By Elizabeth
The highlight of our month was definitely a trip to the Gulf of Thailand for an organizational conference. It had been years since I’d been to the sea, and I was desperate for some beach time. Beach time was somewhat limited due to the full conference schedule, but each morning after breakfast we were able to walk along the beach (which serendipitously coincided with low tide). Besides the nature fix, we enjoyed rich conversations with both teammates and other global workers, soul-filling worship with a well-known worship band, and an exceptional children’s program.
My friend’s Bran Muffins. At the beginning of the month we spent time with some friends who have now left on furlough. She served us her family’s old Bran Muffin recipe. They were filling and not too sweet, so I asked her for the secret recipe. Now I’m into muffin baking again, something I haven’t done for years.
An extended coffee date with another dear friend. We caught up in all things Life and dipped into some purposeful Life-with-Christ conversations, too.
I’ve also had a few really nice dates with my husband. And truly, that makes life so much more enjoyable, in spite of all the power outages we’ve been getting and in spite of all the things that keep breaking down and needing to be fixed.
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BOOKS
Seeker by Helena Sorensen. I read the other two books in Helena’s series last summer but hadn’t gotten to this one yet. I knew it was supposed to be the saddest of the three and had sort of avoided it (doesn’t that just sound like pain-averse me?). Now that I’ve read it, though, I can say that this one was as beautifully written as the other two, if not more so. Certain sections just felt “truer.” The story is layered: as I read, I couldn’t help thinking that she was talking about more than just the story, she was talking about me. In some ways she reminds me of Madeleine L’Engle, with characters wiser and more self-aware than any of us mortals can generally hope to be, and whose theology works its way out through her (decidedly true) fiction.
The first and the third books in the series gave me courage and hope. This second book gave solace and kindredness. When I reached the end of Seeker, I was sobered and sad, yet glad for the chance to have read it. It’s one of those books that offers symbols for real-life situations. Do read it.
I haven’t made much other progress in the book department. The first week of summer break we basically just played with friends. The next week, we went to Conference, and anyone who’s ever been to Conference knows that it’s quite an energy investment. Which means that the week after conference I was still pretty wiped out.
In preparation for our upcoming school year, however, I was able to read some home school books — For the Children’s Sake most notable among them. Jonathan laughed when he saw me reading it, because growing up he saw that book around the house constantly. About the book: not only are the educational ideas lovely, but the language used to describe them is, too.
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BLOG POSTS
A Walk Through the Tabernacle by Brian Phillips. This is a must-read article. I was already enamored of the Gospel of John, but this new information makes it even more breathtakingly powerful.
How Meditation Saved Me From Missions by Ann Hall. Ann is a personal friend of mine who recently started blogging, and when she talked about meditation on her own blog, I knew we needed her story at A Life Overseas. In this New Age-y world, Ann defines what biblical meditation is and is not while also offering a practical guide.
The Earth Between My Fingers by Glenn McCarty. This blog post reminded me of my friend Heidi Whitaker, the wife of a local Anglican priest, who explained sacrament to non-liturgical me. Our conversation a couple years ago was the beginning of a deeper journey to embrace the intersection of physicality and spirituality, something that fundamentalist-me had been running from for years. She told me:
“The Anglican Book of Common Prayer uses this definition: a sacrament is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace given to us. There’s also the pithy phrase “Matter matters.” It relates to the way God comes to us through matter (water, the bread and wine, etc) and to his value of matter (our physical bodies themselves and all of creation are precious to him – not evil or something to be escaped as in Gnosticism).”
Finding God in Fairytales by Tanya Marlow. Beautiful and experientially true (see: Shiloh and Till We Have Faces).
Existential Angst and the Creative Mind by Greg Wilbur. Thought-provoking post on Christian creativity and what it can be. I love the four points at the end. I hope my “art” can live up to these ideals.
No Moms, You Don’t Have to Wear a Bathing Suit. Just Be a Really Good You. By Rebecca Reynolds (author of this hilarious spring favorite). Everyone needs to be following Rebecca Reynolds on Facebook. The wisdom just pours out of her. Not all her posts are set to public, but here’s one example. Rebecca also wrote this piece, which I read several years ago, before I really knew who she was (but it apparently stuck with me). I love how she’s not afraid to go long-form, whether she’s on FB or in a blog. Rebecca is currently writing a book. I’m interested to see what it holds.
How Communal Singing Disappeared From American Life (and why we should bring it back) by Karen Loew (and found through Story Warren). Singing together was important to me growing up. And I miss it, which is one reason our family has recently begun singing together more often. As I heard Misty Edwards say once: “Singing is a spiritual experience that’s also physical, with physical sound waves leaving your voice box and traveling through the air to hit your and other people’s physical ear drums.” I personally think that’s why singing together is so bonding (there’s more to say on the subject of singing and sacrament, but for the time being I will refrain).
Member of the Family by Zach Franzen (for Story Warren). Beautiful little reflection on an Eleanor Estes story we read just last month. And don’t skip the poem at the end!
He Calls You: Beloved by Renee Aupperlee. Truth that is crucial to the Christian life — and, as one commenter noted, not cheesily delivered in the least.
Surprise! We Need to Learn from Christians from Other Cultures by Amy Medina. More important than I can say.
Your Short Term Trips Have Not Prepared You for Long Term Missions also by Amy Medina. Sobering and true. I am so glad Amy wrote this.
PODCASTS, VIDEOS, AND TELEVISION
Interview with Nell Goddard, author of Musings of a Clergy Child (and found through Tanya Marlow). I loved this interview so much. Nell is a “clergy child” — or as we Americans might say, a preacher’s kid. I have such an interest in this subject because all four of my children have been PKs since birth. Watch the book trailer here.
Christine Hoover interviews Jen Wilkin about the mistakes we make in friendship. I love Christine and her book on grace. And I love the little I know of Jen Wilkin (see: her perspective on self-worth and her conversation on women in ministry with Russell Moore). A good listen, and some wise words.
Anne with an E. Not a favorite per se, but I figured this is as good a place as any to talk about the new Anne show, which I used my summer break to watch. (Hmm, maybe that’s where all my reading time went?) I read about the series before I began, so I knew what I was getting in to. I’m with other friends of mine who liked it, but didn’t love it. The story was darker and deviated from the source material. Now, to a certain extent I don’t mind darker (and this darkness wasn’t too terribly dark), and neither do I mind deviation from the source material. It’s just that the additional story matter seemed out of place to me, historically speaking. Don’t get me wrong; the story still resonated, but it was no longer whimsical. It was mostly enjoyable for me as an adult, but it certainly isn’t for children.
I can comment favorably on the characters, however: I loved this new Marilla. She had more depth of emotion and internal struggle (sorry Colleen Dewhurst, I loved your Marilla too, she’s just a different one!). Rachel Lynde is much more nuanced and sympathetic in this one, and I liked her better (in much the same way that Keira Knightley’s Mrs. Bennet is more realistic and bearable than Colin Firth’s Mrs. Bennet). Megan Follows is of course the very best Anne ever, hands down. But this new Gilbert, now, he’s exceptional. He seems more appropriately cast, age-wise, and he has more depth to his character too. Instead of just a boy in love with Anne, he has a life outside of Anne (but Jonathan Crombie, you are every girl’s dream-come-true: a man desperately in love with just one girl, and a finicky one at that). As for Matthew, well, I haven’t decided which Matthew I like better. I think I like both equally. Both are portrayed well, though differently. Ok, now that I’ve blabbed on and on, please give your Anne thoughts in the comments!
MUSIC
Did I mention the worship at Conference was fantastic? I did? Oh, let me tell you again: the worship at Conference was fantastic. Here are two brand-new-to-me songs that I learned there (although as usual I preferred the live versions to the Youtube versions). Both these songs were on repeat at my house all month.
The Lion and the Lamb by Leeland Mooring, Brenton Brown, and Brian Johnson.
Our God is the Lion, the Lion of Judah
He’s roaring with power and fighting our battles
And every knee will bow before Him
Our God is the Lamb, the Lamb that was slain
For the sin of the world, His blood breaks the chains
And every knee will bow before the Lion and the Lamb
Oh every knee will bow before the Lion and the Lamb
O Praise the Name (Anastasis) by Dean Ussher, Marty Sampson, and Benjamin Hastings (Hillsong). A gospel story-song more powerful than I can say.
Where Jesus bled and died for me.
I see His wounds,His hands, His feet.
My Saviour on that cursed tree
The entrance sealed by heavy stone
Messiah still and all alone
O trampled death where is your sting?
The angels roar for Christ the King
The Trotter Family 
As always, such generous words, Elizabeth. Thank you.
Your discussion of physicality and spirituality hits home. Ever since we began attending an Anglican church, the issue of physicality has come up over and over. In an Anglican service, you stand up, sit down, stand up, sit down, file to the front, make the sign of the cross. In the beginning, I thought, “Would you please just let me sit here and enjoy the service?” But that was precisely what they wouldn’t and couldn’t do. So much of worship, in their way of thinking, involves what we’re doing with our physical bodies. That Gnostic thing was rooted deep in me. (The body is the problem. Our physicality and humanity are the things we’re trying to shed like Eustace’s dragon skin. It would be better if we could all float around as glittering spirits and interact with each other in that way. That would practically eliminate sin!) I have rejected my body and the bodies of others, and in doing so, I’ve missed a gigantic slice of the gospel. Jesus came to us in a body. He hallowed regular old human life by eating and drinking and working and sleeping and sweating and crying just like us. And then, instead of transforming into some higher form, something more magnificent, he chose to keep his human body forever.
My word.
I’m still chewing on it.
Thank you so much for sharing. I could talk all day with you on sacrament and the intersection of our physicality and spirituality! Yes yes yes it is all those things, pushing back against this Gnostic (fundamentalist?) belief in the evil (or “weakness”) of the body.
God’s gifts to us in the physical world has always been here, and I have always enjoyed them, I have just not had words to connect it to my spiritual life. When I watch a sunset, when I gaze at the night sky, when I go on a long walk, when I wade in the ocean, when people sing together, when we eat together, when we take communion together, and yes, even when I kiss my husband — those things have always been there, I have just not known their significance.
It is still a natural tendency for me to cut it all off — to be a disembodied head like Sir Ken Robinson talked about in that famous TED talk of his. It takes work for me to get out of my head and to live in this physical world. But I do feel closer to God when I do.
You know, as a child I took ballet lessons. I loved dancing. I was connected to my body there. Then money got tight and I had to stop, and I entered a rigorous secondary school program, and we (unknowingly at the time) started attend an extremely legalistic church, and I was molested there, and looking back I can see how I just SHUT IT ALL OFF. How I developed an eating disorder — which, though seemingly hyper focused on the body, really cuts out all the dimensions of being a whole person. And how I became an academic almost to the exclusion of everything else. Academics was just so much easier.
So I think there are many reasons why we do these types of things, why we divorce our bodies from our brains, from our emotions, from our spirits. I’m thankful for my relationship with my Anglican friends, who have given me new vocabulary and theology for this physical and spiritual life we live. Sounds like it has been Anglicans who have guided you in your journey as well.
I have let this get way too long, so I will just say that I love that you brought this whole discussion back to Jesus and His eternally resurrected body. And so I will end on Him as well.
And I could sit and listen to both of you discuss this for hours 🙂