Sunday by Sunday

Great books are good teachers. They might teach us about ourselves or the community in which we live. They might also teach us about different time periods, distant lands and people, or ideas and concepts. Great books challenge us to stretch our thinking, to expand our imaginations and see beyond ourselves and underneath the everyday.

The Sunday by Sunday series, by Cristy Fossum (Create in Me Enterprises, Columbia, SC 2009), is a great series of books. They are great books not because they take us to distant lands, but because they describe the familiar and encourage us to reflect on something as familiar as an old, well-worn coat—church. On Sundays throughout the church year we hear sermons, participate in the liturgy, celebrate the sacraments, and see the lives and actions of the congregants—both the good and not so good. Through it all the Spirit reveals God’s love and grace.

Teaching from a Different Perspective

There are several reasons why I deeply appreciate these books. As a pastor, I liked their realistic portrayal of the calling to be a pastor. They show the challenges, blessings and struggles to carry out that calling. The books’ value the liturgy—the confession, the creed, the Prayers of the Church and Holy Communion. I find this refreshing in an age when tradition is downplayed. Most of all I enjoyed reading the stories of common Christians striving to follow the teachings of Jesus, sharing God’s love and grace and wrestling with the challenges of their faith. Each chapter invited me to stop and reflect on my own walk of faith and response to God’s love and grace.

Read in Different Ways

I read these books as novels. They can also be read as weekly or daily devotional material. Scripture references begin each chapter. The stories are there to ponder and to pray. Whatever way you read these books, they will teach and you will learn—and God’s Spirit will speak to your heart.