Our library in Hewett Centre is open every Sunday after service during Coffee Hour in Hewett Centre, and our Library Team offers related reading lists based on the topic of the Sunday service. Here is their list for the upcoming service featuring Rev. Shawn Gauthier and Janet Pivnick on Sunday, January 11, 2026 at 11 a.m. All are welcome in Hewett Centre after the Sunday service to check out some books, and to have coffee and conversation.
VanU library books related to this Sunday’s sermon:
1. Widening Circles: A Memoir, by Joanna Macy, 2000, 921 MAC [From LibraryThing: “… , well-known eco-philosopher, Buddhist scholar, and deep ecology activist/teacher Joanna Macy recounts her adventures of mind and spirit in the key social movements of our era. From involvement with the CIA and the Cold War, through experiences in Africa, India and Tibet, to her encounter with the Dalai Lama and Buddhism which led to her life-long embrace of the religion and a deep commitment to the peace and environmental movements, … as she reflects on how her marriage and family life enriched her service to the world. …”].
2. Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We’re in with Unexpected Resilience and Creative Power, by Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone, 2022, 303 MAC [From LibraryThing: “This revised edition of “Active hope” shows us how to strengthen our capacity to face crises so that we can respond with unexpected resilience and creative power.”].
3. The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times, by Jane Goodall, Douglas Adams and Gail Hudson, 2021, 304 GOO [Donated by Elizabeth Murdoch. From LibraryThing: “… Jane Goodall, the world’s most famous living naturalist, and Douglas Abrams, the internationally bestselling co-author of The Book of Joy, explore through intimate and thought-provoking dialogue one of the most sought after and least understood elements of human nature: hope. In The Book of Hope, Jane focuses on her “Four Reasons for Hope”: The Amazing Human Intellect, The Resilience of Nature, The Power of Young People, and The Indomitable Human Spirit. Drawing on decades of work that has helped expand our understanding of what it means to be human and what we all need to do to help build a better world, The Book of Hope touches on vital questions, including: How do we stay hopeful when everything seems hopeless? How do we cultivate hope in our children? What is the relationship between hope and action? …”].
4. Active hope: how to face the mess we’re in without going crazy, by Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone, 2012, 303.4 [From LibraryThing: “The challenges we face can be difficult even to think about. … shows us how to strengthen our capacity to face this crisis so that we can respond with unexpected resilience and creative power. Drawing on decades of teaching an empowerment approach known as the Work That Reconnects, the authors guide us through a transformational process informed by mythic journeys, modern psychology, spirituality, and holistic science. …”].
5. Hope for Animals and Their World: How Endangered Species Are Being Rescued from the Brink, by Jane Goodall, 2009, 578 GOO [From LibraryThing, the publisher description: “… Goodall–along with Cincinnati Zoo Director Thane Maynard–shares fascinating survival stories about the American crocodile, the California condor, the black-footed ferret and more–all formerly endangered species and species once on the verge of extinction whose populations are now being regenerated. Interweaving her own first-hand experiences with the research of premier scientists, Goodall illuminates the heroic efforts of dedicated environmentalists and the truly critical need to protect the habitats of these beloved species. …”].
6. A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power, by Jimmy Carter, 2014, 323.34 CAR [From LibraryThing: “The world’s discrimination and violence against women and girls is the most serious, pervasive, and ignored violation of basic human rights: This is President Jimmy Carter’s call to action. President Carter was encouraged to write this book by a wide coalition of leaders of all faiths. His urgent report covers a system of discrimination that extends to every nation. Women are deprived of equal opportunity in wealthier nations and “owned” by men in others, forced to suffer servitude, child marriage, and genital cutting. The most vulnerable, along with their children, are trapped in war and violence. A Call to Action addresses the suffering inflicted upon women by a false interpretation of carefully selected religious texts and a growing tolerance of violence and warfare. Key verses are often omitted or quoted out of context by male religious leaders to exalt the status of men and exclude women. And in nations that accept or even glorify violence, this perceived inequality becomes the basis for abuse. President Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, have visited 145 countries, and The Carter Center has had active projects in more than half of them. Around the world, they have seen inequality rising rapidly with each passing decade. This is true in both rich and poor countries, and among the citizens within them. Carter draws upon his own experiences and the testimony of courageous women from all regions and all major religions to demonstrate that women around the world, more than half of all human beings, are being denied equal rights. This is an informed and passionate charge about a devastating effect on economic prosperity and unconscionable human suffering. It affects us all”].
7. We Can Have Peace in the Holy Land: A Plan That Will Work, by Jimmy Carter, 2009, 956.05 CAR [From LibraryThing: “Nobel Peace Laureate Jimmy Carter argues that the present moment is a unique time for achieving peace in the Middle East–and he offers a bold and comprehensive plan. For the last three decades, as President of the United States and as founder of The Carter Center, Carter has studied the complex and interrelated issues of the region’s conflicts and has been actively involved in reconciling them. He knows the leaders of all factions who will need to play key roles, and he sees encouraging signs. Carter describes the history of previous peace efforts and why they fell short. He argues persuasively that the road to a peace agreement is now open and that it has broad international and regional support. Most of all, since there will be no progress without courageous and sustained U.S. leadership, he says the time for progress is now, ….”].
8. How to Write and Deliver a Loving Eulogy, by Leo Seguin, 1998, 155.9 SEG [From LibraryThing: “When asked by family or friends to deliver a eulogy, there is usually very little time for planning. This book is designed as a guide to help you build and deliver a loving eulogy. It will provide, in a concise form, a vehicle of expression produced with empathy and compassion. The prose will be constructed from your own personal thoughts, your generous emotions, your caring hands, hands imbued with loyalty and worthy purpose (using our tools) you are a child of God. …”].