Faith Formation
Biblioteca
A Virtual Guide
to Soulful Reading
One of the many wonderful things my mother did for me was to take me to every library of every church or town in which we lived to introduce me to the world of books. She counseled me to talk to the librarians because they could help me find books that were good and interesting to read. She once said, “You know, Mike, for every book you choose to read, you choose not to read 22 others.” I don’t know where she got that number, but it is woefully small, because every book you choose to read these days results in hundreds, maybe even thousands, that you won’t be able to read. Thus, it should behoove us to talk to librarians or other readers to help us discern the books we need to read. Biblioteca de Woodland is a virtual bookshelf that we will share from time to time. Hopefully, it will be a help for your reading discipline. Enjoy!
Mike Massar
A List of Suggested Readings
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The Climate Book by Greta Thurnberg
Saving Us by Katharine Hayhoe
Surrender by Bono
The Deluge by Stephen Markley
The Ministry for the Future: A Novel by Kim Stanley Robinson
Think Again by Adam Grant
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Making a Poem by Miller Williams
The Book of Delights by Ross Gay
Devotions by Mary Oliver The Overstory by Richard Powers
Faith After Doubt by Brian McLaren
Caste by Isabel Wilkerson
What We Know About Climate Change by Kerry Emanuel
The Great Derangement by Amitav Ghosh
Nature’s Best Hope by Douglas Tallamy
On Fire: A (Burning) Case for A Green New Deal by Naomi Klein
This Sacred Life by Norman Wirzba
How to Pray by C.S. Lewis
Pilgrim Letters by Curtis Freeman
The Complete Gardener by Monty Don
The Well-Gardened Mind: The Restorative Powe of Nature by Sue Stuart-Smith
Parting the Waters; Pillar of Fire; At Canaan’s Edge by Taylor Branch
The Book of Hope by Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams
What We Owe the Future by William MacAskill
Do I Stay Christian? A Guide for the Doubters, The Disappointed, and the Disillusioned by Brian D. McLarin
Search: A Novel by Michelle Huneven
Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation by Kristin Kobes Du Mez
Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole by Susan Cain
Everything Happens for a Reason and Other Lies I’ve Loved by Kate Bowler
No Cure for Being Human (and Other Truths I Need to Hear) by Kate Bowler
Abraham Joshua Heschel: A Life of Radical Amazement by Julian E. Zelizer
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The Dig Now streaming on Netflix.
David Attenborough’s: A Life on Our Planet Now streaming on Netflix.
“Framing Faith with the Stomach in Mind” Find this video on YouTube
“Look and See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry” Learn more about this film here.
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Jack’s Garden by Henry Cole
I Took a Walk by Henry Cole
Our House Is On Fire: Greta Thunberg’s Call to Save the Planet by Jeanette Winter
My Friend Earth written by Patricia MacLachlan and illustrated by Francesca Sanna
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The Danger of a Single Story TED Talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Find the TED Talk here.
Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America by Firoozeh Dumas
Foreign to Familiar by Sarah A. Lanier
Learn more about geography. Click to find resources to help both children and adults.
Each of the following resources follows up on the theme introduced in the TED Talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie that there is a danger to having a single story attached to any person, group, or region. They are focused on life in the land known by the names Israel and Palestine.
Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye
Side By Side: Parallel Histories of Israel-Palestine edited by Sami Adwan, Dan Bar-On, Eyal Naveh, and Peace Research Institute in the Middle East
The Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolan
Arab Labor an Israeli TV sitcom. Find Season 1 DVDs at Amazon.
Diana has all the books and the first season of Arab Labor on DVD. (Seasons/episodes are also available to rent at vimeo.com)
Spiritual Direction
“Now, with God’s help,
I shall become myself.”
Søren Kierkegaard
Spiritual direction is the practice of spiritual accompaniment. Some people seek it out in a time of crisis or when they’re trying to make an important decision, but it can be helpful for more ordinary times as well. Whatever is going on in life, there is a spiritual component to it, so while spiritual direction is most definitely not a replacement for therapy, it is another kind of assistance designed to help a person listen for the voice of God and move toward spiritual growth and wholeness.
What happens in
spiritual direction?
In the first session, the director will ask what led the directee to seek spiritual direction.
Usually, the directee will share a portion of their journey with God and others and talk about where they see themselves in the present. Typically, the director listens a lot, asks some questions, and may make a suggestion or two. The idea is not to resolve something in each session, but to consider where God might be at work in the situation.
Diana has been interested in spiritual direction for many years. After experiencing the benefits of it herself, she completed the certificate program at the University of Redlands in 2023.
Please contact Diana on the form to the left with your interest or questions about spiritual direction. The first session is free, and the following sessions are $30 each. Diana is happy to meet with you in person or on Zoom.
Contact Diana
Bible Studies and Classes
Temporary Hours for
Sunday School and Worship
Worship at 9 and 11am — in Maresh Hall
Sunday School 10:00am
For more information,
please contact: Mike Massar
In-Person Classes
Crossroads Class in Room 413
with Ray Furr & Jeni Cook FurrTravelers’ Class in Room 126
with Conrad Navarro & PJ HeathSeminar Class in Room 411
with Diana Bridges, Brad Dutton, and Joel KirnMen’s Class in Room 410 with John Tompson
Spanish Class — Once a month on Sundays, 12:00 noon. Contact Nora Lozano for details.
Hybrid Classes
(In-person and Online)
Connections Class in Room 421 with Lee Weems*
Cynics, Mystics, and Other Pilgrims Class in Room 125
with George Cowden*
*Contact for online link