2020 has been a year of learning for all of us, hasn’t it?
We’re experiencing a pandemic, a serious economic recession, and protestors taking to the streets in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. No matter where you live or where you find yourself on the political spectrum, it is likely that your life has changed in ways you probably couldn’t have imagined six months ago.
God is at work in these disorienting times, inviting us to learn to follow him even when we’re sheltering at home, to trust him even when finances are stretched to the breaking point, and to grow in compassion for our neighbors. We are all in school.
If we’re in school, then maybe some good books can help in the learning process. Two drawing winners will receive the three books listed below. Enjoy them yourself, or share with a family member, a friend, or a church leader.
To enter, email us at theperennialgen@gmail.com with the mailing address you’d like us to use (U.S. postal addresses only). All entries must be received by midnight (Eastern), Thursday, June 18th.
Color-Full by Dorena Williamson (Children’s book for ages 4-8)
Imani and Kayla are the best of friends who are learning to celebrate their different skin colors. As they look around them at the amazing colors in nature, they can see that their skin is another example of God’s creativity! This joyful story takes a new approach to discussing race: instead of being colorblind, we can choose to celebrate each color God gave us and be colorFULL instead.
Healing Racial Trauma: The Road to Resilience by Sheila Wise Rowe
As a child, Sheila Wise Rowe was bused across town to a majority white school, and she experienced the racist lie that one group is superior to all others. We experience ongoing racial trauma as this lie is perpetuated by the action or inaction of the government, media, viral videos, churches, and within families of origin. In contrast, Scripture declares that we are all fearfully and wonderfully made. Professional counselor Rowe exposes the symptoms of racial trauma to lead readers to a place of freedom from the past and new life for the future.
Becoming Sage: Cultivating Meaning, Purpose, and Spirituality at Midlife
For the last several decades, Western churches have focused the bulk of their resources on the early stages of discipleship—children’s Sunday school, youth group, college ministry. While these are all important, we have neglected the spiritual growth of those in the second half of life. In fact, an outside observer might think that after the growth of the college years, the goal is simply to coast through the rest of your Christian life.
Becoming Sage challenges this notion. The book explores what the unique challenges of midlife can teach us about Jesus and how to think about everything from church, friends, and family, to money, bodies, and meaning. The book may be themed around midlife, but it has application for anyone facing transition – which is all of us right now.
Note from Michelle: Dorena Williamson and Sheila Wise Rowe are fellow members of an organization of which I’m a part called The Pelican Project, a guild of women fostering Christian faith and practice across cultural, denominational, and racial lines. Visit ThePelicanProject.com to learn more about this work.
