2012 Book Selections
In 2011 our books focused on how women of faith fought through—and triumphed over—terrible trials as they suffered through war and cultural upheavals of various kinds. Reading about their lives was often a grim experience for us as we faced much that is wrong in our broken world.
In 2012 our books are taking a completely different turn and, I hope, will bring us joy and hope. We will explore how God has left His fingerprints in our world, including how he is using His daughters to build his Kingdom.
January/February: Fearfully & Wonderfully Made, by Dr. Paul Brand & Philip Yancey. “Renowned surgeon Paul Brand and award-winning writer Philip Yancey explore the human body, a delicate fabric of cells as awesome and mysterious as the galaxies of space. They uncover eternal statements God has made in the very structures of our bodies.” (Quote from the back cover) Discussion scheduled for February 18.
March/April: Eternity in their Hearts: Startling evidence of belief in the one true God in hundreds of cultures throughout the world, by Don Richardson. In this book Richardson shares his knowledge of various unreached peoples, showing how God graciously prepares their hearts for the Gospel by foreshadowing redemption through aspects of their own culture. Discussion scheduled for April 28. (Our discussion will be held on the 4th Saturday instead of the 3rd Saturday of April)
May/June: My First White Friend: Confessions on Race, Love, and Forgiveness, by Patricia Raybon. Raybon, a writer and motivational speaker, tells the story of how growing up as an African-American in a majority white culture led her to become “an angry stranger to herself. ” This is a memoir of self-discovery, forgiveness, and hard-won racial healing. Discussion scheduled for June 16
July/August: Finding God Beyond Harvard: The Quest for Veritas, by Kelly Monroe Kullberg. This is the story of the Veritas Forum, founded by Kullberg in 1992 and now active on dozens of university campuses both domestic and around the world. Veritas creates university events, such as debates, designed to engage students and faculty in exploring life's hardest questions and the relevance of Jesus Christ to all of life. God gave Kullberg a vision for Veritas at a time when she was going through a crisis in her own faith. This book weaves together her personal journey with the story of how this intellectually vibrant new ministry was brought to life. Discussion scheduled for August 18.
September/October: Behind the Veils of Yemen: How an American woman risked her life, family and faith to bring Jesus to Muslim women, by Audra Grace Shelby. Serving nine years in the Middle East with her husband and children, Shelby is credited with being one of a handful of women who have provided leadership in developing a strategy for an unreached Islamic people group—women in the Muslim world. Discussion scheduled for October 20
November/December: Love Walked Among Us: Learning to Love Like Jesus, by Paul E. Miller. “Paul Miller invites us to get to know Jesus, to observe his life and his love as they unfold in the gospel narratives. The accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John—combined with Miller’s own life stories-will encourage us to imitate Jesus’ way of loving people.” (Quote from the back cover.) Discussion scheduled for December 15. |
