Reads of the Week
1) Telling Tulsa's Story by Jennifer Luitweiler
"A young African American man stepped onto an elevator on May 31, 1921. Dick Rowland, likely on a break from his shoe shine job, had planned to use the restroom on the fourth floor of the Drexel Building. He and his colleagues had restricted access to public facilities; this was the one they were permitted to use . He probably took that trip twice a day every day, but on this Monday, what happened next lit the city of Tulsa on fire."
2) Jennifer Knapp and the Long Road Back by Addie Zierman
"But that night at the concert, Jennifer Knapp gave me something else: a soundtrack to my heart’s greatest questions and hopes. She was singing about struggle. About failure. About grace, mysterious and beautiful."
3) When Every Knee Bowed by Natalie Trust
"The priest paces the aisle during his homily and engages the crowd in ways that are much different from my priest, but he says the familiar words and I settle into the celebration. He tells us we are gifts, we are the reason for the season of Christmas, and my breath snags on my heart because I’ve never heard words said quite like this before."
4) The Year of the Minivan by D.L. Mayfield
"nothing can ever be easy, is what i say in my bitter hours, as i fight my way through another day of chaos, as i long for routines and results, never fully expecting either. my next baby will not be grown in my belly, my next baby will be baptized into sorrows that took me decades to find. the next bend, the next year, will only further explore the broken aspects of my neighborhood, my city, my government."
5) When Church Is Like a Party by Ed Cyzewski
"Balloons aren’t the most sophisticated element for a party, but they act as a signal: we’re celebrating, this is a PARTY. Every kid in our church associates balloons with a party. They danced and sang and threw balloons around. It was just as wild as any party with over 50 young kids turned loose with a pile of balloons."
Honorable Mention
Losing Mandela by Kelley Nikondeha
Architecture of Thought by Carol Howard Merritt
I Chose the Tears by Richard Beck
Tweets of the Week
"I don't eat junk food because I'm sad or I crave comfort. I eat it because it tastes so good & I'm weak." - @MrJakeJohnson
"I ordered a chicken and an egg from Amazon. I’ll let you know." - @JimGrayOnline
"If you don't apathetically say 'go sports' to friends who like football, how will they know you went to a liberal arts college?" - @DaveHorwitz
On Pop Theology Week in Review
The Things That Keep Us Apart: A Review of Disunity in Christ by Charity Erickson
"Christena Cleveland’s Disunity in Christ: Uncovering the Hidden Forces that Keep Us Apart is a lovely piece of writing. It’s humorous—always a welcome surprise in Christian literature!—and very smart."
Bonfire of the Vagueries by Ben Howard
"My grandpa and I had a deal when I was in college. He would give me books to read and have me write a book report. In return, he would give me $100. Needless to say, this was a pretty sweet deal, not to mention an innovative way for a grandparent to help out financially during what can otherwise be some lean years. But there was a slight catch: All of the books were by motivational speakers."
Song of the Week
"Red Clay Roots" by Laura Stevenson & The Cans
Peace,
Ben
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