Horizons magazine is published by Presbyterian Women (PW) the national women’s organization of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Issue link: http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/521232
May/June 2015 43 Heart Sisters: Be the Friend Y ou Want to Have By Natalie Chambers Snapp Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 2015 ISBN-10: 1426769059 ISBN-13: 978-1426769054 Have you ever had the urge to pull away from everyone you know and run off alone, determined to be free of the drama and messiness of social life? Natalie Chambers Snapp has. But after prayerful consideration, she found new meaning in relationships, particularly with other women. Her book is focused on how women relate to other women, but what she shares is applicable to all relationships. Do we need women friends? Yes, she says. When women feel stressed, their response is often "tend and befriend." Yet the author found trust difficult after she was bullied as a child and hurt by other women as a young woman. She leads the reader through spiritual reflec- tion and the process of reaching that deeper place of forgiveness and under- standing in relationship with women friends. She says, "Walking through con- flict in a way that honors God is crucial to Heart Sister relationships because so often we are tempted to run from the relationship instead of working through the hard stuff" (xvi). Speaking of Faith: Why Religion Matters and How to Talk About It By Krista Tippett New York: Penguin, 2008 ISBN-10: 0143113186 ISBN-13: 978-0143113188 Krista Tippett is a journalist and author who hosted a public radio show on religion called Speaking of Faith. This b ook collects some of her most meaning- ful insights, conversations and experi- ences in learning how to have meaningful conversations about faith. She has interviewed and shows deep respect for people in many walks of life—writers, teachers, doctors, scien- tists and theologians. She notes "I bring one voice at a time onto the air. Every- one speaks out of his or her own life, knowledge and truth—and never for all Christians, Muslims or Buddhists, for God, Qur'an or the Bible. Her writing is a beautiful, nuanced look at how and why faith matters. *Krista Tippett now hosts the radio program/pod- cast On Being; learn more or listen at www.onbe- ing.org. Permission Granted: Take the Bible into Your Own Hands By Jennifer Grace Bird Louisville, KY: West- minster John Knox, 2015 ISBN-10: 0664260403 ISBN-13: 978-0664260408 Jennifer Grace Bird offers a unique per- spective on reading and understanding the Bible. On the day her mother was being ordained, Jennifer told her that she couldn't understand why she would do that since it was against God's word. This moment and another important woman in the author's life's reexamina- tion of the Mary and Martha passage eventually nudged Jennifer toward sem- inary, where she dove deeply into study- ing the Bible. "I went to learn languages. . . . if I was going to be taking my cues in life from [the Bible] and subtle nuances could exist in it, then I wanted to be able to study those terms and nuances myself" (xiii). Those nuances and com- mitment to personal reflection are at the heart of this book. Offering both histori- c al context and contemporary insights into some of the Bible's most difficult passages (including those about women's roles), Jennifer Grace Bird shows how we can read the Bible with our whole hearts and minds. The Book Thief By Markus Zusak New York: Random House, 2007 ISBN-10: 0375842209 ISBN-13: 978- 0375842207 The hero of this novel is young Liesel Meminger. She has a difficult start in life, which can be summarized in a number of ways, but none so chillingly as the fact that another "character" in the book, Death, recounts how often he sees her. Set in Germany during World War II, Liesel learns to read after get- ting a late start on the skill. Books, words and storytelling become great passions of hers, connecting her with her foster family and friends Rudy and Max. Passion for and comfort in lan- guage sustain young Liesel as the world she knows trembles under Hitler's power. Pages Worth Turning t t t b o o k s If you order these books (or many other books and Amazon items!) through Amazon Smile (smile.amazon.com), a portion of the purchase price will be donated to Presbyterian Women. Just visit smile.amazon.com and select Presbyterian Women as your favorite charitable organization. You pay the same amount, but Presbyterian Women receives a small gift!