Thin Stories – January 2017

In my last Thin Stories post, I lamented that depression had taken much of my desire to read. The girl who devoured books in a single evening probably wouldn’t have recognized the woman who read only a handful of books last year. After almost a year of talk therapy, beginning medication, the return of Hubby from a six month deployment, I am please to announce, I am well on the road to recovery. One of the key indicators of this being how many books I have been able to devour since the start of the new year alone.

In light of this, I wanted to update you on what I’ve been reading.

Please note, this post does contain affiliate links. Please see my sidebar for my full disclosure. 

Silence: A Novel (Picador Modern Classics)  by Shusaku Endo

When the misty rain floated over the sea, he was silent. . . But at that time, the priest had been able to stand it; or, rather than stand it, had been able to thrust the terrible doubt far from the threshold of his mind. But now it was different. Why is God continually silent while those groaning voices go on?

Silence is one of the most moving and morally-challenging books I’ve read in years. The emotions it evoked reminded me of my first reading of Les Miserables. Set in seventeenth century Japan, Silence follows the story of a priest who leaves his home to travel to Japan to find out what happened to his mentor, who is said to have renounced the faith while serving as a missionary. This book deals with the complexity of suffering in the face of the Silence of God.

Bonus: The movie just came out!

Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life by Tish Harrison Warren

Examining my daily liturgy as a liturgy-as something that both revealed and shaped what I love and worship-allowed me to realize that my daily practices were malforming me, making me less alive, less human, less able to give and receive love throughout my day.

This book is a cup of tea (with a generous amount of honey) for the soul. If you go away with anything, let it be this book. In a previous post, I hinted at my love for Liturgy of the Ordinary and its encouragement to live every moment, even brushing your teeth and eating leftovers for lunch, as an opportunity to see God at work. I was refreshed by the honest language and encouraged to remind myself throughout the day what is proclaimed on Sunday morning, the Gospel.

Through His Eyes: God’s Perspective on Women in the Bible by Jerram Barrs

Every woman will stand before God directly, giving her account of herself and her life to him, for she is his image-bearer made for fellowship with him and is therefore answerable to him, just as every man will stand before God giving his account of his life and choices.

So, disclaimer, I am not *quite* done with this book yet but I already know it is something I will be referring to for years to come. Barrs starts with Eve in the Garden of Eden and makes His way through the women of the Bible, highlighting their stories and God’s work in their lives, proclaiming how women in the Bible speak to all believers, not just women, in a remarkable way. It is liberating in the Gospel sense. This is an empowering book that I would recommend to women and men alike. The reflection questions at the end of each chapter make it ideal for personal or group study.

I can’t wait to share with you the new books I am working through. Do you have any books you would like to here about? Be sure to send me an email at bailey@thethinplace.net with questions or recommendations.

I am so excited to launch the new Thin Place Resource Library which is full of probables and desktop backgrounds inspired by The Thin Place. Be sure to subscribe to receive access!