By Vibha Sazawal

It’s important not to judge this book by its cover. With its title “Gospel Memories“, you might think this book is about quaint gospel sermons told to a child. There’s nothing quaint, though, about this book by Episcopal Bishop Jake Owensby. Bishop Owensby has lived a hard life. His mom survived the Nazi concentration camp Mauthausen. His father was abusive. He lived in a car for a while. He had a cleft palate and couldn’t speak well; this conditioned is treatable but he didn’t get it treated until he was an adult. Chapter 1 talks about how life isn’t fair. Bishop Owensby doesn’t think that his past shapes his future. Instead, he argues that his future is actually reshaping his past. This sounds crazy but give him some time to explain. Our future is defined by God’s grace, not our past. And God uses our life experiences to transform us into our new lives in Christ. We can use the Gospel as a guide to understand what’s happened to us and how it helps us achieve a new life in Jesus. In the book, Bishop Owensby explains how Bible verses can be used to interpret and understand his life. If you are experiencing painful life experiences, or you have experienced them in the past, perhaps the Gospel also includes stories that can help you understand and overcome them.

The Way of Love emphasizes seven steps, and one of them is Learn. Is there an easy way to add daily scripture reading to your life? Luke|Acts by Bible Society UK is a narrative version of these two books, which scholars believe are really 2 parts of the same book by the same author. The book has chapters but not verse numbers.

The translation used is the Good News Translation — a translation that emphasizes simple words and getting the basic gist across. I wouldn’t want to use this translation in worship — the NRSV is more accurate and profound — but for daily light reading I really like it.

Another great resource for daily spiritual practice is the Forward Movement. They have many books in which scripture or devotional readings are broken into small chunks for daily use.

I recently finished A Journey Through Acts, and I really liked the commentary and reflections that came with each scripture reading.

by Vibha Sazawal

The Way of Love emphasizes seven steps, and one of them is Worship. Certainly the best form of worship is to gather together as a community, in our case every Sunday at St. Thomas Parish. But what if you are traveling and cannot make it to church? How about reading a sermon by Most Rev. Curry instead?

If you liked the Royal Wedding sermon, you will find many more fabulous, thought-provoking sermons in Crazy Christians by Most. Rev. Curry.

https://smile.amazon.com/Crazy-Christians-Call-Follow-Jesus/dp/0819228850

To some people, welcoming refugees from dangerous places sounds crazy. Questioning “America first” sounds crazy. Getting arrested on behalf of people you don’t know sounds crazy. But maybe that’s exactly what Jesus is calling us to do! All the sermons shine a light on Most Rev. Curry’s vision for a loving, life-giving, and liberating relationship with God.

Perpetua’s Journey: Faith, Gender, and Power in the Roman Empire
by Jennifer Rea and Liz Clarke

This graphic novel would be an excellent gift for teens or anyone who is interested in Christianity and feminism. Perpetua is an early Christian martyr who lived in Roman Africa. Her diary is a treasured piece of early Christian writing. The first part of the book retells Perpetua’s diary in a detailed illustrated format, as a graphic novel. Perpetua’s conversations and visions really come to life vibrantly. I could not put the book down.

The second part of the book is a detailed commentary that places Perpetua’s diary in context. We learn what historians know about Christians of this time period, and also about Roman families, attitudes towards women, religious practices, and more. For example, we learn that Perpetua is sent to the animals in the gladiator arena not just as a punishment, but also as a sacrifice meant to appease the Roman gods who may be angered by her refusal to worship in the usual Roman way. Also, Perpetua’s community of Christians gave a voice not only to women, but also to slaves (such as Felicity). The entire narrative acts as a scathing critique of Roman society and presents an egalitarian alternative.