Can reading save our souls?

I have been listening and reading to the torrent of Christian writers and thinkers that are out there in this current moment of "what do we cling to now?" during this pandemic. It is a fire hose to drink from. I must admit that I'm a bit weary of the advice, even as I'm fascinated how the best and the worst instincts of Christians (as well as others) are on display. There are a few reliable sources in the Christian blogosphere (here I disclose my own proclivities):
NT Wright, Miraslav Volf, Richard Rohr at the Center for Action and Contemplation, most of the writers for Christian Century, and the community of good writers in my own Presbyterian tradition.  If I could only just read for 12 hours a day, I could work my way through the endless monotony of my own routine.
But I can't.
I'm an embodied human, not just a brain. I need sunshine and exercise and good food, and laughter and companions who can converse. I need my husband, the only other human I've been within 6 feet of in the last 3 weeks.
So going into this Holy Week, I will contemplate the holy body of Jesus, how he also needed everything any human would need. "Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us, embodied humans."

Pastor's Book Overdosing

What's the pastor reading? I have a big number of books on my desk that have caught my attention. It's a professional affliction of pastors. Eventually I'll get to them. Sometimes a parishioner will ask me what they are, so here's the list, and a short reason for why they are "in the pile."
For supplementing our Thursday night bible study of Mark:
Mark: Images of an Apostolic Interpreter, by Clifton Black (former seminary professor and magnificent teacher) None of the books of the bible were written in a vacuum. The "backstory" of every one is full of thick history, and the Gospel of Mark is no different.  I revel in studying the backstories, particularly when they are full of real people, and their influence.
For being challenged in my own spiritual growth, and recommended by my spiritual director:
The Wounding and Healing of Desire: Weaving Heaven and Earth, by Wendy Farley and
Spirit and Trauma: a Theology of Remaining, by Shelly Rambo, also useful for work with disaster responders and survivors.
For keeping up with all the church transformation and renewal literature (a field far too vast for anyone's own good):
Exiles: Living Missionally in a Post-Christian Culture, by Michael Frost
Church 3.0: Upgrades for the future of the Church, by Neil Cole
Journey in the Wilderness: New Life for Mainline Churches, by Gil Rendle (a fav of many colleagues)
Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road: Christian Identity in a Multi-Faith World, by Brian D. McLaren. McLaren is a prolific writer and speaker and has his own publishing and speaking enterprise.
And finally, and most deeply...
Passion for Pilgrimage, by Alan Jones, because this is a book being read and studied by a lot of faithful people in this little congregation.
Yes, it's too much to absorb. Anyone is welcome to relieve me of this affliction by borrowing these from my shelf and giving me the Cliff Notes version.

no longer web-invisible

So, now Church of the Covenant is on the web. [see my first post here] I guess the technology gurus have won out. This morning our road sign will announce it to the drivers on Military Road in Arlington. Does that mean we have arrived? Not likely. We still face the challenge of how to love our neighbors, most of whom we never see. During the week, when I'm hanging around Arlington, very few people are in their homes. On the weekend--Saturdays and Sundays--I see loads of people outdoors: cyclers, walkers, dog- and otherwise, runners, strollers (with and without children). Every week, I pray for our neighbors, those who know God and those who don't, and I pray for me and the church, for how to love them. What I'm hoping that the new website will do is not call attention to ourselves, but let the neighborhood know that we care. We care about its individuals and its community. I'm fairly sure that this is at least one reason God put Church of the Covenant right here.
Most of the members and friends who worship here on Sunday live within just a few miles of the church building. That's amazingly LOCAL, and it's not just an accident. Our mission is right here, with the folks in this neighborhood. We know there is pain here--families in trauma, broken relationships--and we know that God wants a better life for us. God loves us with a love stronger than we can imagine. Jesus promised it, and learning to rely on that promise is an act of faith. Sharing that faith, with love, hope, and conviction, can make a difference in our neighbors' lives, I'm convinced of that.
There's a button on the website called "I believe..." Eventually we hope to collect the faith stories of lots of us to post here. My next sermon series will be on "telling our faith stories" so that we can practice telling each other how God has become real in our own lives, how love has conquered us. Sharing that faith with neighbors is not far behind.

Covenant Church doesn't have a website

I will preach my first sermon as the pastor on Sunday, August 3, 2008. Jacob wrestles with a "man" at the ford of the Jabbok. Like all good Bible stories, this one has many interpretations. Over the centuries, this story has been heard as many things: a struggle with a river demon, a test of leadership, an initiation rite, a psychological confrontation with guilt; an allegory of the church?
I've worked at churches before, but the church I'm the new pastor for-- Church of the Covenant in Arlington, Virginia--is odd. The church doesn't have a website. Maybe this is a good thing...
We like our relationships face-to-face. Like Jacob at Peniel, we wrestle with God and humans in person. Whether we prevail or not remains open, but we're hanging on for a blessing. I'm wondering what the church will decide to do: website or NOT?
Stay tuned...