Summer is a great time for reading and reflecting, so instead of our normal weekly studies based on a book of the Bible, you are invited to join us in reading one or both of two short books by two top Christian authors. We will not be studying these books chapter by chapter, but instead gathering a few times to reflect, comment and share on what we get from these writings. 

The first book up for discussion is Brennan Manning’s Ruthless Trust: The Ragamuffin’s Path to God. Manning is the author of The Ragamuffin Gospel, a book which shows us how trust in God can transform our lives and open us up to deeper experiences of grace and love. In Ruthless Trust, he turns his focus from furious love to radical trust, revealing the ways in which trust renews our faith and help us grow.

The second book to be read is Learning to Walk in the Dark by popular theologian Barbara Brown Taylor. In this book, Taylor provides a way to find spirituality in those times when we don’t have all the answers.

Taylor has become increasingly uncomfortable with our tendency to associate all that is good with lightness and all that is evil and dangerous with darkness. In Learning to Walk in the Dark, Taylor asks us to put aside our fears and anxieties and to explore all that God has to teach us “in the dark.” With her characteristic charm and literary wisdom, Taylor is our guide through a spirituality of the nighttime, teaching us how to find our footing in times of uncertainty and giving us strength and hope to face all of life’s challenging moments.

The plan is to meet up every other week starting mid-June through August 1, while the second book club will run August 1 through mid-September. The books are older and therefore widely available in either new or used copies. You are invited to read one or both books, and drop ins are welcome. Even if you do not wish to drop in on any of the discussion meetings, we encourage you to consider reading one or both of these books to help deepen your life of faith.