My current readings

At work I have been reading three things the last two days.

First, an article in Atlantic Monthly about Pope Benedict and Pope John Paul II called THE TALE OF TWO POPES (I think). It talks a lot about their relationship, how they came to the place they were, how they are different and much more. The author, Paul Elie, is also the person who wrote the book called THE LIFE YOU SAVE MAY BE YOUR OWN (borrowed from Flannery O'Connor). It is about the School of the Holy Ghost in America--a multi person biography about Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, Flannery O Connor, and Walker Percy. All four of which are Catholic writers trying to take their faith to the public sphere in creative literary ways. Both the Article and the book are phenomenally well written and fairly presented. The article I am currently reading presents the current Pope as less palatable in a lot of days to where American Catholics would like to go, but a man of brilliant intellect, compassion, and fierce integrity.

The second book I skimmed was called Breakout Churches. This was a study that was an attempt to see how compatable Jim Collins' Good to Great applied to church growth. I spent about 3 hours working through it. Got through most of it. Skimmed some. My Senior Pastor gave it to me yesterday afternoon and wanted me to look it over so we could discuss it the next day. We ate at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort's restaurant, had a good meal and a good talk about how the book sparked thoughts in both of us involving the future of our church.

The third book I have been puttering through is a book about the Emerging Churches by Ryan Bolger and Eddie Gibbs. Very interesting. Not sure quite how to communicate what I am learning in this book yet.