Crashing the Gate book tour comes to Colorado

In case anyone actually in Colorado has stumbled across this blog, there will be a couple of worthwhile book signings at Tattered Cover (LoDo) this week:

Crashing the Gate: Netroots, Grassroots, and the Rise of People-Powered Politics, by Jerome Armstrong and Markos Moulitsas Zuniga, is "a shot across the bow at the political establishment in Washington, DC and a call to re-democratize politics in America. Written by two of the most popular political bloggers in America, the book hails the new movement that is changing the way political campaigns are waged." Visit http://www.crashingthegate.com/ or http://www.dailykos.com/ to learn more about the book, the blogs, and the online progressive movement. Moulitsas will be in Boulder tomorrow and Denver on Wednesday, for a book signing at 5pm (and then "Drinking Liberally Denver," a progressive meet-up at Double Daughters, 7:30 - 9:30).
[In addition to having great insights on today's political scene, Markos is married to a friend of mine from high school, so I met him at our 10th class reunion last fall!]

Ending Hunger Now: A Challenge to Persons of Faith, by George McGovern, Bob Dole and Donald Messer. Dr. Don Messer, a professor at Iliff School of Theology, and former U.S. Senator George McGovern will discuss and sign their book at Tattered Cover (LoDo), beginning at 7:30.

...and in the usual Murphaic way of things (that would be due to Murphy's Law), Anne Lamott, author of the wonderful Traveling Mercies and Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith, will be at Tattered Cover's Cherry Creek location, also beginning at 7:30 p.m.

And I have choir rehearsal that evening, which means I need to learn to be in three places at once!

Happy Easter!

To celebrate the joy of the Resurrection this Easter Sunday, I offer you this photo of our own (non-Easter) bunny, Lucy.

She likes to sit on top of her cage these days. It makes her feel important.

And here's a pic of springtime in the park.

Pretty, no?

More Book Recommendations

I just realized I never posted the rest of the books I wanted to recommend. So here they are.

Theology, Church, and Culture
Transforming Our Days: Spirituality, Community and Liturgy in a Technological Culture, by Richard R. Gaillardetz. Fascinating Christian cultural criticism of the mindset/worldview created by technology in today's culture, proposing that a (partial) solution to the commodification of life may be found in Christian community, liturgy, asceticism, and mystery.

Process Theology: A Basic Introduction, by C. Robert Mesle and John B. Cobb. Very accessible introduction to a contemporary theology that seeks to integrate the findings of science with belief in a God who is good.

The Practicing Congregation: Imagining a New Old Church, by Diana Butler Bass. How mainline churches across the U.S. are finding new life in ancient Christian practices. Also check out Practicing Our Faith : A Way of Life for a Searching People, by Dorothy C. Bass.

Reimagining Christianity: Reconnect Your Spirit Without Disconnecting Your Mind, by Alan Jones. Didn't get very far into this, but it seemed a good introduction to a faith that encourages questioning and critical thinking without losing a sense of mystery.

Also, not a specifically faith-related book, but I'm currently reading Sight Hound, by Pam Houston, a Colorado writer. Very enjoyable, although perhaps a couple too many characters to keep track of (each chapter is written from a different character's perspective, including the dogs and cat).

Blessings on your Easter weekend, everybody!

Welcome to Holy Week

Looking to focus a little more intentionally on prayer or scripture reading as we prepare for Easter? Consider visiting Sacred Space, the prayer site run by Irish Jesuits. I've listed a couple other links at my church's blog.

And if you're not sure what to think about all the pro-immigrant protests, try this article from Slate: the author's take is that the happy medium between the House's amnesty bill and the Senate's criminalization bill is to do nothing at all - make it neither harder nor easier to get into the country legally, and neither offer more incentives nor threaten brute force to undocumented immigrants who are here already.

It seems a plausible policy, likely to satisfy no one (but perhaps won't enrage anyone as much as either of the bills proposed currently). Yet as a Christian I believe in hospitality for the sojourner, and welcoming the stranger - check out Sojourners' faith-based perspectives on compassion, not criminalization.

The Religious Left

Slate has an interesting article about the emergence and categories of the religious left. Of course, as with any taxonomy, broad generalizations are made, but at least we're getting some mainstream press attention. I found myself identifying with more than one classification - how about you?

And as a good Iliff grad, I have to point out that describing African-Americans and Hispanic/Latino people as "ethnic" implies that white European descent is the standard or norm, instead of having its own array of ethnicities and cultural backgrounds. We (and by we, I don't just mean white people) need to come up with better language to describe our diversity that does not reinforce white privilege by keeping it invisible.

On a fictional note, a bittersweet end to the Santos-McGarry campaign last night... It's too bad the West Wing producers have slowed the pace down so much this season to build to the finale. It's getting hard to imagine what they'll spend the last few episodes on. (Will next week really be only about Leo's funeral? Let's hope not.)