I’m polishing up this missive from Chicagoland, where I meet for a few days every year with a cohort of fellows at the Center for Pastor Theologians where I am also a fellow. It’s a great opportunity to meet with clergy from various churches who are committed to the life of scholarship and the renewal of the Church.
We meet at Calvary Memorial Church, which happens to be across the street from Grace Episcopal. I was able to take a peak inside and meet the Rector, Fr. John.
Fun fact about Grace Episcopal: This is where Kevin McAllister goes to talk with his creepy savior-neighbor when he is left behind by his parents in Home Alone.
Same nave as here:
Writing
No new articles out this month, but I got to share a bit about my poetry book with folks at the Center for Pastor Theologians.
If you haven’t picked it up yet, you can find it here or at the Christ Church bookstore. If you’ve taken a look at it, it would mean a lot if you leave a rating or review!
My regular Crucifer articles this month on the theological significance of the solar eclipse and on not being in control.
Lots of preaching, as usual, with my most recent sermon here.
Reading
This was a good month for reading.
I started the month by reading Thirst by A. G. Mojtabai, a short novel about a dying Roman Catholic priest in the Texas Pandhandle. God becomes “dim” to Fr. Theo especially as his death is drawing near. Despite the best efforts of his cousin Lena, to coral him into health, he continues to fade.
The book’s been on my a list for a long time because of a review I read a few years ago First Things by John Wilson. I can’t say that after reading the book that I can share his enthusiasm. It wasn’t bad. It was good, even. But it wasn’t great the way I thought it would be.With Thirst being a bit of disappointment I am so glad that I stumbled back around to Ross Gay’s book of essays, Inciting Joy. These meander through Gay’s complicated relationship with his father, pick-up basketball, skateboarding, pedagogy, and grief. This latter essay really struck a cord with me. He defines grief as “the metabolization of change”, which I really love. I’ve long been a fan of Gay’s poetry, but I think I liked his essays even better.
This month I also had the joy of plodding my way through Luci Shaw’s collection of poems titled Scape. I’ve read poems by Shaw here and there, but this is my first volume of her verse. There is an Annie Dillardesqueness to her observation of the natural world, and the way she is able to draw out from this the truth of things.
When I was studying for my masters degree at Wycliffe I read a lot of Karl Barth. Too much, of Karl Barth. But at the CPT seminar we’ve been revisiting his doctrine of the Word, and so I’ve been tasked with the delightful project of revisiting some of his writing on the subject in Keith L. Johnson’s The Essential Karl Barth, a smattering of excerpts from Barth’s massive corpuses with helpful introductions and (not so helpful) footnotes. It’s been wonderful to revisit some of the writings of this theological master.
I read Toni Morrison’s mind-boggling short story “Recitatif”, an experimental look at race and a litmus test for how we our prejudices shape our readings.
Zadie Smith wrote the insightful introduction to “Recitatif”. This led me to her short collection of essays that came out of the pandemic, Intimations.
I know I am little late to the game with Beth Moore’s memoir All My Knotted-Up Life.
This was a really good but really sad book. A look at the brokenness of family life, and the abuses and griefs of church life as well.
Finally, I listened to the audiobook of Thomas Cahill’s Mysteries of the Middle Ages. This was fun romp through the the Medieval world that begins with Greece.
Listening
C. James is one of my favorite folk artists, though he has not released a single LP. He has, however, been faithful in pumping out some seriously catchy and heartfelt singles. Stumbling on a new single by him is always a highlight to my day. This past month I listened to “Thinking About You” about a hundred times, which led me to listen to “Hollow Heart” another hundred times, which led me to listen to “Big Blind” another hundred times, and so on and so on.
Watching
Amy and I watched the wonderfully sensuous and beautiful French film The Taste of Things. If you love food, you need to check it out.
Tasting
This month the gustatory highlight was the wonderful meal at Christ Church’s Crawfish boil. I grew up playing with crayfish, but I’ve never eaten them - mixed with corn, potatoes, sausage, shrimp, mushrooms, garlic, and so forth, until moving to East Texas.
This year they were especially good.
That’s all for this month folks.
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In Christ,
Cole+
Thanks for sharing Cole. Thank you for sharing your latest sermon. I have been thoroughly enjoying What Has Been Left Behind. Looking forward to the music recommendations.