READING IS FUNDAMENTAL…TO LENT
Taking time to read is a time-honored Lenten practice. As St. Benedict instructed in his Rule, “During this time of Lent each is to receive a book from the library, and is to read the whole of it straight through.” Today, we choose our own books, in order to savor the same deeper spirituality and expanded perspective that the saint envisioned.
Reformation’s library is rich in devotional readings for Lent and beyond, but personal memoirs and other readings can also bring new perspectives to Lent and Easter. For example, consider Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter, a collection of meditations on temptation, the crucifixion, resurrection and new life by writers ranging from John Donne to Martin Luther to Kathleen Norris. Or My Life with the Saints, by James Martin, which explores how the saints can help us find holiness in our own lives today.
THIS MONTH’S FEATURED CD
The CD feature for March is The Bible, by Karen Armstrong, a five-CD set (6 hours). Karen Armstrong’s study, which appears in the series “Books That Shook the World,” manages to organize a large amount of complex material in a clear and orderly way. She shows how the highly disparate writings that now compose the Jewish and Christian scriptures came together, and examines the very different methods of interpretation used over the centuries. Her book’s great strength is the way she unfolds the Jewish and Christian histories of formation and interpretation in parallel with one another.
THANK YOU!
Thank you to Lida Hoffman and Edna Bogert for expanding our library through generous donations! And thank you to those who have made anonymous donations.
NEXT BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION: APRIL 19
All are welcome to the next evening book club discussion. The book is A Man Called Ove by Frederick Backman. A debut novel from a Swedish writer, Goodreads calls it “…a thoughtful and charming exploration of the profound impact one life has on countless others.” 95% of those who read it, liked it!