Best this month
By Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Judi Dench (left) and Celia Imrie
Seven older men and women—including an independent widow, a retired live-in housekeeper, a retired London High Court judge, an unhappily married couple, a divorcee and a single man—risk all to take up residence at the Marigold Hotel in Jai- pur, India. The enthusiastic manager of the establishment describes it as an inexpen- sive retirement home for British citizens. It’s fascinating to watch how these men
and women respond to change as they try to cope with the crowded city, the hot weather, the problems at the hotel, and the spontaneous Hindu rituals going on around them. This character-driven film is directed by John Madden (Shakespeare in Love). Although this film is a comedy, it covers major themes in the elder stage of existence: life review, health crises, financial shortfalls, marital relationships, loneliness and spiritual openness. Best of all is the message that you can teach an old dog new tricks. A change of milieu for some of these char-
acters opens them up to new possibilities. All that is needed is an open heart, an open mind and patience—then the magic can happen (20th Century Fox, PG-13—sexual content, language). Now on DVD.
Mouse and the Moon
In this book by M. Christina Butler, a little harvest mouse lives in the middle of a grainfield. Lonely, he has
come up with a nightly ritual of singing a lullaby to the moon. The moon watches over him until he falls asleep.
The Brussats pub- lish the website www. SpiritualityandPractice. com where you can find more information about the items reviewed in this column.
But one evening his faithful companion disappears and is nowhere to be seen. The mouse is surprised to discover that other animals, including a duck, squirrel and rabbit, also miss the moon. They become his new friends. When the moon reap- pears, the creatures realize that it is not their possession but a precious gift shared by all (Good Books, www.
goodbooks.com).
64 The Lutheran •
www.thelutheran.org
Discerning God’s Will Together: A Spiritual Practice for the Church
Danny E. Morris, who developed the Upper Room Academy for Spiritual Formation, and Charles M. Olsen, who founded the Wor- shipful-Work Center for Trans- forming Religious Leadership,
examine some principles and practices for the spiritual renewal of Christian communities. The emphasis is on both personal and communal discernment of God’s will, which involves both knowing and doing. We can find examples of discernment in the Old and
New Testaments, the words of the desert fathers and mothers, the Protestant Reformation and the Quaker tradition. The authors present a series of stepping- stones to spiritual discernment, including grounding, shedding, rooting, listening and exploring. There are also helpful reminders for individual or group prac- tice, including that discernment takes time, that both death and resurrection are part of the process, and we must listen to how God is speaking to us through other people (Alban Institute,
www.alban.org).
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