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 service, “Is There Meaning in Suffering?” on Sunday, March 22, 2026 beginning 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.Pain: The Science and Culture of Why We Hurt by Marni Jackson 616.04 JAC From The National Institute of Health: “ The journalist author uses her skills to uncover every aspect of pain, leaving no page unturned and no corner unexplored. From her journalist perspective, she does her homework. This is not a textbook or a research paper, just the result of one lay individual’s curiosity and desire to know more. Helpful insights from the book include Jackson’s explanation of the role of psychiatry and pain (“it helps one get intimate with pain”), the role that self-judgment plays in compounding pain, and an explanation of phantom pain…’
2.Learning to Fall: The Blessings of an Imperfect Life by Philip Simmons 291 SIM From Library Thing: ‘Philip Simmons was just thirty-five years old in 1993 when he learned that he had ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, and was told he had less than five years to live. As a young husband and father, and at the start of a promising literary career, he suddenly had to learn the art of dying. Nine years later, he has succeeded, against the odds, in learning the art of living. Now, in this surprisingly joyous and spirit-renewing book, he chronicles his search for peace and his deepening relationship with the mystery of everyday life.’
3.The War on Terror: Taking Aim at the Anxiety Disorders: A Primer for Sufferers and Loved Ones by David Buchanan 152.46 BUC From Barnes & Noble: ‘[This] consumer reference guide … is written for a general readership (e.g., sufferers of anxiety disorders and those near and dear to them, and others interested in the topic) and no prior knowledge of the topic is necessary to fully appreciate this book. Ingrid Söchting, Clinical Assistant Professor at University of British Columbia wrote: “I was impressed by the wealth of information and your ability to clearly and succinctly synthesize it all. A wonderful resource for anyone seeking help with or information on anxiety.”’
4.On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity and Getting Old by Parker J. Palmer 155 PAL From Library Thing: “On the Brink of Everything is an exploration of Parker Palmer’s experience of living and aging, written in hopes of encouraging readers of every age to explore their life course. It is not a “guide to” or “handbook” for “getting old”–something all of us are doing all the time. Instead it’s a set of meditations in prose and poetry that turn the prism on the meaning(s) of one’s life–and on the importance of staying meaningfully engaged with life until the end. From beginning to end the book is packed with both humor and gravitas”
5.The Heart of Buddha’s Teaching: Transforming Buddha’s Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation by Thich Nhat Hanh 294 NHA From Library Thing: With poetry and clarity, Thich Nhat Hanh imparts comforting wisdom about the nature of suffering and its role in creating compassion, love, and joy – all qualities of enlightenment. …Thich Nhat Hanh introduces us to the core teachings of Buddhism and shows us that the Buddha’s teachings are accessible and applicable to our daily lives. Covering such significant teachings as the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, the Three Doors of Liberation, the Three Dharma Seals, and the Seven Factors of Awakening, The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching is a radiant beacon on Buddhist thought for the initiated and uninitiated alike.
6.Lifecraft: The Art of Meaning in the Everyday by Forrest Church 248 CHU From Library Thing: ‘Harvey Cox from the Harvard Divinity School said of this book, “From the very first page Forrest Church demonstrates his uncanny gift for connecting with the reader and bringing to bear spiritual resources from a variety of religious and other sources on the large and small inconveniences of being human and finite.”’