as "a child of the Church," shares her memories and current insights about the Church (with a capital C) experience. This is a wonderful work filled with sparkling observations - a short work not to be missed.