Uplifting

Searching for some inspirational reading? You might want to consider the books some local ministers have read and recommend. They explain why in their own words.

By Rev. Ann Mowery, pastor of Zion United Methodist Church in Gordonville

I am always reading something, I read books to grow in my faith, I read books to help me be an effective pastor, I read books just for fun, and I read books that others recommend to me, in all three categories. So I have several books going right now, and any one of them I would recommend. But if I have to choose, I must recommend to anyone "The Grand Sweep" by J. Ellsworth Kalas.

"The Grand Sweep" is a two-book set for daily Bible study. I guess I should have said three-book set, because you also need a Bible. (If your Bible is hard to read, either because of its translation or because its print has shrunk over the years, I recommend you skip the chocolate rabbits and treat yourself to a new Bible for Easter!) Ellsworth Kalas has laid out a reading plan in which you will read the Bible in a year, if you follow his plan daily. And with every day's reading, he has given a brief, down-to-earth, easy to understand and very inspiring daily commentary and prayer. In the accompanying "The Grand Sweep Daily Response Book," there is a brief question about each reading, a place to respond, and each week a couple of pages to tie it all together.

What Ellsworth Kalas has done is break the Bible into digestible chunks, share his love for God's word in an infectious way, and help us see God's overall message, so we don't drown in the details.

Paul Kabo, pastor of First Presbyterian Church, held a book from his library. (Kit Doyle)

I am using "The Grand Sweep" as directed, daily reading all of the readings, and on Saturday mornings when I get to the weekly recap I feel like I am sitting down with a good friend who loves to help others love the Bible. It is making a significant difference in my life as a Christian and as a pastor, and I heartily recommend it to everyone.

I do remember, however, how hard it is to develop a daily habit of Bible reading. Though I have not needed to skip a day, since I began this in January, I like the fact that "The Grand Sweep" does not have dates on the daily readings. It simply says Week 11, Day 4. You can start this any day of the year, and if you skip a day, you simply read the next day and it will take you a year and a day to get through it. If a particular reading seems too long, you can take two days to do it if you need to. That is grace, built into Ellsworth Kalas' book, and as I get to know him through his writing, I doubt that is accidental.

I heartily recommend Ellsworth Kalas' "The Grand Sweep." As he said in his introduction, if this book will help you discover "as others have for nearly 20 centuries, that the Word of God is alive and powerful, bringing to our daily routine transforming glimpses of the eternal."

By Rev. Paul Kabo, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Cape Girardeau.

Of course, I begin with the Bible. And I mean to seriously read it. Read the Bible in the many translations that are currently available. The different translations help us to understand the message as much as the different colors of the prism help us to understand light.

After the Bible there are truckloads of books that are so inspiring, beneficial and challenging for Christians. There are so many good books of inspiration that I cannot mention all of them here. Suffice to say that most bookstores are loaded with them.

Many beneficial books are the ones that each denomination produces, for example, "The Presbyterian Handbook."

It is the books which challenge Christians that I wish to focus on. The first book here is "Christianity and World Religions." Christians need to be fully aware of the existence and beliefs of other world religions so that we can compare and contrast our Christian beliefs.

The second book would be a "History of Christianity." I recommend reading history because so many people do not know the rich tapestry which has been handed to us.

The third book is a Bible commentary, the "Interpretation Bible Studies" by Westminster John Knox Press.

By Rev. Rob Hurtgen, associate pastor of First Baptist Church in Jackson.

One of the best books I've read this past year is "The Rest of God" by Mark Buchanan. He addresses a subject that many of us avoid -- rest.

In "The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath," Buchanan skillfully and beautifully guides his readers through the joyful foundations for our need to rest. In a culture where insatiable multitasking has become second nature, a culture that views nanoseconds as too long, it is challenging to read a passionate plea for rest. Buchanan in no manner launches an outcry to return to the days of blue laws, but rather lifts up the soul to reorient itself toward Sabbath.

Most of us live hectic, chaotic, chronically busy lives that leave us depleted and joyless. We have been convinced that the secret to a joy-filled life is a busy calendar when in fact, the opposite is true. A calendar that is squeezed full of activity is really a calendar that has squeezed out life.

Buchanan doesn't call his readers to melt their PDAs, ditch their watches and wander idly through life, but rather that those who honor Sabbath have learned to create a personal sanctuary of time for reflection and reorientation to God, self and family -- a time to remember the reasons why you are not idle.

Buchanan's treatment of Sabbath is like diving head first into a freshwater spring during the dog days of summer. It is refreshing, inspiring and shocking. Unlike the spring whose chill leaves you gasping for breath, Buchanan reminds us that God has commanded us to breathe deeply. In his reminder he guides you toward living out Sabbath. When you close the back cover of "The Rest of God," you are left with both a feeling of ease and a desire for rest.

lredeffer@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 160