Six New Things – Week of October 25, 2021
This week is all about stories of compassion – intent upon engendering greater kindness and tenderness in all of us.
ONE
Evelyn Hooker and the Fairy Project (Magination) is the biography of the pioneering psychologist and poet ‘behind the research, advocacy, and allyship that led to the removal of the “Homosexuality” diagnosis from the Manual of Mental Disorders’. End note materials provide discussion questions and information on how to be an effective ally to LGBTQ+ folx and others.
TWO
Anti-Racism 4REALS: Real Talk with Real Strategies in Real Time for Real Change (Chalice) offers “action steps for dislodging racism in real time”; James Henry Harris invites readers into the important conversation around understanding the deep impact words can have to tear down or to heal in N: My Encounter with Racism and the Forbidden Word in an American Classic (Fortress); and Marcus Jerkins underscores that Black Lives Matter to Jesus: The Salvation of Black Life and All Life in Luke and Acts (Fortress).
THREE
Be inspired by profound stories of compassion and healing in Gregory Boyle’s The Whole Language: The Power of Extravagant Tenderness (Simon & Schuster).
FOUR
Get research-based tips on supporting the growth of your teens and young adults with The Voices of Young People Podcast: Navigating Uncertainty (Springtide) – find the Navigating Uncertainty teen-informed playlist here.
FIVE
Allow yourself some introspection (which leads to greater personal awareness, which builds compassion!) informed by Inkwell: Simple Writing Practices to Restore Your Soul (Broadleaf).
SIX
Prepare worship for lament, grief, and remembrance with Illustrated Ministry’s All Saints Day Children’s Bundle and Planning Guide; The Many’s new release Is This How the World Ends?, based on eco-grief discussions and part of their online eco-lament (Thursday, 10.28.21); download the free lead sheet here; and see Chaplain Aaron Fuller’s guidance for observing Veterans Day following the 20th anniversary of September 11 and the withdrawal from Afghanistan on the blog Our Collective Healing on This Veterans Day.
Find additional worship prep for upcoming observances in our Worship: Reformation & All Saints Sunday lib guide.
