In The Underground Church: Reclaiming the Subversive Way of Jesus, Robin Meyers calls the contemporary church to examine its roots and consider whether the way we do church today is what Jesus intended. Meyers’ voice joins others, such as Diana Butler Bass and Paul Nixon, who are asking the church to take a hard look at itself and consider whether it has lost its original purpose and mission.

There is much to be learned from Meyers’ book and I especially like the way he compares different definitions of faith. He notes that if you ask someone to define Christianity “the first words out of his or her mouth will likely be the affirmation of a creed or doctrine…” Meyers argues that “Christianity was born as a movement of the spirit, animated by faith” and that it is “not something we argue about. It is something we make manifest in the way we live.” He calls Christians on both the left and the right to serve the poor and work for justice despite their theological and political differences.

Meyers compares America with the Roman Empire, but this comparison makes it too easy to blame some vague entity outside of ourselves for our problems. As H.L. Mencken and others have said, “People deserve the government they get.” Societal injustices in America are caused by the apathy and greed of individuals rather than an oligarchy or emperor who enforces rules by military means.

Greed is the focus of Meyers’ call to the church to take radical steps and become a subversive force to combat materialism and unfair economic systems. He wonders why there are so few sermons about greed and calls on the church to “return to the ancient practice of running our own underground economy… including the redistribution of wealth and the loaning of money at no interest to other members of the community.”

The “Manifesto of the Underground Church” which is the book’s epilogue, is not without controversial ideas, such as the requirement of a financial pledge for church membership. However, its call for the church to get beyond its complacency and take an honest, if painful, look at itself in the light of Jesus’ gospel message, is something the church desperately needs to hear. 

Leaving Church

Barbara Brown Taylor’s Leaving Church has been around for a while (copyright 2006), but is still worth a read. The author, known for being an effective preacher, writes in an open, easy style about the difficulties of her life as an Episcopal priest. Her memoir open with her realization that life in Atlanta as one of four priests in a big down-town parish has become so overwhelming and tiring that she has begun to see things that aren't there, such as the body of a brown dog in the street that is actually a crushed cardboard box.

She and her husband relocate to the mountains of northeast Georgia. Taylor finds a position as rector of Grace Church in the town of Clarkesville, population 1500. Her genuine love for people is evident in descriptions of her ministry with the diverse people of her church, which she describes as similar to living in a Flannery O’Connor story. Under Taylor’s leadership, Grace Church grows, but she begins to once again feel overwhelmingly tired and realizes that the “demands of parish ministry routinely cut me off from the resources that enabled me to do parish ministry.” She offers honest insight into her internal state at the time, describing her depression and fears in painful detail.

Taylor begins to realize that her position as a priest inhibits her from being her authentic self. Church meetings about human sexuality mandated by the Episcopal denomination mean that Taylor has to feign neutrality as she presides over increasingly bitter debates, since she was “responsible for the care of souls” who did not share her convictions. She finds she has little interest in defending Christian beliefs and “began to feel like a defense attorney for those who could not square their love of God and neighbor with the terms of the Nicene Creed.”

As Taylor contemplates leaving her clerical position, she receives an invitation to teach at a local college and accepts it. During her last weeks at her church, she attends a party given by a couple from the church. Things turn rowdy and people start throwing other fully clothed party goers into the pool. Several people look at Taylor but turn away; she is saddened that she looks “waterproof” to them. Finally, someone grabs her from behind and throws her in; she looks at the other people in the pool and is happy to be one of them. She writes: “If being ordained meant being set apart from them, then I did not want to be ordained anymore. I wanted to be human.”

Leaving Church is relevant not just for clergy, but for laity as well. The well-written reader’s guide, with discussion questions at the back of the book, makes this a good choice for adult study.

The Chocolate-Covered Umbrella

This informative and entertaining book by Tilda Norberg examines an almost neglected spiritual practice: finding God in our dreams. It is written for those who believe in God as well as spiritual seekers. Norberg is the founder of Gestalt Pastoral Care which is a “synthesis of Gestalt work with Christian spirituality and healing prayer.” It is a holistic approach that challenges participants to discover and integrate parts of themself, as they surrender to “the Love that surrounds” them and is still creating them.

The book is a good read for the fascinating dreams and Norberg’s analysis of them alone, but she also provides simple and concrete tools for the reader to better remember their dreams and find God in them. One of the author’s basic premises is that each element in a dream is a part of the dreamer. She invites the reader to enter into their dream and playfully describe themself as each of the elements of the dream. I tried her technique and found some interesting new insights into my own self.

Norberg also states that since we are spiritual beings, whether or not we acknowledge that, sooner or later God will show up in our dreams. She provides examples in her own dreams and those of others, and warns God may be disguised; we probably won’t recognize God until we actually work with our dreams. God shows up in improbable as well as commonplace ways such as a bungee cord, a mouse, a chauffeur, a holy duck, and a talking cat. Following the suggestions in the book, I recorded and worked with a dream of my own and found God disguised as an escalator who told me to “just step on, and I’ll take you upward.”

There are many ways to enhance our spiritual journey and this one may not appeal to everyone, but I believe reading this book and practicing the suggested techniques will enhance the spiritual growth of anyone who is open to a new way of looking at the fascinating world of our dreams.

The Church of Facebook

I have to admit I was disappointed in this book by Jesse Rice. I purchased it because the title combined two things I find of great interest – the church and Facebook – and its subtitle, “How the Hyper Connected Are Redefining Community,” was intriguing. I had hoped for some practical tips for those in the Christian community on using social networking, but the book focused more on the negative aspects.

The author digresses at length to tell some interesting stories, such as the invention of the air conditioner, the creation of the Palms Islands of Dubai, and the history of the Hubble telescope, but I found these illustrations too numerous and distracting. He also goes into depth about the creation of Facebook and repeats arguments that have become all too familiar of late: that Facebook relationships are less demanding and authentic than real life relationships and that our hyper-connectivity is leading us to continuous partial attention.

Using the illustration of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well, Rice gives three “tools in the work of co-creating our Facebook worlds”: intentionality, humility, and authenticity. These tools are important for maintaining any type of relationship, however, and those who employ them in face to face relationships probably carry them over to virtual relationships as well.

I am not disputing the negative aspects of social networking, but these have more to do with the weaknesses of human nature and less to do with technology. People have always found ways to waste time and escape from authentic relationships and responsibilities. We wear fake personas and hide our true selves in person as well as online. In my own experience on Facebook I've found I’ve gotten to know people better and shared more with them than I would have without Facebook.

As I finished reading this book, I read the results of a study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project released on June 16, 2011. People who use Facebook have more close friends, get more social support, and report being more politically engaged than those who aren’t, according to the report. An earlier report by Pew concluded that the Internet is not linked to social isolation but can lead to larger, more diverse social networks. I wish The Church of Facebook had focused more on these aspects of social networking than the negative ones we hear so frequently.

Heaven is for Real

What is one to make of Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back? It’s co-written by Todd Burpo, a Wesleyan pastor from a small town in Nebraska, and claims to be the story of his four year old son’s trip to heaven and back after almost dying on an operating table. Opinions as to the validity of little Colton’s story range from “It was written to make a quick buck” to “I believe every word of it.” My own opinion falls somewhere between a healthy skepticism and openness to the possibility that God might reveal something of heaven to an innocent little boy.

When Colton first makes mention of his trip to heaven, several months after the experience, his description seems fairly simple and childlike: angels sang to him as he sat in Jesus’ lap. He relays to his dad a standard near-death experience: “I went up out of my body and I was looking down and I could see the doctor working on my body. And I saw you and Mommy.” At this point I’m willing to admit the possibility that something extraordinary happened to Colton.

However, as time goes by, the little boy is questioned over and over about his experiences and more and more details are supplied. I doubt that any deliberate deceit was intended, but children of that age often blend reality with fantasy, and Colton may have incorporated things he heard from his family or in Sunday school into his memories of his heavenly experience. He might have also sensed the keen interest felt by the adults as they listened to him and wanted to please them by filling in more and more exciting details. It is not hard to imagine a little boy who loves pretending to be a sword-wielding superhero picturing a battle in heaven between “Jesus and the angels and the good people” and “Satan and the monsters and the bad people.”

There are a number of things that Colton reports that seem to give credence to his story; those who believe will point to these as proof while skeptics will make convincing arguments on the other side. Wherever you stand in the debate, the book is a good read and will get you thinking about heaven and, if it is for real, what it will be like.

Gilead

Marilynne Robinson’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel Gilead is set in 1956 Iowa but also touches on earlier events in the life of the narrator and his family. The novel is Reverend John Ames’ letter to his young son, as he realizes he is reaching the end of his life. We are introduced to Ames’ grandfather, a minister who came to Kansas to fight for abolition and became a Union Army chaplain during the civil war. Ames’ father was a pacifist and the relationship between Ames’ father and grandfather was strained yet respectful. The theme of father and son is woven throughout the novel and is further illuminated when Ames’ namesake and wayward son of his best friend returns to the town of Gilead.

The voice of the novel echoes Ames’ personality. He is an intelligent yet humble man, a theological searcher who rejoices in the beauty of the world around him. Unlike his dynamic and controversial grandfather, Ames accepts the world for what it is and seeks the good in it. When describing the hardships of the depression in Gilead, Ames says “since it had to happen, I don’t regret having been here for it. It gives you another look at things.” Ames’ father left Gilead and encouraged his son to leave as well, to seek a “larger life,” but Ames, although he sees Gilead for what it is, loves the town, the prairie, and the people.

Although the pace of this book is sometimes slow, the excellent writing brings the characters to life and allows us to enter into the life of Ames and others. Ames’ digressions on life, loneliness, forgiveness, grace, and other topics provide much food for thought.

This would make an excellent choice for a church or other book discussion group. Discussion questions may be found at the Reading Group Guide website and the Iowa Center for the Book website.

The Friends We Keep

In The Friends We Keep, Laura Hobgood-Oster gives an extensive but very readable overview of the history of Christianity’s relationship with animals. Sections at the end of the book with ideas on how congregations can help animals, liturgical resources related to animals, and a list of additional resources such as Christian organizations addressing animal issues, give added value to this book.

Hobgood-Oster considers the impact of religious belief systems on animals throughout the years and contends that animals have been forgotten by Christianity in our current age. This is in contrast to the many fascinating stories of companion animals mentioned in the lives of the saints, including Saint Francis, Saint Brigit and Saint Jerome. She argues that our faith makes it necessary for us to practice Christian hospitality and compassion for animals as well as humans. The chapter on animals in sport is eye-opening as she discusses the abuse of animals in horse racing, dog fighting, and sport hunting.

Chapter three, “Eating Mercifully,” with its description of the harsh reality of factory farming, is a wake-up call to all who consume animal products. The author contends that it is imperative for Christians to refuse to “participate in a system that perpetuates pain and suffering on a scale that is unfathomable” yet is willing to meet the reader on middle ground, suggesting that compassionate vegetarianism can be practiced on a small scale, such as eliminating animal products for one day a week or finding local, humane products for consumption.

A two page discussion guide included in the book invites Christians to come together to discuss this neglected area that begs for compassion. There may be some who will say that the needs and sufferings of humans throughout the world should be our sole focus but Hobgood-Oster makes a strong argument that Christianity should also be “good news for animals.”