When I’m not reading about church life and spiritual transformation, one of my favorite genres is the cozy mystery. I am addicted to quite a few series that my sister keeps me supplied with as well as reading random free/discounted books I find on Kindle/Amazon. Cozies tend to be relationship centered mysteries where the blood and gore are kept to a minimum. There may be a romantic element, but most of the details are also left to the reader’s imagination and not detailed. I’ve read three cozies so far this year. The first one is Cast On, Kill Off by Maggie Sefton. This is the tenth book in her “knitting mystery” series. I have read all of this series and always look forward to seeing what the These books are a quick read and the friendships that develop around a knitting store are charming. Having dabled in knitting these last few years, I enjoy the details about the yarn and patterns even more. Kelly Flynn, the protaganist, balances accounting and sleuthing with her many knitting projects. Set in Colorado, I always want to bundle up in front of the fireplace when I read these books.

The other two books are part of a new series, Miss Pettybone’s Southern Series. Miss Pettybone’s First Case and The Murder of Minnie Stover by Melissa Rees, are set in a small town in Mississippi. The main character, Miss Pettybone, is a postal worker who stumbles upon her first case while delivering the mail. She involves her wacky friends in her adventures and flirts with the local Sheriff who she dated while in high school. These books are a quick read and I found myself cheering Miss Pettybone on throughout. I love the way Rees highlights the eclectic personalities of southern life.

As you can see, I made my first (and only) post on this blog last year as the political climate started wearing on my nerves. I felt great pressure to say something profound and never found the words to continue. For over a year now, my friend Jana has been encouraging me to write a blog about the books that I read. My mother was a school librarian and she inspired me to be a life long reader. I read a lot of mysteries and stuff about church and personal faith journeys. I will use this space to share my observations and how God is using these books to lead me through this time of discernment and into a new normal. I possess a lot of books – both books in print and on electronic reading devices. It is normal for me to have several books in progress at one time. Along with food, books are my greatest addiction. It sometimes feels overwhelming the number of books that I want to read and the amount of time I have to read them. I feel strongly that the God communicates through these books and leads me to read them at certain times. I am going to begin with the books that I have already read in 2013 and update as I complete books along the way.

Early this year I read several books about the Christian church and the changes that face this institution. The first one was They Like Jesus Just Not the Church by Dan Kimball. Kimball’s book was published in 2007 and much has changed since he wrote it. However, it was interesting to read his impressions about the people who are attracted to Jesus and his teachings, but are not attracted to the organization of church. As I struggle myself with my place in the church after many years of paid employment in church ministry, I find myself identifying with many of their concerns. I first became aware of Kimball in the spring of 2005 when he spoke at a conference that I attended in Nashville. He has published several books about what has been called The Emerging Church and Emerging Worship. Although he appears to have seperated himself recently from those labels. His heart for reaching young adults and those outside the church is admirable. Much of what he shared in this work reflects his own experiences with his own church, but reflects the findings of many others, most notably the book unChristian. I recommend this book for someone who has not looked at the heart of those outside the church.

The next two books about church life were written by Doug Pagitt, who I also first became aware of at the same conference in 2005. Pagitt is the founding pastor of Solomon’s Porch in Minneapolis, MN. Often seen as a prime example of the Emerging Church, Solomon’s Porch is an innovative church that attracts a wide variety of ages, races and life situations. Community in the Inventive Age and Preaching in the Inventive Age are both about the way changes in our culture influence the way we organize for Christian church life. Growing up in a mainline church in Oklahoma, I have often felt like minority in the world of Baptist and “nondenomination” conservative megachurches. I find comfort and inspiration in writings about churches that focus more on relationships and not show. Pagitt has worked in the megachurch world and was drawn to another way of doing church as a result of those experiences. These books highlight the challenges of our culture changes such as technology and would appeal to anyone who is expanding their view of what church is about.

The final book about church that I read in January is Lord, I Love the Church and We Need Help by Virginia O. Bassford. Finally, a book written through the eyes of someone from the tradition that has formed me. Bassford is a pastor and District Superintendent in the Central Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. Her experiences strongly reflect the experiences of my ministry. This book was recommended for those attending General Conference in 2012. Although not much new was presented in this work, it was comforting to read about the life of the United Methodist Church and her love for the denomination. I found myself say “yeah, me too” a great deal while reading.