Six New Things – Week of September 09, 2024
It’s debate night – and many are overwhelmed and distressed by unabated and growing levels of contention and volatility. Love is the remedy – and it’s in the title or intent of every resource this week. Love! It’s what the world needs, now.
ONE
Encourage Littles in their love of place and neighbor with This Land (Crown), which ‘teaches readers that American land, from our backyards to our schools to Disney World, are the traditional homelands of many Indigenous nations’. Spark curiosity and encourage exploration of, ‘the history of the places [readers] live and the people who have lived there throughout time and today’.
Listen to MPR’s interview with author Ashley Fairbanks (Anishinaabe) here!
We’ve added this to our library! And to our WaterThreads Toolkit and Land Acknowledgement lib guide.
Develop greater love and appreciation for Latine neighbors and friends with 9 Great Reads for Hispanic Heritage Month (Broadleaf). Find these and books – for all ages – in our Antiracism: Adults – Reading Latine Voices; Children – Latine Voices; and Teens & Tweens – Latine Voices lib guides.
TWO
Love of the Half-Eaten Peach (Reycraft) boasts stunning artwork, classic Chinese art and characters, and a unique story that celebrates queer love and Chinese folklore.
Support care-givers’ love of children struggling with their identity with The Me I Was Made to Be: Helping Christian Parents Navigate the Identity Conversation (Herald), an ‘engaging and disarming book that speaks to readers across the theological spectrum’ as it begins or furthers, ‘a conversation that offers a compelling story on identity rooted in a deeper understanding of the gospel—one that includes all image-bearers and extends Jesus’ welcome to all our kids’.
Find more support for queer love – of self and other – in our Pastoral Care: Sex/Sexuality lib guide.
THREE
Develop a greater love for yourself with The Love Habit: Daily Self-Care Practices for a Happier Life and Healthier Relationships (Broadleaf), which ‘provides actionable steps to cultivate lasting change in your life’ through, ‘insights on embracing a love-based approach to your habits (LOVE: Learn, Optimize, Validate, Experience)’.
When relationships enter the extremely unhealthy realm of domestic violence – harming individuals and the congregation – find pastoral care prevention and intervention guidelines along with ‘valuable recommendations for interacting with victims and survivors’ in, Taking It Seriously: A Faith Leader’s Guide to Domestic Violence (Cascade).
Find additional support in our Pastoral Care: Abuse/Domestic Violence lib guide.
FOUR
Develop communal love Gathered at the Table: Celebrating Communion (Zonderkidz). Its ‘beautiful prose and poetry… celebrate and explain Communion’ as they illustrate various forms from various Christian faith traditions through ‘vibrant illustrations’.
Find additional inspiration for introducing Holy Communion to Littles in our Sacraments & Life Stages – Holy Communion lib guide.
Support adults in gathering in community by Becoming Spiritually Intelligent: Nine Paths toward Your Most Loving Self (Broadleaf), ‘an authoritative guide to emotional health, relational intimacy, and spiritual growth’.
Deepen self-awareness with other offerings found in our Spiritual Practices: Intentionality – Meaning & True Self lib guide.
FIVE
Extend that sense of community love to the whole of creation with How to Love a Forest: The Bittersweet Work of Tending a Changing World (Broadleaf), which ‘argues that the actions we must take to protect ecosystems are often counterintuitive, uncomfortable, even hearbreaking’, as it reminds us that ‘what is simple is rarely true, and what is necessary is rarely easy’.
Find more on Creation Care for all ages in our lib guide.
SIX
Deepen and broaden your love for the Divine with The Upper Room Disciplines 2025: A Book of Daily Devotion (Upper Room), which features:
- A focal scripture passage for each day of the year
- Brief, insightful meditations from 53 thought leaders from diverse Christian traditions
- A prayer or reflection to carry with you each day
- Weekly scripture overviews
- An index of scripture readings
- A guide to daily prayer
- A small group leader’s guide
Find more Spiritual Practices for personal use in our Devotionals & Prayers and for share with a Family, Small Group, & Congregation in our lib guide.
