Our library in Hewett Centre is open every Sunday after service during Coffee Hour, and now the Library Team will be offering related reading lists based on the topic of Sunday service. Here is their list for the upcoming June 16 service.

VanU library books related to this Sunday’s sermon:

1. Seasons of Life: Our Dramatic Journey from Birth to Death, by John Kotre and Elizabeth Hall, 1990, 155 KOT [A companion book to the acclaimed PBS television series, this interprets the fascinating work and discoveries of hundreds of social scientists and, through the personal stories of dozens of ordinary individuals, reveals the rich drama of life’s passages at the end of the twentieth century].

2. Guide My Feet: Prayers and Meditations on Loving and Working for Children, by Marian Wright Edelman, 1995, 242.6 EDE [From Beacon Press; A collection of prayers and meditations gathered from Edelman’s own holiday rituals and experiences and the writings of such inspiring leaders as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, and Frederick Douglass, the book (filled with wisdom, compassion and understanding) urges readers to commit to and pray for strength and patience, and offers solace and direction for parents troubled by the commercialism and violence running rampant in today’s society, and also provides an important spiritual and moral resource all caregivers can turn to as they strive to instill values, integrity, self-discipline and faith in children].

3. Education and the Good Life, by Bertrand Russell, 1926, 192 RU [Bertrand Russell, considered to be one of the most significant educational innovators of his time, calls for an education that would liberate the child from unthinking obedience to parental and religious authority, with his argument being that, if the basis of all education is knowledge wielded by love, then society can be transformed].

4. The Story of Your Life: Writing a Spiritual Autobiography, by Dan Wakefield, 1990, 808.2 WAK [From Beacon Press; This shows how to write about and share our most meaningful life experiences, and in so doing to see our lives in a new light].

5. Trusting Change: Finding Our Way Through Personal and Global Transformation, by Karen Hering, 2022, 248 [Sharing wisdom found in nature and in metaphors, the book’s reflections include evocative questions and creative, often embodied exercises that invite the reader into a larger story of change, with this book being a conversation with the reader meant to also stir conversations between readers as we learn to live into and through our transformative times together].

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Our library in Hewett Centre is open every Sunday after service during Coffee Hour, and now the Library Team will be offering related reading lists based on the topic of Sunday service. Here is their list for the upcoming June 9 service.

VanU library books related to this Sunday’s sermon:

1. The Seasoned Soul: Reflections on Growing Older, by Eliza Blanchard, 2012, 204.4 BLA [From Skinner House Books; Using wise and inspiring quotations from many cultures and religious traditions, eighty-seven elegant essays provide guidance and encouragement for navigating life changes, dealing with fear, retaining dignity and passion, and living a life of meaning, helping all of us face the joys and challenges of aging with insight and grace].

2. The Song of the Bird, by Anthony De Mello, 1982, 248.4 DeM [Gift of Anne Ptolemy; 124 stories and parables from a variety of traditions, both ancient and modern, with each resonating with life lessons that can teach us inescapable truths about ourselves and our world, and with the author directing “Let the story speak to your heart, not to your brain”.]

3. Lifecraft: The Art of Meaning in the Everyday, by Forrest Church, 2001, 248.4 CHU [Beacon Press; A joyous book on the art of finding meaning in daily life].

4. Learning to Fall: The Blessings of an Imperfect Life, by Philip Simmons, 2003, 291.4 [Donated by Gerta Moray; Philip Simmons, who was just thirty-five years old in 1993 when he learned that he had ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, was told he had less than five years to live, but nine years later, he has succeeded, against the odds, in learning the art of living, with this surprisingly joyous and spirit-renewing book, he chronicles his search for peace and his deepening relationship with the mystery of everyday life, with this offering us the gift of connecting more deeply and joyously with our own].

5. Aging Well: Surprising Guideposts to a Happier Life from the Landmark Study of Adult Development, by George E. Vaillant MD, 2003, 362.6 VAI [Gift of Phillip Hewett; In an unprecedented series of the most complete studies ever done, Harvard Medical School followed 824 subjects (men and women, some rich, some poor) from their teens to old age, with Harvard’s George Vaillant using these studies and the subjects’ individual histories to illustrate the factors involved in reaching a happy, healthy old age].

6. Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life: How to Finally, Really Grow Up, by James Hollis, 2005, 155.6 HOL [Jungian psychoanalyst James Hollis believes that it is only in the second half of life that we can truly come to know who we are and thus create a life that has meaning, with this book offering wisdom to anyone facing a career that no longer seems fulfilling, a long-term relationship that has shifted, or family transitions that raise issues of aging and mortality, to generally provide a reassuring message and a crucial bridge across this critical passage of adult development].

7. The Spirituality of Imperfection: Modern Wisdom from Classic Stories, by Ernest Kurtz, 1992, 291.4 KUR [Gift of Carol Anne Owen; Steeped in the rich traditions of the Hebrew prophets and Greek thinkers, Buddhist sages and Christian disciples, this insightful work draws on the wisdom stories of the ages to provide an extraordinary wellspring of hope and inspiration].

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Our library in Hewett Centre is open every Sunday after service during Coffee Hour, and now the Library Team will be offering related reading lists based on the topic of Sunday service. Here is their list for the upcoming June 2 service.

VanU library books related to this Sunday’s sermon:

1. Cascadia: The Elusive Utopia, by Douglas Todd, 2008, 204 TOD [This explores the unique spirituality and culture of Cascadia, which includes British Columbia, Washington and Oregon, arguing that most of the region’s 14 million residents feel deeply “spiritual”, with many gaining their sense of the sacred from the spectacular and imposing land].

2. Perfection of the Morning: An Apprenticeship in Nature, by Sharon Butala, 1995, 921 BUT [A meditation on the world of nature, this is Sharon’s search for a connection with the prairie that encompassed and often overwhelmed her].

3. Norbert Fabian Capek: A Spiritual Journey, by Richard Henry, 1999, 921 CAP [Gift of Harold Brown; from Skinner House Books; Norbert Čapek, who initiated the flower communion in Prague on 4 June 1923, was also an inspiring leader who, during one of the most turbulent periods in modern history, built a religious movement in Czechoslovakia of close to 10,000 people].

4. The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature, by David Suzuki, 2007, 304.2 SUZ [Drawing on David’s own experiences, as well as that of others who have put their beliefs into action, this combines science, philosophy, spirituality, and Indigenous knowledge to offer concrete suggestions to create an ecologically sustainable future by rediscovering and addressing humanity’s basic needs].

5. Generation Dread, by Britt Wray, 2023, 155.9 [An impassioned, generational perspective on not only why climate anxiety is completely natural and necessary, but also how we can be stronger for it].

6. Emerson’s Angle of Vision; Man and Nature in American Experience, by Sherman Paul, 1952, 921 EM [Gift of Christine Peirce Douglas in memory of her son Lionel Peirce Douglas].

7. Walden, by Henry David Thoreau, 1997, 818.3 THO [In 1845, the Transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau built a log cabin beside the lake of Walden to return to nature, to observe and reflect, while living on eight dollars per year, with this resulting in a deeply personal reaction against the commercialism and materialism that he saw as the main impulses of mid-nineteenth-century America].

8. From Beginning to End: The Rituals of Our Lives, by Robert Fulghum, 1995, 128 FUL [Rituals don’t always involve words, occasions, officials, or an audience, with them often being silent, solitary, and self-contained; the author even sees ritual when people sit together silently by an open fire].

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Our library in Hewett Centre is open every Sunday after service during Coffee Hour, and now the Library Team will be offering related reading lists based on the topic of Sunday service. Here is their list for the upcoming May 26 service.

VanU library books related to this Sunday’s sermon:

1. Salted with Fire: Unitarian Universalist Strategies for Sharing Faith and Growing Congregations, by Scott W. Alexander, 1994, 289.13 ALE [Dynamic collection of Unitarian Universalist religious leaders’ essays filled with philosophy, practical advice and passion about their commitment and passion for the growth of Unitarian Universalism].

2. Planning For Growth & Vitality For Smaller & Midsize Congregations: Congregational Team Planning Guide, 288 UUA/CUC.

3. The Almost Church: Redefining Unitarian Universalism for a New Era, by Michael Durall, 2004, 289.1 DUR [Delves into how UU congregations can become stronger-minded, as well as more effective, in achieving their hopes and dreams in the future].

4. The Interfaith Alternative: Embracing Spiritual Diversity, by Reverend Steven Greenebaum, 2012, 201.5 [Gift of Mary Bennett; There’s no them – there is only us – with a common humanity, including each of our spiritual paths having the primary tenets of faith including universal love, acceptance and compassion].

5. The Common Heart: An Experience of Interreligious Dialogue, edited by Netanel Miles-Yepez, 2006, 201.5 MIL [Provides Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist and Indigenous perspectives in interreligious dialogue gathered from twenty years of Father Thomas Keating’s “Snowmass Conference”].

6. How to Expand Love: Widening the Circle of Loving Relationships, by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, 2006, 294.3 BST [This offers a simple, yet illuminating, program for transforming self-centered energy into outwardly directed compassion, thus helping us to open our hearts and minds to the experience of unlimited love, resulting in transforming every relationship in our lives and guiding us ever closer to wisdom and enlightenment].

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Our library in Hewett Centre is open every Sunday after service during Coffee Hour, and now the Library Team will be offering related reading lists based on the topic of Sunday service. Here is their list for the upcoming May 19 service.

VanU library books related to this Sunday’s sermon:

1. The Souls of China: The Return of Religion After Mao, by Ian Johnson, 2018, 200 [On the new acquisitions shelf; A revelatory portrait of religion in China today, along with its history, the spiritual traditions of its Eastern and Western faiths, and the ways in which it is influencing China’s future].

2. Indigenous Relations: Insights, Tips & Suggestions to Make Reconciliation a Reality, by Bob Joseph, 2019, 303 [Teaches about Aboriginal Rights and Title, the treaty process, the difference between hereditary and elected leadership (and why it matters), the lasting impact of the Indian Act (including the barriers that Indigenous communities face, which terms are preferable, and which should be avoided Indigenous Worldviews and cultural traditions the effect of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in Canada), and the truth behind common myths and stereotypes perpetuated about Indigenous Peoples since Confederation.].

3. From Where I Stand: Rebuilding Indigenous Nations for a Stronger Canada, by Jody Wilson-Raybould, 2019, 970.5 [Based on speeches made over a ten-year period both at home and abroad, this reveals why true reconciliation will occur only when Canada moves beyond denial, recognizes Indigenous Rights, and replaces the Indian Act].

4. Life Prayers From Around the World: 365 Prayers, Blessings, and Affirmations to Celebrate the Human Journey, by Elizabeth Roberts, 1996, 242.2 ROB [This richly eclectic collection of poetry, wisdom, prayers and blessing from writers and other thinkers from around the world provides a joyous affirmation of the human journey, in all of its forms, struggles and glories].

5. Don’t Label Me: How to Do Diversity Without Inflaming the Culture Wars, by Irshad Manji, 2020, 306.446 [Copies donated by Mary Bennett and John Omielan; Lessons from Bruce Lee, Ben Franklin, Audre Lorde, and Manji’s own experiences as an African refugee, this provides a unique conversation about diversity, bigotry and our common humanity].

6. Rehearsals for Living, by Robyn Maynard and Leanne Betasamosake Simpson , 2023, 306 [The authors discuss with each other the Black and Indigenous perspectives about our unprecedented current issues, including reiterating the long-disavowed histories of slavery and colonization, to create something new: an urgent demand for a different way forward, along with a poetic call to dream up other ways to order earthly life].

(Image credit: Kimberley Farmer / Unsplash)

Our library in Hewett Centre is open every Sunday after service during Coffee Hour, and now the Library Team will be offering related reading lists based on the topic of Sunday service. Here is their list for the upcoming May 12 service.

VanU library books related to this Sunday’s sermon:

1. Gandhi on Non-Violence: A Selection From the Writings of Mahatma Gandi, by Mahatma Gandhi  1965, 172 GAN [Gift of Phillip Hewett, In memory of Charlotte Pennell].

2. The Power of Nonviolence: Writings by Advocates of Peace, by Howard Zinn, 2002, 327.17 WEI [from Beacon Press, this is the first anthology of the alternatives to war, with the most salient and persuasive arguments for peace in the past 2,500 years].

3. Enough Blood Shed: 101 Solutions to Violence, Terror and War, by Mary-Wynne Ashford with Guy Dauncey, 2006, 303.69 ASH [Signed by a co-author, this provides an alternative perspective (to that of people believing they’re powerless to change the reality of a world awash with weapons and war) based on solutions where their previous use has proven them to be successful].

4. Gandh’s Truth, by Erik H. Erikson, 1969, 921 GAN [Subtitle is “On the Origins of Militant Nonviolence].

5. Nonviolence: The History of a Dangerous Idea (Modern Library Chronicles), by Mark Kurlansky, 2008, 303.61 KUR [History, from ancient Hindu times until now, of nonviolence being a distinct entity, a course of action, rather than just a mere state of mind].

6. The Spoils of War: Power, Profit and the American War Machine, by Andrew Cockburn, 2021, 973.931 [Donated by Gerta Moray, this explains how the American war machine can only be properly understood in terms of the “private passions” and “interests” of those who control it, in particular, a passionate interest in money].

7. Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan, by Greg Mortenson, 2009, 371.82 MOR [Tells about the humanitarian effort to build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan, with Wikipedia’s article stating “Due to attention paid to Mortenson’s books first by their wives, US military leaders in Afghanistan have sought Mortenson’s advice on how to work with the elders of local Afghan communities since 2007”].

8. We Can Have Peace in the Holy Land: A Plan That Will Work, Jimmy Carter, 2009, 956.05 CAR [Nobel Peace Laureate and former President Jimmy Carter, for three decades, has studied the complex and interrelated issues of the region’s conflicts and has been actively involved in reconciling them].

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Our library in Hewett Centre is open every Sunday after service during Coffee Hour, and now the Library Team will be offering related reading lists based on the topic of Sunday service. Here is their list for the upcoming May 5 service.

VanU library books related to this Sunday’s sermon:

1. Higher Creativity: Liberating the Unconscious for Breakthrough Insights, by Willis Harman and Howard Rheingold, 1984, 153.3 HAR [Our conscious minds can sometimes constrain our creativity but, through meditation, dreams, etc., our sub-conscious may break through to help.]

2. Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Practice, by Lauren Artress, 291.3 ART [An example of the use of an artificial constraint in movement as a freeing device.]

3. A Listening Heart: The Art of Contemplative Living, by David Steindl-Rast, 1983, 248.4 STE [A Benedictine monk on the spiritual fruits of a monastic life based on the constraints of the rule to ‘Pray and work.’]

4. Solstice: The Art Of Roy Henry Vickers, by Roy Henry Vickers, 1993, 741 VIC [An example of how the stylistic constraints of a traditional culture can enable its users to see beyond the surface of things.]

5. The Great Code, by Northrop Frye, 1990 809.9 FRY [Frye stressed the larger or deeper imaginative patterns from which all literary works are constructed and the recurring importance of literature’s underlying archetypes.]

6. The Mind’s Eye, by Oliver Sacks, 2008, 781.11 SAC [A neurologist’s reflections on limitations or constraints in the brain and resulting modes of creativity.]

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Our library in Hewett Centre is open every Sunday after service during Coffee Hour, and now the Library Team will be offering related reading lists based on the topic of Sunday service. Here is their list for the upcoming April 28 service.

VanU library books related to this Sunday’s sermon:

1. Lifecraft: The Art of Meaning in the Everyday, by Forrest Church, 2001, 248.4 CHU.

2. City Making in Paradise: Nine Decisions that Saved Vancouver, by Michael Harcourt, Ken Cameron , Sean Rossiter, 2007, 307.1 HAR.

3. Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort of Joy, by Sarah Ban Breathnach, 1995, 158.12 BAN.

4. Thoreau as Spiritual Guide: A Companion to Walden for Personal Reflection and Discussion, by Barry M. Andrews, 2000, 200

5. Man’s Search for Meaning: An Introduction to Logotherapy, by Viktor E. Frankl, 1984, 150.19 FRA (note this is from the Julian Fears Library).

6. The Animal World of Albert Schweitzer: Jungle Insights into Reverence for Life, by Albert Schweitzer, 1996, 921 SCH.

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Our library in Hewett Centre is open every Sunday after service during Coffee Hour, and now the Library Team will be offering related reading lists based on the topic of Sunday service. Here is their list for the upcoming Earth Day service on April 21.

VanU library books related to this Sunday’s sermon:

1. For the Common Good: Redirecting the Economy Toward Community, the Environment, and a Sustainable Future, by Herman E. Daly, 1989, 330.1 DA.

2. I Seem to Be a Verb: Environment and Man’s Future, by R. Buckminster Fuller, 1970, 917.3 FUL.

3. The World Without Us, by Alan Weisman, 2007, 304.2 WEI.

4. The Day the World Stops Shopping: How Ending Consumerism Saves the Environment and Ourselves, by J.B. MacKinnon, 2021, 339.47.

5. The Geography of Childhood: Why Children Need Wild Places, by Gary Paul Nabhan and Stephen Trimble, 1994, 155.4 NAB.

6. Flight of the Hummingbird: A Parable for the Environment, by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, 2008, 333.

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