Summer is the time when many of us find those treasured days of downtime, and one of the things I most treasure is the time to get into some great books. If that’s the case for you, then allow me to recommend a little summer reading (and several of these are available for loan in our church library). I welcome conversation on any of these books, and your own summer reading or all-time favorites. Happy Reading.

Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson. This is a wonderful novel, told in a series of letters written by an aging Congregational minister in a small Iowa town. His reflections on Christian faith, family, and forgiveness are profound.

The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming, by Henri J.M. Nouwen. A Catholic priest and professor of psychology plumbs the depth of one of the greatest parables. Using Rembrandt’s painting of the parable’s reunion scene as a guide, Nouwen reflects on how each character reveals something about Christ and about us.

Atticus, by Ron Hansen. In this novel, the parable of the prodigal son provides the rough outline for the story of a modern Colorado rancher whose younger son goes missing in Mexico. It is part mystery, and part parable about the dedicated love of a father for his son.

If Grace is True: Why God Will Save Every Person, by Philip Gulley and James Mulholland. Co-written by two ministers who describe the wideness of God’s grace in a way that you may not have considered before. Although the book may challenge you, it is written with such honesty, humor, and graciousness that it is easy to consider them good friends.

On my summer list for 2009…

Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo. I started this years ago, and picked it up again this spring. Almost finished, but I want to savor it.

Home, by Marilynne Robinson, the new companion novel to Gilead.

Take This Bread: A Radical Conversion, by Sara Miles. This is the memoir of a non-religious person who happened upon a church one day, received communion, and found her life changed by the simplicity and generosity of this gift of food. This moment led her to an active ministry of feeding the hungry in her new church and across her city.

A People’s History of Christianity, by Diana Butler Bass. Originally this was to be called "After Jesus: How Christians Loved God and Neighbor Through Church History."