Last month, I wrote about the resources for learning and encouragement to be found in the

magazine rack in the hallway outside the Sanctuary at St. Andrew’s. I hope that some of you are taking advantage of those periodicals! This month, I want to encourage you to connect to some online resources for Christian living that I’ve found helpful.

First on my list is the work of Steven Charleston. Those of you who follow me or St. Andrew’s on Facebook will have seen my reposts of some of his daily meditations. Steven is an interesting

guy. A citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, he was the Episcopal Bishop of Alaska from 1991 to 1996 and Dean of the Episcopal Divinity School in New York City from 1999 to 2008.

His daily meditations, shared on Facebook, are a fascinating blend of his Native American heritage and his Christian faith. I almost always find them encouraging. He’s also written several books, many of which I own and which I can also recommend. Six of his books, such as Hope as Old as Fire and Spirit Wheel, are compilations of the meditations shared on Facebook.

He’s also written books of theology, such as Coming Full Circle: Constructing Native Christian

Theology and The Four Vision Quests of Jesus, which I’ve also found meaningful. Finally, he’s published three science-fiction novels, which I’ve not yet read but hope to. If you are on Facebook, you can follow him at https://www.facebook.com/bishopstevencharleston.

His books are available on Amazon.

Those who’ve been part of our Tuesday Bible Study will already know about my friend, Kathleen Kichline, as we’ve used two of her books, Sisters in Scripture and Why These Women? as study guides. She sends out a bi-weekly email of her ruminations on the Scriptures called “Scribbles.” I’ve known Kathleen since 2005, when she was the parish administrator for St. Thomas More Catholic parish in Lynnwood. Kathleen and I, along with a Presbyterian colleague, used to co-teach Bible studies that met alternately at St. Thomas More, Good Shepherd Baptist, and Maplewood Presbyterian. She’s since relocated to be near family in Bella Vista, Arkansas – I’m hoping I can lure her up to DeSoto to teach some time as she is an outstanding teacher of the Bible. There’s a link on her website, https://sistersinscripture.com/, to

sign up for “Scribbles.

”The Center for Action and Contemplation is an ecumenical ministry based in Albuquerque, NM.

Their founder, Fr. Richard Rohr, is a Franciscan friar and acclaimed teacher of ecumenical theology and the Scriptures. As Fr. Rohr’s health has declined, other Christian leaders, such as Brian McLaren, have come alongside him to lead the Center. I’ve studied under Brian – he’s terrific and was named one of Time Magazine’s “25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America” in 2015. I don’t always make time to read the Center’s daily devotional email, “Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditations,” as it’s on the longish side, but perhaps some of you with less hectic schedules would enjoy it. You can sign up at the Center’s website: https://cac.org/.

Finally, I’m just beginning to enjoy a periodic devotional newsletter that Pastor Steve Richardson

recommended to me. “Junkyard Wisdom” comes from Roy Goble, a Christian, author, and real

estate developer, who says he learned everything he ever needed to know in his dad’s junkyard.

He’s got some delightful observations about Jesus and the Scriptures. Sign up for his occasional

emails at https://junkyardwisdom.com/.

Blessings,

Pastor Chris