Dec 29, 2012
We’re Booked! 3 Book Picks by Thomas Turner
Today’s book picks are by Thomas Turner.
Lifted By Angels
This book will rock your world by inserting angels into it. Here I was, a Bible degree and all these years in church under my belt, and I was just glossing over angels in the Scriptures. Thankfully, Joel J. Miller does a phenomenal job researching and laying out the reality that angels are an integral part of our spiritual ecosystem, both during biblical times and during the present day. This book is full of quotations from the Scriptures and the early church. I was astonished at my sheer lack of knowledge concerning angels, and this book has caused me to seriously rethink how I understand angels as part of God’s kingdom.
Just Church
Much like how books on how-to-be missional have finally brought practical and meaningful thoughts to a discussion that has been theology and example driven, Jim Martin’s book Just Church brings meaningful and practical thoughts to the issue of the church and justice.
There are plenty of books and articles that say "churches need to pursue justice" and many more that say "this is how we such-and-such church has done justice ministry," but Martin’s book actually lays out a framework for cultivating a justice ministry at any church. Encouraging churches to journey through encountering injustice, exploring ways to do justice as a church and engaging in tangible justice ministry, Martin lays out a framework that is open enough for all churches to use to turn their knowledge of a God of justice into practicing justice in their local communities.
Tomatoland
This book will completely destroy any benevolent notion you have of farming practices in parts of America today. Florida tomato fields are not just where tasteless tomatoes grow, they are places where pregnant workers are covered in so much pesticide their babies have birth defects, lethal toxins are used every day on the soil, and where slavery still exists. Yes, slavery.
Charting the growth of the Florida tomato industry and its reliance on immigrant labor and toxic chemicals, Barry Estabrook has written a profound testament that is from the perspective of an investigative reporter, not an activist. The documentation is laboriously constructed to show an industry that is in dire need of overhaul in all of its practices.
Visit Thomas’ blog Everyday Liturgy.
Such a surprising list – from angels to tomatoes! But, I’m pretty sure I need to read all three of these picks. Thank you.