"The Way of Belonging" (Sarah E. Westfall)

TITLE: The Way of Belonging: Reimagining Who We Are and How We Relate
AUTHOR: Sarah E. Westfall
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2024, (192 pages).

One of the paradoxes of relationships is that we can be together but still feel alone. Yearning for meaningful connections, many of us still struggle with maintaining relationships, let alone building them. Even families have problems with this. The Genesis story of how Adam and Eve hid from God after they sinned was a precursor to how we hide from one another today. Author Sarah Westfall admits that while we all desire deep relationships, we prefer to retreat to our shells of comfort. She describes this as "I belonged everywhere and nowhere all at once." Such conflicting push-pull experiences resemble a ubiquitous enigma in society. With this as impetus, Westfall embarks upon a journey to discover more about oneself before progressing toward how we relate to others. The author qualifies her work by maintaining that "belonging is not linear and cannot be prescribed." She gives us ten chapters on how we can relate to others. Hopefully, readers will find a relevant application in at least one or more. If we are honest, we will reject self-dependence in isolation and admit we need relationships with other people. Some ways to reimagine who we are and how we relate are:

"Worth Seeing" (Amy L. Williams)

TITLE: Worth Seeing: Viewing Others Through God's Eyes
AUTHOR: Amy Lyn Williams
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2024, (232 pages).
 

Our society often elevates the externals over the internals, the visible instead of the invisible. In many developed economies, people rush headlong toward attaining the 5Cs: Cars, Cash, Condominiums, Credit Cards, and Country Clubs. With that, people tend to gravitate toward those who are famous, rich, and powerful. Fact is, not everyone can be world famous, materially rich, and powerful. What happens to the rest of us? What about the marginalized and those despised by society? Can we learn to see all people for who they are, regardless of their reputations or ill-repute, poverty or riches, seen and unseen? More importantly, how do we learn to see our fellow human beings the way that God has intended for us to see? Beginning with the story of how Sarai mistreated Hagar in Genesis 16, author Amy Williams shows us that amid Hagar's depressing situation, God sees her and encourages her. God assures her that even when the world do not, God sees her for what she is worth. As one who ministers frequently to gang members, high-risk youths, and people who fell into a life of crime, she calls herself a "Hope Dealer." She also works as a "female gang-intervention specialist and juvenile justice advocate." The key is to learn to see people from God's point of view as best as we can.  Williams shows us the four fundamental ways of seeing:

"Pentecost" (Emilio Alvarez)

TITLE: Pentecost: A Day of Power for All People
AUTHOR: Emilio Alvarez
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2023, (144 pages).
 

What is Pentecost? What is the meaning of the word "Pentecostal?" Why do Christians celebrate this event? Has this event any connection to the Old Testament? What is the significance of such an event? These questions are dealt with in this book. Pentecost Sunday is one of the most important days in the Christian calendar. Celebrated 50 days after Easter, it commemorates the day the Holy Spirit came down upon believers in Jerusalem as recorded in Acts 2. With the coming of the Holy Spirit witnessed by thousands, the full identity of the Trinity has been revealed to all. The key events in the Church Calendar are Advent, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost. This book focuses on the latter, to show us the significance and provides us basic things we ought to know about Pentecost. Calling it a "Day of Power," author Emilio Alvarez takes time to unwrap the meaning of what Pentecostal power means. It is not a power about race to the top echelons of society but about the grace of God given to all believers. It is about that spiritual renewal that we need. Pentecostal power proclaims the work of Christ and the fulfillment of biblical prophecy. Alvarez asserts that believers should see themselves as pilgrims rather than tourists when celebrating Pentecost. What's the difference? One is about entitlement and the other is about growing in spiritual experience. Beginning with the meaning of the Pentecost festival, Alvarez shows us how Pentecost and the Old Testament are connected through three festivals: Festival of Weeks, First Fruits, and Harvest. He tells us that we do not have to wait until the Day of Pentecost to celebrate. We can be celebratory in the days leading up to the Day itself. 

"Meeting Jesus at the Table" (Cynthia M. Campbell and Christine Coy Fohr)

TITLE: Meeting Jesus at the Table
AUTHOR: Cynthia M. Campbell and Christine Coy Fohr
PUBLISHER: Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2023, (160 pages).
 

Food is a significant part of any community both at home and outside the home. The Bible too has lots of references to meals, food, and feasts. There are food laws in the Torah. Throughout the Old Testament, we read instances of people needing food, like the famine in Egypt; the hungry and thirsty Israelites in the wilderness; the test of Daniel and his friends who opted for vegetarian food as their act of faith; how God fed Elijah; the feasts of kings; and so on. The need to eat continues to be a key thing in the New Testament. The gospels, especially the gospel of John use special feasts as a way to date the interactions of Jesus with the people. For Christians, the highlight of the Christian meal is none other than the Holy Eucharist or the Lord's Table.  The Lord's Table is a symbol of love, hospitality, openness, and welcome. Combing the gospels for instances of meals with Jesus, authors Cynthia Campbell and Christine Coy Fohr lead us through the different aspects of spirituality over the table. The intent of this book is to help us ponder what it means to be disciples of Christ, and what it means to be nourished body-wise and soul-wise. Food not only sustains us. It is an opportunity to cultivate relationships of all sorts. Eating together also provides teachable moments to learn spiritual lessons. In this Lenten Study, readers get to explore eight broad themes using food as a key to unlock these lessons. The authors have also engaged the input of illustrator Kevin Burns to use visual aids to invite further reflection on the past, conversation about the present, and application for the future. Each chapter helps us relate to the Season of Lent, to point us to the direction of meeting our needs in Christ alone.

"A Place at the Table" (Miranda Harris and Jo Swinney)

TITLE: A Place at the Table: Faith, Hope and Hospitality
AUTHOR: Miranda Harris and Jo Swinney
PUBLISHER: London, UK: Hodder and Stoughton, 2022, (224 pages).

What is hospitality? What has the practice of hospitality got to do with faith and hope? How does that help to cultivate friendship and community building? These basic blocks of community are covered in this fascinating book about the life and work of the founders of Arocha. Containing many stories of people in the Arocha community as well as from the Bible, one gets to see how ordinary objects like a house, a table, and a meal can help one build impactful relationships. It touches the core of what it means to be human: The need for DMC, or Deeply Meaningful Conversations. In fact, the core reason for acts of hospitality is to enable such connections to take place in an ordinary setting. The authors make a powerful case to learn to host meals out of our real ordinary selves instead of trying to present a perfect version of ourselves before we can learn to offer hospitality. Not only can we offer others a place at the table, we too can learn to be comfortable in our own skin when at the table. With the table as the centerpiece of conversations and connections, the six chapters in the book cover a range of activities from the preparation to go to the table to the activities after the table. Interspersed throughout the book are snippets from the late Miranda's journalism where she shares insightful observations about her challenges and rewards of ministry, reflections on the Bible, and spiritual lessons learned. There are also poems, prayers, and brief meditations on Scripture. The six chapters with my brief annotations are:

"Learning Our Names" (Sabrina S. Chan, Linson Daniel, E. David de Leon, and La Thao)

TITLE: Learning Our Names: Asian American Christians on Identity, Relationships, and Vocation
AUTHOR: Sabrina S. Chan, Linson Daniel, E. David de Leon, and La Thao
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2022, (240 pages).
 

"Chinese names are harder to remember. Take an English name." This is a common comment made by Westerners when they try to pronounce a Chinese name. Often, they mispronounce. This makes the title of the book quite identifiable among many Asians in Western society. For Asians who immigrated to the West, it might be a culture shock at most or an inconvenience at least. For those who grew up as natively, it is a way of life. In a book written by Asian Americans for the larger Christian public, we read several stories depicting the constant struggles to find acceptance and recognition in a largely non-Asian culture. The stories are subdivided into three categories:

1. Learning our Stories;
2. Learning our Relationships;
3. Learning our Vocations.

In "Learning Our Stories," each author shares how racialization has impacted them. David de Leon shares his Pilipino upbringing by sharing the history of the Philippines, and how the country was influenced by Spanish powers and American colonialism. He tells us that names not only point to the past but also show us the hope that parents have for the next generation. Sabrina Chan shares her Hong Kong background and how she got her English name through American movies. Linson Daniel's parents hail from India while he was born in Texas, making him a full American citizen both nationality-wise as well as culture-wise. La Thao laments about the cultural confusion happening even within her own family. Her parents' Hmong upbringing over parenting matters conflicts with the Western parenting advocated by American sitcoms and popular cultures. One of the major emotional conflicts has got to do with the different expressions of love. 

"Josey Johnson's Hair and the Holy Spirit" (Esau McCaulley)

TITLE: Josey Johnson's Hair and the Holy Spirit
AUTHOR: Esau McCaulley, with LaTonya Jackson as Illustrator
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2022, (32 pages).
 

What has a little girl's hair got to do with the Holy Spirit? Readers might find that intriguing but with patience and openness, one would quickly connect the dots and see many themes important for today. Josey Johnson is a little girl who loves her hair. Some days, she would have it braided while other days she would prefer pigtails or curly afros. Some days, it seems like her hair could very much take a life of its own! Like many young Church-going families, Josey goes to Church every Sunday morning with her parents. She would dress well for the occasion, but for that Sunday, it was a special occasion: Pentecost Sunday! Gradually, the author connects the different types of hair, the diversity of people gathered, and the meaning of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit comes. There are several themes that the author put out that readers (and children) could pick up quickly. The key theme would be the celebration of diversity, just like the Holy Spirit who gave different gifts to different people. When the Holy Spirit comes, He unites people from all walks of life, starting with believers. 

"Spiritual Formation as if the Church Mattered: Growing in Christ through Community" (James C Wilhoit)

TITLE: Spiritual Formation as if the Church Mattered: Growing in Christ through Community
AUTHOR: James C Wilhoit (2nd edition)
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2022, (288 pages).

A key purpose of the Christian life is this: How do we become more Christlike in all we say and do? What does it take to grow deeper in Christ? At a time in which the image of the church is undergoing tremendous cynicism, how do we recover from the negativity in order to live as salt and light of the world? For author James Wilhoit, the answer lies in the revival of local congregations to make spiritual formation their key goal. This goal must be manifested in all activities and programs of the Church. The how, the why, and the curriculum for doing it are all described in this book. More importantly, it reminds us that the best crucible for spiritual formation is not the individual disciplines but the Church. Now in its second edition, this book has been updated with positive psychology based on an Augustinian formation perspective. Readers are reminded that spiritual formation is not another kind of self-help project but an expression of the gospel given to the Church. Using the metaphor of public health by providing clean drinking water and vaccinations, Christian Spiritual Formation is about providing the best possible communal environment for individuals to flourish. Wilhoit sets the stage by affirming how spiritual formation need not be something extraordinary. Instead, using ordinary means and ordinary contexts, we can cultivate our souls within the ordinary environment of church and community. He then gives us some principles and patterns that we could adopt. Based on various Orthodox faith traditions, he combines them with some of the modern psychological practices such as Robert Emmon's work on gratitude and reducing anxiety. He uses mostly the spiritual traditions of orthodox theology. He takes inspiration from recent spiritual practitioners like the late Dallas Willard, Thomas Oden, Adrian Van Kaam, etc, as well as the spiritual masters of old. Before presenting his CSF curriculum, he helps us clear the decks about what CSF is and what it is not. This helps sets expectations. 

"Choosing us" (Gail Song Bantum and Brian Bantum)

TITLE: Choosing Us: Marriage and Mutual Flourishing in a World of Difference
AUTHOR: Gail Song Bantum and Brian Bantum
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos, 2022, (160 pages).
 

Cultural Disappointments. Disobedience. Rejection. Expulsion. Disappointment. Ministry Calling. Decisions. Miscarriages. These are some of the events and turbulent stories revealed in this bold book about mixed marriages. Just that one simple proposal followed by a bold choice by two persons from different ethnicities and cultural backgrounds has led to a journey less traveled. Gail is Korean while Brian is Black. If struggling with these issues of identity and cultural challenges are not enough, their children too will experience these struggles too. One choice, many consequences. With deep insight and wise hindsight, authors Gail and Brian have come together to share with readers their story of faith, hope, and love in a world that in theory believes in equality and justice, but in practice are doing the very opposite. Married for over 25 years, the couple has three adult children who live in Seattle. Both of them experience first-hand what it means to be shunned by their own friends and families. They share about their mentoring of other couples, what it means to live in an inter-racial relationship, and the journey toward acceptance in a world fraught with all kinds of differences and expectations. Even the institution of marriage has been tarnished by sin. While biblically, marriage was supposed to be a symbol of love, marriage tainted by sin has become a tool for power, sexism, discrimination, and control. In seven chapters, Gail and Brian share their story. Chapter One begins with their personal plans. Gail wanted to be a female conductor for the New York Philharmonic while Brian wants to coach soccer. Both had their plans disrupted due to the loss of a parent. For all their struggles with the different cultural differences and expectations, they married and found love that defies common understanding. Without any models to follow, they had to carve out their own version of what it means to live out their uncommon marriage. Eventually, they had to depend on each other, to learn as they journey along. Chapter Two reveals this journey of learning about individual idiosyncrasies. Different situations also mean learning about the other person more. Whether it is career changes or family gatherings, snapshots of personality profiles, or behavioural changes among friends, even one's waking up hours could be an unexpected revelation. They share a powerful tip: "Continually choosing each other means relearning the one we've committed to."

"Find Your People" (Jennie Allen)

TITLE: Find Your People: Building Deep Community in a Lonely World
AUTHOR: Jennie Allen
PUBLISHER: New York, NY: Waterbrook Multnomah, 2022, (256 pages).

There seems to be an ache for our human bodies. We have heard about backaches, headaches, toothaches, tummy-aches, even something internally like heartaches. What about loneliness-ache? In what is considered a problem that is larger than any kind of ache, loneliness has become a major health matter around the world. As society becomes more individualistic and self-centered, we are losing connections and community living. The downsides of loneliness are all visible out there. Depression rates are rising while mental health deteriorating. We feel secure when in our own rooms and inner sanctuary, yet there is an underlying sense of discontentment exhibited via various stages of sadness. Worse, we are subconsciously accepting our lonely lives as the defacto normal way of life. Unless of course, we learn to fight the lies such as:

• Not needing people
• No need for friends
• No need for community
• No need to rely on others
• No need to connect with others
• That we can survive on our own
• ...

"Thank You. I’m Sorry. Tell Me More." (Rod Wilson)

TITLE: Thank You. I’m Sorry. Tell Me More.: How to Change the World with 3 Sacred Sayings
AUTHOR: Rod Wilson
PUBLISHER: Colorado Springs, CO: Tyndale House Publishers, 2022, (208 pages).

As society becomes more fractured, fragile, and frantic, relationships become colder and more hostile. Without close friendships and healthy relationships, the world is poised to go from bad to worse. Without human relationships, the best technological advances and scientific prowesses cannot lead to human flourishing. This point has been noted by author and clinical psychologist Rod Wilson who observes how the Creator of the Universe singled out the need for relationships through his declaration that "It is not good for man to be alone." In the creation week, the LORD declared everything good and the creation of human beings as "very good." All of a sudden, in Genesis 3, He uses the negative clause to say that as far as companionship is concerned, it is "not good" for Adam to be alone. Instead of mere theories and concepts, Wilson shares many stories to highlight how the three phrases are critical to repairing, restoring, and redeeming our relationships. With a shrewd eye on modern culture and a deep insight into the state of human relationships today, he warns us about the tendencies of people to become engulfed by the cultural rains of "entitlement, victimization, and individualism." He then supplies a new umbrella of hope via gratitude, remorse, and care, respectively. Through stories, he leads us through the whys and the hows of these three actions to "change the world." 

"Rediscover Church" (Collin Hansen and Jonathan Leeman)

TITLE: Rediscover Church: Why the Body of Christ Is Essential (The Gospel Coalition and 9Marks)
AUTHOR: Collin Hansen and Jonathan Leeman
PUBLISHER: Wheaton, IL: Crossway Publishers, 2021, (160 pages).

Why do we need to rediscover Church? Isn't it enough to simply believe and practice our faith daily? With the rise of online church and how many people have become so familiar with watching Church services on YouTube, Zoom, or other online channels, surely we can maintain this new way of doing church? Well, authors Collin Hansen and Jonathan Leeman disagree. A Christian without a Church is a Christian in trouble. We still need to get back to the meaning of the Church and to live together as a Community in Christ. There are many reasons why believers stay away from Church. The conventional arguments against the church include things like limited authenticity, distasteful politics, politicizing of religion, negative publicity, lack of transparency, irrelevancy, and the age-old accusation: hypocrisy. With covid, this disinclination from physical church gatherings has been accelerated. On top of this electronic distance, there are also those who feel disillusioned about the lack of pastoral care and the inability of their pastors to match up to the charismatic preachers who draw people to their professional online offerings. With such overwhelming cultural disarray surrounding faith and Church, it is no wonder that many people are looking for a reason to go back to Church. This book comes at the right time to answer that very question. There is a need and a future for the Church. What is necessary now is to go back to the essence of what Church is and what it means to be Church in the 21st Century. Hansen and Leeman began with the metaphor of marriage where Christ is the groom while the Church is the bride. If Christ gave himself for the Church, shouldn't that alone speak volumes about the importance of Church? 

"Creating Community" (Andy Stanley and Bill Willits)

TITLE: Creating Community, Revised & Updated Edition: Five Keys to Building a Thriving Small Group Culture
AUTHOR: Andy Stanley and Bill Willits
PUBLISHER: Colorado Springs, CO: Multnomah, 2021, (193 pages).
 

Times have changed. Society and people too. Yet the need for relationships does not change. Technology may have changed the way we communicate, but there is no substitute for connection. We all need to be connected beyond just an Internet group. We need small groups to create a community.  According to authors Andy Stanley and Bill Willits, people everywhere still have the same need for community. They wrote this book back in 2004 and have updated this book for a new economy. Observing the trends that are happening today, the need for community could not have been greater. We might be technologically connected. We might have the latest means to keep in touch. We might also be able to do more things with less time. Yet, that does not necessarily translate into meaningful living. Living alone or doing things independently does not negate the need for true community. Recognizing the need is one thing. How to get there is another. Stanley and Willits give us five strategies to go about doing that. The five "keys" for real growth are classified in terms of needs, namely:

1. People Need Community
2. Leaders Need Clarity
3. Churches Need Strategy
4. Connection Needs Simplicity
5. Processes Need Reality

"Discipleship in Community" (Mark E. Powell, John Mark Hicks, and Greg McKinzie)

TITLE: Discipleship in Community: A Theological Vision for the Future
AUTHOR: Mark E. Powell, John Mark Hicks, and Greg McKinzie
PUBLISHER: Abilene, TX: Abilene Christian University Press, 2020, (192 pages).

Who are the "Churches of Christ" and the "Disciples of Christ" organizations? What do they believe in? What is the Stone-Campbell movement and their "restoration perspective?" For the authors of this book, the key operative word answer is "discipleship." Thus, the title for this book. Such discipleship mirrors the two greatest commandments: Love God and Love People. Discipleship is about participation in the life of the Triune God as well as building up a community of disciples in order to share in God's mission. This theme of discipleship is anchored on six fundamental convictions:

1. A Trinitarian vision of God
2. An eschatological outlook
3. Strong biblical orientation in its teaching and spirituality
4. The Believers Church tradition
5. The sacramental presence and working of God, especially in baptism and the Lord’s Supper
6. The church’s participation in God’s mission  
   

"Carry On: Poetry by Young Immigrants" (Various Contributors)

TITLE: Carry On: Poetry by Young Immigrants
AUTHOR: Various Contributors (Translated by Susan Ouriuo, Illustrated by Rogé Girard)
PUBLISHER: Toronto, ON: Owlkids Books, 2021, (36 pages).

Immigration is the lifeline of diversity. With globalization and travel, people are increasingly moving across continents with ease. Many have also emigrated from their birth countries for various reasons. Some are economic while others are plainly to escape from poverty or persecution. Some countries open their doors only to specific foreign talents to compensate for their lack of skills in that area. Others do so for humanitarian reasons. Having families in a foreign country is another factor. Not wanting to be separated from their loved ones, they put in the paperwork to bring them them over to be reunited in their new country of choice. For all the economic benefits to the destination countries, there are challenges of adaptation and integration. This is especially so when locals feel threatened and insecure due to the introduction of immigrants who were willing to work more for mich less. Locals fear that immigration would strain their welfare systems and social safety nets. Tensions could also arise due to language or cultural difficulties. 

"For the Body" (Timothy C. Tennent)

TITLE: For the Body: Recovering a Theology of Gender, Sexuality, and the Human Body (Seedbed Resources)
AUTHOR: Timothy C. Tennent
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2020, (272 pages).

The famous author, CS Lewis (GK Chesterton) was once asked by a newspaper publisher to write about: "What's wrong with the world?" Chesterton wrote back with a witty reply: "I am." In one short crisp message, he has managed to show us the real problem with the world: Sin. Fast forward to our modern age, if we were to answer the same question, what would that be? If posed to author and professor Timothy Tennent, it might be due to our failure to understand or to articulate a holistic view of the human body. In a sexualized culture, we need to recover the original purpose of what it means to be human. We cannot simply put out fires of cultural aberrations without dealing with the cause of the fires. We cannot simply try to bridge the divide between the conservatives and the progressives just by dealing with the morality and social justice matters respectively. From abortion rights to same-sex marriage; gender identities to political disputes; our world will continue to be torn apart as long as people fail to have a positive vision of the purpose of the human body. We need a proper theology of the body to help the Church lead the way in addressing a wide range of issues in our culture. Tennent shows us how to do just that in three ways. First, he describes the seven key building blocks of the theology of the body. Second, he exposes the cultural messages and environment we are in that continues to tarnish God's purpose. Finally, he offers a redemptive way forward to bring about a "discipled body." 

"The Beautiful Community" (Irwyn L. Ince Jr)

TITLE: The Beautiful Community: Unity, Diversity, and the Church at Its Best
AUTHOR: Irwyn L. Ince Jr
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2020, (176 pages).

Is beauty really in the eyes of the beholder? That is another way of saying that beauty is deep in the pool of subjectivity.  Before jumping to that conclusion, what about from God's point of view? What God had created good, just because it has been marred by sin, can we really claim it is no longer good? In a book that casts positive light on the potential of God's community, we have a book that describes the attributes of God being made manifest among the people of God. Author Irwyn Ince Jr writes with conviction: "The ministry of reconciliation demonstrated in the local church by the gathering of people from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and ethnicities is the natural outworking of a rich covenantal theological commitment." The reason why we persevere in cultivating a beautiful community is simply because our Lord God is beautiful. He begins with God, the beautiful God. We learn of what it means to see and know our beautiful Lord. That means seeing God as He reveals Himself to us, primarily through loving fellowship with Him. This is essentially the "fellowship of knowing." Through His grace, we learn that God is community. God is perfection, proportion, and pleasure. All of these highlight the simplicity of God's love to us. This beauty in knowing God as Trinity helps us appreciate the beauty of God in us. Sadly, we are often divided among ourselves. This leads to a marring of God's beauty and dignity in us. We need to go back to God for healing and to be remade into the image of Christ, the One who came to redeem us. 

"The Mr Rogers Effect" (Dr. Anita Knight Kuhnley)

TITLE: The Mister Rogers Effect: 7 Secrets to Bringing Out the Best in Yourself and Others from America's Beloved Neighbor
AUTHOR: Dr. Anita Knight Kuhnley
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2020, (208 pages).

He has been called "America's Hero." Others call him a brilliant educator. In this book, he is called "America's Beloved Neighbour." He is best known for his children's TV program called "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood." His life has also inspired the making of a 2019 movie played by Tom Hanks, "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood." What spurred the author to write this book was Rogers's ability to connect with people. She marvels at how Rogers minister to an inner-city kid dealing with anger issues, and lamenting about how they need a Mr Rogers in their neighbourhood. She examines Rogers's careful words to reach out to a young boy on a wheelchair extending care beyond the boy to the doctors and nurses who cared for him. What was more amazing was that 18 years later, they still reconnected with much warmth and love. This and many more are highlights of Mr Rogers amazing life. There is much to learn from Rogers's life. Author Anita Kuhnley contributes to this by going on a quest to discover how to translate Mr Roger's positive influence into some helpful tools and strategies that we can use in our daily lives. Thanks to her training in psychology and qualitative research skills, she combs the resources about the legendary Fred McFeely Rogers, and how his influence had impacted lives both young and old. The key trademark is how Mr Rogers spoke to those of us feeling neglected and lonely. That is because he cares. Using television as a way to reach out to people, Rogers also learns from psychologists and relational experts to hone his skills in communicating care. Rogers credits Dr McFarland for that. Kuhnley gives us an overview of the four types of relational approaches: Secure; Preoccupied; Dismissive; and Unresolved. Apart from the secure child-parent relationship, the other three categories would produce different levels of insecurity in a child. Learning to connect with children and people in these categories is the purpose of Mr Rogers's ministry. Kuhnley does the hard work of digging through the materials and available resources about Mr Rogers and offers up seven "secrets" of Mr Rogers's unique ability to connect with people. The seven secrets mentioned are seven characteristics of what a good neighbour ought to be. These are:

"Loving Your Community" (Stephen Viars)

TITLE: Loving Your Community
AUTHOR: Stephen Viars
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2020, (240 pages).

The greatest commandment according to Jesus is simply this: Love the Lord our God with all our heart, our mind, and our soul. The second is to love our neighbour as ourselves. Saying it is easy. Doing it is hard. That is why love is easier said than done. Many churches budget for outreach programs as part of the Great Commission. Such outreach generally comprises evangelism, mission, social concerns, and community outreach. If I can use one word to summarize all of the above, outreach would be quite appropriate. Whether local or foreign, near or distant, the reason churches exist must be for the sake of proclaiming God's kingdom far and wide. The moment churches become inward-looking, that would not only compromise their calling as the Bride of Christ, that marks the beginning of the end for their existence. Author and pastor Stephen Viars shares his over thirty years of experience serving the community both inside and outside of his Church community. He shares his work and ministry in this book driven by one objective: Helping us to default from "Saying NO unless you have to say YES" to "Saying YES unless you have to say NO."  He knows the appalling rate of outreach among many churches that choose to play it safe and to keep their resources to themselves.

"Able Soul" (Lucy Goncalves)

TITLE: Able Soul: Empowering God's Spirit Within
AUTHOR: Lucy Goncalves
PUBLISHER: Vancouver, BC: Able Soul Wheel Press, 2019, (90 pages).

Many of us take our physical freedom and mobility for granted. Those who lack the use of any part of the body would be labeled either "disabled," "handicapped," or the more politically correct phrase, "physically challenged." For many people, this would pretty much define our outlook in life. As the saying goes, it takes one to know one. What about a book where we can see life from the eyes of those who are physically challenged? This book is a beautiful example of one who has multiple challenges. Speech impairment and the inability to walk may restrict one's lifestyle choices, but the most crippling of them all, is a broken and downhearted spirit. Such a mood would easily break down one's enthusiasm for life. Lucy Goncalves discovers this early, that the biggest barrier is put up by oneself. She writes with honesty that she's "the one who puts up the barriers" with her negative emotions and unwillingness. Her story challenges us to pray in spite of helplessness; to press on in spite of weakness; and to persevere on in spite of challenges. She shares twenty personal reflections on God, faith, life, and lessons. Each time she compares and contrasts what she lacks with what she receives from God, family, friends, and the kind things that are visible to her when she is willing to see it. I like the way she credits the writing back to God, that the books was "birthed in prayer." This is the essence of all books written about spirituality.